Reading

Local Government

This is a foray into the outer limits of local authority undergrowth, but within their own rules lie the necessary tools.

Local authorities are required to have documents that describe ‘permitted development’ in their areas, which may be further broken down into zones where particular development is allowed, or disallowed. Up until now, these documents have been known as the ‘Local Plan’, or ‘District Plan’, or ‘Development Plan’. They were subject to county and national policies.

To compound the complexity for us, the sea of paper-work on which the planning system drifts is currently [2006] in a state of flux … but exactly what the changes mean is up for grabs. Read this for an unhelpful guide! If hot air could be sold by the barrel …

The CPRE [Campaign to Protect Rural England] has a useful commentary … but still leaves one chewing on cotton wool.

To make matters worse, some local authorities appear to be quickly implementing the new system, others do not. If it is not clear from which hymn sheet your local authority is droning, talk to them. They should provide the relevant documents online, at the planning department and at main libraries.

When you have the document[s], look for clauses, phrases and policy statements that support your case, and quote them in your letter to the planners. They are required to stick to their own rules, aren’t they?

National Government

Local authorities operate within a national framework, run by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister [ODPM], and there is a plethora of legislation and guidance notes [PPG – Planning Policy Guidance]. Here is a useful brief description [from a slightly unusual source!]

When it comes to development in urban areas, look at PPG3. And for the historic environment, PPG15.

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© 2006 / The Planning Resource Founding Trust