CLG’s Chief planner Steve Quartermain has written to chief planning officers in England drawing their attention to key announcements made as part of the Budget, in particular the need ‘to ensure that planning supports the sustainable development’.
Steve Quartermain writes:
The Growth Review contains ambitious proposals for further planning reform, to ensure that planning supports the sustainable development that we need as the country emerges from recession. A useful summary of the announcements can be found at: LINK, which you may find helpful for wider briefing.
These objectives need to inform the decisions that local planning authorities are taking now – through plan production as well as development management. The Minister for Decentralisation issued a Written Ministerial Statement on 23 March… to emphasise this point and this statement is capable of being regarded as a material planning consideration. Your attention is drawn especially to the weight that the Secretary of State will give to this statement in cases that come before him for decision….
The Growth Review also announced important changes relating to previously- developed land and buildings. The Governmentwill, through the National Planning Policy Framework, localise choice about the use of previously developed land by removing the national target for the amount of housing development that should take place on previously developed land (the ‘Brownfield target’).
Link to the ‘Plan for Growth’ summary: LINK
Link to the Chief Planner’s letter: LINK
For the IHBC NewsBlog on the BIS/Paul Morrell report on low carbon construction and sustainable development, see:
For the IHBC NewsBlog on the budget and growth review see: LINK
Search Planning Portal: LINK
