News
Barker Review's Recommendations Need Landscape Skills says President
5th December 2006
The Landscape Institute has given a qualified welcome to the Barker Review of Land Use Planning, published by the Treasury today (December 5).
“No one could argue with the recommendation that national planning policy should be rationalised to create a clearer and more transparent policy framework,” said Nigel Thorne, president of the Landscape Institute.
“But if the planning process is to be streamlined, speeded up and de-regulated to stimulate economic growth, as the report recommends, it is essential that developers show they value their own activities, not just in monetary terms, but also in terms of landscape quality, design quality, sustainability and the quality of life for communities. The government must give equal weight to these aspects in considering the report’s recommendations.”
Speaking today Kate Barker, appointed by Chancellor Gordon Brown to undertake the review, said: “Businesses, residents and others want a planning system that can continue to secure economic prosperity alongside vital social and environmental goals. The current system will come under increasing pressure in the coming decade. Building on recent reforms, the recommendations in my report provide a comprehensive set of measures to ensure we have a planning system that is timely, transparent, flexible and responsive enough to meet the challenges that lie ahead.”
As well as recommending reductions in timescales for applications and appeals, supporting paperwork, and number of ministerial call-ins, the report recommends the creation of individually tailored agreements between planning authorities and developers, a new Planning Mediation Service and a radical overhaul of the planning system for major infrastructure projects such as transport, waste and energy with individual applications taken by a new expert independent Planning Commission.
“We will want to be reassured that if a Planning Commission is set up for major projects, landscape expertise will be at the heart of it,” said Nigel Thorne. “Strategic landscape planning is critical to such major projects and landscape architecture skills are essential for the mix of expertise when analysing the issues involved in the creation of new towns and the siting of new airports, roads or energy generation installations.”
The report sets out proposals for a more efficient use of land in the context of population rises, including increasing densities in towns and urban areas, a more positive approach to applications for change of use, and a new approach to the supply of land for development outside of urban areas.
“The report does acknowledge that economic value can be achieved from the creation of new woodland, parkland, public parks and public space from otherwise difficult to remediate brownfield land or low-grade greenbelt land. The recommendation to review Regional Spatial Strategies and Local Development Frameworks in this context is welcome,” concluded Thorne.
The Landscape Institute’s submission of evidence to the Barker inquiry can be found here.
The full Barker Review report can be found at
the Treasury.
Source: LI
