For the planning service in Peterborough I believe a below inflation increase indicates a cut in services. This is a very serious concern that could harm the city.

Why is planning so important? Why does the service need to keep up with inflation and what are the consequences of a below inflation increase?

Peterborough has decided it wants to grow "bigger and better". The council needs praise for such a decision. Cities change everyday, as does the whole world – no one can stop it.

Unless there is planned growth a whole range of problems start occurring:

• Expanding businesses that provide employment will be sucked away to other locations.


• Our youngsters will find homes in modern apartments in other city centres with quality evening entertainment.


• Our growing families will move to the best new suburban estates in other towns with quality schools, green open spaces and efficient transport systems.


• Shoppers will find there is a better choice in Cambridge, Norwich, Milton Keynes and other surrounding cities.

If we continue to grow then we can provide all these, and more, in Peterborough. With no growth there is little investment and few new facilities.

So we must grow. And to grow successfully we need a well resourced planning service that understands the social, economic and environmental needs of society.

The planning service is essential to ensure we provide efficient adaptable business locations, attractive housing areas with good facilities and infrastructure such as improved further and higher education facilities, park and ride systems, and open space.

These all need to be planned in resource-efficient ways. Crucially, developments are now expected to pay for much of the infrastructure that is needed to make them happen. A well-resourced planning department is essential to make sure such infrastructure is properly included. It must be well planned.

These decisions are among the most complex to make. Skilled staff are required and councillors need to have extensive background information carefully presented to them to make well balanced judgements.

The decisions must, however, be made without undue delay. If there is delay then investment is postponed and the economy suffers. Jobs go elsewhere.

Peterborough is currently short of planning staff and relies on agency arrangements to deal with its workload. Every planning authority surrounding Peterborough is similarly short of staff.

Unless proper resources are in place to recruit and keep quality planners then we will not have a planning department that understands the city, makes the best plans, and gives the best advice to councillors. While inefficiencies, if they exist, must be remedied, a planning department with fewer resources next year will not be able to cope with an increasing workload.

An under-resourced service will result in poor decision making, a poor environment, and poor infrastructure.