Chris Haworth on development

LOCALISM BILL: Parliamentary passage leaves long term local planning in limbo-land this year

Peterboroughbusiness.co.uk columnist Chris Haworth calls for clarity to resolve planning’s current pickle

The ongoing lack of clarity over the framework for long term regional development could see Peterborough and surrounding areas miss out on future economic prosperity. A recent High Court judgment has done nothing to alleviate the concerns of the development industry here while the Localism Bill goes through Parliament.

As far back as July last year (2010), the new government abolished the regional tier of planning – the Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS) – the framework it had inherited from the previous government and, upon which, after extensive consultation in the last decade, the future development blueprints for regions were agreed on a rolling programme of review.

Regional planning was scrapped by the Communities Secretary, Eric Pickles in anticipation of the Localism Bill which was published in draft in December (2010).

Yet while the Bill is going through Parliament – probably for the remainder of 2011, at least – long term plans for development are without practical focus.

In November (2010), the High Court backed a challenge by national developer, CALA Homes to re-instate the RSS framework. But in February this judgment was supplemented by another which meant that decision-makers could decide what weight to give to the regional tier again, in view of its intended and eventual abolition.

This means, effectively, that development and planning professionals – whether in local authority or public or private practice – are continuing to work in a vacuum when it comes to planning for long term development which is so vital to the economic prosperity of this area – whether it be in a the city setting or the wider, regional area.

In watering down the need to regard regional planning targets, the latest high court judgment has actually muddied the waters further because the current regional tier will be abolished. Yet, without clarity on the system that will replace it, it’s the only thing to which we can work.

Expecting both the squeezed private and public sectors to carry on working towards much-needed development to a set of numbers and a policy that will be abolished by this time next year is inequitable – who would recommend running a business this way?

To formulate long term development plans by judicial review and appeal, until any Localism Bill receives royal assent, creates uncertainty and delay and, frankly, in the current climate, is crazy.

We all – professionals and public alike – need clarity from Communities Secretary Pickles as to how we can proceed on current, legally binding plans for the future, which are likely to be going through a process of review and replacement by this time next year.”

Chris Haworth, is a partner and head of the commercial division of Carter Jonas. See www.carterjonas.co.uk

October 2010

Localism agenda: full steam ahead

THE coalition Government is steaming ahead with its ‘Localism Agenda’. Regional Spatial Strategies and regional housing targets have gone. Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) seem on their last legs with huge cuts in funding and staff redundancies and time has been called on bids for the new Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) heralded to take over the RDAs’ role.

The Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) – originally established to drive forward the housing agenda by the last government – seems to be changing its focus to become more of a regeneration agency and taking-up some of the ground previously occupied by the RDAs but not covered by the LEPs.

As far as the delivery of housing is concerned, there has been great concern that the abandonment of the regional targets will lead to a huge loss in housing numbers.

There are cases where this has certainly happened. But, in some areas, there are signs emerging that local authorities are now realising that their housing needs assessments match or even exceed the abandoned regional numbers.

Armed with this and their new found political mastery, some are beginning to plan for new housing to meet the dire need which has not gone away during the recession.

One thing that is certain in all of this is that there is going to be much less funding available from central government – either for commercial or residential regeneration.

What limited funding there might be will go to those areas that can prove the greatest need.

The challenge for this county and its cities is to unite to prove that need in what is perceived from afar as an affluent area.

The recent, rather disdainful, comments directed at Peterborough from some in Cambridge, ignore the complementary nature of the Peterborough and Cambridge markets but, more importantly, may threaten the economic vitality of the region by sending limited government funding elsewhere.

Chris Haworth, is a partner and head of the commercial division of Carter Jonas. See www.carterjonas.co.uk