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Tewkesbury Civic SocietyProtecting Tewkesbury's Architectural Heritage and ensuring today's developments add positively to it.
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Policies
GENERAL
Change is afoot.
The Government claims it is intent on getting more houses built. Every ambition for new homes built has fallen short year on year. It recognises that demand exceeds supply so driving up prices and making it increasingly difficult for younger people to own their own home. It largely blames the present planning system.
On 6 August 2020, the government published a consultation on reforms to the planning system. The proposals are intended to streamline the process, cut red tape, harness technology and protect green space to deliver high-quality, sustainable communities.
The white paper, Planning for the future, focusses on local community agreement, with communities consulted from the very beginning of the planning process.
Land will be designated into one of three categories decided through local consensus:
Other proposed changes include;
The Government claims it is intent on getting more houses built. Every ambition for new homes built has fallen short year on year. It recognises that demand exceeds supply so driving up prices and making it increasingly difficult for younger people to own their own home. It largely blames the present planning system.
On 6 August 2020, the government published a consultation on reforms to the planning system. The proposals are intended to streamline the process, cut red tape, harness technology and protect green space to deliver high-quality, sustainable communities.
The white paper, Planning for the future, focusses on local community agreement, with communities consulted from the very beginning of the planning process.
Land will be designated into one of three categories decided through local consensus:
- Land suitable for growth will be approved at the same time that plans are prepared, meaning developments can be built quickly, as long as local design standards are met.
- Renewal areas will enable much quicker development where those developments are well designed in a way which reflects community preferences.
- Development on green belt land will continue to be restricted, with policy remaining a decision for local authorities.
Other proposed changes include;
- Overhauling the existing planning process and replacing it with a clearer, rules based system.
- Section 106 agreements and the Community Infrastructure Levy will be replaced with a new Infrastructure Levy that will be a fixed proportion of the value of the development, above a set threshold.
- Establishing local design guidance for developers to build and preserve beautiful communities.
- Making all new homes ‘zero carbon ready’, with no new homes needing to be retrofitted.
- Allowing for more building on brownfield land.
- Making all new streets tree lined.
- A First Homes scheme to provide newly-built homes at a 30% discount for local people, key workers and first-time buyers.
- Harnessing technology through online maps and data, to make the whole system more accessible.
- Make the housing industry more diverse by supporting SMEs and self-builders.
Click on the image to see detail.
The consultation period was 6/8/20 – 29/10/20.
Further detail was set out in the following documents:
Planning for the future (Government setting out its stall)
Policy Exchange (Think Tank) report (Influence)
Living with Beauty (Influence)
The consultation period was 6/8/20 – 29/10/20.
Further detail was set out in the following documents:
Planning for the future (Government setting out its stall)
Policy Exchange (Think Tank) report (Influence)
Living with Beauty (Influence)
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There were a lot of reactions, that of the RIBA and Civic Voice are listed below:
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Civic Voice response to the Planning White Paper consultation can be seen HERE
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The consultation referenced above was accompanied by another in a similar vein “Changes to the Current Planning System” 6/8/20 – 1/10/20.
Details including Government responses (one an abandonment of controversial proposed new methods of calculating housing need) can be seen HERE
On 3/12/20 the Government announced permitted development proposal consultation: Supporting housing delivery and public service infrastructure. Ended on 28/01/21.
This consultation seeked views on: a proposed new permitted development right for the change of use from Commercial, Business and Service use to residential to create new homes, measures to support public service infrastructure through the planning system, and the approach to simplifying and consolidating existing permitted development rights following changes to the Use Classes Order.
Details can be seen HERE
Additionally, the Government has added to the list of Permitted Developments (the things one can build without specific Planning Permission), including allowing adding two stories to certain properties. The aim is to reduce the need to move home when the family unit grows and for freeholders of purpose-built flat blocks to add more units. There are restrictions, conditions and checks but again, critics claim there will be a lowering of standards and slums will result.
Details can be seen HERE
Details including Government responses (one an abandonment of controversial proposed new methods of calculating housing need) can be seen HERE
On 3/12/20 the Government announced permitted development proposal consultation: Supporting housing delivery and public service infrastructure. Ended on 28/01/21.
This consultation seeked views on: a proposed new permitted development right for the change of use from Commercial, Business and Service use to residential to create new homes, measures to support public service infrastructure through the planning system, and the approach to simplifying and consolidating existing permitted development rights following changes to the Use Classes Order.
Details can be seen HERE
Additionally, the Government has added to the list of Permitted Developments (the things one can build without specific Planning Permission), including allowing adding two stories to certain properties. The aim is to reduce the need to move home when the family unit grows and for freeholders of purpose-built flat blocks to add more units. There are restrictions, conditions and checks but again, critics claim there will be a lowering of standards and slums will result.
Details can be seen HERE
Here are several reactions:
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A critical Civic Voice reaction can be seen HERE
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On 16/01/21 the Government announced consultation: Right to Regenerate: Reform of the Right to Contest in order to encourage the right to be utilised more effectively and more widely to stimulate regeneration and the more productive use of land. Ended on 13/03/21.
Details can be seen HERE
Details can be seen HERE
On 30/01/21 the Government announced a further consultation on the draft text of the revised National Planning Policy Framework and seeking views on the draft National Model Design Code: National Planning Policy Framework & National Model Design Code. Ended on 27/02/21
Details including results can be seen HERE.
So, there is a plethora of changes proposed and in the pipeline, some welcomed and others very unpopular. THE LATEST NEWS is that the government will "look again" at its proposed planning reforms, according to Conservative Party chairman Oliver Dowden, amid reports that new housing secretary Michael Gove has ordered a "complete rethink" of the imminent Planning Bill.
Last September’s government reshuffle saw Mr Jenrick leave and Mr Gove became the new housing secretary, and it was later confirmed that the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government will become the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.
Maybe this hesitancy has been brought about by the Conservative loss of the by-election in Chesham and Amersham in June, blamed on the unpopularity of proposed new Planning Laws!
Read more HERE.
Here are some latest observations:
Town and Country Planning Association's observations
Independent Planning Academics and Practitioners Report
Details including results can be seen HERE.
So, there is a plethora of changes proposed and in the pipeline, some welcomed and others very unpopular. THE LATEST NEWS is that the government will "look again" at its proposed planning reforms, according to Conservative Party chairman Oliver Dowden, amid reports that new housing secretary Michael Gove has ordered a "complete rethink" of the imminent Planning Bill.
Last September’s government reshuffle saw Mr Jenrick leave and Mr Gove became the new housing secretary, and it was later confirmed that the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government will become the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.
Maybe this hesitancy has been brought about by the Conservative loss of the by-election in Chesham and Amersham in June, blamed on the unpopularity of proposed new Planning Laws!
Read more HERE.
Here are some latest observations:
Town and Country Planning Association's observations
Independent Planning Academics and Practitioners Report
The Society hopes that any changes made do not lower the standards of the buildings we use and see in the wider context. However, our interests are largely confined to the Conservation Area here with its huge content of Listed Buildings and we understand that a lot of any change will not affect those.
Meanwhile present systems obtain and we describe on this site how they work and relate to one another.
Meanwhile present systems obtain and we describe on this site how they work and relate to one another.
