Guidance on various aspects of the planning system, given in letter to chief planning officers of local planning authorities from Joanna Averley, England’s Chief Planner.
… brochure to help stakeholders prepare for forthcoming mandatory Biodiversity Net Gain…
Department for Levelling Up Housing and Communities writes:
In this month’s Newsletter we highlight updated advice from Natural England, including a brochure to help stakeholders prepare for forthcoming mandatory Biodiversity Net Gain. Meanwhile, DLUHC is calling for volunteers to take part in two programmes of user-research: on planning reform and environmental assessment; and has now commenced round 2 of the PropTech engagement fund. Finally, the DLUHC Planning Graduate Scheme is now recruiting for intake in Autumn 2022, providing a fantastic opportunity for recent graduate planners to join the Civil Service.
You may also find the results of the Appealing Design research report published by the Place Alliance encouraging. The report examines appeals data before and after July 2021, when the NPPF was revised and the National Model Design Code published, to shed some light on the impact that this new government policy is having on decisions around design.
The findings are hugely positive, with local authorities three times more likely to be successful at design-related appeal than before. The new design guidance has given inspectors the basis on which to consider design, giving it greater weight than previously. With this in mind, Local authorities should feel more confident to stand by strong design standards when making planning decisions. I encourage everyone to read the report which can be found here and also refer back to the NPPF updates, National Design Guide and National Model Design Code.
