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An Introduction to the Planning Background The Rural White Paper in 2000 set out the Government’s intention to encourage parish and town councils to take greater responsibility for running their own affairs and influencing and shaping the future development of their communities, through the preparation of parish and town plans. The design and land use aspects of these plans could be adopted as supplementary planning guidance and would have a real role in influencing and helping to guide planning decisions. The Rural White Paper also stated that the Government could examine the role of more locally based plans in the planning system. The Government’s planning policy statement (July 2002) indicated that there would be greater scope for positive community engagement at the local level in a reformed planning system. Informing and influencing planning at the local level Parish and Town Plans currently have no legal or formal status in the town and country planning system. But the information set out in a Parish Plan has great potential to add to and compliment to local development plan, and so has an important role in informing and influencing formal planning processes. The information set out in a Parish or Town Plan can be of benefit in two main ways:
A Parish or Town Plan can do this by:
A Parish or Town Plan will help your community play a more active role in the future planning and development of your town. In England there is currently a hierarchy of planning policy, guidance and plans, from national to the local level. A summary of who does what at each level is set out below. Central Government – The Deputy Prime Minister became Secretary of State and took over the responsibility for planning in 2002. Government is implementing wide-ranging reforms to the planning system that will include changes to the structure of the current development plan system. The details of these changes is still under development but is expected to be phased in form April 2004. Further details can be found on the Planning Portal www.planningportal.gov.uk Planning legislation is rooted in many different Acts of Parliament. Central Government gives further advice and guidance to planning authorities and other statutory agencies through planning policy guidance (PPGs) and regional planning guidance (RPSs). At regional level – regional planning guidance is produced by the regional planning body or elected assembly, and after public examination is approved (sometimes amended) by the Deputy Prime Minister. Regional planning guidance then informs County Structure Plans and Unitary Development Plans. At county level – County Councils are currently responsible for producing county structure plans that apply the regional planning guidance and set out broad policies for development across the county. They are also responsible for preparing county minerals and waste plans. Unitary authorities have a similar function. The county structure plan or the unitary development plan will set out the strategy for development, including targets for borough and district councils and unitary authorise for numbers of houses and areas of employment land required over the period of the plan, usually ten years. Borough and district councils develop the strategy set out in the county structure plan and produce a local development plan which provides a more detailed policy framework and sets out amount other issues, where housing and employment development should take place, where land should be made available for recreational and amenity purposes and where special polices towards conservation or regeneration might apply. The borough, district or unitary authority is responsible for making decisions on planning applications. These must be in accordance with the development plan. Parish and town councils are usually consulted on planning applications an may make observations and recommendations on proposed developments. Some parish and town councils have prepared village design statements. These are documents that describe the characteristics and qualities that local people value in their village and its surroundings. They set out clear and simple guidance for the design of all development in the village. They do not have any legal status, but, if adopted by the local planning authority as supplementary planning guidance, they add weight and local detail to the development plan and can have a significant role in influencing planning decisions.
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