The Government has recently launched a major consultation on modernising the planning system. The proposals in 'Planning for the Future', represent a fundamental change to the English planning system which will have repercussions on all communities. The Government is seeking to reform the planning system by streamlining and modernising the planning process; bring a new focus to design and sustainability; change the system of developer contributions to infrastructure and ensure more land is available for development where it is needed.
If these proposals go ahead, land will be zoned for development and there will be automatic planning permission, so long as specific criteria are met by developers. Critics argue that this will lead to significant loss of land and more housing development which will have a negative impact on communities.
Automatic planning permission in certain land zones, is likely to remove layers of public engagement and opportunities to comment on specific planning applications, as is currently the case. Developer contributions towards the local infrastructure via 106 agreements, will be replaced by a national infrastructure levy. There will be a national standard for assessing housing numbers in areas.
The consultation closes on October 29th and the full proposals can be found by clicking on this link.
Residents are recommended to consult the document and submit comments if they wish, via the information on page 5 of the document. Click on the file to download