Connecting England The Report of the TCPA Commission for the Vision of England Professor Sir Peter Hall National Planning Forum 20 June 2006

Connecting England Pam Alexander Cllr Sir Jeremy Beecham Sir Ken Collins Vincent Goodstadt Howard Sheppard Brian Tisdall Ken Bartlett Graeme Bell Prof David Lock Robin Pyle Rod Bull Nigel Hugill Lee Shostack Andrew George MP Prof Peter Roberts Rt. Hon. John Gummer The Commission: Advisor – Prof Sir Peter Hall

The Key Message “Without a strategy to guide key infrastructure projects and national programmes, to set priorities … the country will simply drift directionless, reinforcing a belief, real or imagined, that the winner takes it all” Peter Hetherington, Commission Chair Connecting England

The Challenges: Inequality between regions Inequality within regions Threats to the growth and productivity of the Golden Arc and beyond Inequalities in housing

Connecting England The Challenges: The Challenge of Sustainable Communities Rural Development The Transport System Energy, Water and Waste

Lessons from Elsewhere Wales Germany Scotland All have Spatial Development Frameworks England needs its DFE Connecting England

DFE: Key Recommendations: 1-3 Rail: New or vastly improved north-south and west- east (trans-Pennine) rail routes Airports: Grow northern airports, particularly Manchester (UK’s No. 3), to take the pressure off Heathrow and Gatwick Ports: Strategy to determine how much further growth at southern ports (Felixstowe, Southampton) and to encourage growth at northern ports with spare capacity (Liverpool, Teesport, Hull)

Connecting England DEF: Key Recommendations: 4-6 Region-proofing: All planning decisions on nationally significant research facilities to ensure regional development implications highlighted and regional development benefits optimised University research: Science and Innovation Strategy to consider wider economic role of universities alongside excellence and opportunity Local Government and the regions: Government to give major unitary authorities (Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire, West Midlands) same transport powers (and ultimately planning and regional development powers) as Greater London

Connecting England DFE: Key Recommendations: 7-9 Housing and Sustainable Communities: Government review to focus on increasing subsidised housing supply – principally RSLs but also LAs, self builders and others Participatory planning process: establishing a DFE through a multi-level process, initially from existing regional strategies. Ultimately a DFE must receive Parliamentary scrutiny and be adopted by national Government Criteria based projects assessment: a strict, criteria-based approach to assess and determine projects and policies to be expressed and prioritised in a DFE

Connecting England DFE: Key Recommendations: Statutory obligation: Statutory duty upon UK Government institutions to promote development in regions and subregions falling below average national income levels Constitutional safeguards: In future constitutional reforms, give local and regional Government a stronger voice Relocation: Implement Lyons recommendations – relocate 20,000 civil service posts - to areas in need of investment and regeneration, with a majority to the north and far southwest; review and extend beyond 20,000 target; encourage local government to locate certain functions in regeneration areas

TCPA Approval Approved by TCPA Policy Council, May 2006 TCPA Objectives DECENT HOME IN A GOOD HUMAN SCALE ENVIRONMENT FOR EVERYONE COMMUNITIES EMPOWERED TO INFLUENCE DECISIONS A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE Connecting England