Communities and Local Government Committee new inquiry

• Communties and Local Government Committee

The Committee has been scrutinising the Government’s reforms of the planning system since the start of the parliament and will shortly be taking oral evidence from Nick Boles MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Planning, on the Government’s Review of Planning Practice Guidance: Consultation. The Committee invites short written submissions (maximum 1,500 words) on the Review and the Government’s consultation proposals by 4pm on Friday, 18 January.

The Committee intends to draw on the submissions it receives when it puts questions to the minister. The Committee is therefore looking for submissions covering two matters. First, questions and issues (with background information to explain the context) to put to the Minister. Second, views are invited on the following matters which the Committee expects to put to the Minister.

1. Has the Review Group gone far enough in reducing and consolidating guidance? If not, what changes need to be made?
2. Has the Review Group identified the correct priorities for the new guidance? What priority and timescale should be given to this over the cancellation and consolidation of existing guidance?
3. Have any items been missed or excluded that should be included?
4. Is the timetable recommended by the Review Group realistic?
5. Who will carry out the additional work of consolidation, producing new guidance and designing a web-based resource? What are the implications for resourcing within the DCLG?
6. Should guidance which is the responsibility of departments other than DCLG and bodies such as the Environment Agency and Planning Inspectorate also be revised and consolidated? How should this be carried out?
7. How will a ‘rolling suite of guidance as envisaged in the Group Report operate? For example, as the site will be ‘live’ with continuous amendment, how will it be clear what guidance is current at the time it was used?

Background

The Review of Planning Practice Guidance: Consultation was published on 21 December and the Government invited responses to the consultation exercise by 15 February 2013. The 21 December exercise follows an announcement by the Government on 16 October 2012 that Lord Matthew Taylor of Goss Moor would lead and chair an External Group conducting a review of the planning practice guidance which supports the implementation of national planning policy. The External Group reported in December 2012.

Notes for Editors:
Submissions of no more than 1,500 words are invited by 4pm on 18 January 2013. 

Each submission should be labelled with the subject ‘Government’s Review of Planning Practice Guidance’, sent to clgev@parliament.uk, attached in Word format (with as little use of colour or logos as possible) and be accompanied by a covering email containing the name and contact details of the individual submitting evidence. A detailed guide for written submissions to Select Committees may be found on the parliamentary website at: it should be noted that written evidence is often published and made available in a report and on the internet.