People Should Live 'Never More Than 10 Minutes' From Basic Facilities

When designing neighbourhoods, the aspiration should be for everyone to live within a five-minute walk of ‘significant’ green space or a park and ‘never be more than 10 minutes’ from basic facilities.This is one of several recommendations set out in a report – Home Comforts – published by the Place Alliance. It comprises the results of a survey of 2,510 households across the UK to find out how the design of homes and neighbourhoods affected their experience of the lockdown implemented to stem the spread of Covid-19. It finds that houses are more comfortable than flats.  Read more on the Planning Portal.

https://www.planningportal.co.uk/news/article/736/planning_news_-_22_october_2020?utm_source=PPQ+Newsletter&utm_campaign=1957e3ecc3-Newsletter_11072019_HTML_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_734e0b63a9-1957e3ecc3-7266185#one 

Sharma Allots £22m For Communities To Help Deliver Housing

Housing and planning minister Alok Sharma has announced that £22.8 million of government funding will go to communities to help them deliver neighbourhood plans. He said the cash would give locals more of a say over growth in their area. The allocation splits down into £5.5 million a year until 2022 and aims to provide communities with specialist support to help deliver a neighbourhood plan. More than 400 successful neighbourhood plan referendums have taken place across England. Read more on the Planning Portal.

Communities With Neighbourhood Plans Can Block Development

Communities with a Neighbourhood Plan will be able to block housing developments even if their local council does not have an up-to-date five-year housing land supply, the housing minister has announced. In a written statement this week, Gavin Barwell said communities with a Neighbourhood Plan are “often frustrated” that their plan is “undermined” when a local council does not have an up-to-date five-year housing land supply. Under current planning rules permission should be granted for housing developments, even if they conflict with a council’s Local Plan, if the council does not have an up-to-date five-year housing land supply. Permission should only be rejected if the negatives of a development significantly outweigh the positives. Read the full statement on the Parliament website.

Ministers Press Ahead With Neighbourhood Planning Changes

The government is pressing ahead with several reforms aimed at speeding up and simplifying the neighbourhood planning process. The CLG has published a consultation response confirming it is proceeding with measures to make it easier “for residents and business to come together to produce a neighbourhood plan”. The Localism Act 2011 grants communities a right to shape development in their areas by producing a Neighbourhood Plan, which becomes part of the local planning authority’s Local Plan, setting out housing priorities. Under the changes councils must designate all of the neighbourhood area applied for by parish councils as soon as possible, replacing the current requirement to consider an application within eight weeks. Download the consultation response from the GovUK website.

Neighbourhood Plans Boosting Housebuilding By 10%, Claims Minister

Neighbourhood Plans have led to a more than 10% increase in housebuilding plans, housing minister Brandon Lewis has claimed Speaking about the second reading of the Housing & Planning Bill, the Great Yarmouth MP said that the plans are part of a "huge shift" in power from Whitehall to local people, allowing them to decide on the future development of their area, including where new homes and business should be built, what they should look like and what local infrastructure is needed. So far, every one of more than 100 Neighbourhood Plans submitted to local referendums have been approved and around eight million people now live in places covered by neighbourhood planning. Once approved, councils are required to consider Neighbourhood Plans as part of the process for drawing up their Local Plan. Read more on the Housing Excellence website.

Tens Of Thousands Of New Homes In Greenfield Areas To Get Automatic Planning Permission

Tens of thousands of new homes in greenfield areas in England will be given automatic planning permission amid fears that communities will have inappropriate developments forced on them. Ministers have quietly given developers the right to be granted "planning in principle" in areas that are earmarked for new housing schemes. Rural campaigners said the new powers will restrict the rights of council planning officers to ensure that the design, density, size and location of homes is in keeping with local areas. Ministers have quietly expanded the scope of this "planning in principle" power in recent weeks from brownfield sites to areas earmarked for development in local plans.

Government documents said the new power will apply to "housing identified in local plans and neighbourhood plans" which include greenfield areas.  Read more on the Daily Telegraph website.

£22 Million Funding To Boost Neighbourhood Planning

Housing and Planning Minister Brandon Lewis has announced a multi-million pound boost to support communities looking to set up neighbourhood plans. Neighbourhood planning allows people to decide the future development of their area, including where new homes and businesses should be built. Nearly 1,400 areas representing 6 million people across England are already using their neighbourhood planning powers, with others looking to follow suit. Mr Lewis announced that neighbourhood planning groups will be able to apply for grant funding from 27 February 2015 as part of the £22.5 million programme. Grants can be used to pay for events to engage the local community, print leaflets and to pay for specialist planning expertise. Read more on the CLG website.

