Four years on from the overhaul of the Planning System in 2004 local authorities and the development industry are emerging from the fog of uncertainty that took several casualties in the early days.
Familiarity is beginning to grow with Local Development Frameworks, the new process and the accompanying jargon. The pace is picking up with Core Strategies and Site Allocations documents coming through the system in a steady stream.
Here in the Midlands planning hit the pause button in 2007 whilst the East Midlands Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS) Examination in Public was held and the Report of the Panel produced. The latter was published in November and contained some radical proposals including abolishing the Green Belt around Nottingham, except the border to Derby.
The New Year saw the release of the Preferred Options for the West Midlands RSS and the confirmation that the region was to meet even higher housing figures than previously proposed. The progression of both of these regional strategies has been a catalyst for action at the local level where there is more certainty over housing and employment figures along with directions for growth.
The key messages that are now coming through at regional and local level are:
Whilst sustainability is nothing new and recentralisation is a repackaged form of regeneration, the emphasis on delivering development is a definite shift in focus and can be the key to bringing forward sites that may have not previously been considered to hold much potential.
The new system has however set the bar higher for the promotion of sites. Not only are there numerous documents to monitor and comment upon, such as Core Strategy, Site Allocations and Town Centre Area Action Plans, there are also several stages of consultation (Issues and Options; Preferred Options; and Submission) which one cannot afford to miss.
Close liaison with local planning authorities is paramount and the Planning Team at Fisher German hold a database of current and forthcoming consultations for clients enabling preparation and submission of representations to best promote the site.
So into the fourth year of operation the new Planning System has established itself in both the public and private sector, progress is being made and there is undeniable encouragement from Gordon Brown that the roll out of houses remains high on the Government’s agenda. Although sustainability remains an underlying objective, deliverability is now the buzz word which could explain the progress that the system is making.
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For further information on planning matters, contact Kay Davies on 01530 410824 email kay.davies@fishergerman.co.uk
