RTPI seeks views on how to improve planning process

The Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) has been asked to present a list of twenty ways to improve the planning application process to the Killian Pretty Review (a review that is examining the planning application process, from pre-application through to the discharge of conditions and commencement of construction).

The Killian Pretty Review is the latest to emerge in the wake of the Barker Report on land use planning and will look at ways to make planning applications more efficient. The RTPI, which believes there is room to streamline applications and improve the decision making process, is concerned that planners are under-represented on the review board, which may mean there is a lack of understanding of how the planning system works on the ground. It is hoping to use this opportunity to provide an expert view to the board and influence its final recommendations.  

Some ideas already put forward to the RTPI include:

• Humanising the language of planning applications to make it less officious, more customer friendly and more easily understood by those without specialist planning knowledge
• Improve planning application site notices, making them more prominently displayed, better presented and more easily understood
• Carry out detailed research into what types of development the public thinks should be allowed to proceed without the need to gain planning permission first
• Use the findings of that research to radically overhaul Permitted Development Rights to take low impact development out of the planning system
• Put more resources into e-planning and enhance the planning portal so it becomes a rule based checks and balances tool that can be used by developers and building designers to get instant feedback on their proposals, improving the quality of the applications eventually put before planners
• Promote better working relationships between building designers, planners and building controllers

RTPI Director of Policy Rynd Smith said: “It is vitally important that planners contribute to this review of the planning applications process. There is a danger that unless we put forward some compelling ideas on how to make the system more efficient we could end up with a fresh round of even tighter speed based performance targets which will ultimately undermine the quality of the planning decisions being made. Our members are among those best placed to understand the current failings of the planning applications processes and are similarly qualified to suggest remedies. We are very keen to hear their thoughts and feed them through to the review panel so the system can be improved, not just changed.”

To feed your ideas on how to improve the planning applications process into the RTPI email policy@rtpi.org.uk. Applications must be received by Tuesday the 3 June. The RTPI will publish a final list of recommendations online.