Government should fund neighbourhood planning, says think tank

根据一项新的研究，升级、住房和社区部门需要设立专门的基金来支持社区规划，并抵消新发展产生的碳，作为即将进行的规划改革的一部分。

The report, by localist think tank Localis, said the government should use the planning system to create a “stewardship” model of delivery of new housing, based upon a partnership between developers, local authority and community groups.

Localis的电话是在迈克尔•戈夫(Michael Gove)计划发表他作为住房和城市发展部部长的首次固定演讲的当天打来的。戈夫在上月的改组中获得任命后，决定暂停政府的计划改革进程。

The research, backed by housebuilder Countryside, said that achieving this will require a greater investment in neighbourhood planning, which could not necessarily be funded through developer contributions without damaging viability, and which should be paid for by central government.

Until recently, local groups pulling together neighbourhood plans have been able to access grant funding of just £10,000 per group, with another £8,000 available for those with particularly ambitious proposals. In many cases this fails to cover the professional fees necessary to promote a plan

它还表示，政府需要资助抵消新住宅开发及其使用中的碳排放，尽管拟议的未来住宅标准旨在使新住宅“零碳准备”。

The body also said the government needed to bring back the regional strategic planning tier, via setting up regional “growth boards” to oversee “joined-up strategic thinking on climate action, transport, infrastructure and housing provision”.

Localis’ research did not say how much the government needed to allocate to the funds.

Jonathan Werran, chief executive of Localis, said: “If the government is serious about delivering quality housing its needs to find money to support design codes and neighbourhood planning, and carbon offsetting if we are to reach net zero. These are things which need to be addressed.”

The report comes in advance of Gove’s first conference speech in his new role. While he has already made it clear that the current reform programme will be paused while he reviews the reforms in train, it is not yet clear how significant a delay will ensue.

Prior to Gove’s appointment, it was already being briefed that the department had decided to backtrack on a number of the most controversial elements of last year’s planning white paper, such as the intention to set up growth zones with automatic outline permission, and centrally mandated housing targets for local authorities.