This week the Government published 4 factsheets which provide background information on the measures contained within the Neighbourhood Planning Bill (see our news item on the Bill from September 2016 https://www.clplanning.co.uk/?p=319 ). The four topics are ‘neighbourhood planning’, ‘planning conditions’, ‘planning register’ and ‘compulsory purchase’.
Each factsheet introduces the relevant topic, sets out how the reforms in the Neighbourhood Planning Bill will impact on the topic area and what the Government is hoping to achieve. An update for each topic area is provided together with a series of key questions and answers.
Of particular interest is the factsheet on pre-commencement conditions. This includes details on how the Government sees the future use of pre-commencement conditions working in practice…
“We propose that it would be the responsibility of the local planning authority to seek the written agreement of the applicant to any pre-commencement conditions. The authority would be able to choose the most appropriate time to seek agreement, but could not grant planning permission subject to pre-commencement conditions unless written agreement had been given by the applicant to the terms of the condition.
In the unlikely event that the applicant does not agree to the imposition of a pre-commencement condition, the local planning authority would have the option to either change the condition in question, allow the developer to comply with it after the development is underway or, remove the condition altogether. The authority would also retain the right to refuse the planning application, and the applicant would have the option to appeal the condition as is currently the case”.
For more information on the Neighbourhood Planning Bill please contact Chapman Lily Planning.