Community and Environment in Contemporary Britain Dr David Shaw University of Liverpool

Structure of the Paper Introduction Characteristics of British Planning since 1947 From sustainable development to sustainable communities Development and social inclusion which respects the environment Conclusions

Characteristics of the British planning System Central government has provided strong generic aspatial advice Local authorities develop no binding framework plans All new development requires planning permission before development can commence Planning decisions are made in the public interest Mature system that externally is seen to work BUT internally is perceived to be slow, inflexible, re- active, restrictive, negative, legalistic and bureaucratic

From Sustainable Development to Sustainable Communities Phase 1 Strong Environmental Rhetoric –This Common Inheritance –UK Sustainable Strategy Phase 2 Economic competitiveness and social inclusion which respects the environment –Sustainable Development: Opportunities for Change – Consultation paper on a Revised UK Strategy –A Better Quality of Life: A Strategy for Sustainable Development in the UK

Sustainable Development Priorities in the UK Social progress which recognises the needs of everyone Effective protection of the environment Prudent use of natural resources Maintenance of high and stable levels of economic growth and employment

Community involvement in the Sustainable Communities Agenda Strong promotion of Local Agenda 21 but acknowledged weaknesses Local Government Act 2000 provides LPAs scope to promote community wellbeing Community Strategies designed develop distinctive and locally determined visions and priorities for particular localities

Sustainable Development and Global Warming Strong advocacy of Kyoto National targets significantly above Kyoto targets Complex bundle of measures Conflicts between environmental imperatives, environmental impacts and individual choice

Sustainable Development and the European Agenda Environmental quality and distinctiveness promotes global competitiveness Strong protection for species and habitats Integration of environment through tools Need to think about places and spaces and their inter- connections

The Sustainable Communities Agenda Housing crisis affects competitiveness and quality of life Under supply in SE Over supply in N Lack of affordable housing for key workers

The New Planning Agenda Promotion of sustainable development to ensure a strong stable and productive economy Promotion of spatial planning as a co- ordinating activity Community involvement so planning delivers what is need

Government’s View of Planning A positive and proactive process delivering sustainable communities Producing creative and innovative solutions to improving the quality of life Is valued and supported; enjoys public confidence and is transparent and accountable Has the tools resources and skills to deliver

Community and Environment at the Local Scale Many examples of partnership working to improve –Quality of built and living environments –Mechanisms to manage waste –Improvements to the quality of streams and rivers BUT Environmental concerns used to block development proposals

Conclusions Sustainable development as an idea used to justify all decisions Perhaps best seen as a journey, but without a prescribed end point Economic competitiveness, social progress which respects the environment Based on notions quality of life and community/stakeholder involvement Environmental improvements evident but are patterns of development truly sustainable