During 2007 RICS provided input on a number of front to the new Bill -  Future Planners project and its subsequent workshops and conversations with high level Cabinet Office and CLG officials. 

RICS also responded to the Planning White Paper: Delivering a Sustainable Future. RICS has been well placed to offer advice and support to Government and the Opposition. 

RICS has also been working with likeminded professional bodies, in particular the RTPI, in providing a critique of the Bill and also amendments to the Bill. RICS supported RTPI’s evidence session at the Public Bill Committee with special attention on the Community Infrastructure Levy. 

In summary the Planning Bill provides for:

• Creation of an Infrastructure Planning Commission(IPC)
• The use of National Policy Statements(NPS) to guide decisions on planning 
• Provisions for nationally significant infrastructure projects
• The introduction of a Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) 
• Changes to development consent orders and enforcement provisions

RICS believes that the Planning Bill goes someway towards rationalising the planning system, particularly with regards to the implementation of major infrastructure projects. However, the institution has concerns about the lack of detailed content in the Bill and is working to ensure that both RICS members’ expert views and the public interest are considered.

At the time of writing, the Planning Bill was supported after debate within the House of Commons. The Government had come under fire from some quarters in regard to a perceived lack of public consultation, and lack of accountability under the provisions of this Bill.

This led to Secretary of State Hazel Blears giving a number commitments and assurances during the debate such as any NPS on either nuclear power or airport development would be site specific.

One of the issues RICS put forward to key members of the House of Commons was to see the IPC remain an independent decision making body for projects. Despite amendments moved the contrary, RICS is pleased that independence of the IPC has been agreed to (apart from a small number requiring Ministerial approval, for instance, projects relating to National Security or Defence) as the Bill heads to the House of Lords for debate on July 15th.

Key policy areas for RICS will be arguing for when the Bill reaches the House of Lords include:

• Improvements to the proposed Community Infrastructure Levy
• Reinforcement of provisions relating to compulsory purchase orders
• RICS opposition to Local Member Review Bodies

RICS also maintains that more incentives to join up the planning process for major infrastructure across Government Departments are needed.

If you have any concerns, queries or input for the issues concerning the Planning Bill’s passage through Parliament please contact interim Public Affairs Manager Daniel Cook at dcook@rics.org.