Culture and the National Planning Policy Framework
1st August 2011
Culture keeps the spirit of places alive and is essential to our wellbeing. It enhances and improves the places in which we live and the quality of the lives of communities. But there is a real danger that one of the most important Government planning policies for England which was announced last week is going to ignore culture. At present the only references it makes to culture are in relation to heritage conservation and veteran trees. The Theatres Trust is calling for those who care about culture and who are responsible for the provision of cultural services and facilities including theatres, arts centres, galleries and museums to respond to the draft National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and ensure that culture is afforded the same status as sports, heritage and leisure.
Greg Clark, Minister for Planning, in his introduction to the consultation document says that we need planning to ensure we don’t make life worse for future generations and ensure that the lives we lead and the places in which we live do not stagnate.
The Minister also makes reference to the need to reduce the level of planning guidance down from the number of words in the complete works of Shakespeare, it’s worth noting that in 2005 the full economic value of theatre in the West Midlands, the region of Shakespeare’s birthplace, generated £264m. At present there are no policies within the NPPF that explicitly support culture in planning for business and economic development or sustainable communities.
The Theatres Trust believes that it is important to act now to ensure that there are policies to protect and plan for the cultural places and spaces that we need today and in the future. The National Planning Policy Framework needs to contain explicit references to culture.
The Theatres Trust is calling for the policies on creating ‘sustainable communities’ to recognise that the planning system needs to deliver the right cultural facilities to meet local needs. As stated in the ambition of the NPPF it is through culture we facilitate social interaction and inclusive communities.
The Trust would also like to see the policies which ‘promote the vitality and viability of town centres’ make reference to allocation of suitable sites to meet the scale and type of cultural developments in town centres. At present it recognises the need for retail, leisure, commercial, community services and residential development. But not culture.
If we are to provide for the wellbeing of communities and ensure that culture continues to play a part in people’s lives we need to act. I urge you to respond.
Mhora Samuel
Director
The Theatres Trust
Note: The draft National Planning Policy Framework currently out for consultation sets out the Government’s requirements for the planning system to deliver a sustainable future. It includes economic, environmental and social planning policies for England and provides a framework within which local people and councils can produce local and neighbourhood plans. The draft document is set out in a number of chapters looking at planning for prosperity, planning for people and planning for places.
The Draft National Planning Policy Framework can be downloaded here
Information on how to respond to the Draft National Planning Policy Framework can be found here
