Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) is launching a Planning Mediation Service which can reduce the deadlock between conflicting parties, alleviate the strain on the appeal process and help save money both for public authorities and applicants.
Led by RICS Dispute Resolution Services, planning mediation will give people access to professional mediators in the planning system. It has been developed in response to recommendations in the Killian Pretty Review, to use mediation as a tool to speed up the planning process by resolving disputes quickly and amicably, and by encouraging dialogue and discouraging entrenched positioning.
There are 20,000 planning appeals every year costing the planning system in the region of £30million. The service will help resolve issues, open up dialogue and reduce areas of disputes in a wide range of planning issues. It will also help smooth over disagreements surrounding section 106 agreements and compulsory purchase orders.
Director of the RICS dispute resolution service Martin Burns said: "This service will provide both parties in a dispute some relief from what is a costly procedure for the local authority and for the appellant. Currently, the planning system is clogged up with combative appeals which more often than not result in a deadlocked situation. Mediation will provide a solution to this problem, save valuable time and improve transparency, speed and clarity in the planning process."
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