Council calls for end to 1950s planning consents behind 'mega-shed' developments

The council says the blanket planning consents, granted in 1957 and 1958, have enabled large commercial developments in the Pilning and Severn Beach ward to be built without section 106 contributions or the Community Infrastructure Levy.

It has now written to the Government calling for new primary legislation to amend or repeal what it describes as the "outdated" consents.

The move follows a motion approved by councillors in May, which said scrapping the historic permissions was "essential" to ensure future developments reflect the needs and views of the local community. The motion also argued that the council's elected planning committee should have the power to ensure future developments meet modern planning standards.

The letter - signed by the leaders of the council's Liberal Democrat, Labour and Conservative groups - also calls on the Government to establish a mechanism to regularise the historic permissions, "similar in principle to previous approaches taken through the Interim Development Order framework, so that future development is subject to modern planning standards and local decision-making processes".

It adds: "We fully recognise that this is a complex issue. Any legislative approach will need to carefully consider established development rights, legal protections for landowners, and the potential for compensation claims."

The council continues: "This is a locally acute issue, but one that raises wider policy questions about how historic consents are treated in a modern planning system. We believe South Gloucestershire could provide a useful case study in developing an approach that is fair, lawful, and capable of wider application if necessary."

Adam Carey