Environment Secretary John Gummer’s proposed planning reforms come as new statistics show that only 43% of local plans and UDPs have been adopted, and that the average time to adoption is four years and three months.
A senior DOE planning official told yesterday’s Environment Committee Follow-Up Inquiry into Shopping Centres that the longest time from launch to adoption was eight years.
“This is clearly unacceptable,” he said. “The Government’s view is that the delays could undermine the whole system with a reversion back to the old system of planning by appeal.”
When preparation of plans was made mandatory in 1991 a target was agreed between the DOE and local authorities of a “substantially complete” adoption of plans by the end of 1996.
Proposals to speed up the planning system include more statutory time limits, including giving local authorities one week in which to publish a planning inspectors report; substituting a structure plan-type examination in public for a public enquiry with cross examination of witnesses; and reducing the scope for local authorities to ignore inspectors’ recommendations.
Gummer is also considering limiting the refusal of planning permission on the grounds of prematurity to “very limited” circumstances.
Healey & Baker’s Alastair Crowdy broadly welcomed the proposals. But he doubted whether examinations in public were suitable for local, site-specific issues. He also said there were some clear advantages in being able to cross examine witnesses on behalf of clients.
EGi News 16/01/97
