East Midlands Planning Aid Services

 Planning Aid provides free, independent and professional town planning advice and support to communities and individuals who cannot afford to pay fees to a planning consultant. It complements the work of local planning authorities, but is wholly independent of them.

Planning Aid was started by the Town and Country Planning Association in 1973 and has consistently proved its worth. From the beginning, it has been at the forefront of engaging communities in the planning process. Now PLanning Aid is working to further widen the engagement in the planning process and to give an equal voice to all those involved in planning.

In 2003 the Officer of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) confirmed funding of up to £3.8million over three years. The funding will help build a bigger and better Planning Aid network. In particular the programme of enhancement will provide consistent levels of professional service across the country and support the development of more innotative methods to involve local communities in the planning process.

Planning Aid is more than giving advice. It engages communities positively in the planning process to help them manage changes to their neighbourhood areas.

Planning Aid can help people to:

• Understand and use the planning system
• Participate in preparing plans
• Prepare their own plans for the future of their community
• Comment on planning applications
• Apply for planning permission or appeal against refusal of permission
• Represent themselves at public inquires

Planning Aid helps to meet one of the key aims of the government's planning reform agenda, which is to place community engagement at the heart of the planning system.

To contact East Midlands Planning Aid Service

East Midlands Planning Aid Helpline: 0870 850 9802

E-mail: emcw@planningaid.rtpi.org.uk

Website: http://www.planningaid.rtpi.org.uk/

Planning Aid is part of the Royal Town Planning Institute. Registered charity number 262865.

Head Office: RTPI, 41 Botolph Lane, London, EC3R 8DL Tel: 020 7929 9494.