A quick fix for planning?

摘要

Planning minister Keith Hill's recent announcement of a new regime for 'planning obligations' (Section 106 agreements under the Town & Country Planning Act) is intended to be slipped into the proposed planning reform legislation early in the new year; the consultation deadline is 8 January. Developers are to be offered a choice ot paying a fixed, predetermined 'charge' - a payment meant to cover all obligations relating to the development including community facilities, infrastructure improvements and affordable housing - or to negotiate with the planning authority as now. The developer will retain the choice of reverting to the fixed charge if it does not like the way negotiations are turning out. Hill said: 'The planning system has the potential to deliver so much for the community, from affordable homes to health centres to parks and open spaces. The problem is the system is simply too slow and fails to deliver what's needed when it's needed. We need a radical solution to simplify and speed up the process.'