Draft Communities and Local Government Structural Reform Plan

The draft Reform Plan restates the Government's intention to shift power from Westminster to local people. It intends to do this though the Localism Bill which is to be published in November 2010 and is currently targeted as being on the statute books in November 2011.

The Reform Plan also identifies a radical reform of the planning system by streamlining and speeding up the process and giving neighbourhoods a greater ability to determine the shape of places in which their inhabitants live. Local planning authorities will now be able to begin working on these changes in their local development plans in advance of the passing of the Localism Bill.

Interestingly, the Reform Plan mentions that the Government will work with the Treasury to design a scheme due to be announed in July 2010. This scheme aims to provide strong and transparent incentives to local authorities to build new homes. No announcement has yet been made. 

Revocation of Regional Strategies

In our July issue we included Eric Pickle's announcement that he had revoked the Regional Strategies. In light of this, the Government's Chief Planning Officer issued guidance for local planning authorities to provide clarification on the impact of the revocation and how to continue bringing forward Local Development Frameworks and make planning decisions.

The Policy Statement on Regional Strategies has been cancelled and references to Regional Strategies in other Policy Statements are no longer valid. All other Planning Policy Statements will continue to apply until they are replaced by the proposed National Planning Framework.

Development plans will now consist of the adopted development plan documents, Saved Policies and any old style plans that have not lapsed. Where planning applications were in the process of being determined, local planning authorities may need to review intended decisions in light of the revocation. It will also be important to ensure that Regional Strategy policies are not included in any reports to committees, or as reasons for imposition of conditions.

Where development plan documents are in the process of preparation and adoption, these processes should continue, however emerging policies will need to be reviewed.

Removing Planning Barriers for Schools

Eric Pickles made a statement in the House of Commons on 26 July and believes that it should be taken into account as a material consideration when determining planning applications. The statement related to the Government's commitment to support the creation of new free schools and directs local planning authorities in determining planning applications to:

  • attach very significant weight to the desirability of establishing new schools and to enable local people to do so; 
  • adopt a positive and constructive approach towards applications to create new schools and to seek to mitigate any negative impacts of development through the use of planning conditions or planning obligations; and 
  • only refuse planning permission for a new school if the adverse planning impact upon the local area outweighs the desirability of establishing a school in that area.

He also announced that there will be a consultation on changes to the Use Classes Order to enable changes from buildings with other uses to be converted to schools.

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