Select committee: Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee
Recommendation 11
First Report - The future of the planning system in England
Published 10 Jun 2021
Paragraph 77
Addressed to Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee The future of the planning system in England All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Recommendation (the committee's words)
We support enhancing public involvement with Local Plans. However, figures cited by the Minister suggest that far more people are involved at the point when individual planning applications are considered than at the local plan stage, and this was backed up by the evidence we have received. We also fear that people will resort to legal measures if they cannot comment upon and therefore influence an individual planning proposal. Therefore, all individuals must still be able to comment and influence upon all individual planning proposals.
From: Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee, First Report - The future of the planning system in England (HC 38), paragraph 77, 10 June 2021
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 17 May 2022 (deadline 10 August 2021).
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The government's response agrees with the Committee on a number of recommendations, including not pursuing the three areas proposal, while declining to extend the 30-month local plan timetable and having no plans for a national Green Belt review.
- It agrees with the recommendation on the three areas proposal and "will not be pursuing three area types in the reformed planning system".
- It "does not accept" the recommendation to extend the 30-month plan-making timeframe, stating that reforms make 30 months "achievable" and that it "will consult on the detail of these regulations in due course".
- On planning fees, it intends to increase them by 35% for major and 25% for minor applications, "subject to consultation", which it says will take place in the summer.
- On the Green Belt, it "has no plans for a national review" and says the National Planning Policy Framework's protections "will remain".