Tories unveil proposals to overhaul "broken" planning system and favour sustainable development
The abolition of the entire tier of regional planning, a limit to appeals on local planning decisions and removal of the power of planning inspectors to rewrite local plans are amongst a package of proposals contained in the Conservatives’ Green Paper on planning, which was unveiled this week.
Bob Neill, shadow local government and planning minister, said the party wanted to give local people “a real say in how to shape their area whilst making sure that the vital housing that this country needs is build”.
Arguing that the current planning system is “top down, bureaucratic and expensive”, Neill added: “The number of houses built in 2009 is the lowest since 1946 – and is forecast to fall even further, to levels not seen since 1923 yet opposition to development is on the rise. This is because communities feel that development is being imposed upon them from unelected and unaccountable planning quangos, leaving communities disenfranchised from the very start of the process.”
The Tories’ proposals – dubbed Open Source planning and an attempt to “fix our broken planning system” – would see a range of measures to cut bureaucracy, such as:
- Abolition of “the entire bureaucratic and undemocratic tier of regional planning”, including the Regional Spatial Strategies and national and regional building targets
- Amendment of the Use Classes Order so that people can use land and buildings for any purpose allowed in the local plan
- Abolition of the power of planning inspectors to rewrite local plans – “so long as they comply with national standards, are sensibly related to neighbouring communities, and have been developed by a fair and proper process, they will be approved”, and
- Limits to appeals against local planning decisions – “such decisions will be challengeable by developers or local residents only if they involve abuse of process or failure to apply the local plan".
The Green Paper seeks to create a new system of “collaborative planning”. This would see a local plan designed “from the bottom up”, starting with the aspirations of neighbourhoods.
All local planning authorities and other public authorities would be placed under a duty to co-operate “so that there is a sensible conversation between all those involved in shaping neighbourhoods and the landscape”, the Green Paper said. Upper-tier authorities (i.e. county councils and unitaries) would be encouraged to compile infrastructure plans in relation to waste, roads and so on.
The Conservatives would also establish a presumption in favour of sustainable development – “the presumption will be that individuals and businesses have the right to build homes and other local buildings provided that they confirm to national environmental, architectural, economic and social standards, conform with the local plan, and pay a tariff that compensates the community for loss of amenity and costs of additional infrastructure”.
There would be a faster approvals process for planning applications to which a significant majority of the immediate residential neighbours raise no objection. The intention is to incentivise developers to design buildings without significant adverse effects or to reach agreements with neighbours on compensation for loss of amenity.
On infrastructure projects of national significance, the Conservatives propose abolishing the Infrastructure Planning Commission “whilst retaining its expertise and fast-track process within government”.
Private or hybrid Bills are likely to be used for very major linear projects such as high-speed rail. All other major infrastructure projects such as power stations would be considered at planning inquiries with binding timetables and that only focus on planning, rather than wider issues such as discussions over power generation policy. Final permission would be given by a democratically accountable minister.
The Green Paper said the party would publish a “simple and consolidated national planning framework setting out national economic and environmental priorities, and how the planning system will deliver them". A reduced number of guidance notes will be issued, setting out minimum standards for sustainable development. The Conservatives also said they remained committed to maintaining Green Belt protection, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and other environmental designations.
