Member Article

IoD supports new Government Planning Proposals

The Director General of the Institute of Directors has welcomed the government’s plans to create a simplified National Planning Policy Framework.

Simon Walker strongly supports the governments aim to produce a planning system which recognises the benefits of development and which will help to ensure that there applications fit with local plans, they will be granted as quickly as possible.

He commented: “Planning reform will provide a boost not only for developers and the construction industry, but also for businesses wishing to extend or improve their properties and for people wanting to buy their own homes.”

The government consultation, which closed today, will also tackle the costs and uncertainty caused by current policy, which is often too difficult for many to understand. The size of the new document has been drastically reduced, from thousands of pages to a mere 58.

However some have inferred that the framework gives too much weight to economic considerations, and could allow damaging or inappropriate building to take place.

Simon disagreed, adding: “Economic factors should be weighed against social and environmental factors, and as long as existing environmental protections are maintained, communities will soon have a whole variety of new ways to control their local environments.

“The Government should press on full-steam ahead with the introduction of the framework, and should resist calls to change it substantially.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .