MCBAINS COOPER
PROPERTY & CONSTRUCTION CONSULTANCY
QUOTES
September 13, 2011.
PLANNING LAWS “ALREADY IN FORCE” – PROPERTY CONSULTANCY MCBAINS COOPER COMMENTS.
Commenting on speculation that future planning laws and guidance are already in force, Mark Leeson, a director of property and construction consultancy McBains Cooper said:
“We should welcome any initiative that speeds up the planning process and encourages sustainable development designed to a high standard. The real problem here, and the one that is causing most concern, is the difference in the timing between the finalisation of the ‘local plans’ and the likely push by developers to secure consent before these are adopted.
“While the idea of creating a local plan in a wholly democratic and consultative way is noble aspiration, it is a complex, time-consuming and expensive process. There is no real guidance to local authorities on how to undertake this process.
“The question is who instigates the local plans? Is it the private sector, the local authority – which may no longer have the resources and money to do so - or individuals and groups themselves? In the case of individuals it is difficult to see what would trigger their involvement. Individuals and sometimes groups have historically reacted to proposals and plans rather than created them themselves. If they are to create them themselves, what professional help is available to them to do so, and how would they procure it?
“Of particular concern in relation to achieving sustainable growth is the removal of targets relating to the re-use of brown field sites, and the lack of comment relating to intensification of land usage. The most sustainable developments build on existing infrastructure, reduce the need to travel and encourage internal investment back into existing communities, rather than creating new ones. The lack of focus on this will inevitably mean that some development will be allowed where it should not be, and opportunities to regenerate may be missed.
“In the meantime, the good news for developers is that the ‘presumption’ should mean that providing the criteria are met, and careful consultation at a local level takes place, consent should be easier to secure. In reality, the new policy will inevitably need to be tested through appeal before LAs really start to adopt it, and greater investment will be needed in the LAs planning teams to make this happen.
“I believe an element of ‘privatisation’ of the planning service - as with approved inspectors - should be introduced to allow the private sector to manage the consultation process and prepare and ‘self-validate’ applications to speed up this process, leaving officers to concentrate on the development, in partnership with the private sector, of strategic plans and to carry out the various needs surveys that have been suggested by the draft framework.”
Ends
Further information:
Iain Macauley
07788 978800 im@pressrelations.co.uk
Notes.
McBains Cooper
McBains Cooper is an inter-discipline consultancy, specialising in property, infrastructure and construction, offering a wide range of consulting and design services including architectural, aesthetic or technical design, problem solving, budget management, facilities management, health and safety, sustainability consultancy and on-the-ground civil engineering. Driving and supporting projects ranging from minor works to major contracts worth more than £100 million, McBains Cooper operates across a variety of sectors throughout the UK , Europe and Latin America . McBains Cooper is committed to environmental, social and economic sustainable development and their integrated approach means they deliver effective, award-winning solutions to their clients. The Group employs 150 people. McBains Cooper has regional headquarters in London (head office), Birmingham , Glasgow , Leeds, Manchester , Oxford , Windsor , Athens , Lima (Peru ), Miami and Mexico , with associate offices in Belfast and Dublin
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