The recently published Housing White Paper (Fixing Our Broken Housing Market) poses the question ‘What changes do you think would support more proportionate consultation and examination procedures for different types of plan and to ensure that different types of plans work together?’ It seems that the intention behind this question is to ensure that local plan making provides a basis not only to increase the allocation of land available for development, but more importantly to do so at increased speed. Whilst there would appear to be a number of fundamental issues to address in relation to bringing the right volume and mix of housing forward in communities, it does appear from early evidence that a move to a more collaborative planning process can support an increase in the number and rate of houses being built…. […]

The scale of community led development has, to date, been limited. This is likely to be because of a combination of factors. There is a challenge for all stakeholders to conceive that the development they want (whatever it is) can be achieved, and there is the perceived risk as well as an aversion to risk more generally. However, community led development appears to have the potential to work particularly well at scale, with community organisations in the perfect position to enable mixed development and viability it brings as a way of making the most of the increased opportunity to meet local need. […]

The growing interest in the preparation of Neighbourhood Development Plans (neighbourhood plans) is clear for all to see. From the frontrunners scheme in 2011 to September 2016 around 2,000 communities have shown interest and taken steps to designate their area and start to prepare plans, and the number of communities interested keeps growing. […]

Having been involved in supporting and facilitating community led development over a number of years, I am still shocked by the animosity, contention and confrontation that often exists around planning decisions in many of our communities and how extremely detrimental this is. In this context, it is important to explore what opportunities neighbourhood planning offers communities and the potential of true engagement in community-led policy development. […]