Department for Communities and Local Government have announced their intention to introduce more measures to speed up the planning system and to support sustainable development. 

These proposed measures will include the following:

  • a relaxation of the Use Classes Order to make it easier to re-use existing agricultural, retail and commercial buildings without the need to submit a planning application;
  • cutting the amount of information to support planning applications;
  • reviewing the 6,000 pages of supporting planning guidance;
  • speeding up the process for determining appeals;
  • updating local council planning application fees in line with inflation;
  • ensuring councils whose planning decisions are in line with an up to date local plan are not ordinarily liable for costs if their decision is appealed;
  • changes to the operation of Community Infrastructure Levy, including ensuring developers are not charged the Levy twice;
  • extending the funding to April 2013 of the four organisations already providing neighbourhood planning support.

Introducing the proposals planning minister Greg Clark said:

“Our reforms to the planning system are making it simpler, clearer and more accessible to people in communities.

“Following the simplification of the national planning policy in the National Planning Policy Framework, these proposed changes streamline the process of applying for planning permission.

“Our aim is to have a system that applicants and members of communities can be confident will give a reliable, swift and fair outcome.”

The proposals are accompanied by three consultation papers:

Need to more? Need to know how these changes could affect you?

Call 01282 872570.


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July 3rd 2012