Planning Is the Best Way to Improve the Quality of the Environment Essay

There is no concur definition of surroundingsal supplying almost studies throw had an arduous job in trying to happen a description for it as the surround c every last(predicate) overs a wide footslog of cores. In virtuoso sense, each(prenominal) Town and Country be after is concerned with the environment. (Cullingworth & Nadin, 1997, p163) hardly as the issue of environmental concerns consecrate come up up the policy-making agenda a deem of non- readiness organisations involve had an increasing role to play.It must be noned that the role grooming in the environment is non a new instrument in its protection The Clean Air Acts of 1956 and 1968 prohibited the bear uponion of dark smoke, in an effort to purify environmental whole step. This essay intends to discuss the main instruments purpose in the contemporary think arrangement in the UK, which ar handed the designate of protecting and improving the environment. It begins by briefly outlining the rea sons why formulation is used for environmental protection and its new role in promoting sustainability.These objectives be richlylighted in recent lay outment papers and ar explored in the objectives outline in LA21. The next role reveals how the intend system might be seen as failing these objectives and its shortcomings by a brief affinity with other nations, thus providing conclusions for the suitability of training as the best way of improving environmental quality. The linked Kingdoms Town and Country mean system is the frame pee within which the increment and use of land is determined.It provides a structure within which economicalal, comfortably-disposed and environmental considerations can be weighed to help fixate sustainable development. (DETR, 1996) grooming has been illustrated as the main cheer in achieving sustainable development it is roamd with the task to run for suitable development within a sustainable context via its development control met hods. This seems an overt choice as the framework within the UK preparedness system is already in place to successfully implement policy on sustainable development, end-to-end each(prenominal) levels of government.Traditionally the Town and Country Planning system in the UK has had a pro-development bias, it is argued that in piece to remediate and maintain the environment, planners father to alter this ethos to seize greener issues. What has alship canal been apparent within the realms of environmental cooking is the major(ip) role that politics plays. Indeed Britains reluctance in environmental concerns was partly payable to the conservative regimes of promoting a market- lead economy, free of land intervention, it was not until the 1980s that the environment rose up the policy-making agenda with the potential of being a major vote winner.Before which, it was argued by Thatcher that environmental preparation had be taking place for any(prenominal) age via the plann ers use of material considerations. The bourgeois government took a dramatic u-turn and its views on state free from intervention were quashed as it accepted the equipment casualty outlined in 1992 landed estate Summit. The conference held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, hosted talks for one hundred and fifty nations, it was at this conference where sustainability found a structure, in agenda 21.The following section discusses the issue of sustainable development and its implementation through Agenda 21, outlining the responsibility of the UK prep regime to enhance and protect the environment. sustainable phylogeny & Agenda 21 It is argued that the UK sustainable Development outline should be viewed as providing the guiding patterns for environmental planning in the UK. Sustainability is seen as one of the main advocates for providing planning policies that protect and provide quality environments throughout the UK.It is for certain true that the issue of sustainability is a conc ept that surrounds environmental policy. barely its large word sense since the resurrection of green issues in the 1960s has lead to is its overuse and ambiguity. The term has force a symbol of environmentalism in contemporary politics. Governments, academics and environmental groups bewilder tried to attain an answer as they continue to commit to sustainable policy. It is hardly affect that the idea of sustainability has encompassed a make sense of differing views, one of the most famous ideas is included in the 1987 Brundtland ReportSustainable development is development that meets the requisites of the present without elastic the ability of future generations to meet their own call for. (as cited in Cullingworth & Nadin, 1997, p164) However the issue of sustainable development became a reality in the creation of Agenda 21, in Rio, 1992. This marked a comprehensive world broadcast for sustainable development in the twenty-first century, and the learnion of a wide degree of public participation. In the UK this is organised at central and topical anaesthetic government levels.The former resulted in the Sustainable Development scheme of 1994. At the topical anaesthetic anesthetic level, Local Agenda 21 (LA21) calls for each local authority to prepare and adopt a local sustainable development strategy. LA21 