Planning to protect the countryside

1. Planning to protect the countryside Ramblers General Council 13 April 2013 Paul Miner, MA MRTPI FRGS Senior Planning Officer

2. The Coalition and planning • Pledge to maintain national protective designations • New legislation aims: • deregulation • more local autonomy • community involvement • Planning policy changes • New CPRE report: Countryside Promises, Planning Realities Will planners continue to value the countryside?

3. Localism Act: the main changes • General power of competence • Pre-determination rules • Pre-application consultation • New enforcement powers • National projects: some procedural changes Will planners continue to value the countryside?

4. The wider countryside: relevant national policies • Intrinsic value of countryside (17) • National and local landscape designations (113-116) • Local authorities should protect ‘areas of tranquillity’ (123) • Plan for biodiversity at a landscape scale (114) • Local green space (76-77) • Open space / National Trails (74/75) • Undeveloped coast (114) Will planners continue to value the countryside?

5. Development plans: the main changes • No RSS, but a ‘duty to co-operate’ • More flexibility to prepare ‘Local Plans’ • SPDs discouraged unless promoting development • Neighbourhood Plans • LPA discretion to review inspector recommendations and re-submit • Local finance considerations Will planners continue to value the countryside?

6. Housing development: the main changes • Need to meet ‘full, objectively assessed needs’ • Five year supply plus 5% - 20% buffer • Encourage use of brownfield land, including windfalls • Rural Exception Sites • Viability / deliverability Will planners continue to value the countryside?

7. Green Belt: the main changes • Onus on planning authorities to secure good land management • New tests for new or extended Green Belt • Defining boundaries • Brownfield sites and ‘local transport infrastructure’ Will planners continue to value the countryside?

8. Town centres and business development: the main changes • Greater focus on local plans • Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) • ‘Town centre first’ remains, but with exemptions • Enterprise Zones and added pressure to remove unreasonable employment land allocations Will planners continue to value the countryside?

9. Heritage and design • Strong design policy, considering local character, history, identity and materials • Designation of new conservation areas is strongly discouraged • Stronger and tighter focus on the significance of heritage assets Will planners continue to value the countryside?

10. It’s not just the NPPF… • Growth and Infrastructure Bill: changes to stopping up of public paths and town / village greens • Permitted development rights to be extended • ‘Poorly performing’ local planning authorities in special measures • Matthew Taylor: review of guidance Will planners continue to value the countryside?

11. How you can influence planners • Have your say on local plans and promote countryside protection policies and priorities. Submit your ideas at the earliest stage. • Use the concept of ‘smart growth’ to respond to Government economic priorities • Respond to planning applications • Get involved in producing neighbourhood or parish plans Will planners continue to value the countryside?

12. National campaigns to protect wider countryside, and to reduce noise and light pollution • Local planning expertise: network of county branches and district groups • Planning Hotline, Thursday afternoon, available to CPRE members • Planning Help website How CPRE can help Will planners continue to value the countryside?