ABSTRACT
The 1947 Planning Act is widely regarded as one of the most significant pieces of legislation in planning history. The Act firmly established the requirement for planning permission, removing the centuries-old rights of landowners to develop land as they chose. Community design centres emerged in the US in the 1960s and not surprisingly pressure to increase community involvement in planning followed in the UK. Community involvement is an essential element in delivering sustainable development and creating sustainable and safe communities. Labour's momentous electoral success in 1997 after 18 years in the political wilderness marked a huge ideological shift in attitudes towards community involvement in planning. Political involvement in planning – together with politicians' attitudes towards public participation – shifted considerably under the Conservative governments of the 1980s and early 1990s. The Conservative government's first major piece of planning legislation was eleven years after gaining control.
