Progress with development plan documents: Lessons learnt in England

Journal of Planning and Environment Law

Volumn , Issue 3, 2008, Pages 265-274

  Wood, Colin ^a  

^a BIRMINGHAM CITY UNIVERSITY   (United Kingdom)

Author keywords

Development plan documents; Local planning authorities; Planning authorities' powers and duties

Indexed keywords

DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY; LOCAL PARTICIPATION; LOCAL PLANNING; POLICY IMPLEMENTATION; POLICY MAKING;

ENGLAND; EURASIA; EUROPE; UNITED KINGDOM; WESTERN EUROPE;

EID: 40249120086     PISSN: 03074870     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: None     Document Type: Article

References (28)

1. Senior Lecturer, School of Property, Construction & Planning, Birmingham City University, colin.woodβcu.ac.uk.
2. The author is deeply indebted to officers at the Planning Inspectorate and at the district councils of Chichester, Lichfield, Restormel, Ryedale, Stafford, Teignbridge and Windsor & Maidenhead for supplying much of the information on which this paper is based, and for commenting on earlier drafts of this paper. At the same time, the responsibility for analysis, interpretation and conclusions rests with him.
3. DTLR, Planning: Delivering a fundamental change, the Planning Green Paper (HMSO, 2001).
4. DETR, Preparing Community Strategies: Government Guidance to Local Authorities, Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions (London: HMSO, December 8, 2000).
5. ODPM, Creating Local Development Frameworks: A Companion guide to FPS 12 (London: HMSO, 2004), p.8
6. Royal Town Planning Institute, Shaping and Delivering Tomorrow's Places: Effective Practice in Spatial Planning (London: RTPI, April 2007), p.52.
7. See Boyle, C., "Inspectors' Changes to Development Plan Documents: Exploding some Myths" [2007] J.P.E.L. 1423.
8. Planning Policy Statement 12: Local Development Frameworks (London: The Stationery Office, 2004), p.40.
9. CLG, Housing, Planning Policy Statement 3 (London: Communities & Local Government, November 2006).
10. Cullingworth and Nadin report that a three-year target was set for the submission of the 1947 development plans, but only 22 out of 145 planning authorities met this, see Cullingworth, J.B. and Nadin, V., Town & Country Planning in the UK, 14th edn (London: Routledge, 2006), p.109.
11. The first structure plan cycle under the 1968 Act took 14 years to complete, see Cullingworth, J.B. and Nadin, V. (2006), Town & Country Planning in the UK, 14th edn (London: Routledge, 2006), p.111.
12. Attempts to speed up the system in 1991 were thwarted in part by local government reorganisation between 1994 and 1997, see Cullingworth, J.B. and Nadin, V. (2006), Town & Country Planning in the UK, 14th edn (London: Routledge, 2006), p.113.
13. See also DoE, "Speeding up the delivery of local plans and UDPs", Report on the Review of Development Plans (Local Plans and UDPs) April-September 1996 (London: HMSO, December 1996);
14. and DoE, "Speeding up the delivery of local plans and UDPs", Consultation Paper (London: HMSO, January 1997).
15. Ford emphasises the problems of sequencing DPDs and of submitting "hybrid" plans, see Ford, R., "How to Solve a Problem Like...LDFs" [2007] J.P.E.L. 6.
16. Ford also assesses issues to do with the level of detail required in core strategies, see Ford, R., "How to Solve a Problem Like...LDFs" [2007] J.P.E.L. 6.
17. The pitfalls of cross-referencing are highlighted by Ford, who points out that "cross-references in the core strategy are inherently difficult as they refer to policies and text in subsequent DPDs which may or may not be altered, deleted or re-ordered...". See Ford, R., "How to Solve a Problem Like...LDFs" [2007] J.P.E.L. 6.
18. HM Treasury, "Meeting the aspirations of the British people", 2007 Pre-Budget Report and Comprehensive Spending Review, Presented to Parliament by the Chancellor of the Exchequer by Command of Her Majesty, Cm.7227 (London: The Stationery Office, October 2007).
19. The Planning Inspectorate, Local Development Frameworks: Lessons Learnt Examining Development Plan Documents, June 2007.
20. Royal Town Planning Institute, Shaping and Delivering Tomorrow's Places: Effective Practice in Spatial Planning (London: RTPI, April 2007).
21. This point is emphasised by PPS 12, para.2.9, and by the PINS report, p.7.
22. Letter from Cllr Alan Connect to Rt Hon. Hazel Blears M.P., "Teignbridge District Council Core Strategy Development Plan Document Local development Framework (LDF)", October 19, 2007. Copy of letter supplied to author by the District Council.
23. Press Release, Chichester DC, "New Plan For Chichester District To Be Withdrawn", available at www.chichester.gov.uk/ index.cfm?articleid=5778, accessed on October 23, 2007.
24. Joint Press Statement by Neil Roberts (Lichfield) and Doug Davis (Stafford), August 8, 2006.
25. Stafford BC, Special Planning and Regeneration Scrutiny Committee, September 14, 2006, item 1.6.
26. See Boyle, C., "Inspectors' Changes to Development Plan Documents: Exploding some Myths" [2007] J.P.E.L. 1423, in which he deals comprehensively with inspectors' room for manoeuvre in making changes to DPDs following public examination.
27. This now seems to be recognised in government circles, with changes proposed to local development frameworks to ensure more flexibility about the number and type of plans and how they are produced, see Cm.7120, "Planning for a Sustainable Future", Planning White Paper, May 2007, Ch.8.
28. Since this paper was first drafted the consultation paper on LDFs has also been published, CLG, "Streamlining Local Development Frameworks: Consultation", November 27, 2007.