INSIGHT - Edition Ten - Winter 2021 online - Flipbook - Page 29
greater utilisation of technology within the private sector. Such
a disparity is reminiscent of the major difference which exists
between the sectors – that of budgets.
A report written by the RTPI in 2019 titled ‘Resourcing Public
Planning’, found that the amount invested by local authorities
in planning reduced by 42% from 2009 to 2017, aligning with
a decrease in budget allocations during this same period; £401
million in 2017, down from £686 million in 2009. A lack of
resources will significantly hamper the public sector’s ability to
introduce technologies but, will also likely stifle innovation.
One of the various services provided by planning authorities
includes that of interactive mapping, a tool which allows
information such as planning applications, development
allocations and land designations to be visually presented. Whilst
such services have become commonplace for a number of local
authority areas, for some, even a map-based search of planning
applications is not available. As such, it can prove troublesome
to collect the information necessary to make accurate and
informed decisions, especially when such decisions are to be
made within a crucial time frame. Resource constraints limit the
ability of local authorities to decide which publicly accessible
data is to be made available online.
Given its nature, the public sector is, and will continue to be
financially restricted in comparison to private enterprise.
Operating under limited budgets is tested further by the
imposition of national budget cuts and, more recently, the
pandemic. In essence, local authorities lack the financial
resourcing necessary to provide the services expected of
the planning industry and its 21st century technological
enlightenment. This lack of funding is further felt within decision
making process and public consultations. A 2020 YouGov poll
found that 69% of respondents had never engaged with a local
planning consultation, rising to 80% for those aged 18-34.
Recognising this, the UK’s Department for Levelling Up, Housing
and Communities (DLUHC) recently announced that 13 local
planning authorities are to be part of an ‘innovative’ digital trail,
utilising tools intended to enable local people to have their say
within planning process and decision making. Whilst one could
argue such a project is relatively small in scale, it is a step in the
right direction for the future of planning and technology. More
so, it aligns with the recently announced October 2021 national
budget. The latest budget recognises the need for an improved
digital planning regime, whereby in regard to the provision of
affordable homes, £65 million will be invested into a new digital
system in an effort to identify sites and ‘ensure more certainty
and better outcomes for the environment, growth and quality
of design’.
Whilst digital engagement is by no means a silver bullet for
the planning system, it is a means of stimulating improved
accessibility within planning and making the process of decision
making coherent and pragmatic. We would certainly welcome
new legislation to make virtual committees a permanent
fixture and would be pleased to see video conference meetings
continue to be utilised where they enable efficient and effective
communication. There is also a clear desire from all participants
to have access to information that is comprehensive, convenient
and, crucially, user-friendly.
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