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T&DCS 06_Sept_11.wpp Last updated 6Sep11

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The Draft National Planning Policy Framework

The Government published this as a consultation document on 25 July 2011. The 12 week consultation period ends on 17 October 2011. The draft Framework has proved highly controversial, with Developers, Building interests and the CBI strongly supporting it, and Conservation, Wildlife, and Heritage bodies voicing great concern. There are a large number of Internet pages referring to it, and our pages here provide links to some of them.

Here is the Draft National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and Impact Assessment which was accompanied by a Press release and a set of documents describing the consultation process and providing a variety of ways to respond. (We have found that using the Microsoft Word form crashes Word on a PC running Windows XP!)

Despite the consultative state of the Framework, the Government instructed Planning Inspectors on August 4th that the draft is a “material consideration” in determining planning appeals as it shows “a clear indication of the Government’s direction of travel” and consequently several greenfield sites have already received planning permission on appeal . The instruction to Planning Inspectors is here.

The Draft National Planning Policy Framework replaces 1000 pages of current guidance with just 52 pages, and Civic Voice, the umbrella body for the Civic Society movement sums it up as follows:

1. The default answer to development is to be “yes”

2. Planning policy is to be “pro growth”

3. Local and neighbourhood plans can provide for more but not less development

4. The focus of new housing is no longer to be on re-using urban land and local authorities have to provide 5 years of land plus an extra 20%

5. Town centres should be the preferred location for retail development but the policy has been weakened for offices

6. There is to be strong protection for designated sites, such as Green Belts and AONBs, but not for the local environment (or ordinary countryside)

7. Good quality design and the importance of the historic environment are stressed but against the backdrop of planning for growth.

The following pages there are links to the reactions to the proposed Framework of organisations in affected industries and professions, and in charities and interest groups, (including one specific response from a Government minister).  The Planning minister has written a more general article at Greg Clark - Reforming Planning for Future Generations.

Given the quite heated public debate that is now taking place, we provide links to particularly relevant editorials, press articles and blogs that express views about the Framework.  [Warning: Online articles may themselves be quite sound, but may suffer strange and abusive comments, or general mischief making, as (often inarticulate) commentators use the facility as a platform for their obsessions or peripheral and antisocial views.]

Because the Framework is written in a context that assumes that the Localism Bill is law by the time the Framework supplants the existing Planning system there is a section on the Localism Bill.

Finally there is a copy of the report written for the Society’s September-October 2011 newsletter to summarise the significance of the Framework.

Send any comments on Planning matters to: planning@tauntoncivic.org.uk

More Links on the National Planning Policy framework on next page -  >>>