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PAS Bulletin: December 2020

After the excitement of the planning white paper consultation, it is hard to adjust back to business as usual. It is all too easy to get carried away with what will be rather than what is. Whilst it would be lovely to have the time to sit and reflect, there is a planning system in place that needs our attention now. Authorities still need up to date plans for 2023, we still need to make decisions, and the housing delivery test hasn't disappeared. Councils must continue to plan, and we will continue to support in any way that we can. We have a host of new programmes designed to remove the post consultation inertia. As always, if you feel like we could help with any of your planning issues just get in touch at pas@local.gov.uk

Anna Rose

Head of PAS

Infrastructure Funding Statement (IFS) guidance

This year marks the first time that councils have to publish details of the developer contributions that they have secured, received and spent in an "Infrastructure Funding Statement" (IFS). For those councils that have been charging a Community Infrastructure Levy, the principles are quite familiar, but there are some councils who have had to go back into their archive of Section 106 agreements to work out what they need to publish. 

We have set up a new page, hosting a new guide, a sample statement and a video of how to publish the transaction-level detail suggested in guidance. Thanks to everyone who came to our events recently - your questions and commentary were very useful to us making this first version. 

Get your Local Plan to the line - 2023

Global pandemic, new Housing Need Standard Method, Use Classes Order, White Paper. It’s no wonder local planning authorities (LPAs) are carefully weighing up how best to get their local plan ‘to the line’ to meet the Government’s 2023 deadline. PAS has created a Risk Decision Tree and a Local Plan Gateway Review to give LPAs a free, independent assessment of the risks and opportunities they currently face to getting their plan in place by 2023 and a clear path forward. If you’d like to find out more and be the first to sign up for a Gateway Review join us:

Get Your Local Plan to The Line 2023 - 14 December (AM Event)

Get Your Local Plan to The Line 2023 - 14 December (PM Event)

Predicting Housing Delivery Test results and launching “Project Land Supply”

HouseyRousey has been at it again and in this blog she’s been crystal ball gazing on the anticipated Housing Delivery Test (HDT) 2020 measurement and thinking about how councils can predict future HDT and land supply performance. If, like HouseyRousey, you are into data & GIS monitoring and creative thinking about how to approach land supply differently then we want to hear from you. PAS are asking anyone who may be interested in joining ‘project land supply’ to come along to an event on the 18 December.

Book your place for Project Land Supply – 18 December (AM Event)

“Planning for the Future” consultation events – What we saw and heard

Last month Rachael wrote a post of thanks in reflection to all the officers who attended our consultation events with the Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) on the Planning for the Future White Paper. We have uploaded a copy of the presentation materials from these events and a summary of the main messages we heard is available on our website  

We're hiring!

If you're experienced in local government planning and want to help councils to improve the services that they offer we may have a role to suit you. You need to be knowledgeable about the planning system, inquisitive about how policy works in practice, dedicated to local government and curious about how to best achieve improvement in our sector. Expertise in digital, environment, communities and/or design would be particularly useful. Keep an eye on our website for updates as we will be recruiting soon.

Are you interested in becoming one of our suppliers?

We're looking to diversify our pool of suppliers. We have got into the habit of commissioning Peers for work when they retire from active service in local government. This allows us to offer services to councils delivered by trusted and experienced individuals. We would like to have access to a wide range of people with different experiences. If you are interested in helping us with our improvement work please get in touch at pas@local.gov.uk.

Planning during the pandemic – an update to our Coronavirus FAQs

Our Coronavirus FAQs have now been updated. We have removed some of the very early advice that is now no longer relevant, and made sure the most up to date versions of legislation are referenced, and reflect the learning of councils over the last few months. The latest FAQs are available on our website. 

Urban Design London

Urban Design London (UDL) are offering free taster sessions for their next two events.

Simply email info@urbandesignlondon.com to book.

Funding options - Thursday 10 December, 09.45-12.45. This session will be focused more at London planning authorities and will examine current funding routes and requirements including what the White Paper proposals might mean for housing funding.

Managing permitted development & prior notification planning processes - Tuesday 15 December, 09:30 – 12:30. This session will be for non London planning authority representatives and will help councils to consider the best ways to deal with these planning processes. It will also highlight relevant prior notification considerations and how best to deliver design quality under this system.

KHub

More on monitoring self-build plots: Monitoring self build plots? - Public forum - Planning Advisory Service (PAS) - Knowledge Hub (khub.net)

Design quality on smaller (1-10 dwellings) applications: 'Minor' housing development applications - Public forum - Planning Advisory Service (PAS) - Knowledge Hub (khub.net)

Managing a database of local plan consultation responses: storing consultation responses v data protection - Public forum - Planning Advisory Service (PAS) - Knowledge Hub (khub.net)