It is exciting to see that the Government has wasted no time in appointing a panel tasked with identifying suitable sites for major new residential development of circa 10,000 homes apiece. As the article states the aim is to find the right places to build these new communities. Whilst land use planning issues will undoubtedly be the most important factors in identifying these sites another important consideration will be the ability of local authorities to deliver them.
The Government has already recognised the lack of resources as being a hinderance to the effective performance of local planning authorities and there should be no underestimating the amount of local authority resources needed to deliver a new settlement be it planning, highways, biodiversity, legal or other officers. If CPO is needed to unlock the site's potential then that is an entirely different level of engagement.
Will the Task Force take account of local authority skills and resources in deciding where are the right places to build and will it have the power to recommend additional resources where they will be needed? One further suggestion - that a national delivery body be established with staff of all disciplines who can be seconded to local authorities where additional delivery resources or skills are needed to enable these new communities to happen.
Chairman of the English Cities Fund to spearhead New Towns task force