Planning, building and the environment

Matthew Taylor Review issues call for evidence - have your say

Published	19 December 2007

Matthew Taylor MP has published his call for evidence, a questionnaire designed to gather stakeholders' opinions, to aid his review into how land use and planning can better support rural business and deliver affordable housing.

In September, the Prime Minister asked the Liberal Democrat MP Matthew Taylor to advise and assist the Minister of State for Housing, Yvette Cooper, and the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Hilary Benn, on the application of land use planning policy to support sustainable rural communities.

Within the context of existing protection for the rural environment, the review will look at how planning policy can facilitate the provision of land for greater economic and social sustainability within rural communities. This will include land for enterprise and affordable rural homes.

The review is not seeking to duplicate the work of previous reviews - such as the Affordable Rural Housing Commission - but to build upon this evidence and focus on how planning could better deliver for rural economies and affordable housing at the local level - and to develop a practical action plan to better support and maintain sustainable rural communities through the planning system.

Through the call for evidence, Matthew Taylor is interested in views from a wide range of people and organisations - such as regional and local government, parish councils, housing and planning professionals, social and private housing developers, land owners, rural businesses, rural communities and others with an interest in this work.

Matthew Taylor MP said:

"This is an important opportunity to investigate how the planning system can better support rural communities to be sustainable, inclusive and mixed communities, and set out the action that needs to be taken.

"Having met a series of key stakeholders since September, the next stage of this process is to gather evidence and to better understand how planning policies for rural business and the provision of new affordable housing are working- or not - on the ground at the local level. This is a topic which attracts much opinion and anecdote, but I want to build a strong evidence base to inform my review.

"I am particularly interested in hearing more about real life examples, both of local good practice which could have the potential to be replicated elsewhere, and detailed examples of barriers or blockages which are preventing progress and need to be overcome. And I am keen to hear specific proposals for improvement from those at the sharp end.

"I look forward to hearing the views of people with an interest in this work, including those involved in planning, housing, and economic development for rural areas, and of course, those living in rural communities themselves."

Copies of the call for evidence can be obtained from the Taylor Review website (see: www.communities.gov.uk/planningandbuilding/planning/planningpolicyimplementation/reformplanningsystem/matthewtaylorreview) or by contacting the Review secretariat at: taylorreview@communities.gsi.gov.uk. Submissions should be returned to the Review secretariat by 7 March 2008.

Notes to editors

1. The call for evidence will run from Monday 17 December to Friday 7 March 2008. Submissions should be emailed to taylorreview@communities.gsi.gov.uk or sent to Taylor Review Secretariat at 1/H3 Eland House, Bressenden Place, London, SW1E 5DU.

2. For more information about the Taylor Review and for copies of the call for evidence, please see the Review website at: www.communities.gov.uk/planningandbuilding/planning/planningpolicyimplementation/reformplanningsystem/matthewtaylorreview or by contacting the Review secretariat: taylorreview@communities.gsi.gov.uk.