Planning

Planning has assumed a central role in the delivery of the government’s sustainable communities policy. It is now charged with ensuring that new development takes account of environmental, social and economic, as well as physical, impacts. Councils' local development frameworks are designed to help realise community strategies. These changes present opportunities for the planning sector but they also represent a challenge for councils struggling to cope with high numbers of planning applications, a shortage of experienced planners and a continued emphasis by the government on processing applications quickly.

Under its national studies programme, the Commission has undertaken two key studies on planning relevant to this new agenda:

• The planning system: matching expectations and capacity
• Securing community benefits through the planning process