Planning Reform: Final Thoughts

• Published date: 19 August 2020
• Subject Matter: Government, Public Sector, Government Contracts, Procurement & PPP
• Law Firm: Charles Russell Speechlys LLP
• Author: Ms Claire Fallows

The White Paper dashes through a range of other topics that are worth mentioning.

Resources - There will be proposals later in the year on how to improve resourcing of planning departments. Helpfully, there is a promise of a comprehensive resources and skills strategy for the sector - it will be needed given the scale of reform proposed and years of under-investment.

As the Government sees it, landowners and developers should essentially fund the cost of operating the new system through planning fees set on a national basis. Pre-application charging will be regulated to ensure it is fair. The new Infrastructure Levy could fund planning costs including of Local Plan preparation. Some activities should however be funded through taxation and time limited funding will be available to support transition. A new performance framework will ensure continuous improvement and early intervention where authorities do not meet requirements.

The Planning Inspectorate and statutory consultees should transform the way they operate and be more responsive and outward looking - they should be self-financing through new charging mechanisms.

Design - The emphasis on building beautiful underpins the Government's aims for the new system - the Government is considering establishing a new...