Planners have warned that the coalition government's proposals for the planning system risk leaving a vacuum in policy by having nothing in place between the national and the local level.
Royal Town Planning Institute senior vice president Richard Summers reacted to the coalition policy document with a warning that planning policies are still unclear.
He said the Institute wanted to work with the Government to ensure changes are only made where they are necessary and workable and that suitable transition measures are put in place.
"The RTPI strongly believes there needs to be a level of planning between the local and the national to avoid a strategic policy vacuum at the sub-national level," he said.
"We are not convinced that incentives for new building will win over the hearts and minds of communities to support development proposals in their local areas and await further details with interest."
The Campaign to Protect Rural England welcomed the commitment to green belts and other green spaces but said it would be vital that changes to the planning system secured environmental objectives while accommodating development.
"However, ministers must not forget that while increasing local decision-making powers is needed, a strategic approach which extends beyond the level of the neighbourhood or parish is also vital to ensure we can protect and enhance valued landscapes and green belt areas, and promote effective urban regeneration," said director of policy Neil Sinden.
The Local Government Association welcomed plans to devolve planning decision making and said it looked forward to detailed discussion.
But it said the national statement should only apply to national projects and that any fund to regional targets should be accompanied by funds for councils to co-ordinate and plan collectively at the sub-regional level.
