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Planning Advisory Service

July 2020 Extra Edition

Well it's been quite a month already and there's still more to come. We hope that you are all holding up ok. It's a tough time for everyone but the changes in planning are coming at speed so we will need to stick together to make sure that we don't miss anything.

We are trying to maintain our website so that it is up-to-date with the changes as they happen but please be patient if we don't quite get to it on the day. We are a small team with lots of different work programmes to manage. I'm sure a lot of you will empathise with this.

We are likely to be running an event series based on the policy paper when it is published. Please keep an eye on our mailings and website for further details as they are likely to be in August and September.

If you are making a break for it and leaving your homes for a holiday, have a lovely break and we'll see you when you return. If you're working through, we will be here if you need us.

Take care,

Anna, Head of PAS

Recent legislative changes

We’ve published a summary of recent legislative changes that relate to planning matters that have been laid / brought into force to help you keep up to date.

Don't forget August 13 2020 - the deadline for publishing your Housing Delivery Test Action Plan

Did your authority score below 95 per cent in the 2019 Housing Delivery Test? If so you are required to publish your Action Plan by 13 August 2020. To help with this we have updated our advice note on preparing effective Action Plans which includes a series of top tips taken from experience of developing action plans to date. We have also published the presentation materials from our virtual workshops with Councils which took place throughout July.

Preparing a CIL over the next year?

We are thinking of setting up a small working group to support a small number of councils as they go through the process of setting a CIL for the first time. The group will share experience and thought processes, and we along with some experts will be on hand to offer advice and good practice. If you are interested contact richard.crawley@local.gov.uk to find out more. 

Blogs

Plan Making & the Climate Change Emergency – Central Lincolnshire – a PAS apology

In last month’s bulletin we put an incorrect link to City of Lincs’ Planning Policy Manager Toby Forbes-Turner’s thoughts and outlines of how planners in Central Lincoln are tackling climate change while reviewing their local plan. but it’s so good and pertinent that we’re re-running it in this issue. 

HDT event thoughts 

Shelly Rouse, who’s recently joined PAS on secondment from Canterbury, shares her thoughts about the recent round of events to support authorities undertaking a Housing Delivery Test Action Plan for their 2019 HDT measurement. 

Digital Local Plans

PAS Team is exploring what might be around the corner for "digital local plans" and whether we should (or could) do something to help. Martin sets out in his latest blog some fundamental questions we're trying to answer like "what, actually, is a "digital local plan"

CIEEM biodiversity in planning - free webinar

The Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management (CIEEM) is offering a series of three free webinars during August/September specifically for the planning community. The webinars will cover different aspects of what planners need to know about biodiversity protection in the development planning system and how to navigate their way around ensuring the ecological information they request and are provided with is fit for purpose. For more information and to sign up please visit Biodiversity in Planning: What Planners Need To Know.

MHCLG Local Digital planning projects – interested in being involved?

MHCLG has been funding two local government led digital projects: reducing invalid planning applications (RIPA) and back office planning system (BOPS). The projects are collaborating with a small number of councils to improve the planning process for applicants and planners alike. Initially focusing on permitted development and householder applications, these projects are producing reusable outputs that any other council can make use of and benefit from. 

Both the projects are keen to work with councils to share information, taking part in the research or even to start using the systems. 

If you’re interested you can find out more or get involved by emailing jack.ricketts@southwark.gov.uk for BOPS and digitalplanning@lambeth.gov.uk for RIPA.

Interesting Khub links

There are some really interesting discussion going on in the Khub discussion forum

Affordable housing and mixed developments

Using article 4 directions to restrict smaller HMOs

Please have a look and share your thoughts on these and the other discussions occurring.

Stay safe and well.