New RPTI report on infrastructure and planning

Today the Royal Town Planning Institute has released a new report on infrastructure planning, which the County Councils Network (CCN) supported.

The report echoes the network’s calls for planning on a more strategic scale, alongside recommendations to streamline and simplify infrastructure funding.

You can download the report from the RTPI’s website here. Staffordshire County Council was a case study in the report.

Below, CCN responds to the report’s recommendations.

Cllr Philip Atkins, County Councils Network spokesman for housing and planning, and leader of Staffordshire County Council, said:

“Today’s report makes a comprehensive case for strategic planning to help align development with infrastructure, with county authorities playing a formal and important role, in tandem with district councils. 

“The RTPI argues that too much funding for infrastructure is distributed via competitive bidding which leads to piecemeal rather than comprehensive infrastructure and development. We welcome the RTPI’s recognition of county councils as key players in local planning; helping to ensure that investment is placed-focused rather ad-hoc in a reformed system of structure and investment. 

“Many county areas  project infrastructure funding gaps mounting to billions. This means that new development lacks the necessary roads, schools, health centres, and other public amenities. By closer aligning planning and infrastructure, giving counties a clear role, and by reforming funding, we can build genuine communities that work for residents – and stop delivering planning by numbers.”