England’s planning minister Nick Boles has said that the government will more than halve the number of technical planning regulations in response to a review in which businesses and members of the public were asked to nominate red tape to be changed or removed.
The government writes:
Unnecessary red tape that is no longer needed and which adds to the cost of providing new houses and enterprise will be cut as part of the Red Tape Challenge to reduce and consolidate planning regulations.
The changes will help simplify the planning process but will not change planning policy or environmental protections.
A phased programme will now begin to reduce the number of technical planning regulations down to 78 – a reduction of 57% as part of the government’s challenge to make sensible changes to regulatory burdens.
Planning Minister Nick Boles said: ‘We’re doing what we can to streamline the planning system and remove unnecessary burdens where we can, to create a smooth journey through the building process. By removing unnecessary red tape and consolidating regulations we are able to make the planning process more efficient and accessible, and easier for people to use.’
The changes will:
· consolidate the rules on permitted development which have been amended 17 times and need an overhaul to make them easier to understand
· tackle unnecessary and overly burdensome requirements in the application process
· scrap 38 redundant regulations that are no longer needed
The Red Tape Challenge is one of many programmes in place to help reduce the regulatory burden on business and kick-start growth. In December 2012 we announced details of an ambitious 6-month programme of deregulation that will bring businesses annual savings of at least £45 million.
The government will also publish shortly draft secondary legislation on the types of business and commercial projects that can use the nationally significant infrastructure regime. The changes will provide developers of the most significant business and commercial projects in England with the option of having their projects considered through this planning regime.
The Listed Building Bespoke Regimes: Improve (Merge/Simplify) List
Title (SI no)
Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas)Regulations 1990 (No. 1519)
Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2003 (No. 2048)
Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2004 (No. 2210)
Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Amendment) (No. 2) (England) Regulations 2004 (No. 3341)
Planning (Applications for Planning Permission, Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2006 (No. 1063)
Planning (Listed Buildings, Conservation Areas and Hazardous Substances) (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2006 (No.1283)
Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2008 (No. 551)
Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2009 (No. 2262)
Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Amendment No 2) (England) Regulations 2009 (No. 2711)
Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2010 (No. 568)
Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Amendment No 2) (England) Regulations 2010 (No. 2185)
Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2012 (No. 2275)
Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Isles of Scilly) Order 1990 (No. 2237)
Town and Country Planning (Isles of Scilly) Order 2005 (No.2085)
Report and list linked at (with others): LINK
Search Planning Resource: LINK
UK Government News: LINK
