RTPI has criticised the DOE for inconsistencies in draft PPG1. The Institute is warning that these could translate into inconsistencies in new local plans and developments.
According to RTPI Planning Policy Officer David Barraclough, the integration of land use and transport policies is a key element of PPG13. But draft PPG1, which is intended to lay down the principles behind the policies, omits this. In addition, sustainable development, while appearing in the document’s heading, does not actually appear in the text.
Barraclough said: “Some of the current PPG’s are in step with PPG13, but the drafts of PPG1 and 7 do a good job of ignoring 13. The inconsistency is not just a difference in timing it is also a difference in emphasis.”
He believes that this has serious implications for the future: “One of the problems is that a revised PPG is just around the corner when you are ready to publish a deposit plan. The effect is that new development plans reflect the latest elements of government policy before they are adopted. This tends to transfer the inconsistencies from PPG’s into development plans and into development on the ground.”
EGi News 17/10/96
