Weekly planning news
Planning news - 19 September 2024
Grey belt inquiry launched
The House of Lords Built Environment Committee has opened an inquiry to gain a better understanding of ‘grey belt’ - a facet of proposed changes to the National Planning Policy Framework which government is currently consulting on.
According to an article published on the ‘committees’ section of the UK parliament website, the inquiry will seek to ‘gain a better understanding of what Grey Belt land is, how it can contribute to housing targets and what sustainable Grey Belt development looks like.’
The inquiry will also examine the ‘golden rules’ that Labour has spoken about extensively, both in the run up to the election and after, which indicate a set of non-negotiable conditions for grey belt land release. A notable aspect of these rules hinges on the delivery of ‘affordable’ housing.
The inquiry asks a broad range of grey-belt related questions, including calling for opinions on the clarity of the government’s specification of land which makes a ‘limited contribution’ to the grey belt.
It also asks for opinions on whether ‘grey belt’ will help facilitate necessary housebuilding, whether the proposals provide local authorities with adequate flexibility to meet housing targets and community needs, and whether there are sufficient proposed provisions to protect higher-quality green belt land.
The inquiry is asking for input from a ‘broad range’ of stakeholders.
You can find a full list of the questions and submit your responses here.1
High court blocks deep coal mine plan
The High Court has delivered a landmark ruling rejecting plans for the UK’s first new deep coal mine in 30 years. The ruling emphasises that environmental considerations are set to continue playing a huge role in decisions on major national infrastructure.
Set to be built in Cumbria, the coal mine initially gained approval in 2022 from former Secretary of State Michael Gove. He had found that the economic benefits of the project outweighed the environmental impact, however two legal challenges were launched against the decision, both by South Lakes Action on Climate Change and Friends of the Earth.
Justice Holgate ruled the permission should be quashed, based primarily on the precedent set earlier this year in an oil drilling case, which ruled that the downstream environmental impacts of the development should be considered. The decision aligns with growing recognition of environmental consequences that accompany national development, underscoring a national commitment to addressing climate change.
West Cumbria Mining now has the option to either withdraw its application or submit it for reconsideration by Housing Secretary Angela Rayner, who would review the project considering the court's ruling.
If you are interested in learning more about current sustainability measures and legislation affecting the built environment industries,
Town rejects neighbourhood plan over greenbelt development fears
65% of voters rejected Beaconsfield’s neighbourhood plan in a recent referendum, following a campaign which focused on concerns over greenbelt development.
One group who campaigned for a ‘no’ vote responded that they now anticipated a ‘better’ development plan for the area, including ‘added landscape protections’. In a statement released prior to the date of the vote, they claimed that Beaconsfield had not included the same green-space protections as other nearby locations had.
Among other changes to National Planning Policy Framework, government are currently consulting on proposed updates to greenbelt policy to accommodate new ‘grey belt’ designation. The suggestion is that these changes will free up more land to help deliver essential housing development, but the proposals have been met with mixed feedback.
You can read more about this story on Planning Resource. 2
Chief Planner’s newsletter published
The latest Chief Planner’s newsletter was published on 13 September, outlining key developments and priorities for the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (MHCLG).
A key focus in the letter was on the initiative, which aims to speed up housing delivery across the country.
TerraQuest and Planning Portal’s inaugural Market Index Report3 revealed that over one third of homes with planning permission since 2015 have not been built.
As part of the research stage of the Accelerator programme, the government’s call for sites is now open, urging stakeholders to submit information about major housing developments moving through the planning stages.
The Chief Planner’s newsletter also emphasised the Minister of State Matthew Pennycook’s letter to the Chief Executive of the Planning Inspectorate on 30 July, which called for renewed emphasis on ‘pragmatism’ during local plan examinations.
Historic England has also released new advice on adapting historic buildings to improve energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions. To support this guidance, a suite of online learning resources and training sessions—both virtual and in-person—will be made available to professionals in the sector.
You can read the full Chief Planner’s newsletter here.4
- https://committees.parliament.uk/work/8503/the-grey-belt/news/202701/grey-belt-inquiry-launched-by-the-built-environment-committee
- https://www.planningresource.co.uk/article/1888244/town-overwhelmingly-rejects-neighbourhood-plan-referendum-green-belt-fears-raised
- https://ecab.planningportal.co.uk/uploads/The_Planning_Portal_Application_Index_Report.pdf
- https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/66e7fab0f8082e9740881b21/Chief_Planners_Newsletter_September_2024.pdf