Planning Reforms Put Power Back In the Hands of Local Residents

The New Year has brought new powers to make it quicker and easier for communities to create their own neighbourhood plan, says Housing Minister Brandon Lewis. More than 5.2 million people live in one of the 1,274 areas across England where the community is working together to create a neighbourhood plan. But agreeing an area for a neighbourhood plan to cover takes an average of 19 weeks. The measures will cut weeks off this process – encouraging even more communities to have a greater say over the future development of their area. Read more on the CLG website.

Planning Cuts Are 'Holding Back' House Building

Cuts to planning departments are frustrating rather than boosting house building, a new report has said.  Interviews with developers and planning officers found that both parties were concerned by cuts to council’s planning departments.  The Smith Institute report, produced in association with Barratt Developments, found there was consensus that greater resources could enable council officers to pay full attention to the progress of a scheme through the planning process. There were also concerns raised over neighbourhood planning- which gives communities the power to issue plans dictating where homes should be built- could slow or threaten schemes. Download the report from the Smith Institute website.

Housing: Construction – Parliamentary Written Answer

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what account he takes of local referendums on the desirability of specific sites being allocated to new housing.

Nick Boles: This coalition Government have given communities radical new rights to plan for their areas, deliver the development they want and control their future. Over 1,000 communities have applied for a neighbourhood planning area to be designated, and neighbourhood plans are receiving overwhelming support through local referendums. So far, we have had 17 successful referendums on neighbourhood plans. A neighbourhood plan (including any specific sites within it) which has been supported by the majority of those voting in a referendum can form the basis for decisions on development in the local area. A neighbourhood development order, if endorsed by a local referendum, can also grant permission for specified developments in a neighbourhood area.

Localism Will Fail Unless Government and Housing Providers Get Joined Up

The Government's localism agenda will fail unless the current disconnection between housing associations and Westminster is overcome, a new report has warned.  Right-leaning think tank ResPublica's report - Acting on Localism: The role of housing associations in driving a community agenda - argues that government can meet local needs by harnessing the power of HAs.  HAs "already contribute an annual investment of £756 million to community and neighbourhood activities. Whilst many communities by themselves do not have the resources to take up the opportunities created by the Localism Act - such as community rights, budgetary challenge and neighbourhood planning powers - HAs can act as vital capacity-builders and vehicles for community ambition".  Download a copy of the report from the ResPublica website.

Will NPPF Ensure Delivery Of Genuinely Affordable Housing?

The Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) has questioned ministers ahead of the publication of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) about whether the new system will do enough to ensure the country gets more genuinely affordable housing rather than profitable ‘executive housing’ beyond the reach of most of those in housing need.  At the heart of the Government's NPPF are plans to introduce a 'presumption in favour of sustainable development', which obliges councils to say 'yes' to development except where "this would compromise key sustainable development principles set out in national planning policy".  It also introduces neighbourhood plans - which will work alongside existing local authority plans - allowing local people to decide where new homes should go and what green spaces should be protected.  Read more on the CPRE website.

Shapps: Powers over Regeneration Will Remain With Communities

Grant Shapps has insisted that communities will be kept firmly in the driving seat and able to determine the future of their local areas. In his response to a report from the CLG select committee, Mr Shapps rejected the committee's call for a top-down national strategy for regeneration, insisting that decisions on regeneration activities and schemes should rest with local people. He has published a refreshed regeneration toolkit, highlighting the range of powers and tools devolved from Whitehall to Town Halls, businesses and residents themselves to drive the regeneration they want and need in their areas. New tools introduced over the past year include:
*greater freedoms for cities - bespoke "City Deals" to help England's eight core cities to create new jobs and generate economic growth
*boost for housing development - including a £420 million Get Britain Building scheme which will help get stalled developments back on track; and over £150 million to help bring empty homes back into use
*The Localism Act, including new community rights, neighbourhood planning, the general power of competence, and discretionary business rate discounts
Download a copy of the toolkit from the CLG website.

Housing: Construction – Parliamentary Written Answer

Guy Opperman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps his Department is taking to encourage parish councils to seek support from outside agencies to help deliver local housing projects.
Andrew Stunell: Parish councils are not responsible for the delivery of housing projects. However, our neighbourhood planning proposals will give parish councils a greater say in the future of their area, including where they think new houses and other development should go. The provisions in the Localism Bill include a duty for local planning authorities to provide advice and support to parishes or neighbourhood forums preparing neighbourhood planning proposals. We have also committed £3.2 million for funding four support organisations (Royal Town and Planning Institute,Locality, Prince's Foundation for the Built Environment and National Association of Local Councils/Campaign to Protect Rural England) to provide independent advice for communities on planning.

