New Planning Policies Announced

Garden Redesignation

The designation of garden land as ‘previously developed’ and therefore ‘brownfield’ by John Prescott a decade or so ago led to a large – but not overwhelming – increase in the number of dwellings built on gardens in towns and cities. On the 9th June, 2010, the Government announced that it would be reversing this decision and redesignating gardens as Greenfield sites – meaning that the presumption is now against their development rather than in favour.

The decision on the development of individual sites will now be in the hands of local authorities.

Density Targets

The Government has removed the existing target of 30 dwellings per hectare (about 12 an acre) which occasionally meant that self-builders came under pressure to build more than one house on their new plot.

Housebuilding Targets Removed

The previous Government established regional targets for new housebuildings – which local authorities had to assign land in order to meet. The new Government has scrapped these.

Third Party Right of Appeal

Although direct neighbours, applicants and local authorities – represented through Planning Committees – have long been able to influence planning decisions, the new Government is intending to introduce so-called Third Party Right of Appeal, which would enable local interest groups, parish councils and resident groups to appeal consents.

Local Member Review Boards

The Government is closely considering the introduction of the controversial Local Member Review Boards idea, which effectively replaces the right to an independent review of planning decisions (i.e. by appealing to an outside, independent committee) with appeals that are heard by the same local councillors who made the decision in the first instance.

In Summary

Taken together these changes have one common theme – ‘Localism’, which is quickly becoming a key signalling word in the new Government’s lexicon. The removal of centralised targets and policies, putting more power in the hands of local people, is likely to have a huge impact on the number of self-build plots that become available in years to come. It must be noted of course that 'localism' has the capacity to develop into 'NIMBYism' and so the effects of these changes will be nervously awaited.

Latest Editors' Blogs:

Jason Orme - Editor of Homebuilding & Renovating, blogs on the changes to the planning policy and what they mean for self-builders and renovators...

Garden Grabbing

So the Government has announced the end of that dastardly practice - Garden Grabbing - whereby evil developers and self-builders actually stole land off vulnerable pensioners in big houses and turfed them out onto the street with the direct aim of upsetting local residents in leafy suburbs. All to build poky flats that attracted illegal immigrants, benefit scroungers and other miscreants, such as young people, who would instantly ruin the peaceful vibe of our charming cities and towns.

The announcement today that gardens will no longer be classified as brownfield land and therefore there will be a presumption against development rather than in favour is big news for self-builders, who source a lot of their land from gardens (I was one of them). The Government claim, of course, that it's not as if no new homes will ever be built on gardens but rather that the choice will now be up to local people. I think the phrase turkeys voting for Christmas springs to mind. It's never going to happen - local councillors are never going to push through new, vaguely controversial local development because it means they won't get elected again.

I'm not suggesting that there aren't instances were new development on gardens isn't inappropriate. My point really is that the term 'garden grabbing' suggests that the process is instigated by the developer when in fact the key beneficiary is the original homeowner. Self-interest is the motivating factor for everyone concerned - including the local campaigners, who are of course bothered about house prices above all.

I would suggest also that it is fair to say that the majority of self-build homes are built on garden land. In simple terms, making it more difficult to get planning permission to build new homes on gardens means it will be more difficult for ordinary people to build their own home.

We would appreciate any comments on this.

Read Jason's Blog

Michael Holmes - Editor in Chief of Homebuilding & Renovating blogs on what he thinks of the planning reforms...

Anti Housebuilding Policy is Verging on Insane

Whether or not this Coalition Government is for or against new housebuilding, the effect of changes to national planning policy guidance announced today is almost universally expected by the construction sector and town planners to reduce the total number of new homes being built.

Surely encouraging housebuilding should be a key component in ensuring economic recovery in the UK, creating genuine jobs and creating real wealth. Whether or not it is intended, unless it is amended, the new planning regime is likely to have the opposite effect.

What could potentially amount to a freeze on planning permission for new homes comes at a time when the UK economy is barely recovering from the worst recession since the 1930s, and we are building fewer new homes than at almost any time since the Second World War.

There is a major shortage of quality homes where they are needed, and the idea that the UKs empty homes offers any sort of solution is misguided - most of these empty homes lie in the old industrial cities of the north, where there is all too often little employment and little demand for housing.

Hopefully common sense will prevail, and local authorities, the RTPI and the Planning Inspectorate will interpret the new planning guidance sensibly and ensure that it is applied to prevent genuinely inappropriate development, whilst not allowing NIMBYs to bring a halt to the new homes this country so badly needs to build.

Sadly 'localism' - placing power in the hands of NIMBYs - is only likely to have one outcome when it comes to new housebuilding.

Read Michael Holmes' blog

David Snell - has enjoyed over 30 years in the self-build industry and has built his own home ten times. Here he blogs on the new planning policy...

There’s a word I’m beginning to dread and that word is ‘Localism’.

It’s the new buzzword for the coalition government and, taken at face value, it should be a good word with its connotations of power to the people.  So why am I so sceptical of it?

I first came across this word when I crossed swords with my local MP, Mark Harper (Conservative), over his support for Local Member Review Boards (LMRBs), which the then Labour government was proposing to introduce. These would have taken away the right of those receiving a planning refusal under Delegated powers to Appeal to the independent Planning Inspectorate. Instead, it was envisaged that those receiving such a refusal should only have the right of appeal to a committee of locally elected members of the council who’d refused the original application, advised, no doubt, by the same people who’d dealt with the application. I felt this was wholly undemocratic and I expressed my views forcefully in The Daily Telegraph, supported by many others including this magazine and the RTPI (Royal Town Planning Institute).Read more...

News from the web:

• Saving suburban gardens will make Britain's housing problems worse - www.guardian.co.uk
• Density targets scrapped - www.planningresource.co.uk
• Coalition confirms major planning system reform - publicpropertyuk.com
• Government finally faces its critics over planning system - building.co.uk
• JUNE 2010 - COALITION GOVERNMENT'S PROPOSALS FOR A REFORMED PLANNING SYSTEM - salisburyjones.com
• Radical reform of planning at heart of new coalition plans - architectsjournal.co.uk
• Government signals legislation to change planning regime - planningportal.gov.uk
• Bin taxes and planning laws to be ditched by Coalition - telegraph.co.uk

Have your say:

• Comment on the changes to the planning system in our dedicated forum

Latest from the forum: 

• Third Party Right of Appeal
• Designation of garden land start? 
• I applaude the new legislation