Planning

We’re working with local partners and urging the government to create well-designed, vibrant places that people want to live in – with the homes people need, great public transport links and easy access to work, leisure and nature.

What we’re calling for

We’ve teamed up with other organisations to create the Better Planning Coalition (BPC). Collectively, we want to see protections put in place to make sure communities are heard, and local democracy is supported:

• Local planning committees should retain control over key applications to uphold democracy, protect community voices, and hold developers accountable.
• Parliamentary scrutiny of the policies affecting big infrastructure development (National Policy Statements) is essential for accountability. We successfully campaigned for this in 2008 and must defend it now.
• Public participation in policies affecting local land use and development (Spatial Development Strategies) must be enabled to ensure communities have a say in shaping their local areas.

We are lobbying the government to push for key changes that will protect our countryside and communities.

We’re asking the government to:

• Redefine ‘affordable housing’ to link it to local incomes, making homes more accessible for rural and local communities.
• Increase incentives for brownfield development to ensure these sites are used before green spaces are lost.
• Prioritise rooftop solar in the energy conversation.
• Strengthen policies that link local plans to the upcoming Land Use Framework.