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The United Kingdom retail industry has become dominated by international players, and sites out of major twons and cities have become increasingly important. Town centres have been deprived of custom, and may eventually collapse as shopping areas, especially if there is no govt intervention. There could be a revival in urban centres if the government were to invest in a national planning policy and restored confidence in investment in urban areas.

Lancaster, England, has a population of about 1.4 million, and has suffered from a decline in industry and tourism, with many houses in multiple occupation, and consequent social problems. Lancaster, has, however, benefited from the expansion of its university, which provides employment, though increasing student numbers are putting pressure on housing in some areas. There is a need for increased housing in general, but this will put pressure on transportation systems, and firm planning control would help alleviate some problems.

Town planning in the United Kingdom may become more geared to communities, as society becomes more consumer oriented, and there is a need for town and country planners to maintain strict ethical standards. Ethical issues facing the profession include the concept of planning gain, where developers obtain permission to build projects in exchange for a contribution to the community. Professions are generally under attack, and there is an emphasis on cost control and value for money, with business attitudes coming to the fore. But professions are needed as much as business and industry, if a society is to be described as civilised.

UK Labour party planning spokesman Keith Vaz believes that Labour's planning policies would bring new life to the UK planning system, which he says is costly, inconsistent, bureaucratic and plagued by anomalies. In Sep. 1996 Vaz unveiled the results of the party's review of the planning system. Labour's policies include setting up regional development agencies; setting up a Planning Advisory Committee whose role would be that of a sounding board for ministers; and giving third parties the right to appeal when local authorities grant planning permission to themselves.

A bomb blast in Manchester, England, has created opportunities as well as damaging buildings. Some buildings that have been damaged are from the 1960s and could be replaced by superior buildings. There is also an access problem in the city center that could be solved with space created by removing damaged buildings. Business representatives and the city council have studied the issues and launched a competition for ideas to improve the damaged area.

The use of information technology by English and Welsh county planning authorities has increased, according to the 1993 survey of the County Planning Officers Society. Thirty-five of the 47 county planning departments used geographic information systems in 1993, compared to just eight in 1990. Computer applications in departments now total over 1,000, compared to about 200 in 1984. Departments have an average of over 40 personal computers each now, compared to an average of one computer in 1984.

The United Kingdom govt has changed its approach on planning and design, and design is no longer regarded as a purely subjective concept, though planners are unclear as to how far they should intervene. Problems faced by planners include companies' insistence to retain a corporate image though logos may be unsuitable for certain areas, and design faults in housing developments. Planners feel constrained, however, by lack of emphasis on design in their training.

United Kingdom urban areas are under stress, with lack of investment and transport, and problems of crime and disorder, and a migration to rural areas. This trend is counter to events in Europe, where reurbanization has been more common, and has arisen in part due to govt policy. There is a need to tackle the linked issues of urban decline and pollution, and encourage the use of public transport, walking and cycling, and to protect the urban heritage of the United Kingdom.

Hampstead Garden Suburb in London, England, no longer offers the affordable housing around which it was originally constructed in the early 1900s. Furthermore, it is no longer an example of a mixed use development, as it was intended to be. This development could offer valuable lessons for today's environment ministers. Many observers feel that the concept of the suburb is no longer sustainable, and that attention should now be given to smaller developments of less high density housing.

The UK government should encourage mixed use development, according to 'Partners in Building Prosperity,' a document published in Dec 1996 by the Construction Industry Council (CIC). This document also states that plans for new industrial facilities should indicate how they are in line with sustainable development and that an architectural competition should not take place for projects which are to receive Lottery funding. The CIC is also calling for a better compensation scheme for landowners affected by development.

The UK Nolan Committee has examined UK public life and standards of conduct. The committee has examined local government in the UK in a study that includes issues related to city and rural planning. Users and taxpayers' interests should be protected when services are funded from taxes, the report argues. Local bodies should have autonomy when they receive funds from central government. Planning decisions can be affected by material and ideological considerations, and difficult issues include the granting of planning permission by local government for its own activities.

The UK government has delayed a report on housing policy and does not wish to discuss the issue until its delayed report has been released. Meanwhile the Town and Country Planning Association (TCPA) has issued a report on this topic. Some 4.4 million households will need accommodation from 1991 to 2016. The TCPA argues that a wide range of measures are needed including extending urban buildings and filling in urban sites. The report is in favor of protecting rural areas and regenerating urban areas.

The UK Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) has launched a Trust Fund to help members. The trust aims to help planners who have suffered misfortunes, as well as help planning students and back research work which aids planners. The trustees have independence from the RTPI and members can make contributions of whatever amount they choose. A target of one million pounds sterling has been set for the trust in the decade from 1996. The trust should provide greater freedom for planners in the UK.