Localism Bill Passes through Parliament

The government’s flagship Localism Bill has completed its passage through Parliament, 18 months after it was unveiled by the coalition. The bill, which includes plans to introduce flexible tenancies and reform the Housing Revenue Account system, is expected to gain royal assent by the end of the year. MPs have now voted to accept the amendments put forward by the Lords to complete the bill’s readings in both houses. The bill has caused controversy on a number of grounds: the scrapping of regional planning targets and the abolition of the Tenant Services Authority have proved controversial moves by the government. The Localism Bill intends to hand power to local people for planning and development decisions in their area through initiatives such as neighbourhood plans and the community right to build. Read more on Inside Housing.

New Planning Powers to Bring Jobs and Homes to Neighbourhoods

New planning powers giving communities the ability to shape the character of their neighbourhood have been published for consultation by Decentralisation Minister Greg Clark. Neighbourhood Planning will for the first time give communities a real voice in deciding the look and feel of development in their area. Local people will be able to have their say on the location of new homes, the design of buildings, the shops they want to see in the High Street, and the green spaces that should be protected. The new powers being introduced in the Localism Bill will also give local people the power to decide the types of development that can be granted automatic planning permission, through a Neighbourhood Development Order. The regulations make clear how a neighbourhood area will be defined, how to set up the forums that will propose plans, and will also outline the requirements for establishing a Neighbourhood Development Order. An easy to understand guide to Neighbourhood Planning is also being published today to make it easier for communities to use the new powers. Download a copy of the consultation and guidance from the CLG website.

More Communities Chosen To Try Out New Planning Powers

New powers to give local people unprecedented influence to determine the future of their areas are to be tried out in 36 more front-runner areas, Planning Minister Greg Clark has announced. These areas are among the first to test out neighbourhood planning, a radical new power being introduced in the Localism Bill, which will give local people a real voice in deciding how development will look in their area. For the first time, neighbourhood planning will allow communities to shape their own vision for their community, from deciding the locations of shops, offices and schools to setting standards of design for new housing and protecting green spaces of value to the community. In areas where local people want to see homes and businesses built, neighbourhood planning will allow communities to grant a blanket planning permission for development to go ahead without developers having to make separate applications. The community has the final say on whether a neighbourhood plan comes into force. If more than 50 per cent of people voting in a local referendum support the plan, then the local planning authority must bring it into force. Neighbourhood planning is designed to return power to local people and local businesses on planning decisions in contrast to the top-down regional strategies being scrapped by the Government. Find more details on the CLG website.

Call Made For Community Restrictions in Localism Bill

The Localism Bill should be amended to ensure housebuilding is not unreasonably restricted by communities, a senior National Housing Federation director has said. Helen Williams, assistant director of neighbourhoods at the NHF, outlined several amendments the federation is suggesting to the bill, which is currently in the House of Lords. The Localism Bill contains measures aimed at giving more powers to local communities including the introduction of neighbourhood plans, which would be approved if 50 per cent of the population support them. The plans will allow councils to permit building through neighbourhood development plans without requiring normal planning consent. Ms Williams said: ‘There is a risk that neighbourhood planning could unreasonably restrict house building. To manage that risk we have been promoting a view that neighbourhood planning should be about people shaping the feel and look of their area but people should not be able to say no to development that is in the local development framework. We would like to this put beyond doubt by putting an amendment in localism bill that clarifies that this is the case.’ Read more on Inside Housing.

Areas Express Interest in Trialling Neighbourhood Plans

Almost 100 areas have expressed an interest in applying for grants to help them trial neighbourhood plans, government figures have revealed. In April, decentralisation minister Greg Clark announced that 17 local authority areas would become vanguards for neighbourhood planning initiatives, all of whom would automatically receive £20,000. Other communities would be invited to bid for a further 33 grants. Mr Clark announced plans for communities to produce development plans for their areas as part of the Localism Bill. The Bill is expected to receive royal assent later in the year. The 33 successful areas will test the government scheme ahead of the legislation that will see it rolled out across the country. Read more on Inside Housing.

Neighbourhood Planning

Dozens more communities eager to test new rights that will give local people much greater ability to bring growth and shape development in their area, have been announced by Decentralisation Minister Greg Clark. 40 communities - a mix of cities, urban and rural areas - are to join 50 other communities already trialling neighbourhood planning. Neighbourhood planning is a key reform, contained in the Localism Bill, designed to create the conditions for communities to welcome growth by giving local people a real voice in deciding the look and feel of development in their area; from determining the locations of shops, offices and schools to setting standards of design for new housing. Local people will for the first time be able to decide the types of development given automatic planning permission through a Neighbourhood Development Order. If approved by a local referendum, a council will need to adopt a neighbourhood plan providing it is line with wider ambitions for growth in their area. Read more on the CLG website.