Land use & planning

Beautiful landscapes need protecting © Paul Harris

Beautiful landscapes need protecting

© Paul Harris

Why do we care?

As a charity rooted in the belief that places matter to people, we see land-use planning as a key tool in the creation of great places for people to live, work and play.

An effective planning system guides good, necessary development to the right places, making an important contribution to prosperity and growth. It ensures that poorly designed developments and those in the wrong place don’t get built. It delivers the new homes, shops and services that communities want, where they want them. And it protects the things that matter to us all; from much-loved open spaces, green fields and productive agricultural land to our historic city centres, towns and villages.

The Trust is a frequent participant in the planning system, and we recognise the importance of a fair and balanced decision-making process. We support a plan-led system as a means of providing certainty and confidence, and a way to deliver good development which meets long term needs.

A planning system should:

  • Be balanced - to integrate environmental, social and economic concerns
  • Safeguard the public's interest - protect countryside, heritage and nature
  • Start from what people value about their place
  • Give people a genuine say

What we're doing

As a charity that cares for beautiful and historic places for everyone to enjoy, it's no wonder that planning is important to us, as it has the potential to impact upon our work in a significant way.

What you can do

If you've been inspired to get involved with important issues that are shaping your own places, find out more about what you can do to help.

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