Select committee inquiry
Sustainable Development in the Localism Bill
Closed
What the inquiry looked at
“The Environmental Audit Committee held a one-off evidence session on 16 February 2011 on the Government’s intention to introduce a ‘presumption in favour of sustainable development’. This was part of the Coalition-Government’s proposal to reform the planning system but this is not included in the Bill. Instead the Government has announced that the ‘presumption in favour of sustainable development’ will be included in a new overarching Government planning policy document, the National Planning Policy Framework, which will not be subject to Parliamentary debate. A report was then published by the Committee on 21 March 2011. In response, on 28 March 2011, a letter was sent to the Chair of the Committee, Joan Walley MP, by the Rt Hon Greg Clark MP, Minister for Decentralisation, Department for Communities and Local Government. Further information on the Sustainable Development in the Localism Bill inquiry including Report, Government Response and details of evidence Sustainable Development in the Localism Bill - publication of Report Further information Localism Bill 2010-11 About Parliament: Passage of a Bill”
The committee's words, from the inquiry page on parliament.uk ↗.
What the government said
The government responded on 5 July 2013.
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response.
The government welcomes the report and agrees that sustainable development should be at the heart of planning, but says a legal definition or further statutory duty is "not necessarily required".
- It agrees that the National Planning Policy Framework is "the best place" to explain more fully what sustainable development means for planning, and says the Framework will make its pursuit "its principal goal".
- On the five principles in the 2005 Sustainable Development Strategy, it agrees that they provide "a useful reference point", but does not commit to placing them in the Bill.
- It points to existing sustainable development and climate change duties on those preparing local plans, and says it has amended the Bill to strengthen the "duty to cooperate".
- It says it "will continue to consider" the Committee's points during the remaining stages of the Bill and while consulting on the Framework "this summer".
Read the government's response ↗ Read the report ↗ Report an error
How the inquiry ran
Each dot is a dated item listed on this page, from the inquiry's opening on 14 February 2011 to 5 July 2013.
- Report 21 Mar 2011
- Government response 5 Jul 2013
What it recommended
The committee's recommendations are not listed here yet. Read them in 3rd Report - Sustainable Development in the Localism Bill ↗ on parliament.uk.