Government plans to scrap Theatres Trust role in planning decisions

The government has announced plans to end the requirement for Theatres Trust to be consulted on planning decisions related to cultural venues in a bid to speed up building projects.

Theatres Trust is one of 25 “statutory consultees” legally required to provide advice on planning decisions to ensure developments consider essential environmental, transport, heritage and safety elements.

For the Theatres Trust this means it must be consulted on applications involving land on which there is a theatre or which will have an impact on theatre use. Ciné-variety theatres, circus buildings, arts centres and spaces that have been converted or adapted for theatre use, such as pub theatres, are all within its remit.

However, the government says councils and developers believe the system is “not working effectively”, and wants to remove three statutory consultees – Theatres Trust, Sport England and the Gardens Trust – from the process and reduce the scope of others.

It says ongoing problems with statutory consultees include: failing to engage proactively; taking too long to provide their advice; re-opening issues that have already been dealt with in local plans; submitting automatic holding objections which are then withdrawn at a late stage; and submitting advice that seeks “gold-plated outcomes”, going beyond what is necessary to make development acceptable in planning terms.

The government says its proposed reforms, outlined today (10 March) will put growth at the heart of the statutory consultee system, helping deliver its Plan for Change target of delivering 1.5 million new homes. It intends to launch a consultation on the proposals shortly.

Deputy Prime Minister and Housing Secretary Angela Rayner said: “We need to reform the system to ensure it is sensible and balanced, and does not create unintended delays – putting a hold on people’s lives and harming our efforts to build the homes people desperately need.”

Championing culture

Joshua McTaggart, CEO of Theatres Trust, and Dave Moutrey, chair of Theatres Trust, have said they do not recognise the characterisation of the organisation as being an impediment to growth.

They have called for a “data-led and rigorous” consultation process, adding that the Theatres Trust’s “quality of work and the depth of its impact will speak for itself”.

“Theatres Trust are confident that, contrary to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government’s statement, we proactively engage with all local planning authorities and developers and provide our advice in a timely and efficient manner, actively feeding into and championing culture in local plans,” they said.

“We are confident that Theatres Trust plays a proactive role in empowering the future of the Creative Industries, one of the government’s priority sectors in the industrial strategy. While housebuilding is a necessary part of the country’s growth, we know this government also understands that communities need to have access to culture, storytelling and educational opportunities.

“Theatres are a key provider of this, and theatres are what we endeavour to protect.

“Theatres Trust was established through an Act of Parliament in 1976 after over 800 theatres in the UK had been demolished or irrevocably altered. This shows that the then government understood the need to protect our cultural heritage so future generations could have access to live performance.

“Theatres Trust’s committed team works hard to uphold these principles and values in everything we do, especially in our planning consultation responses.”