Issue - decisions

Planning White Paper and other National Planning Changes

26/10/2020 - Planning White Paper and other National Planning Changes

The Executive Director of Economic Growth and Neighbourhood Services submitted a report on the Planning White Paper (‘Planning for the Future’) and a number of other proposed changes to the planning system which had been published for consultation.  Attached to the report at Appendix 1 was a proposed response to the Planning White Paper, and at Appendix 2 a proposed response to changes to the existing planning system.

The report explained that the main changes proposed in the White Paper had been designed to support key themes of reducing regulation in order to remove barriers to development and creating much greater certainty within the planning process.  The White Paper was based around three pillars of Planning for Development, Planning for Beautiful and Sustainable Places, and Planning for Infrastructure and Connected Places, and it was proposed to form a ‘zoning system’, whereby the use of all land was defined at the plan-making stage.  The proposals included nationally-set development management policies, national standard conditions, nationally set CIL (including affordable housing), binding nationally-set housing numbers through a standard methodology, a national design guide taking precedence where no design codes were in place, and a national body to support local design codes.  As a result, there would be reduced opportunities for democratic oversight and local consultation on developments.

The report noted that alongside the White Paper a number of other planning changes were being consulted upon, which would operate within the current system and would be introduced largely through national policy.  Although these changes were not as wide-ranging as the White Paper proposals, some of the implications would be highly significant.

The Committee was recommended to approve robust responses to the consultation on the Planning White Paper, which was set out in Appendix 1 and the changes to the existing planning system attached at Appendix 2.  The responses would be submitted to the Government before the deadline of 29October 2020 for the Planning White Paper and 1 October 2020 for changes to the existing planning system.  There would be an opportunity for the Planning Applications Committee to consider the responses at its meeting on 7 October 2020 and contribute to the response on the White Paper.

Resolved –

 

(1)      That the proposed response to the consultation on the Planning White Paper, which was attached to the report at Appendix 1, be approved;

 

(2)      That the proposed response to the consultation on changes to the current planning system, which was attached to the report at Appendix 2, be approved;

 

(3)      That the Deputy Director of Planning, Transport and Regulatory Services be authorised to make any amendments necessary to the response to the Planning White Paper (Appendix 1), in consultation with the Lead Councillor for Strategic Environment, Planning and Transport, to reflect any changes agreed by Planning Applications Committee at its meeting on 7 October 2020.