Building Luton's future (in a more positive way)

Here's my letter in today's Luton News (original version - they changed it a bit) with some first thoughts on how to improve planning, which is causing so much hostility locally -- but could be something really constructive if we do it right.

Interested to hear your views:  joe@joehallforluton.com 

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"Planning" seems to have become a dirty word.  We have a deeply unpopular proposal for building homes West of Luton and another equally unpopular proposal for East of Luton.  (Not to mention the new sports centre in Stopsley!  I was there last Tuesday night and spoke to people angry about the plans.)  I wish it was simply a party political problem but they're all involved: Conservative Central Beds Council and Labour (previously Lib Dem) Luton Council.

So what would fix this situation?

I could be popular with some by simply campaigning against these developments, particularly building on the greenbelt.  But it's not that simple.  People in our town desperately need more and better housing.  It's clear there aren't simple, easy solutions: we have little space in Luton and we need to grow or in time we will wither away.  I recognise that our Council has a tough job on its hands.  

This is all the more reason we have to get it right.  Developments cannot be railroaded through.  If there are tough choices to be made, the people of Luton and the surrounding areas must feel that they play a genuine part in making them.  

The problems are systemic.  So we need a systemic change in the way local and national government are run in order to solve it.  A Tory government would simply give more power to the Council -- that's not the solution here.  The problem is people are at loggerheads when we need to be working together.  Four suggestions I have for a more constructive approach:

1.  We need to get the facts clear, end the myths and speculation.  According to the Council there are 1,200 empty homes or less in Luton (we need tens of thousands).  We need a reliable, independent figure for the potential of brownfield sites (but I'm not convinced they will be enough).

2.  We need real involvement of local people from step one  -- not a 'consultation' once divisive plans are already on the table.  If there's a case for building on greenfield sites, local people need to be part of that from the very beginning.  

3.  We need to keep regional planning -- but make it more accountable to local people.  Simply having Councils fight it out won't give us the right answers, it'll just lead to more arguments and party politics.

4.  We need a change in culture.  National government should offer incentives to Councils and regional planners to involve people more in planning processes and demonstrate real and constructive engagement.

We're talking about building the next generation of Luton's future.  We can't build it on bitterness and resentment -- we need to learn from the planning mistakes of the past decades in Luton.  We need the real involvement and buy-in of local people: it's our town and our future.