PLANNING REFORM GREEN PAPER TO TAKE CENTRE STAGE AT REGIONAL ASSEMBLY PLENARY

THE GOVERNMENT'S FUNDAMENTAL REVIEW OF THE PLANNING SYSTEM WILL BE UNDER THE SPOTLIGHT at the next plenary meeting of the South East England Regional Assembly (Wednesday, 13 February 2002 at Reading Town Hall).

The full Assembly, which is the formal regional planning body for South East, will be debating and agreeing the Regional Assembly's formal response to the consultation document, "Planning Green Paper: Delivering Fundamental Change" which was issued by Lord Falconer, the Minister for Planning on 12 December 2001. As a Green Paper, the consultation document is intended to be the subject of debate and discussion, and the formal consultation period will run until 18 March 2002.

The recommendations which will be put to the Regional Assembly at the 13 February meeting have been agreed by the Assembly's Regional Planning Committee, following comments from advisory groups:

• The Assembly's Regional Planning Committee considered an initial report on the Green Paper at its meeting on 8 January 2002. The Committee resolved that, in view of the importance and sensitivity of the Green Paper proposals, a special meeting of the Committee would be held in order to finalise recommendations to the Assembly. This second meeting of the Committee took place on 1 February 2002.
  
  
• Both the meetings of the Regional Planning Committee were informed by the comments of the Strategy Advisory Group, an expert professional group which was established by Mike Gwilliam, Director of Transport and Planning, to assist the work of the Regional Planning Committee.
  
  
• There has been an opportunity to discuss the Green Paper with a special meeting of representatives of the Local Authority Chief Executives of the region, on 22 January 2002. Their comments have also been considered by the Regional Planning Committee.

Mike Gwilliam, Director of Planning and Transport said: "In the light of the extensive process of consultation and discussion which the Regional Assembly has been involved in, the Regional Planning Committee held a full debate on the Green Paper at its special meeting on 1 February.

"Consequently, the Committee was able to reach a considerable degree of consensus on weighty, and at times controversial, issues in the Green Paper. Accordingly, I will be putting forward to the Assembly a comprehensive set of recommendations from the Planning Committee which hopefully will form the basis of the Assembly's formal response to the Green Paper."

The Assembly will also be discussing the main principles and themes which will underpin the draft of the Regional Transport Strategy which will be published for consultation in June 2002.

Representatives of over 100 local authorities, community organisations, voluntary groups and businesses from across the South East are expected to attend the plenary.

Contact

Lesley van Dijk, PR Executive - 01483 555223

Alex Butlin, PR Executive - 01483 555221

Notes to editors:

1. The Regional Assembly is the “voluntary regional chamber” for the South East. It was established in January 1999 to give a representative voice to the South East region which covers Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, East and West Sussex, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Kent, Oxfordshire, and Surrey.
2. The Assembly is made up of 111 members including elected councillors nominated by the region’s local authorities and 37 representatives from other sectors of the community (including business, trades unions, education, housing, health, sports, culture, tourism, faith groups, environmental, community and voluntary organisations).
3. The Assembly has three areas of core business:
1. It is the representative voice of the South East, engaging and representing its member organisations and, through them, the wider public.
2. The Assembly has a specific role under the Regional Development Agencies' Act 1998 to ensure the accountability of the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) to the region.
3. The Assembly has been the Regional Planning Body for the South East since April 2001. It has responsibility for proposing strategic planning and transport policies to Government.

Last updated: 21 August 2007