Government announce new planning reforms

At the beginning of March, the Government delivered a Policy Paper “Planning for the Future” that set out to “establish a planning system that works for the next century”.

Many critics outlined how the content of the 11 page document was much the same as policy created before, such as building on brownfield, speeding up planning, increasing housing available, but there are indeed new proposals that set out to achieve some big goals.
​
The key points from the Policy are outlined below:

• A deadline of December 2023 for all LPAs to have an up-to-date local plan. All local authorities to have an up-to-date local plan by the deadline, or government will intervene.

 

• Revision of the NPPF to embed the principles of good design and placemaking. The NPPF "will expand on the fundamental principles of good design to define what is expected of local authorities and developers to support the creation of beautiful places".

 

• Reform of planning application fees. The paper promises a new planning fee structure "to ensure that planning authorities are properly resourced to improve the speed and quality of decisions".

 

• Automatic rebates where planning applications are successful at appeal. To promote proper initial consideration of applications by planning committees.

 

• Confirmation of plans to increase the Housing Delivery Test threshold to 75%. The threshold is to be increased from 45% to 75% in November 2020. This means that if an LPA fails to deliver at least 75% of its annual target number of homes, the presumption is in favour of development which complies with the NPPF will apply to applications in the LPA's area - even where the local plan does not support such development.

 

• New Permitted Development Rights on building “up” and to “demolish”. To encourage greater densities, new permitted development rules will be introduced this summer to build on existing buildings, including an additional two storeys on residential blocks. The Government will also launch a consultation on changes to permitted development rules to allow vacant commercial and industrial buildings, and residential blocks to be demolished and replaced with new residential units.

 

• New support for community and self-build housing schemes.  Including support finding plots of land.

 

• Infrastructure-First Funding. Two funds are proposed (one of £1.1 billion and a longer-term one of £10 billion) to help local authorities to provide "transport, utilities, digital connectivity and community services like schools and hospitals" early so that new developments do not put a strain on local services.

 

• Review of policy for building in areas at risk of flooding. The Government says it will "assess whether current [flood safeguarding] protections in the NPPF are enough and consider options for further reform".

 

• New Future Homes Standard to be introduced: From 2025 the Future Homes Standard will require up to 80% lower carbon emissions for all new homes.

 

• New First Homes scheme to cut the cost of first-time homes. Eligible first-time buyers to be offered new homes at prices discounted by a third.

 

• Implement a new National Design Code. Allow residents of communities to have more influence over design. Allow local areas to produce their own design codes for new development.

• Backing for the Oxford-Cambridge Arc. The paper provides support for the concept of a “world-leading green growth corridor with high-productivity jobs and environmentally-friendly developments”. A Spatial Framework is proposed with up to four new Development Corporations along the route to facilitate delivery.

 
 You can read the full Policy document here.