It is no secret that planning and in particular, national housing provision is a front runner in claiming top spot on the Government's agenda leading up to 2015. It is however a tricky issue for the Coalition and the Conservative Party. On one hand, delivering new homes is central to economic growth - on the other, new development seems to rile the general public wherever it happens.

This was evident at the recent Planning for Growth seminar arranged by URS which provided an opportunity to debate the potential of the Government's big planning ideas. Nick Boles MP (the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Planning) acknowledged that his role, while apparently viewed as quite 'cumbersome' by his peers, is in fact a mandate he relishes, providing an opportunity to contribute to positive change and growth which is essential to all. A sentimental view some may say but true none the less. However, how do they plan to tackle current planning issues?

While the Government fully recognises its role in identifying what development should be provided in order to facilitate economic growth and why this is required, the how and the where ball is firmly in each Local Planning Authority's court. LPAs are wholly responsible for determining whether they have a 5 land supply and for putting in place a strategy to ensure they meet housing needs accordingly through the identification of suitable developable sites or in delivering required infrastructure. Nick Boles suggested that new developments taking the Garden City approach should be encouraged and the Newhall development in Harlow was his personal favourite example. A scheme combining good planning, design and extensive community input to create an exemplary development. He also appeared to be a stoic fan of the old Building for Life.

In parallel to this, to ensure positive growth, local communities need to be reminded that housing development is an opportunity rather than a threat. Communities (and their political leaders) need to remember that Localism is not about 'saying no' but rather 'saying yes, but' and can provide a crucial opportunity for local people to get involved in planning for their future.
An example of this is the referendum for the Tattenhall Neighbourhood Plan which was attended by more people than the local elections. It was clear that local people felt that they have more of an influence through tackling local issues themselves than relying on their political representatives.

In London, the housing crisis is in full throttle. It was estimated that in order to meet housing demand in the Capital, the amount of housing provided would need to be equivalent to a new Olympic village every three weeks. This is a shocking fact but there needs to be more clarity on how best this can be addressed. While the Government may expect LPAs to make things happen, we all know they will need a strong push.

Can comprehensively planned new communities adopting Garden City principles be part of the solution? Should more focus be placed on supporting the private rented sector to ensure that more people can afford to live in the Capital?

Nick Boles did kindly offer to play Santa and take on board suggestions in the form of a 'Christmas Wish List'. Time to get the sherry in.