Landmark Chambers and Pinsent Masons hosted a webinar to discuss the ‘Planning for the Future’ White Paper, published on 6 August, proposes the most radical overhaul of the English planning system for a generation. It contains three main pillars of proposals:
Pillar One: Planning for development including:
- Reform of the local plan system including growth, renewal and protection areas, widening of
permission in principle, streamlined consultation, binding programmes for Local Plan
production (maximum 30-month timeframe) and digitised plans
- Automatic zoning prior approval in renewal areas
- Replacement of soundness test with statutory sustainable development test
- Abolition of the duty to cooperate
- New standardised method for assessing housing need
- Development management set nationally in the NPPF and not duplicated in local plans
- Increased use of technology to decide applications
- Retention of neighbourhood plans but potentially with a more focused scope
- Potential for Garden Communities to be NSIP’s
Pillar Two: Planning for beautiful and sustainable places including:
- National Model Design Code giving detailed parameters for various types of development
- Only provably locally-popular design codes to be given weight
- Fast-track for beauty
- Flexibility on heritage protection to allow energy efficiency measures
- Simplified EIA, SEA and SA process to remove duplication
Pillar Three: Planning for Infrastructure and connected places including:
- New national or area-specific Infrastructure Levy designed to replace local CIL and S106,
which can be spent on affordable housing
- Extension to capture changes of use via permitted development and rebuild rights
- Potential abolition of planning obligations under section 106 agreements
- First Homes provision to offset the levy
- LPA’s able to borrow against levy receipts
- Relationship with Mayoral CIL in London and combined authorities
Speakers include Rupert Warren QC – Chair (Barrister, Landmark Chambers), Zack Simons (Barrister, Landmark Chambers), Richard Ford (Partner, Pinsent Masons) and Jan Bessell (Strategic Planning Advisor, Pinsent Masons).
This webinar covers the key proposals in each pillar and debate questions and issues arising including:
1. How will housing, including affordable homes, be permitted and delivered in the newly proposed system?
2. What difference will the new proposed standardised approach to housing numbers make?
3. How will the requirement for First Homes affect the affordable housing mix?
4. How many PiPs v planning applications?
5. What are the key opportunities and banana skins for housebuilders and Registered Providers?
6. What do the proposals mean for our town centres?
7. Is the proposal for garden communities to potentially be NSIPs a good idea?
8. Pros and cons of the proposed new Infrastructure Levy v death of s106
9. Reform of SEA and EIA in the newly proposed system
10. Role of local planning authorities in newly proposed system
11. Enhanced role of Mayors/Combined Authorities and Development Corporations
including what the proposals mean for the London Plan
12. Will the new proposed system achieve better design?
13. Will the new proposed system be much quicker?
14. What further reforms are in the pipeline for the autumn to sit alongside these proposals?
15. When can it be expected that the proposals will come into effect?
16. What should applicants and LPAs do in the meantime?
17. How to respond to the consultation.and issues arising including:
To access the presentation slides for this webinar, please follow this link - [ Ссылка ]
