This report is one of a series of reviews, commissioned by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, to accompany the pre-Budget report 2006 (to be published 6 December 2006, Cm. 6984, ISBN 0101698429). It sets out recommendations to reform the planning system in England in support of sustainable economic growth and prosperity, whilst securing delivery of wider objectives including promoting community involvement, supporting local democracy and enhancing the environment. Key issues identified include the need: to ensure the planning system is more responsive to the market whilst delivering sustainable development; to ensure the appropriate use of land and to better manage the growing demand for development land; to streamline the planning system to increase certainty, reduce complexity and costs; to enhance the speed and quality of local authority decision-making; and to improve the appeals system to reduce delays. Recommendations include: the introduction of a new system for dealing with major infrastructure projects, based around national Statements of Strategic Objectives, and with a new independent Planning Commission to determine applications; the promotion of a positive planning culture within the plan-led system so that applications should be approved unless there is good reason to believe that the environmental, social or economic costs will exceed respective benefits; encouraging planning bodies to review their green belt boundaries to promote sustainable new development beyond towns and cities; and removal of the need for minor commercial developments that have little wider impact to require planning permission.

A unique survey of each country in the region. It includes an extensive collection of facts, statistics, analysis and directory information in one accessible volume.