Simplify the planning system; end ring-fencing; full steam ahead for open-access

CPS Headlines

Simplify the planning system urge Keith Boyfield and Inna Ali

Tim Knox and other groups call for the Chancellor to abandon ring-fenced spending

Full steam ahead for Tony Lodge's 'Rail's Second Chance'

In common with all recent Governments, the Coalition has often declared its ambition to “cut red tape”. Yet only modest gains have been achieved, write Keith Boyfield and Inna Ali in Simplified Planning: the need for sunset clauses, published this week by the Centre for Policy Studies.

The authors recommendations include:

The proportion of regulations covered by the One In/One Out programme should be greatly extended, the rigour, quality and monitoring of Impact Assessments should be greatly improved and sunset clauses should be more widely adopted.
Compulsory Purchase Orders (CPOs) should be employed in certain circumstances to assemble sufficient land for new construction.
In terms of planning regulation, a more market-orientated approach is needed to meet the pressing demand for housing of all types. The Coalition is moving in the right direction but can go further.
A first step must be to simplify all current planning regulation. A New Consolidated Act should be enacted which rationalises the 118 statutes that currently impact on planning and development. This New Consolidated Act should be specifically designed to reduce the unacceptable delays inherent in today’s planning system.
Planning gains need to be priced and recognised by a planning system that takes into account the economic case for a development.
Instead of deliberately planning for an ‘optimal’ urban form, it should be the choices and actions that people make which, in the medium term, determines future development.
This is best revealed by the subjective view of their inhabitants as signalled by the relative willingness to pay for different types of development scheme.
If more Garden Cities are to be built, the private sector must be free to design, fund and build such developments in an attractive and sustainable manner. Successful new developments would be likely to include a full mix of housing rather than shun the owner occupied sector as too often happened – disastrously – in the past.
Central government should encourage neighbouring local councils to come together to identify potential sites for new Garden Cities.
Once a design framework has been agreed, development rights for the construction of these new urban centres should be auctioned. This should encourage diversity and local interest.
As part of this process, covenants should lay down responsibilities for infrastructure such as urban parks, retail shops and entertainment and leisure facilities. These market mechanisms can bring landlord, developer, builder and consumer together and enable the quality and control of the overall environment to be part of the overall attraction of a site.

Writing for City A.M., co-author Keith Boyfield said: "Unschackled from restrictions, the private sector can lead the way in building commercial and residential space to meet demand. A relaxation in regulatory controls combined with competition between builders should also foster better design. People tend to buy or rent housing that is attractive to the eye. They don’t need planners to lay down aesthetic standards."

Media Impact:

"The drive to tear up planning laws is not working and the government is actually introducing even more red tape, a report claims. Ministers have repeatedly promised to relax the rules around new homes, extensions and larger developments to boost economic growth. But a right-leaning think tank say the Coalition have brought in nearly twice as many new regulations as Tony Blair's government." The Daily Mail"

Ministers should sweep away red tape to allow the building of major new “garden city” developments like Milton Keynes, a think-tank says. The centre-right think-tank... credited with moulding party policy, said the number of new laws fell by eight per cent in 2011 to the lowest level since 2002 – but there were still 1,727 new laws passed during the year." The Yorkshire Post

"People are flocking to towns such as Peterborough, Swindon and Milton Keynes because their political leaders are keen for these communities to attract both businesses and residents. As Iain Steward, a local Member of Parliament points out: “there is no nimbyism in Milton Keynes”. Furthermore, in contrast to many new towns, money borrowed from the Treasury has been repaid fully with interest." Keith Boyfield, Conservative Home

The Daily Mail: Average house price 'could surge to £300,000' because of inflation caused by Government's new homebuying scheme
The Independent: More Garden Cities, less red tape
International Business Times: UK Housing Crisis: Does the Government Actually Want Any New Homes Built?
Public Finance: Slash planning red tape, says think-tank
Inside Housing: England's planning system 'complex and slow'
Pinsent Masons: Think tank calls for simplification of planning regulation
Partnerships Bulletin: Govt ‘failing to cut planning red tape’
International Business Times: Centre for Policy Studies: Planning Law 'Must Be Scrapped'

Abandon Ring-Fenced Spending

Centre for Policy Studies Director Tim Knox joined with other influential figures to call for an end to ring-fenced areas of spending such as the NHS and International Aid in a letter to the Daily Telegraph editor:

30 April 2013

SIR – The Government is struggling desperately in its stated desire to eliminate the budget deficit. It is presiding over an extraordinary ballooning of the national debt.

In light of this we call on the Chancellor of the Exchequer to abandon the Government’s policy of implicit and explicit ring-fencing of certain areas of spending. In this spending review, areas such as health, overseas aid and development, and non-contributory benefits for older people should all be considered as areas in which savings can be made. Many of these ring-fenced areas saw substantial spending increases under New Labour.

It is, of course, acceptable to prioritise certain areas of spending above others. But it is not sensible to define certain areas as sacrosanct, beyond any form of questioning.

Ring-fencing certain spending areas as a device for sending a political message or as a means of positioning a political party is no substitute for proper sustainable reform.

We need to accept that, to cure the deficit, no area of government spending should be considered off limits. It is time that politicians of all stripes came to realise that the need to balance the books should be a national priority.

Mark Littlewood
Institute of Economic Affairs
Tim Knox
Centre for Policy Studies
Simon Walker
Institute of Directors
Sheila Lawlor
Politeia
Phillip Blond
Respublica
Matthew Sinclair
TaxPayers’ Alliance

The Daily Telegraph: Cut Aid and NHS cash, George Osborne told
Public Service: Think tanks tell George: drop ring-fencing
Local Gov: Osborne urged to drop policy of ring-fencing
Local Government Executive: Osborne urged to end ring-fencing

Full Steam Ahead for Tony Lodge's 'Rail's Second Chance'

CPS publication “Rail’s Second Chance”, authored by Tony Lodge, continues to gain momentum and we await to hear news of consideration for open-access rail on the West Coast Mainline.

The Financial Times reported on Sunday that Arriva were seeking to start services on the WCML should open-access be given the go ahead. The report cited 'Rail's Second Chance': "A recent report by think-tank the Centre for Policy Studies found that on the East Coast mainline where the franchise operator faces competition, it has led to increased usage, higher revenues for the operators, lower fares and higher customer satisfaction.

The study “Rail’s second chance” found that average fares at stations with competition on the East Coast mainline rose 11 per cent between 2007 and 2012 compared with 17 per cent at those stations without a rival offering services. Similarly, the number of journeys jumped 42 per cent, versus 27 per cent, and revenue increased 57 per cent, compared with 48 per cent. The two open access operators also top the customer satisfaction surveys."