The District Councils’ Network (DCN) has made a submission to the government Local Plan expert group which suggests incentivising the production of plans and simplifying the system.
The District Councils’ Network (DCN) writes:
District councils have outlined a series of reforms aimed at simplifying the planning system and helping to realise Government ambitions for economic growth.
Recent proposals submitted in evidence by the District Councils’ Network (DCN) to the Local Plans Expert Group contain a raft of measures for improving the local plan system, including:
- a staged-plan examination;
- strategic plans across housing market areas;
- slimmed-down plans and more protection to councils with well advanced plans from ‘5-year supply’ appeals.
Cllr Gillian Brown, District Councils’ Network lead for planning, and leader of Arun District Council, said: ‘There is a clear common interest in successful reform of current planning arrangements, and the DCN hopes ministers and officials will take note of the submission. From a DCN perspective, our members require a clear explanation from Government as to what the early 2017 deadline for producing local plans will actually entail. And on a more fundamental level, the Government should review how they envisage resourcing the large number of plans that will be submitted to the Planning Inspectorate at around the same time. Otherwise we risk creating a frustrating scenario, where districts which have compiled their plans according to the timetable find themselves sat in a long queue, waiting for an inspector to call,’ Cllr Brown added.
The DCN’s evidence submission to the Local Plans Expert Group supports:
- the delivery of quicker and cheaper Local Plans;
- improved strategic planning across functional economic/ strategic housing market areas;
- incentivising plan-making;
- improving links between local growth and infrastructure;
- making plans shorter and easier to understand;
- reducing risks and costs for communities, developers and all tiers of government.
The submission acknowledges that addressing the need for growth is a long-term issue, but argues the present regime has become too characterised by what is termed ‘planning by appeal’. The DCN believes it is in the interests of all parties to provide councils with a better framework to shift the emphasis towards ‘plan-led’ development – which would lead to more coordinated growth with better supporting infrastructure.
Cllr Neil Clarke MBE, chairman of the DCN said: ‘District councils work hard to deliver the growth our communities need – but need better tools so planning can be carried out more efficiently and effectively than at present. This submission to the Local Plans Expert Group sets out a very pragmatic and flexible way for delivering housing and economic growth. This proposal is also fully in line with the broader devolution and national economic agendas and would support cross-boundary strategic planning across functional economic and strategic housing market areas, incentivise plan-making and firmly link local growth with strategic infrastructure. The DCN agrees with the need for strong planning performance, but district councils must be fully resourced to deliver local planning. For this to happen the Government must address changes to the planning fees regime to enable full cost recovery.’