The UK Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) council has met to examine a draft report on elected members and the part they can play in development control and making plans. The RTPI is also launching a mentoring service to aid new members, and pilot programs will be started from 1997 to 1998. Disciplinary action has been taken against two members who have been suspended from membership of the RTPI for a preliminary period, with the suspension to be reviewed at a later date.

The UK system of inquiries into local planning issues has been criticized as undemocratic. Hewitson, Becke and Shaw is a law firm with experience of planning that has investigate complaints about the planning system. Peter Brady heads the planning team at this law firm and he has recommended that the system be changed in a number of ways. The government is seeking for the inquiry process to be carried out more rapidly, and the opposition Labor party is seeking advice on changes to the planning system.

The UK government has argued in favor of developing areas that have been urbanized and this will mean pressure on open spaces in urban areas. This creates a conflict between legislation to protect open spaces and the drive to use space within urban areas. The conflict is illustrated by two cases in England. One case involved a proposal to develop a playing field in Surbiton, and the other case involved a playing field in Banbury, Oxfordshire. In both cases plans to build residential property on the sites were prevented by planning officials..

The UK draft version of General Policy and Principles (PPGI) relating to planning sets out policy in three main areas, design, mixed uses and sustainable development. There is insufficient guidance on planning for new homes in the UK and new settlements built in rural areas. Local planners have to develop policies without clear guidlines. The draft does not go into enough detail to be of use to planners, though some issues are covered elsewhere.

The concept of a 'sequential approach' to urban planning in the UK, in which town centre or edge-of-town sites are favoured over out-of-town locations, has only recently been adopted officially. However, two recent legal cases indicate that it has been in operation unofficially for some time already. These cases make it clear that edge-of-centre sites will have to be shown to be clearly linked to the town centre before developers are permitted to build there.

It is important that planners work with the private sector to seek town centre sites for development, according to the final version of PPG6 published recently by the UK government. The government is seeking to encourage a positive approach to planning, and aims to revive town centres. The document has been mainly welcomed by planners, but some concern has been expressed about changes to the guidance on multiplex cinemas.

Some observers feel that the UK government's new PPG6 planning guidance sets down rather unrealistic expectations of town centre strategies. There is also concern that definition of edge-of-centre has been changed from within 'reasonable' walking distance to within 'easy' walking distance. There have been claims that the emphasis on town centre sites is contrary to all available evidence on sustainability.

Planning Aid is a UK advice agency which has seen a 59% rise in cases from 1992. Eight Planning Aid centers used part-time and full-time employees in 1994, twice the number for 1992. Planning Aid is more developed in some parts of the UK such as the West Midlands and London. Fundraising activities have been carried out by Planning Aid centres, which seek to develop relationships with bodies providing funds. Activities carried out by Planning Aid include giving planning advice to local government, research, and training for advice agencies.

Planners in the UK have so far had little involvement with energy management issues, while energy utilities have not been prevented from maximising demand for energy. However, this situation may be changed by the Demand-Side Management (DSM) model, which involves energy utilities in helping users to control their consumption. This is already being tested, and is an ideal opportunity to forge closer links between energy utilities and planners.

'Strategic Guidance for London Planning Authorities' has been released by environment secretary John Gummer. The guidance calls for promotion of London as a world city, however, it also offers a conflicting strategy which advises planners to prioritise business and job creation, while reducing car use and harm to the environment. Reactions to Gummer's report are included.

The United Kingdom government has set out its policy on sustainable development at a development control seminar in January 1994, and this includes a move against out of town shopping developments. John Gummer, environment secretary, emphasised the need for economic regeneration in rural areas, as well as conservation, and his enthusiasm for mixed use of land, and houses with gardens, which are more traditional planning modes. Gummer argues that new settlements should be designed as small villages rather than towns of some 25, 000 inhabitants, as some planners seek.

International Networking (IN) allows United Kingdom planners to get in touch with their counterparts elsewhere in Europe, and promotes contacts between people rather than between organizations. The network was set up in 1988, developed by town planners in North Wales and North West England, linked to the Royal Town Planning Institute. Exchange visits have involved planners from Eastern European countries as well as the European Community, and services offered by IN include translating and training as well as advice and work experience.

Planning aid is now accepted within the mainstrean planning community in the United Kingdom, and the Department of the Environment, Scottish Office and Welsh Office, all govt departments, are backing planning aid at the level of the country as a whole. The fourth national conference on planning aid was held in Leeds, England, in Nov 1993, and tackled a range of difficult issues, such as the appropriate response for a planning aid agency approached by two sides on the same issue.