Ahead of the introduction of the government’s Planning and Infrastructure Bill, which is expected to bring forward measures to speed up planning decisions to boost housebuilding the government have announced a review of the role of statutory consultees within the planning system.
The review will look at the role of organisations such as Sport England, Theatres Trust and The Gardens Trust in the planning process with plans that they will no longer be required to input on planning decisions. The government have suggested that the scope of other statutory consultees will be narrowed to focus on heritage, safety and environmental protection with the aim of speeding up the building process and preventing delays to homes being built.
Giles Moir, Director at Chapman Lily Planning commented, “the proposed reforms are welcomed, streamlining the consultation process should enable a more efficient decision making process with the safeguards still in place through the NPPF to ensure that the relevant protections remain in place – the reforms should provide planners, as the decision making, an improved ability to apply the planning balance”.
