A new report by leading planning and development bodies is calling for greater training in development economics for planners and others involved in the planning process.

The need for planners and allied professionals to expand their understanding of the factors influencing development viability is seen as more important than ever, given the challenging economic and development conditions that lie ahead. The strong consensus that has been achieved between the private and public sectors should help ensure that the report’s recommendations are implemented.

The consortium backing the report, which received financial support from the Department for Communities and Local Government, believes that planners should receive more training in the economics surrounding the development process to enable them to make more informed decisions, both when preparing local plans and considering new housing and commercial development projects.

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A survey conducted as part of the work showed that 71 percent of planners thought their knowledge and skills in this area required improvement and were keen to improve their knowledge and understanding.

The report carried out by consultants Roger Tym & Partners stresses all planners need to understand the motivations for developing property, in addition to the commercial issues and criteria used by developers to assess projects. The property and planning sectors believe that more training in this area would speed up the system, make better use of resources and enable the quicker delivery of new homes and other vital development.

John Parmiter, who directed the study, said: "Most planners involved with deliverability and viability issues need to be able to commission the right advice and to understand the results. The study team hope that our work will lead to a step change in skills across the planning sector in this whole area."

(CD/KMcA)