Chief Planner letter advises of Government’s 2018 Planning Reforms

In his letter dated 21st December 2017, the Government’s Chief Planner, Steve Quartermain CBE, advised of the forthcoming programme of planning reform.

National Policy Consultation on new policy measures alongside a draft of the new National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) are proposed early this year. It is intended that full guidance will be published at the same time that the revised NPPF is published before the end of the summer this year. Plan Making Regulations requiring all authorities to have up-to-date plans (and Statements of Community Involvement) and commence their statutory duty to identify their strategic priorities and the policies to address them under the Neighbourhood Planning Act 2017, were laid before Parliament on 13 December 2017. Subject to parliamentary procedures, these will be brought into force in 2018. Additional powers are also provided for the Secretary of State to intervene in plan-making where authorities are not planning effectively for the needs of communities. The regulations include a requirement for review of Local Development Documents every 5 years, coming into force on 6th April and updates to neighbourhood planning processes, coming into force on 31st January 2018. Enhancing the Community Infrastructure Levy The Government is proposing a series of reforms to the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) which would include lifting the restriction on pooling section 106 planning obligations where CIL has been introduced, where the authority is in a low viability area, or where significant development is planned on several large sites. In addition, reforms will speed up the process for local authorities to introduce and revise CIL. A copy of the letter outlining in full the Government’s programme of planning reform can be found here.