The Department of Communities and Local Government (DCLG) has today released a new planning guide designed to help encourage the development of sustainable communities.

The guide addresses the issues faced by regional authorities and local strategic partnerships (LSPs), and aims to help both work together more effectively to deliver better designed and more manageable communities.

Recently the government stated that councils should take the lead on developing sustainable communities and in this document the DCLG reaffirms that commitment while offering ways to help councils achieve such a valuable aim.

“The planning system is at the heart of shaping and delivering the strong, mixed communities in which everyone has the right to live,” said Angela Smith of the DCLG.

“This guide provides a useful tool for local authorities in helping them coordinate their work with planners, LSP coordinators and elected members,” she added.

Separate figures released by DCLG show that around 13 per cent of England’s land is designated as ‘green belt’, something campaigners desperately want to protect from being further developed.

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