Planners have joined the chorus of dissent to the Draft National Planning Policy Framework, warning it would fail to secure balanced housing and economic growth or to support a growing population and would allow economic growth to trump the aspirations of communities in local and neighbourhood plans.
The Royal Town Planning Institute says the Draft is a missed opportunity.
President Richard Summers said it fails to set out a vision for development for a growing population and to promote economic growth across the country, liked with infrastructure and redressing geographical and social disparities.
"Economic growth is generally set to trump the aspirations of local communities expressed in local and neighbourhood plans," he said.
"The relationship between the presumption in favour of sustainable development and the primacy of locally led development plans is not clear. It appears that the NPPF could direct local policies to be set aside to deliver the Government's growth agenda in response to market-led demands rather than to promote truly sustainable development for neighbourhoods and for local and wider than local areas."
But he did welcome the beginning of a move towards a national spatial framework for England supported by the Institute.
"The Institute looks forward to continuing its dialogue with the Government during the NPPF consultation period and beyond to help secure truly sustainable development policies and a workable planning system for the future," said Mr Summers.
