Roy Little Planning Link Officer – Eastern Area South Downs National Park Authority

1. Planning Update for Wealden LSP Thursday 17th November 2011 Roy Little Planning Link Officer – Eastern Area South Downs National Park Authority

2. 1st April 2011 On 1st April the SDNPA became the sole planning authority for the South Downs National Park: -responsible for all planning decisions -responsible for all planning policy -responsible for LDFs, enforcement, minerals and waste

3. Role of the South Downs National Park • Statutory Purposes: • Conserve and enhance the natural beauty, wildlife and cultural heritage of the area • Promote opportunities for the understanding and enjoyment of the park’s special qualities by the public • Authority Duty: • To seek to foster the economic and social well-being of the communities within the National Park

4. Statistics • Up to 4,000 planning applications a year – other NPAs about 6,000 in total. • SDNPA - 8th largest LPA in 2008/9 • Only 61 ‘majors applications in 2008/9 • Includes 15 LPAs in SDNP, (3 Counties, 1 Unitary, and 11 Districts).

5. Delegation • The SDNPA is working in partnership with all 15 Local Planning Authorities to provide planning services for the National Park from 1st April 2011- ‘delegation’ • Delegation is an Agency Agreement under Section 101 of the 1972 Local Government Act. • SDNPA will pay LPAs for the planning services you each provide

6. Delegation • Agreement to agree’ – currently provides a legal basis for LPAs to provide planning service for SDNPA from 1/4/11 to 31/3/12 • Section 101 Agreements now largely completed with all 15 LPAs –to be in place for implementation from 1st April 2012.

7. Section101 Agreements - progress so far • Already signed – 13 LPAs • Nearly there and good progress - 2 LPAs, • Still negotiating – All now complete • The future • Not continuing after 1/4/12 – Arun DC, Wealden DC and Eastbourne BC.

8. DurationandReview of S101 Agreements • Three year agreement • Rolling 12 month notice to quit (either party) • Review at least annually • Performance framework

9. How does it work? • All applications are ‘processed’ through the current planning administration systems of each of the 15 LA’s. • Validation • Registration • Consultation and Publicity • Key documents and correspondence ‘badged’ with joint SDNPA/WSCC branding • SDNPA applications are identified (weekly lists etc.)

10. Who Does What : Significance Most applications (about 97%) continue to be LPA processed and determined under agency agreements. SDNPA only determines applications of ‘significance’ to the SDNP Definition of ‘Significance’ Major / Minor split Minors (less than 10 dwellings, < 1000 sq.. m commercial floorspace or sites less than 0.5 Ha) most likely to be delegated to the LPAs. Majors (10 dwellings, 1000 sq. m commercial floorspace or sites of 0.5 Ha or more) likely to be for NPA determination, but:

11. Minor Development which might be significant • 3 or more dwellings on the edge of a small village or settlement • Some tourism, leisure and visitor accommodation schemes • Certain energy (including renewable energy) schemes outside existing settlements and/or on/close to heritage assets • Smaller scale infrastructure projects outside existing settlements • Proposals to alter the operation of some minerals and waste facilities • Telecommunication proposals with visual impacts on SDNP • Some proposals for lighting outside existing settlements • Smaller scale development which may have a cumulative adverse impact on the SDNP.

12. Major Developments not likely to be Significant Major Residential schemes (10 – 29 dwellings) that are proposed within existing towns and that are considered to have less significance for National Park purposes. Major commercial schemes (1,000 – 2,999 square metres floor space) that are proposed within existing commercial centres within towns and some smaller settlements and that are considered to have less significance for National Park purposes.

13. Call-in Procedures • “Significant” applications identified as soon as possible by the Planning Link Officer for the relevant areas of the NP • Applications can be recovered at almost any stage if they are ‘significant’ – but not just because there’s a strong lobby • Applications on committee agendas will be identified before the meeting for call-in to apply, if officers recommendation is overturned by Committee (but power sparingly applied).

14. General Enforcement Protocol • The LA is always first port of call for all enforcement activity • Current enforcement resources continue to apply • No prior requirement to consult SDNPA on enforcement matters in all urgent cases, unless costs (high risks) are possible. • SDNPA input advice & influence through Link Officers • SDNPA has limited supplementary enforcement resources

15. Four Link Officers – Areas currently covered Hampshire – Hants CC, Winchester and EHDC Chichester – Chichester DC only Rest of West Sussex – Horsham, Arun, Adur and Worthing and the whole of WSCC East Sussex – Eastbourne, Wealden, Lewes, Brighton and Hove, Mid-Sussex and East Sussex CC.

16. Link Officer Role • Interface between LA’s and SDNPA • Weekly Lists of applications • Pre-application discussion and enquiries. • Advice and guidance on SDNPA approach • Call-in advice and provisions • Enforcement liaison • Appeal procedure liaison • Routine point of contact on other emerging issues • Wider role to liaise with and attend meetings with Town and Parish Councils’, Conservation and other heritage groups, agents and other planning users groups. • Planning Link Officers are effectively planning ambassadors for the SDNPA to provide and promote the purposes of the National Park

17. Operating the service • About 40 applications “called-in” by the Summer this year appx – 150 a year? • Chichester DC (13 cases) • Winchester CC (8 cases) • East Hampshire DC (11 cases) • West Sussex CC (4 cases) • East Sussex CC (1 case). • BHCC – (2 cases) • Horsham (1 case)

18. Operating the service • ‘Reverse’ directions or Authorisations – This direction gives authority to the LA to determine major applications on behalf or the SDNPA (if not significant). • Three recent examples • The Grange, Midhurst (replacement Leisure Centre) (CDC scheme within large town of Midhurst) • Livestock building for dairy cattle at Crouch Farm, Crouch Lane in Chichester (no likely impact on SDNP but exceeded 1,000m2) • A waste water improvement schemes at Lewes

19. Operating the service ‘Authorisations’ – majors can also subsequently be “called-in” by the SDNPA, if authorisation is made conditional & not addressed:- Red Card –allows the LPA to deal with, but recommendation to Planning Committee is qualified in that: If LA planning committee vote against officer recommendation, SDNPA has 3 days to consider if it wishes to recover the app; only 6 cases to date in Eastern Area and Chichester

20. Summary • Partnership working very well with WSCC. • Key Issues – Visual impact and impact on landscape – must always be addressed for SDNPA applications! • Will often influence or determine level of significance. • Primary duty is to protect this – always ask yourself if the proposal conserves or enhances the landscape? • Thank You – Any Questions?