01/02 - The Town and Country Planning (Residential Density) (London and South East England) Direction 2002

This circular is now cancelled.

It has been replaced by  ODPM Circular 01/2005.

This direction, promulgated through a circular, gives effect to the Deputy Prime Minister's announcement on 18 July 2002 that he would intervene in planning applications for housing that involve a density of less than 30 dwellings per hectare net.

It follows from Planning Policy Guidance Note 3, Housing (PPG 3) issued in March 2000, which gives priority to the re-use of previously developed land, bringing empty homes into use and converting existing buildings, in preference to using greenfield sites.

It expects local planning authorities to avoid housing developments which make inefficient use of land. It encourages densities of between 30 and 50 dwellings per hectare net and seeks greater intensity of development at places with good public transport access.

In the South East the government has made clear that it expects housing numbers agreed in regional planning guidance to be delivered, using brownfield land and higher densities.

The direction explains the kind of planning applications to which it applies, particularly that the site in question must be of one hectare or more and that the proposed density has to be below 30 per hectare before the Secretary of state will intervene. It also explains how the net land area should be calculated.

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