Extending extant permissions
On 1 October 2009 the Department for Communities and Local Government introduced new provisions[1] allowing local planning authorities to extend the time limits for existing planning permissions where those permissions are about to lapse. This can be done through a simple application procedure. An application to extend the time limit for implementation can [...]
Flood and Water Management Bill
The Government has issued a draft Flood and Water Management Bill detailing proposals for a new regime for flood risk management. The proposed new regime would give new powers and responsibilities over flooding and risk management to the Environment Agency as well as local authorities. The new Bill seeks to transpose [...]
The Competition Commission has recommended to the Department for Communities and Local Government that they should introduce a competition test into the process for taking decisions on granting planning permission for larger grocery stores. The Competition Commission believes that the introduction of the competition test will bring “significant and lasting benefits for customers”. The idea [...]
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has issued a consultation paper entitled “Fairer and Better Environmental Enforcement” seeking views on its proposals for changes to the enforcement procedures to try to create a more proportionate, fair and more effective approach to enforcing environmental criminal offences in England and Wales. The consultation period is [...]
The Government has issued a consultation paper seeking views on proposals to introduce a more proportionate approach to the amount of information that must be submitted with an application for planning permission in England. The consultation period is open until 23 October 2009. The Government anticipates making regulatory changes in this regard to come into [...]
A new joined up approach
The Government published a consultation paper on 24 July 2009 seeking views on a proposed new PPS 15 on the historic environment. The new PPS brings together policies on archaeology, historic areas, buildings and landscapes. This is in contrast to the existing approach of having separate planning policy guidance notes for [...]
The broad framework for introducing the Community Infrastructure Levy was contained in the Planning Act 2008. The Government has now published detailed proposals for implementing CIL which will come into force in April 2010. CIL is a way of collecting financial contributions from developers to pay for local infrastructure such as roads, schools and flood [...]
Having made changes to expand permitted development rights for residential properties in October 2008, the Government is now consulting on proposals for a similar exercise to widen permitted development rights for non-residential properties. The move stems from a finding in the Killian Pretty report that the cost to businesses of obtaining planning permission for minor [...]
The Government issued a consultation paper in May 2009 seeking views on a new Planning Policy Statement 4 which would bring together in one place all the Government’s key planning policies relating to the economy. The intention is to streamline and simplify policy so that it becomes easier to focus on what is needed to [...]
Life of a Planning Permission
Planning permissions are granted for a specific period. If the development permitted by the planning permission is not begun in accordance with the permission before the end of the period specified in the permission then the permission expires. This is to ensure that development is commenced in a timely fashion so [...]
