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Chief Planner’s newsletter Feb2025
Joanna Averley, the DHCLG Chief Planner, issued a newsletter on 11th February 2025. It covers a survey of local authority capacity and capability, corrections to the NPPF, the Land Use Framework consultation, fast-food outlets, compulsory purchase process and land compensation consultation, the duty to consult on felling of street trees and noise from new development.
Using land value for new transport
The capital’s leading business campaign group BusinessLDN has produced a report on this subject here. It recommends building on the tax increment financing (TIF) model which allows borrowing against future increases in tax revenue resulting from infrastructure projects in order to finance transport schemes and calls on the Government to empower the GLA to do so.
Planning officers overwhelmed
An article by John Walker (ex planning Director at Westminster City Council) was published by New London Architecture (NLA) explaining how borough planning officers are overwhelmed by the complex planning system and the additional environmental factors to be considered for each application. They are under-resourced and lack the expertise for the new Government imposed obligations.
Putting up the national planning fees will not solve the resource problem in planning departments. [more…]
Connecting with nature
There is a short survey on Talk London asking what you think about London’s network of rivers, canals, docks, reservoirs, lakes and green and natural spaces. It will take about 10 minutes to complete and it will close on Sunday 16 February 2025.
You can sign up with Talk London here for opportunities to make input to GLA activities and discussions.
A Cap The Towers victory at Friary Park
Campaigners in LB Ealing have opposed a tall and over powering development of many buildings on Friary Park. This video shows their persistence may be successful but ‘Who are these tower block homes meant for?’. There are issues about how Councils devise and uphold policies on context and building heights and identify where tall buildings should be, as in London Plan policies D1 and D9.
Assembly Tall Buildings scrutiny
The London Assembly Planning and Regeneration Committee is investigating homes in London’s tall buildings and their effect, with a call for evidence until 4th March 2025 to which societies could respond.
Review of Green Belt
News channel ONLONDON reported Sadiq Khan’s review of London Green Belt following the Government’s addition to the December NPPF of ‘grey belt’ land. The Mayor intervened in the public inquiry of LB Enfield’s Local Plan in a way that has implications for any borough with Green Belt land as in another ONLONDON article here. A report from member, the Enfield Society, is here.
Reforms to planning
The Government has announced here plans to speed up housing delivery and approval of infrastructure projects. Related DHCLG working papers were issued in December 2024. A Planning and Infrastructure Bill will be published “in the Spring”.
Accelerating housing delivery
The GLA published an Accelerating Housing Delivery Planning and Housing Practice Note, which provides additional guidance to support short term housing delivery and provide additional affordable homes. The lawyer Simon Ricketts has issued a critical assessment, as here, on its potential effectiveness.
Chief Planner’s newsletter to LPAs December 2024
Joanna Averley, the DHCLG Chief Planner, issued another newsletter on 19th December 2024 to local authorities requiring them to update their brownfield land register for 2024 by 31st December.
It seeks their views on a Development and Nature Recovery Working Paper, proposing developers pay into a ‘Nature Restoration Fund’. Also LPAs are asked to complete an online survey on a Green Infrastructure (GI) Framework. There is an explanation of the Government’s approach by the lawyer Nicola Gooch here.
An updated Criteria Document for improving planning performance for speed [more…]
Government Plan for Change
The Labour Government confirmed in July 2024 its five missions from its manifesto and its first six steps for change. A December 2024 Plan for Change sets “clear, measurable milestones” for each of the missions and the Prime Minister gave a speech to explain it. One milestone is building 1.5 million homes in England and fast-tracking planning decisions on at least 150 major economic infrastructure projects.
To support its aims, the Government has published a revised National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) to drive local planning [more…]
Local Government finance
A Government policy statement allocates £1.3bn of the £4bn announced in the Budget for local government services to the 2025-26 LG Finance Settlement. The rest will be targeted to places that need it most.