planning reform in england
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PLANNING REFORM IN ENGLAND. Tony Thompson MRTPI, ARICS, CMILT Planning Directorate, Department for Communities and Local Government, London. 4 July 2014. Key Reform O bj ec t i ves. Engaged communities. Positive approach & supporting growth. Improv ed performance. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
PLANNING REFORM IN ENGLAND
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Tony Thompson MRTPI, ARICS, CMILT
Planning Directorate, Department for Communities and Local Government, London
4 July 2014
Key Reform Objectives
Improved performance
Engaged communities
Positive approach & supporting growth
Simpler policy & procedures
NPPF and Guidance Review
Presumption in favour of
sustainable development
Growth and Infrastructure Act
Localism Act
Strong protections still in place
Unblocking stalled sites
Tackling LA poor
performance
Neighbourhood Planning
Regional Strategy
revocation
Robust Evidence of
need and 5 year land supply
Duty to cooperate
SimpleLocal Positive
Proportionate Effective
Overview of reforms
Deregulation and
Simplification
Information requirements
Speeding up appeals
Award of costs
Permitted development
rights
Streamlined guidance
1300 pages of policy down to less than 50
Major InfrastructureSection
106
Use Class Order
Statutory consulteesCommunity
Infrastructure Levy
Key reforms
National Planning Policy Framework & GuidanceProviding a positive framework for sustainable growth
Localised plan makingStrengthening local engagement and buy in for development
Streamlined decision makingSimplifying the process from end to end
A new consent regime for national infrastructureEnsuring a more efficient process for delivering key projects
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Division of responsibility
• Central Government – Legislation (Primary and Secondary); and– Policy and Guidance.
• Local Government – Plan making; and– Decision taking
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6
Planning Applications & Decisions
(LAs)426,000
Neighbourhood Plans
NDO
(Optional)
Local Plan OUTCOMES Yes
Appeals & Decisions
(PINS)15,000
No
SoS Recovered
Appeals200
Plan Making
a
S of Scall-incases10-20
Decision taking
Overview of the planning system
National Policy and Guidance
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National Planning Policy Framework Key policy – presumption in favour of sustainable development
National Planning Policy Framework & Guidance
For decision-taking this means:
● approving development proposals that accord with the development plan without delay; and
● where the development plan is absent, silent or relevant policies areout‑of‑date, granting permission unless:
– any adverse impacts of doing so would significantly and demonstrablyoutweigh the benefits, when assessed against the policies in thisFramework taken as a whole; or
– specific policies in this Framework indicate development should berestricted
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Planning Practice Guidance
Visit the site here: http://planningguidance.planningportal.gov.uk/
Localised plan making
Plan led approach remains the heart of planning system•Ensures community engagement and buy in•Sets levels of growth and development – housing and employment•Allocates land for new development•Defines specific areas of protection – eg Green Belt, conservation areas, flood risk management areas•Establishes principles for development eg design, density energy efficiency , sustainable waste and transport•Includes Proposals Map
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Progress on getting Local Plans in place
Neighbourhood Planning
Builds on long tradition of community planning and existing requirements to consult
Proportionate & robust: real power & safeguards
Set within a wider strategic context
Pro-growth: enabling community supported development
Additional, not replacing existing planning tools
Cultural change and power shift
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Thame Neighbourhood Plan
• 1st to allocate sites for new homes and
businesses
• 76% ‘yes’ vote
• 40% turnout
• 775 new homes
• New transport links
• Supporting high streets
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Streamlined decision taking
Does it need permission?
Pre-application stage Application stage Post-application
Taken wholly or partially out of the system:
Offices to residential
Residential / commercial extensions
Agricultural building conversions
Broadband equipment
State-funded schools
Flats over shops
Temporary uses
Legal requirement for information requested
to be reasonable
Local lists must be updated every 2 years
Cut design & access statement requirements
Simpler requirements at ‘outline’ stage
Ability to appeal against non-validation
Guidance on more proportionate PPAs
Planning guarantee (fee refund if no decision in
26 weeks)
Designation of under-performing authorities
Scrapped need to give reasons for approval
Replaced by need to demonstrate positive
approach
Faster planning appeals
Strengthened awards of costs at appeal
Penfold – rationalisation of related consents
13 week limit for related consent decisions
Underpinned by:
NPPF (including presumption in favour & stronger approach to housing land); wholesale review of guidance; inflation-related fee increase for planning authorities; improvement plans for stat cons
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Speed of planning decisions
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• Approval of planning applications – 88% a ten year high
•175,000 residential units approved 2013 - 50% higher than the figure approved in 2011 and pace of consents remains high Q1 2014
•Annual housing starts totalled 122,590 in 12 months to December 2013 – 23% higher than previous year
•Permitted development changes stimulating extra activity
•Fewer developers citing planning as a delay
Wider impacts of reforms
Energy
Transport
Water Waste water Waste
A new consent regime for national infrastructure
Key steps in process
The Inspectorate has 28 days to decide whether the application meets the required
standards to proceed to examination including whether the
adequate.
The application process the six steps
Pre-Application Acceptance Pre-Examination Examination Decision Post Decision
There is an opportunity for legal challenge
Interested parties make their detailed comments. They can request to speak at public hearings. The Inspectorate has 6
months to carry out the examination
relevant Secretary of State will be issued by the Inspectorate within
3 months of the close of the examination. The Secretary of
State then has a further 3 months to issue a decision on the
proposal.
this stage, people who register will be informed of progress and
will be given further opportunities to put their case.
Inspectors will hold a preliminary meeting and set the
timetable for examination.
The promoter makes information available in the local media and in public places near the
location of the proposed project. The developer at this point will be consulting on their proposal
and will still be shaping their project.Consultation will influence the final submission. Where feedback cannot be taking on board the
developer must explain why this is the case.
The regime is working - Hinkley Point C
National Policy StatementSite identified in Nuclear Power Generation NPS
FrontloadingPre-application consultation Nov 2009 to Aug 2011.
EDF engaged over 6500 stakeholders
Predominantly written representations
Kept to statutory timescaleApplication submitted Nov 2011Examination March to Sep 2012
Decision March 2013