The Government’s vision Freedom, Fairness and Responsibility
description
Transcript of The Government’s vision Freedom, Fairness and Responsibility
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!