Planning

This technical consultation seeks views on proposals for:

• a new permitted development right for a change of use to residential to create new homes
• measures to provide public service infrastructure more quickly through expanded permitted development rights and a new streamlined planning application process for hospitals, schools and prisons
• the approach to simplifying and consolidating existing permitted development rights following changes to the Use Classes Order

The Government is reviewing pavement parking regulations following a report from the House of Commons Transport Select Committee last year, which highlighted reported issues for local authorities in preventing parking from blocking pavements.

The government is committed to simplifying and speeding up the planning system, to support the high street, make effective use of land and deliver more homes.

Building on existing planning reforms, the government is consulting on proposals that will allow greater change of use to support high streets to adapt and diversify, support extending existing buildings upwards to create additional homes, and speed up the delivery of new homes.

The consultation includes separate proposals in respect of:

The House of Commons Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee has launched an inquiry looking at the future of England's high streets and town centres in 2030.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has opened a consultation on the draft revised National Planning Policy Framework

The Welsh Government have launched a consultation on the 10^th Edition of their Planning Policy Wales. The new edition has been restructured to include policy themes around well-being goals as set out in the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015.

The Mayor of London has launched a consultation on the new draft London Plan. The draft London Plan covers a wide range of areas including: planning, economy, and transport.

The Department for Transport has launched a consultation on whether to keep existing roadwork lane rental schemes and allow other authorities to adopt their own schemes

Please find ACS' briefing document for members below.

The Department for Communities and Local Government have launched a consultation on measures included within the Neighbourhood Planning Bill to address the inappropriate use of pre-commencement planning conditions, and to prohibit the use of other types of planning conditions which do not meet the tests in the National Planning Policy Framework. ACS' submission can be found below.