The Royal Town Planning Institute has finally been spurred into a strong response to current political attacks by an article in the Daily Telegraph by Policy Exchange director Neil O'Brian claiming this country has some of the world's tightest planning laws.
The Institute responded guardedly to publication of the Draft National Planning Policy Framework, but the attack by Mr O'Brian has finally spurred a strong reaction.
Institute chief executive Trudi Elliott said the article perpetuates the myth that planning is responsible for everything from the cost of mortgages to the high level of office rents and housing benefit and for holding back development.
Mr O'Brian, who heads the right-leaning think-tank, wrote that land is scarce and expensive because of Britain's planning laws.
He agreed that half the taxes that new buildings generate should remain locally but ministers should work to make development more palatable.
"We need a more nuanced approach to the green belts which have encircled our cities since the 1980s," he wrote.
"Not all farmland is beautiful, and not all new homes are ugly. Local people should choose what they want."
But Ms Elliott said his arguments were incoherent and did nothing to further the real debate.
"The reality is that our country is a relatively small island with a large and growing population so there is a lot of competition for the available land," she said.
"We also cannot ignore prevailing global economic difficulties. Nor do we have, as Mr O'Brien states, some of the world's tightest planning laws. Our system does however, prevent ‘planning chaos'. Developers cannot build what they like, where they like, and when they like."
She said the Institute did not oppose measures to incentivize growth but it is a fallacy to believe local people would accept development because it came with a financial reward.
High quality development is essential to encourage support for growth.
"We really must move away from these and the all too many other myths that surround the planning system," she said.
"That is why the RTPI will shortly be launching a national myth busting campaign to ensure there is a better informed debate about the role of planning and the planning profession in supporting our country's needs."
