Monthly Archives: March 2012

National Planning Policy – Major Concessions from Government

The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) is now out. Has it been worth the wait? Who has come out on top? Government? Or the National Trust, CPRE and other environmental groups? Or has it been a draw with compromise all round. Here, we present our initial assessment of the new national planning policy. The key battles in the run-up to the NPPF’s publication have been around the Government’s new definition of sustainable development; the protection to be given to the countryside; whether brownfield land should be developed before greenfield; should planning permission be automatically granted if a local planning authority does not have an up to date Local Plan in place; and should councils have a period of grace to come … Continue reading

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NPPF: Planning’s Big Day

So, finally, it is here. Planning’s Big Day. After all the claim and counter claim we will finally find out what the National Planning Policy Framework has in store for English land use planning policy. Will it lay waste to England’s green and pleasant land as some claim, or will it simplify, speed up, and deliver growth whilst protecting our green and pleasant land?  In short, who is going to win, and who to lose. In the blue corner Government, BPF, HBF and others, or the team in the green corner CPRE, National Trust and RSPB? To help you gauge the ups and downs we have produced a handy little checklist. Presumption in favour of sustainable development. If this weights economic … Continue reading

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Policy for Traveller Sites

In a quite bizarre turn of events Government has produced planning policy for Traveller Sites. Bizarre? Well, bizarre, because this new policy guidance was published only two days before the publication of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). The NPPF, as you will not need reminding, was being heralded as 50 pages of national policy to replace the existing 2,000 or policy and guidance. So it does feel bizarre to have an 8 page supplement to th NPPF that will be published on the 27th of March 2012. But what of the new policy on Traveller Sites? Overall, this brings together previous guidance in to one simpler document. The main features of this being: that local planning authorities should make … Continue reading

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Budget 2012: Implications for Planning

Well after all the speculation on whether he would publish the National Planning Policy Framework on Budget Day, or not (and he hasn’t), what has George Osborne actually said that impacts on town planning and development? The headline grabber is that Government will radically reform the planning system because it is a “barrier to growth”. On Tuesday 27th of March the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) will be published. From that date it will come in to force for plan-making and decisions. Support will be available to local planning authorities to help them get their plans up to date. The NPPF will better support growth, have a “powerful” new presumption in favour of sustainable development, and allow local decisions to … Continue reading

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Action for Market Towns: Neighbourhood Planning

Last week after a rather tortuous rail journey (albeit for the saddest of reasons and far beyond anyone’s control) we finally made it to York for the Action for Market Towns’ (AMT) event on neighbourhood planning. Part of the AMT’s Getting to Grips with Localism series this session on neighbourhood planning revealed a little of how things have moved on since Kirkwells spoke at a similar AMT session in London in November. Back then many seemed to be feeling their way, and we had been asked along to give the benefit of our experience in preparing neighbourhood plans. To some extent the York event revealed the same mix of enthusiasm and trepidation for neighbourhood planning we had encountered last year. … Continue reading

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NPPF: time for more light, less heat

The final version of the new National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) is only days away and now is the time for “more light and less heat” in this debate on the future of planning. Throughout the Summer of 2011 swords were drawn. On one side government, and many in the property industry, saying the NPPF would promote growth and protect the countryside, and, on the other, a wide collection of groups including the National Trust, CPRE, and RSPB, saying the NPPF was the biggest shake-up in the planning system since it’s creation in 1947, and that it would lead to a developers’ free for all and the destruction of the countryside. The heat generated by this debate has continued. Take … Continue reading

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Greater Manchester Calls for Projects

The Greater Manchester Combined Authority and Local Enterprise Partnership have called on the private sector for projects to help deliver economic growth in the region. This is part of Greater Manchester’s work to deliver a single investment strategy. The strategy aims to create a virtuous investment cycle, enabling businesses to invest in projects that will drive economic growth and generate commercial returns. By repaying the initial investment a fund for further development will be created. Greater Manchester’s single investment strategy is underpinned by the availability of a fund totalling more than £100m. The call is now out for projects that can start in 2012/2013. Expressions of interest should be submitted by 30th of March 2012. For more information click here. … Continue reading

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