News

21 Jul 2010

'Mediation in Planning' can go further

CEDR welcome's the jointly commissioned report by the Planning Inspectorate and National Planning Forum, outlining the benefits of mediation for planning disputes.

The report, launched 29 June 2010, which is available on the Planning Inspectorate website, www.planning-inspectorate.gov.uk/pins, sets out recommended actions for stakeholders, including Government, to support the use of mediation in the planning system as part of "normal business".

Mike Haines, Chairman of the National Planning Forum said "We firmly believe that the time is right for mediation to take its place in the toolbox of the planning system".

Commenting on the report, Dr Andrzej Grossman, Director, the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution, "CEDR very much welcome's the sentiment of this report, that mediation has a role to play in Planning Disputes and improving the development consultation process. However, mediation has been a real, viable and - to a large extent - available option for the last decade and it is time that the planning community caught up with other sectors, both private and public, who have been using it to resolve their disputes and assist in better communications and dialogue."

"In the last 20 years CEDR alone has helped over 40,000 parties with their disputes, planning disputes have not been a large part of this number, even though when it has been used many of those disputes have been successfully resolved. The planning community is behind in the game when it comes to mediation and needs a strategy to catch up rather than take up an exploratory stance."

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