Parliamentary Bulletin June 2008

The state of the housing market as a manifestation of the overall economic downturn is providing a sombre backdrop to the rest of the political debate around Westminster.
Whatever the decision of the MPC on interest rates, nobody expects economic forecasts to improve anytime soon. As levels of personal indebtedness are at record highs, all eyes will be firmly fixed on unemployment rates from now till next spring. That is the context within which to assess the Government’s concessions on both pieces of planning legislation going through the two Houses and Caroline Flint’s announcements on expenditure on social housing.

STATEMENT ON PLANNING APPEALS

DCLG announced a new policy on planning appeals by adding two new policy criteria, climate change and energy and World Heritage Status. In future the Secretary of State will consider recovery of appeals involving proposals:

• for developments of major importance having more than local significance;
• giving rise to substantial regional or national controversy;
• which raise important or novel issues of development control, and/or legal difficulties;
• against which another Government department has raised major objections or has a major interest;
• of major significance for the delivery of the Government's climate change programme and energy policies;
• any proposal for residential development of over 150 units or on sites of over five hectares, which would significantly impact on the Government's objective to secure a better balance between housing demand and supply and create high quality, sustainable, mixed and inclusive communities;
• which involve any main town centre use or uses (as set out in paragraph 1.8 of PPS6) where that use or uses comprise(s) over 9,000m2 gross floor space (either as a single proposal or as part of or in combination with other current proposals), and which are proposed on a site in an edge-of-centre or out-of-centre location (as described in Table 2 of PPS6) that is not in accordance with an up-to-date development plan document prepared in accordance with the policy in PPS6;
• proposals for significant development in the green belt;
• major proposals involving the winning and working of minerals; and
• proposals which would have an adverse impact on the outstanding universal value, integrity, authenticity and significance of a World Heritage Site – a draft consultation document on this is currently out.

Such a wide ranging policy change is controversial and it is expected that debate will continue on this over the summer.

CONSULTATIONS

Part L of the Building Regulations, Proposed New Editions of the Approved Documents L: Consultation Closing date 9th September 2008

This consultation includes revised versions of the Approved Documents for Part L of the Building Regulations which were issued in April 2006, reflecting legislative changes to the provisions for commissioning, self certification and notifiable work. It also covers the appropriateness of the references in the Approved Documents to a BRE technical document describing the thermal performance of building elements, in response to a judicial review judgment

RESPONSES TO CONSULTATIONS

DCLG have published responses to a number of consultations

• The responses to the consultation paper Overriding Easements and Other Rights: Possible Amendment to Section 237 Town and Country Planning Act 1990.
• The responses to the Development and Flood Risk: A Practice Guide Companion to PPS25 'Living Draft'
• The responses received to the consultation paper 'Streamlining Local Development Frameworks: Consultation'.
  Each subject area is interesting in itself. Taken together these documents provide an interesting insight into different views of what the purpose of the planning service is.

HOUSING MINISTER AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL AUDIT COMMITTEE

Caroline Flint was grilled by the Environmental Audit Committee about the Government’s target of two million new houses by 2016 and a further one million by 2020. Given the economic downturn and the questions about availability of land, MPs were sceptical about how realistic these plans are. The Minister stuck to her guns, but there was a distinct air of disbelief about the proceedings.

"A government that robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the support of Paul."
George Bernard Shaw.

Baroness Liz Barker
Meeting Place Communications 2008