The District Councils\u2019 Network (DCN) has made a submission to the government Local Plan expert group which suggests incentivising the production of plans and simplifying the system.<\/u><\/p>\n
The District Councils\u2019 Network (DCN) writes:
\n<\/u>District councils have outlined a series of reforms aimed at simplifying the planning system and helping to realise Government ambitions for economic growth.<\/p>\n
Recent proposals submitted in evidence by the District Councils\u2019 Network (DCN) to the Local Plans Expert Group contain a raft of measures for improving the local plan system, including:<\/p>\n
Cllr Gillian Brown, District Councils\u2019 Network lead for planning, and leader of Arun District Council, said: \u2018There 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.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 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,\u2019 Cllr Brown added.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n The DCN\u2019s evidence submission to the Local Plans Expert Group supports:<\/p>\n 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 \u2018planning by appeal\u2019. The DCN believes it is in the interests of all parties to provide councils with a better framework to shift the emphasis towards \u2018plan-led\u2019 development \u2013 which would lead to more coordinated growth with better supporting infrastructure.<\/p>\n Cllr Neil Clarke MBE, chairman of the DCN said: \u2018District councils work hard to deliver the growth our communities need \u2013 but need better tools so planning can be carried out more efficiently and effectively than at present.\u00a0 This submission to the Local Plans Expert Group sets out a very pragmatic and flexible way for delivering housing and economic growth.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 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.\u2019<\/p>\n View the press release<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The District Councils\u2019 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\u2019 Network (DCN) writes: District councils have outlined a series of … Continue reading \n