Certain that the purpose of our activity is to make better places for people, imagine my delight as the ambition of the Raynsford review sunk in. Nailing its colours to the mast, the report begins: “What is required is a deep and hard look at the fundamentals – what should be the purpose of planning.”

Reading on, proposition four – “a new covenant for community participation” –  struck a chord: “To be effective, planning must have public legitimacy. This legitimacy is under intense strain, with a broad disconnect between people and the wider planning system”.

The review’s recommendations include: “a significant new approach to helping communities to engage in the planning process, with a focus on engaging groups who do not currently have a voice, such as children and young people”.

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