Property industry urged to back communities in localism plan

THE property industry is being urged to support their local communities in taking on additional powers and responsibilities under the government’s plans for localism in Yorkshire and the Humber.

The report from the Independent Land and Society Commission established by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), describes a new basis for the relationship between the property industry and local communities to help deliver increased and better development.

It highlights the need for greater co-operation between developers and communities, with a view to dismissing preconceptions that community involvement can hinder private sector investment.

The findings suggest that by consulting communities before initiating proposals, developments could be constructed more sustainably and to a higher specification.

The need to re-examine the role of local authority planning officers is also included in the report, recommending they move away from the town hall and into their local communities.

It also urges the property industry to do more to support the community-led housing sector in the region by engaging with local authorities, housing associations and community groups to help build the large scale community-led housing programme that would enable volume lending to the sector.

Atam Verdi, a spokesperson for RICS Yorkshire and Humber, said: “With the Localism Bill progressing through Parliament, this report is timely in setting out recommendations of how the various stakeholders can work together to deliver new development and regeneration.

“New working arrangements and processes are needed by all stakeholders to ensure that development progress and that localism becomes a successful reality and not an impediment.”

“Local authorities and the planning system will have a critical role to play and this will need to be more pro-active to ensure engagement occurs and is properly managed,” added Verdi, who works for property and regeneration consultants AspinalIVerdi and is a board member of Headingley Development Trust.

The commission is looking for an early formal response from both local Yorkshire and Humberside authorities and those in the property profession.