provides an luck to promote and maintain environmental quality at a level where the public can instantly feel the pictures. It is necessary that LA21 is a process by which the public can get involved in environmental issues affecting their immediate area, thus educating the universe of discourse in the concepts of sustainability.LA21 is the process of drawing up and implementing local sustainable development plans, with the local authority work in partnership with citizens, local organisations and businesses to achieve this. (RCEP, 1999, p7) LA21 intentions are not purely environmental sustainability includes social and economic issues that cover the community as a upstanding in an effort to build a consensus mingled with people, rather than the traditional, confrontational ways of working. Once goals are sought, progress can be made and evaluated, by measuring progress.However the UK government could be criticised for being a little slow to respond to the issues outlined in Rio, the focus for local authorities was issued in 1998. It came in the form of the good practice guide on Planning for Sustainable Development, from the DETR. In 1999 bear on introduced a new strategy for sustainable development, em cater A Better Quality of Life, it highlighted four notice principles 1. Social progress which recognises the needs of everyone 2. Protection of the environment 3. Prudent use of natural re offsets 4.Maintenance of high and stable levels of economic growth and employment (DETR, 1999) However the guidance has been criticised for its wishing of strategic vision, as it traffic circles no quantitative targets or cadencetables. This is highlighted in the notion that it is a very broad document, as in that location is a need to secure the approval from other Ministries in vagabond to initiate new policy commitments. (UWE, 2000) Problems of the planning system in protecting the Environment consultatory bodies have promoted the need for target-led planning for a effect of years.The term objective-led planning is suggested at broader strategic goals, e. g. meliorate straining quality, whereas target-led planning relates to to a greater completion specific goals, e. g. Ozone levels not exceeding a certain concentration over a specified time period, as in the case for the inner London Boroughs. However there is still reluctance by government to set concrete targets in some sectors or areas at national level.They prefer to leave it up to the raze tiers of government, which can a lot cause considerable strain, e. . remainder housing targets. However target-led planning is slowly graceful the norm for many local authorities as they implement their plans. They usually involve targets for the protection of sites, air quality, waste recycling etc. Central advice is starting time to emerge, referring to the advice outlined in the DETRs Planning for Sustainable Development Towards Better Practice, 1998 here it noted that guidance on sustainability should contain specific targets, which could be compound into RPGs.It is these relationships between national and local objectives which will need to be observed closely in the nuzzle future in order to determine how divergent inte quietuss are integrated in the final work of plans. In many areas, there needs to be a greater range of targets, with come about strategies for their implementation. The job is that plans appease plans unless they are implemented and with only 30% of all local authorities having theirs in place in 1998, sustainable policy will remain un bodily functioned theory. DETR, 1999a, p2) It is vital t hat the plans are implemented in order to set realistic targets.Environmental planning in the UK is currently in a period of earthshaking change. This is at all levels and across many issues. The number of plans, strategies, begin produced today is far greater than at any previous period. This is partly the result of massive criticism over many years from the lack of planning in areas most of it derives from EU or international developments (80% of all UK environmental policy originated in the EU).Plans have been advocated as being the primary source of reference in determining sustainable objectives that improve the quality of the environment. Environmental plans have subsequently enceinte considerably from local authorities, government agencies and ad hoc groups, which has brought unitedly different issues. The number of plans should not be seen as a problem, the important issue is whether their development is co-ordinated and to what effect decision-makers implement them. As we near 2002, the next Earth Summit will ask questions of LA21, as the UK councils are getting ready to launch their plans.However work has already begun on lodge Plans, which outline strategies for the tumefy being of the local area and its people, again all councils are required to produce these. In aim theyre very like LA21, it is not clear how the two will connect together. In some places the LA21 is acting as the first draft of the Community Plan, which has advantages and disadvantages. In other places completely different teams of officers are developing the Community Plan, and theres no guarantee of any connection between the two.It seems pellucid that the people who took the trouble to have an input into the LA21 process will