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Planning Reform

The Government's planning reform programme includes the 'Planning Act 2008', the 'Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004', changes to secondary legislation, reviews of planning policy guidance and a change in culture for the whole of the planning system.

Planning Act 2008

The Planning Act 2008 was granted Royal Assent on 26 November 2008. It introduces a new streamlined system for decisions on applications to build nationally significant infrastructure planning in England and Wales, alongside further reforms to the town and country planning system and the introduction of a Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL).

The new system for nationally significant infrastructure covers applications for major energy generation, railways, ports, major roads, airports and water and waste infrastructure. National policy will be set out by ministers in a series of National Policy Statements (NPSs). The Act also imposes a new requirement on project promoters to consult affected parties and local communities prior to submitting an application.

A new body, the Infrastructure Planning Commission (IPC), has been established and will examine and decide applications, based on the policy need set out in NPSs.


The Government has now finished consulting on its first tranche of draft NPSs, covering Energy and Ports for public consultation. It is now considering the consultation responses and will publish formal response documents in due course.

Planning for a Sustainable Future: White Paper

The Planning White Paper, published in May 2007, set out the Government's detailed proposals for reform of the planning system, building on Kate Barker's recommendations for improving the speed, responsiveness and efficiency in land use planning, and taking forward Kate Barker's and Rod Eddington's proposals for reform of major infrastructure planning. 

In particular, it laid the foundations for forthcoming changes which included reducing the need for planning permission for minor developments and streamlining the application/appeal process.

Access the document's chapters from the Communities and Local Government website


The Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004

The Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act is a key element of Government's agenda for improving and speeding up the planning system.

The goal of the Act is to give effect to the Government's policy on the reform of the planning system.

 

Sustainable Communities

The principal features of the planning reform agenda were set out in the policy statement (pub. Jul 2002) Sustainable Communities: Delivering through Planning.