The government has announced an overhaul of the planning system to ‘fix the foundations and grow the economy’. The document published on 30 July is entitled Proposed reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework and other changes to the planning system. Responses are invited by 24th September. The Deputy Prime Minister has written to every council Leader and Chief Executive in England to make clear that there is “not just a professional responsibility but a moral obligation to see more homes built”, and that she will not hesitate to use her powers of intervention should it be necessary – including taking over an authority’s plan making directly.
The consultation seeks views on the proposed approach to revising the NPPF. Helpfully, for the first time, the NPPF is published with proposed changes highlighted. The consultation also seeks views on a series of wider national planning policy reforms. Headlines from the extensive publication include;
restoring mandatory housing targets and raise the overall level of the housing targets from 300,000 to 370,000 per annum.
the method used to calculate them, which relied on decade old data, will be updated – make the standard method for assessing housing needs mandatory, requiring local authorities to plan for the resulting housing need figure, planning for a lower figure only when they can demonstrate hard constraints and that they have exhausted all other options.
the duty for councils to co-operate on taking the housing need from a neighbouring council is restored.
the supply of specific deliverable sites should, in addition, include a buffer of 20%
the default answer to brownfield development should be “yes” and promote homebuilding at greater densities in urban centres.
councils will have to review their green belt land if needed to meet their own target, identifying and prioritising ‘grey belt’ land.
where local authorities do not have up-to-date plans in place or enable sufficient housing to come forward to meet local targets, homebuilders can bring forward proposals on ‘grey belt’ land. (‘grey belt’ is defined as land in the green belt comprising Previously Developed Land and any other parcels and/or areas of Green Belt land that make a limited contribution to the five Green Belt purposes).
intention to introduce a universal system of strategic planning across England.
increase in planning fees to cover the true costs of processing planning applications
revised guidance on how the viability of developments is assessed.
Giles Moir (Director) stated; ‘at last, we get more detail on the direction of travel of the new government. Whilst we must remember this is only a consultation document, and therefore we cannot be certain all he proposals will remain as outlined, it gives a clear indication of a sincere desire to dramatically increase house building rates across the country, and in particular a warning to those councils that fail to meet the targets that there will be consequences – including the potential to open the Green Belt to development. Chapman Lilly Planning will be examining the proposals in detail, assessing potential opportunities / impacts and then sending its comments to the government. ‘