Radical Planning Reform on Government Agenda
Ministers have confirmed that “radical” reform of the planning system will be central to the new coalition Government’s programme with the scrapping of Regional Spatial Strategies, the abolition of the Infrastructure Planning Commission and the adoption of the Conservative’s ‘localism’ agenda.
Details of what the coalition plans to do have been set out today in the manifesto agreement between the Conservative and Liberal Democratic parties. Planning reform is also highlighted in the new Government’s Big Society programme.
The document setting out the coalition’s agreement stresses that the Government would “promote the radical devolution of power and greater financial autonomy to local government and community groups. This will include a review of local government finance”.
The 30-page paper also says that the administration will “rapidly abolish Regional Spatial Strategies and return decision-making powers on housing and planning to local councils including giving councils new powers to stop ‘garden grabbing’”.
It adds: “In the longer term, we will radically reform the planning system to give neighbourhoods far more ability to determine the shape of the places in which their inhabitants live, based on the principles set out in the Conservative Party publication Open Source Planning.”
The new Government also promises to “publish and present to Parliament a simple and consolidated national planning framework covering all forms of development and setting out national economic, environmental and social priorities”.
In addition the administration has committed to creating a new designation – similar to SSSIs – to protect green areas of particular importance to local communities.
Also set out in the agreement are pledges to provide incentives for local authorities to deliver sustainable development and to abolish the Government Office for London.
“Planning Portal” 20.05.2010
