Planning minister Nick Boles has confirmed in Parliament that the Government will press ahead with changes to the suite of technical planning guidance in line with the recommendations of the review carried out by Lord Taylor and published in the ‘Taylor Review’.
This follows a consultation exercise, the results of which indicated overwhelming support for moves to reform and consolidates existing guidance.
Boles told MPs that the administration would publish significantly reduced guidance. ‘We accept the majority of the report’s recommendations, with the exception of those on signposting best practice material produced by the sector and the immediate cancellation of out-of-date guidance’ he said in a written statement.
The Department for Communities and Local Government has stressed that the new guidance ‘will only signpost – and therefore link to – other Government departments, statutory consultees, and other Government bodies, and will not endorse specific documents’.
DCLG stated that the current guidance should remain in place until the new guidance suite is ready. ‘We consider this important to ensure that there is no gap or perceived gap in the provision of guidance, and so will not be accepting the recommendation to cancel any material ahead of the new guidance being available.’
DCLG added: ‘Though not a recommendation of the Review Group, we have no current plans to promote the introduction of a charge for access, notifications, or any additional service related to the proposed web-based resource’.
The Ministerial Statement by Nick Boles on the review of technical planning practice guidance states:
The Department for Communities and Local Government ran a consultation exercise between 21 December 2012 and 15 February 2013 seeking views on the review group’s recommendations contained in the report of the review of planning practice guidance led by Lord Taylor of Goss Moor.
The review has examined all current guidance material and has recommended rationalising advice and making it easier to use. Existing guidance is unwieldy in its current form and the review has recommended that it be shorter but retain key elements, and be more accessible to be useful to everyone using the planning system.
We accept that the existing guidance suite needs reform and consolidation. In light of the positive response to this consultation, we are carefully considering the implementation of the review group’s recommendations. As set out in the Budget, we will publish significantly reduced planning guidance, providing much needed simplicity and clarity in line with Lord Taylor’s recommendations. We accept the majority of the report’s recommendations, with the exception of those on signposting best practice material produced by the sector and the immediate cancellation of out-of-date guidance.
Related
England’s chief planner Steve Quartermain has suggested that government is likely to produce guidance on the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process as part of a new streamlined set of planning guidance documents.
Search Planning Resource: LINK
For a summary of the responses to the consultation, and the government’s response to both the consultation and report see: LINK
For the Minister’s statement see: LINK
For the IHBC on the Taylor Review see: LINK
Search Planning Portal: LINK
