Planning matters

The latest batch of new and revised permitted development rights seek to set the foundations for ‘Project Speed’, the Government’s strategy to bolster England’s public infrastructure and harness its economic recovery, following the impact of the pandemic and the UK’s exit from the European Union.

The Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development etc.) (England) (Amendment) Order 2021 will introduce revisions to The Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development)(England) Order 2015 (GPDO). The legislation is set to come into force on 21 April 2021, though the timing of certain provisions may vary.

While the property press headlines focus on the introduction of the new permitted development right for converting vacant buildings that fall under the new Use Class E to residential (covered in this blog, Class MA: Mercantile to Abode ), this blog looks at other changes, which are focused on supporting public bodies construct new buildings and structures and carry out other alterations and renovations. These also sit alongside separate permitted development rights which will grant port operators the same powers as those vested to airports, which will allow for small scale development without the need for planning permission.

Commenting on the changes, Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick commented:

The changes will significantly increase the envelope of what is considered as acceptable without making an application for planning permission. We cover the key changes in detail below:

The big change for public service providers is the amendments to Part 7 Class M of the GPDO (2015). This permitted development right allows for the “extensions etc for schools, colleges, universities and hospitals”. The amendments increase the threshold for the amount of new floorspace permitted, while also now allowing prisons to benefit from the right, alongside education providers and hospitals.

This class of the GPDO allows for new buildings as well as extensions, though these must be within the same use or ancillary to the existing use, while any new development must be situated within the curtilage of the premises’ boundaries.

Buildings benefiting from Part 7 Class M will now be allowed to expand their facilities significantly - by up to 25% of the footprint of the current buildings on the site as of 21 April 2021, or by up to 250 square metres, whichever is the greater. This was previously limited to 25% square metres of the ‘original building’ or 100 square metres (with the exception of schools which were already capped at the new lower limit of 250 square metres).

The height limit for new buildings (which does not include plant) has also increased from five to six metres, though this will remain capped at five metres within ten metres of a boundary of the curtilage of the premises.

The “original building” continues to exclude buildings already erected under Part M. And the provision stating “where 2 or more original buildings are within the same curtilage and are used for the same institution, they are to be treated as a single original building in making any measurement”, does not appear to have been changed.

Whereas some other permitted development rights, such as those for upward extensions, expressly provide for related building operations, such as access and egress, related storage, waste and plant etc; Part 7 Class M as amended only refers to buildings. Permitted development rights for the provision of hardstanding already exists for schools, hospitals and universities under the Class N of Part 7 of the GPDO. Surprisingly, perhaps, these remain unchanged though are limited to just 50sqm in total.

No prior approval is required for schools, colleges or hospitals wishing to benefit from the extended PD rights. However, where the expansion of a school results in any increase in the school’s admission numbers, a travel plan must be submitted for the site within six months from the date of completion. This will need to outline the long-term management strategy for providing sustainable transport to and from the premises.

Given the relative scale of many universities and the central and sometimes sensitive locations they often occupy, prior approval is however required for the following matters:

• transport and highways impacts of the proposed development;
  
  
• the design and external appearance of the erection, extension or alteration; or
  
  
• the impact of the development on heritage and archaeology.

Where an application for prior approval is required, as with other prior approval procedures, development must not begin before the LPA either determines prior approval is not required, grants prior approval or the expiry of 56 days following valid application submission, without the LPA giving a decision. The Explanatory Memorandum confirms that secondary legislation is expected to introduce a fee of £96 for prior approval applications made by universities.

As with the current requirements for Class M, development is not permitted within the curtilage of a listed building. Furthermore, the Class M materials condition relating to development on Article 2(3) land (i.e. national parks, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, conservation areas, the Broads, and World Heritage Sites) will also continue to apply, requiring new buildings and extensions to use materials of a similar external appearance to those used of the original buildings. This would only be assessed where external appearance is a prior approval matter – i.e. for universities. For schools, colleges, hospitals and prisons it would be for the developer to ensure that this condition is met.

The new legislation has also expanded the permitted development rights for docks, harbour, water transport, canals and other inland navigation undertakings. The new measures relate to previous commitments made following the Government’s Freeports consultationlast October.

Article 10 of the Amendment Order will widen the scope of Class B of Part 8 of the GPDO to provide, as the explanatory memorandum states, “dock, pier, harbour, water transport, canal or inland navigation undertakings greater flexibility to undertake development, supporting ports as an important economic agent further to the exit of the UK from the EU”, while also permitting such development to be undertaken by the statutory undertaker’s agent of development, allowing for works be undertaken by others on the behalf of the operator.

The amendments include text, stating that development is now deemed to fall within Class B of Part 8 where:

The changes now bring PD rights for ports and similar water transport infrastructure in-line with those available to airports. With the UK now outside of the EU, there will likely be other planning changes in tow aimed at supporting the movement of goods, and the Government’s objective of delivering growth and regeneration through the introduction of Freeports.

The Government had also previously stated it will consider a review of the current National Policy Statement for Ports (NPSP).

The changes reflect the general direction of travel for the planning system, with Ministers streamlining the application process for certain types of development, by expanding permitted development rights and simplifying the classification of use classes; for once the Government has very little to say about the design or appearance of development, except where this may potentially impact on designated heritage assets.

The added flexibility will likely be welcomed by some operators, allowing for greater flexibility in adding additional capacity, while also allowing for the reconfiguration of existing buildings – something which many businesses and organisations have grappled with in responding to COVID-19.

Clearly some public service and port infrastructure development will fall outside the remit of the newly expanded permitted development rights. In its response to the December consultation on these changes, the Government has confirmed that it will go forward with its plans to streamline the application process for ‘major development’ in this area, which will likely be brought about principally through amendments to the Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) (England) Order 2015. It has stated that these will involve:

• reducing the statutory determination period from 13 weeks to 10 weeks;
  
  
• shortening the statutory consultation period from 21 to 18 calendar days;
  
  
• requiring that local planning authorities notify the Secretary of State when they anticipate making a decision; and
  
  
• making clear that the policy in paragraph 94 of the National Planning Policy Framework about the importance of pre-application engagement is extended to these types of development.

Although we await further detail on these additional measures, the Government has stated it intends to introduce them by the end of August 2021.