Election news update
The new coalition Liberal Democrat and Conservative Government published on May 20th its document entitled "The Coalition - Our Programme for Government"
Section 4 of this document contains entitled "Communities and Local Government" states that the Government will:
- "Rapidly abolish Regional Spatial Strategies and return decision-making powers on housing and planning to local councils, including giving councils new powers to stop ‘garden grabbing’.
- In the longer term, radically reform the planning system to give neighbourhoods far more ability to determine the shape of the places in which their inhabitants live, based on the principles set out in the Conservative Party publication Open Source Planning.
- Abolish the unelected Infrastructure Planning Commission and replace it with an efficient and democratically accountable system that provides a fast-track process for major infrastructure projects.
- We will publish and present to Parliament a simple and consolidated national planning framework covering all forms of development and setting out national economic, environmental and social priorities.
- We will maintain the Green Belt, Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) and other environmental protections, and create a new designation – similar to SSSIs – to protect green areas of particular importance to local communities.
- We will abolish the Government Office for London and consider the case for abolishing the remaining Government Offices.
- Support high speed rail.
On the 19 May the new Government also published another document entitled "Building the Big Society" which reiterates some of the planning related measures as outlined in the programme for Government Document - namely:
- the abolition of the Regional Development Agencies and
- to "return decision-making powers on housing and planning to local councils and " radically reform the planning system to give neighbourhoods far more ability to determine the shape of the places in which their inhabitants live."
The details of these proposed measures might be included in a new Bill to be announced on the Queen's speech on Tuesday 25th May.
To view "Building the Big Society document " - click here.
To view the document "The Coalition - Our Programme for Government " click here.
In further announcements, the Government has also confirmed that Grant Shapps is Minister for Local Government and Housing working with the Communities and Local Government's Secretary of State, Eric Pickles.
Bob Neill is also appointed as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at Communities and Local Government. Details of Bob's appointment are yet to be made - but it is widely expected that he will become Planning Minister - given that he was the shadow planning minister and promoter during the election of the necessary changes to the planning system as given in "Open Source Planning Document". To view this document click here.
For further information please contact Mike Straw
