Planning system
The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC, formerly MHCLG) is the national government department responsible for planning in the UK. Since 2010, the Conservative-Liberal Democrat Coalition and subsequent Conservative governments have introduced a series of planning reforms aiming to make the planning system more ‘growth- orientated, sustainable, efficient, accessible and participatory’. The government’s latest thinking on reforms were outlined in the ‘Planning for the Future’ White Paper (August 2020) and the ‘Levelling-Up’ White Paper (February 2022). The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) was also revised (July 2021) and sets out the government’s planning policies for England. After a decade of reforms, the current government is considering how the planning system should operate in the future. The Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities has decided that an expert report should be commissioned to critically evaluate the contemporary economic, social and environmental debates for and against the existing planning system and latest planning reform proposals to inform any future Bills / Acts. The report will be discussed by senior members of the government in the next cabinet strategy meeting.
You work for the real estate and planning consultancy that has won the tender to produce the government report on the ‘future of the planning system’. To do this you will need to research the main arguments on the strengths and weaknesses of the existing planning system and the claims made for proposed changes.
The report should provide an introduction which clearly outlines its aims and objectives and an overall set of conclusions and recommendations and a 1-page executive summary of findings.
Also include in the file list DLUHC Levelling-Up White Paper (2022), Policy Exchange Rethinking the Planning System (2020).
