YHACS responds to Planning for the Future White Paper

In August 2020, the Government published a white paper Planning for the Future in which it set out proposals to overhaul the planning system.

The proposals included arrangements for more community engagement in the creation of local plans but removed some of the existing opportunities for community scrutiny and comment on planning applications as they are brought forward.

Needless to say, the proposals caused a huge amount of debate, and not just within the civic movement. YHACS discussed the proposals with our members and also other civic societies across the country via Civic Voice before submitting our own response to the Government.

You can read what we said here.

West Yorkshire Devolution Deal – YHACS calls for Community Engagement Strategy

YHACS has called for a Community Engagement Strategy as part of the proposed West Yorkshire Devolution Deal.

YHACS is seeking assurance that community groups, including civic societies, will be consulted by the new elected Mayor for West Yorkshire should the devolution deal be implemented.

Kevin Trickett MBE, Chair of YHACS, has today (17th July 2020) submitted comments on the proposed deal highlighting the need for a Community Engagement Strategy to be implemented as part of the deal.

Mr Trickett said “YHACS represents 40 civic and amenity societies within the Yorkshire and Humber region with 16 of our member societies being based in the West Yorkshire area. Having read through the proposed deal, we were surprised to see no concrete proposals for future engagement between any new elected Mayor and community organisations. The new Mayor will have sweeping powers over regeneration, housing, and transport, all subjects in which the community, and civic societies in particular, have a keen interest and it is important that arrangements are put in place for effective consultation between the Mayor and community groups.

“As drafted, the current deal proposal is rather light on arrangements for such consultation in the future and we are therefore seeking assurances that we will be given the opportunity to comment on any proposals that the new Mayor might wish to put forward on development and regeneration matters.”

The full text of the letter submitted in response to the consultation exercise can be found here.