POS Supports Budget Proposals

Date: 22/6/2010

In response to the Chancellor's announcements [see below] John Silvester, Spokesperson for the Society, told Planning magazine that POS welcomes the Chancellor's statement in so far as it seems to recognise that planning is at the forefront of delivering economic growth.

The Society strongly supports locally led economic development initiatives and enterprise partnerships based on local communities working together to deliver effective strategic planning for economic regeneration.

The Society has previously supported the prospect of business rates being hypothecated to the local area and welcomes the proposed changes.

The trial of Local Development Orders, which initially we thought would create more pitfalls than benefits, has demonstrated that when properly undertaken LDOs can deliver fast and effective business growth.

The Society looks forward to working with the Government to create workable and effective mechanisms for growth.

Budget Statement by Geroge Osborne MP on 22nd June 2010:

The Government will enable locally-elected leaders, working with business, to lead local economic development. As part of this change, Regional Development Agencies will be abolished through the Public Bodies Bill. A White Paper later in the summer will set out details of these proposals. As part of this, the Government will:

• support the creation of strong local enterprise partnerships, particularly those based around England's major cities and other natural economic areas, to enable improved coordination of public and private investment in transport, housing, skills, regeneration and other areas of economic development;
• consider the most appropriate framework of incentives for local authorities to support growth, including exploring options for business rate and council tax incentives, which would allow local authorities to reinvest the benefits of growth into local communities; and
• as part of the shift to a more locally driven planning regime, promote the role for a simplified planning consents process in specific areas where there is potential or need for business growth, through use of Local Development Orders.