Chair asks for clarification regarding Government's revised planning proposals

Clive Betts MP, Chair of the Communities and Local Government Select Committee, has today written to Rt Hon Eric Pickles MP seeking clarification on a number of points regarding the Government’s revised planning proposals. This follows the Government’s tabling of amendments to the Growth and Infrastructure Bill on Friday.

• Communities and Local Government Committee

In the letter, Mr Betts asks the Secretary of State to provide urgent responses to the following questions:

• Has an impact assessment been carried out to support the new proposals?
• How will the environmental and social impact of the proposals will be assessed?
• Are the proposals are time-limited?
• How can the proposals be reconciled with the Government’s policy that the planning system should be financially self sufficient?
• Why has the Government not adopted the proposal from the 2007 submission to the Shadow Cabinet for a conciliation service staffed separately from local authority planners?
• What is the Government’s revised range of the financial benefits of the new proposals?
• Will the revised arrangements be any quicker at determining planning applications than the current system?
• What arrangements will there be for appeals?
• Will householders be able to submit a planning application if they are refused under the new arrangement?
• Will the arrangements the Government proposes apply to all permitted development?
• Will local authorities be able to object to notified development under the new proposals?
• In the absence of the need for a certificate of Lawful Development what will happen if somebody plans an extension just over the new permitted development limit and no one objects?

Background

The text of the Government's proposed amendment is available on the Parliament website (PDF 168 KB). It is amendment A, on page two.

Further information

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