Planning for the Future white paper overview 

Please read the full white paper here.

The white paper makes 24 proposals for a new role for Local Plans and a new process for making them, by replacing the existing primary and secondary legislation.

The proposals are categorised under three pillars: Planning for development; Planning for beautiful and sustainable places; and planning for infrastructure and connected places.

Pillar one – planning for development

Overview

The paper sets out that in the current planning system layers of assessment, guidance and policy have broadened the scope of Local Plans, requiring a disproportionate burden of evidence to support them.

The paper proposes that local Plans should instead be focused on where they can add real value: allocating enough land for development in the right places, giving certainty about what can be developed on that land, making the process for getting permission for development as simple as possible, and providing local communities a genuine opportunity to shape those decisions.

To this end, Local Plans should:

• be based on transparent, clear requirements for local authorities to identify appropriate levels of, and locations for, development that provide certainty and that applicants and communities can easily understand;

• communicate key information clearly and visually so that plans are accessible and easily understandable, and communities can engage meaningfully in the process of developing them;

• be published as standardised data to enable a strategic national map of planning to be created;

• be developed using a clear, efficient and standard process;

• benefit from a radically and profoundly re-invented engagement with local communities so that more democracy takes place effectively at the plan-making stage; and

• set clear expectations on what is required on land that is identified for development, so that plans give confidence in the future growth of areas and facilitate the delivery of beautiful and sustainable places.

Proposals

1) The role of land use plans should be simplified. We propose that Local Plans should identify three types of land – Growth areas suitable for substantial development, Renewal areas suitable for development, and areas that are Protected.

2) Development management policies established at the national scale and an altered role for Local Plans.

3) Local Plans should be subject to a single statutory “sustainable development” test, replacing the existing tests of soundness.

4) A standard method for establishing housing requirement figures which ensure enough land is released in the areas where affordability is worst, to stop land supply being a barrier to enough homes being built. The housing requirement would factor in land constraints and opportunities to more effectively use land, including through densification where appropriate, to ensure that the land is identified in the most appropriate areas and housing targets are met.

5) Areas identified as Growth areas (suitable for substantial development) would automatically be granted outline planning permission for the principle of development, while automatic approvals would also be available for pre-established development types in other areas suitable for building.

6) Decision-making should be faster and more certain, with firm deadlines, and make greater use of digital technology.

7) Local Plans should be visual and map-based, standardised, based on the latest digital technology, and supported by a new template.

8) Local authorities and the Planning Inspectorate will be required through legislation to meet a statutory timetable for key stages of the process, and we will consider what sanctions there would be for those who fail to do so.

9) Neighbourhood Plans should be retained as an important means of community input, and we will support communities to make better use of digital tools.

10) A stronger emphasis on build-out through planning.

Pillar Two – Planning for beautiful and sustainable places

Overview

The second pillar sets out to create a system enables the creation of beautiful places that will stand the test of time, protects and enhances our precious environment, and supports our efforts to combat climate change and bring greenhouse gas emissions to net-zero by 2050.

The paper outlines that planning should be a powerful tool for creating visions of how places can be, engaging communities in that process and fostering high-quality development: not just beautiful buildings, but the gardens, parks and other green spaces in between, as well as the facilities which are essential for building a real sense of community.

The paper commends the Building Better, Building Beautiful Commission report for highlighting that too many places built during recent decades fail to reflect what is special about their local area or create a high-quality environment of which local people can be proud. The report made numerous, varied recommendations on how this can be addressed which the government will respond fully to in the autumn by has taken the report into consideration for the proposals.

Proposals

11) To make design expectations more visual and predictable, we will expect design guidance and codes to be prepared locally with community involvement, and ensure that codes are more binding on decisions about development.

12) To support the transition to a planning system which is more visual and rooted in local preferences and character, we will set up a body to support the delivery of provably locally-popular design codes, and propose that each authority should have a chief officer for design and place-making.

13) To further embed national leadership on delivering better places, we will consider how Homes England’s strategic objectives can give greater emphasis on delivering beautiful places.

14) We intend to introduce a fast-track for beauty through changes to national policy and legislation, to incentivise and accelerate high-quality development which reflects local character and preferences.

15) We intend to amend the National Planning Policy Framework to ensure that it targets those areas where a reformed planning system can most effectively play a role in mitigating and adapting to climate change and maximising environmental benefits.

16) We intend to design a quicker, simpler framework for assessing environmental impacts and enhancement opportunities, that speeds up the process while protecting and enhancing the most valuable and important habitats and species in England.

17) Conserving and enhancing our historic buildings and areas in the 21st century.

18) To complement our planning reforms, we will facilitate ambitious improvements in the energy efficiency standards for buildings to help deliver our world-leading commitment to net-zero by 2050.

Pillar Three – Planning for infrastructure and connected places

Overview

The paper sets out that securing contributions from developers and capturing more land value uplift generated by planning decisions is central to their vision for the renewal of the planning system.

The paper outlines that the current system for securing contributions from developers creates uncertainty for communities about the level of affordable housing and infrastructure that development will bring. In turn, this brings cost, delay and inconsistency into the process.

 It is proposed that the existing parallel regimes for securing developer contributions are replaced with a new, consolidated ‘Infrastructure Levy’.

Proposals

19) The Community Infrastructure Levy should be reformed to be charged as a fixed proportion of the development value above a threshold, with a mandatory nationally-set rate or rates and the current system of planning obligations abolished.

20) The scope of the Infrastructure Levy could be extended to capture changes of use through permitted development rights.

21) The reformed Infrastructure Levy should deliver affordable housing provision

22) More freedom could be given to local authorities over how they spend the Infrastructure Levy.

23) As we develop our final proposals for this new planning system, we will develop a comprehensive resources and skills strategy for the planning sector to support the implementation of our reforms.

24) We will seek to strengthen enforcement powers and sanctions.

Contact us 

CIHT will engage with members and respond to the consultation shortly. If you have any initial thoughts, please contact technical@ciht.org.uk