News
Commercial planning news, September 2018
03 Sept 2018
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Headline news |
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Civil Society Strategy promotes community involvement in planning for economic growth
In its new report, ‘Civil Society Strategy: building a future that works for everyone’ that was published on 9 August, HM Government defines the term ‘civil society’ as referring to ‘all individuals and organisations, when undertaking activities with the primary purpose of delivering social value, independent of state control’.
While the Localism Act 2011 has already ‘created new rights for communities, giving them an opportunity to take into local ownership community assets, shape planning and development in their area’, the Strategy states that with the intention of improving the use of the Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012, the Government will explore whether 'social value' principles should be applied to specified areas of public decision-making that include planning.
The Strategy also states that the Government aims to strengthen the right for communities to bid for the ownership of local assets and will be issuing revised guidance on the issue.
Elsewhere, the document confirms that resident involvement has been lacking in many regeneration projects to date and promises to give communities a greater say in the future.
Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Greg Clark said:
‘Growing the economy and strong communities are mutually reinforcing and I very much welcome the steps which this new Civil Society Strategy takes to build on the lndustrial Strategy approach, particularly to involve communities more strongly in local planning for economic growth, prosperity and employment.’
HM Government, ‘Civil Society Strategy: building a future that works for everyone’
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Quote of the month |
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Growing the economy and strong communities are mutually reinforcing and I very much welcome the steps which this new Civil Society Strategy takes to build on the lndustrial Strategy approach, particularly to involve communities more strongly in local planning for economic growth, prosperity and employment.
Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Greg Clark, introducing the Government’s new Civil Society Strategy |
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Other news |
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Review of application and effectiveness of planning policy for sustainable drainage systems
On 23 August, MHCLG published a review that examines:
- how national planning policies for sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) are reflected in local plans; and
- the uptake of SuDS across a range of commercial and housing developments in England.
The review was undertaken during 2016 and 2017, with the support of Defra and the Environment Agency.
According to the review, 80% of adopted local plans contain policies that reflect requirements in the 2012 NPPF for SuDS to be prioritised in areas with a high risk of flooding.
Although 87% of the sample of approved planning applications explicitly stated that SuDS would be part of the proposed development, for 70% of applications it was not clear who would be responsible for their maintenance.
The review states that this autumn, the Government will update the PPG on SuDS to reflect the changes made to the 2012 NPPF in the 2018 version of the Framework.
Listing entries reach 400,000 following 4 new listings
The National Heritage list for England reached 400,000 listings on 22 August, with the Grade II listing of four new buildings (the Howitt Building, Lenton Boulevard, Nottingham; the Elmdon terminal building, Birmingham Airport; Theatre Royal, Royal Parade, Plymouth; and the Birches ‘Squatter’s cottage’, Cleeton St Mary, Shropshire).
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The Lichfields perspective |
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The Civil Society Strategy is intended to set a direction for government policy, it being just the beginning of a process of policy development and collaboration. The Government’s vision is one of better connected, technology-enabled strong UK communities, and businesses which ‘strengthen society’. More neighbourliness plays a strong part in the Strategy too. Planning is to play its part in the Strategy too, and while there is already a raft of legislation that promotes neighbourhood planning and community assets, there is clear scope for communities to do more in developing businesses, creating jobs and boosting local economies
Margaret Baddely, Planning Director |
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Disclaimer: This publication has been written in general terms and cannot be relied on to cover specific situations. We recommend that you obtain professional advice before acting or refraining from acting on any of the contents of this publication. Lichfields accepts no duty of care or liability for any loss occasioned to any person acting or refraining from acting as a result of any material in this publication. Lichfields is the trading name of Nathaniel Lichfield & Partners Limited. Registered in England, no.2778116