Rockwell speak on Reforms at Select Committee

On 14 September, Rockwell’s Executive Director, Jonathan Manns, was invited to the Palace of Westminster to give Oral Evidence to the House of Lords Built Environment Select Committee.

 

The Select Committee was established in 2021 and is chaired by Baroness Neville-Rolfe. It is appointed to consider housing, planning, transport and infrastructure. Jon’s opinion was sought to assist with their on-going national Housing Inquiry, which will consider the key factors shaping the type, tenure and quality of housing needed in the UK. It will also look at a range of challenges to meeting that demand including skills shortages in the construction industry and some specific aspects of the planning system.

 

Key topics for discussion by the Committee at the session were the role of the planning system in helping meet need, the scope of the Government’s proposed reforms and the importance of skills and resourcing. Jon spoke alongside Victoria Hills (CEO, RTPI) and David Bainbridge (Director, Savills) about the need to deliver more permissions through a muscular and robust system which was both creative and engaging. Their inputs have since received a great deal of support online and from within the profession.

 

The session was recorded and can be viewed here. To learn more about the work of the Committee or Rockwell’s views on the Planning Reform email info@rockwellproperty.co.uk