Urban planning across the UK could be better served if powers to invest in infrastructure were devolved, and local councils had dedicated infrastructure teams to create a “joined-up approach” to development, a new report argues.

The Royal Town Planning Institute-backed “A Smarter Approach to Infrastructure Planning” said there were too many complex and fragmented approaches to areas including transport, energy, water, schools and hospitals.

The report warned that without an integrated strategy for planning it would be “impossible to meet the challenges of climate change, population growth and environmental risks over the coming decades”.

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