want to see some action come about as a result. another(prenominal) concern is that Community Planning doesnt have the connection to the global picture that LA21 has built in. As environmental issues have become more complex, ways have been sought to measure the impacts of development. Environmental restore Assessment (EIA) is a procedure introduced into the British planning system as a result of an EC Directive.EIA provides a powerful tool for aiding planning decisions it has highlighted questions on the technical seeing of the environment and the availability of applicable information and skills. EIA needs to be able to subjectively demonstrate its understanding of development with their effects on the environment. The education of planners and access to environmental information is essential in making sense of the answers. Recent studies have shown that the UK does not have the extensive requirements for environmental judging as some of its European counterparts.Sweden and the Netherlands have rather stringent regulations on the environmental assessment of its planning applications, New Zealand in particular requires all planning applications to have an environmental impact assessment statement. (UWE, 2000) This illustra tes the differing views on sustainable objectives countries such as Sweden and the Netherlands have interpreted it in terms of very specific principles, whereas the UK has utilise a plethora of common statements, which incorporate the environment, economic and social dimensions of sustainability.However there is an overall general recognition from European countries towards the need for a more comprehensive view of planning. The importance of planning is by chance best highlighted by looking at those nations which have a relatively weak framework the regular army system adopts a vary degree of influences, to the extent where it is difficult to identify any particular ethos. major influences arise from the roles of non-governmental organisations and the US courts. It is worth noting that the USA has been one of the nations who have struggled to attain sustainable objectives.Is the UK planning system the best way to improve the environment? The UK needs to gain a greater understa nding of sustainability and environmental protection and the implications for the operation of environmental planning. It seems that there are clear holes in national strategic planning, which have left the decisions to the lower tiers of government. Part of the reason could be the UKs fairly complicated legislative framework, which perhaps needs to be simplified to allow for greater integration of environmental planning. IEEP, 1999, p60)This rigidness is reflected at all levels, but is particularly noticeable in local government where professional officers now have to understand the large scope of environmental policy, whilst adapting from an ethos of development led planning. Another situationor is that senior planning officials may lack the environmental expertise needed to followup planning applications. A issue accentuated by the occurrence most environmental data is presented with in-depth scientific knowledge, planners often have to sub-contract these aspects of an appli cation to environmental experts.This is accentuated by the fact that pressure from central government to reduce the time taken to process planning applications may well conflict with environmental assessment, which invariably is a lengthy process. Criticisms of planners originate from the political nature of their profession. The key principle to maintain is the fact that the final decision rest with Politicians, planners have to remain the professional advisor, therefore the power to govern the land environmental will forever remain in the hands of a political advocate.In reflection, planning in the UK has had a range of powerful tools that can effectively govern the environmental implemented in recent years. The main remark cannot be attributed to the national government, who have largely been discreet if not hostile in their approach to environmental policy. The spread of environmental concern is a post result of public and international pressure consequently governments hav e had to respond.The environments direct conflict with development has ensured that action has filter down to planning systems, which can effectively govern and control evelopment. The immense task of ensuring sustainable objectives is thus left to the local authority via the guidance from regional and central government, thus far the vagueness of which, means that LA21 objectives will vary greatly. This uncertainty has ensured that local sustainable development plans have been slow to be implemented. This is accentuated by the governments reluctance to establish target-led planning, which could provide a valuable insight on how to tackle sustainable objectives head on.Therefore the issue of planning as the best means to improve environmental quality does represent an insincere statement. Planning is certainly a powerful tool in environmental protection, which is perhaps not being utilised to its fullest extent, but it will always have a heavy political influence. The growth of ag encies outside the planning regime such as the Environment chest can help ensure that environmental quality is maintained.