1

The Government’s vision Freedom, Fairness and Responsibility

• Fundamental change in the relationship between citizens and the state.

• Individuals and communities have more power and responsibility.

• Freedom from top-down controls.

• Extending transparency to every area of public life.

2

What it means for Planning

Reform to achieve…

• Greater democratic and local control

• Positive planning - a system in favour of sustainable development

• Greater simplicity and effectiveness

Delivering…

A plan-led system that empowers local people to shape their surroundings whilst facilitating sustainable growth and encouraging the idea that development can positively benefit a community. Positive, proactive, simple.

3

But why?

Good planning makes for great communities but the planning system has its problems, it:

• is centralised, bureaucratic and complex – 3,254 new pages of guidance since 2005 alone;

• is costly – over £2bn a year - 13 per cent more in real terms last year than five years ago - despite 32 per cent drop in applications received;

• can alienate and disempower communities – many will seek to resist development regardless of the circumstances of the potential wider benefit; and

• struggles to deliver - costs to the economy associated with delays in processing applications up to £3bn a year.

4

Planning Reform: Actions

• The Localism Bill

• The National Planning Policy Framework – including the Presumption in Favour of Sustainable Development

• The Growth Review and subsequent changes to the system

Localism Bill

• Decentralises power and responsibility to shape places

• Abolition of Regional Strategies• A new duty to cooperate – LAs must address cross

boundary issues in their plans• A new permissive regime of neighbourhood plans – that

must fit with local plans• CIL to become more of a local incentive – alongside the

New Homes Bonus• Abolition of the IPC and return of decision making on major

infrastructure to Ministers

• Shift from central targets to local drivers and incentives

• Results in a much greater emphasis on importance of local plans – the strategic plan

National Planning Policy Framework

Draft Framework distils over 1,000 pages of National Planning Policy – to 52 pages.

Objectives:- To streamline national planning policy and make it more accessible- To promote sustainable growth- To protect and enhance the natural and historic environment

Highlights

Delivering sustainable development: the presumption in favour of sustainable development - emphasising the importance of an up to date plan and of planning positively to meet objectively assessed development needs

Plan-making and development management: requirement to set out strategic priorities, in cooperation with other authorities; new viability assessment; ability to review plans in whole or part to respond flexibly to changing circumstances

Planning for prosperity: strong commitment to “town centre first” policy; flexible approach to non-residential car-parking; facilitating growth of new and existing telecommunication systems.

Highlights

Planning for people: plan to meet the full requirements for market and affordable housing; maintain a 5-year rolling supply of deliverable sites, plus at least 20%; ensure high quality and inclusive design; maintain Green Belt protections

Planning for place: supportive framework for low carbon and renewable energy; maintain existing policy on development in areas of flood risk; plan positively for networks of biodiversity and green infrastructure; maintain strong protections of AONBs, SSSIs, National Parks; maintain current historic environment protections

NPPF needs to be read and interpreted as a whole

Growth Review

The Growth Review builds on the Localism Bill and NPPF:

• Written Ministerial statement on economic development and Presumption

• Review of Use Classes Order

• Business involvement in Neighbourhood Planning

• Pilots of elements of land auctions model on public sector land

• Allowing LAs freedom to identify land for development and removing centralised Brownfield land targets

• Enterprise zones – simplified planning areas (using LDOs)

• ‘Planning guarantee’ and simplification of the regime for determining planning applications

10

Next Steps …

• Localism Bill…

Finished Lords Committee stage before Recess. Lords Report stage under way. Aiming for Enactment around the end of the year subject to Parliamentary time.

• NPPF…

Consultation closes on 17 October. Aim to finalise by end of year if possible.

• Growth Review…

Large number of work streams delivering to different timescales – adding up to fundamental change to the planning system by this time next year!