Agenda item

Councillor Robert Benham, Cabinet Member for Community Empowerment, introduced the report

The report explained that the Government had published its draft National Planning Policy Framework to set out its intended planning policies to deliver economic growth and new homes.  The draft Framework was considerably more concise than the existing documents it would replace and reduced some 1000 pages of policy to less than 60 pages.

The Government viewed planning as delivering sustainable development and wants the planning system to help deliver positive growth. The Framework provided the opportunity for people and communities to be involved in planning and was a key part of its wider ‘localism’ agenda. It addressed planning for prosperity, people and places. The Framework maintained the overall policy approach of many well understood and supported policies including safeguarding the Green Belt.

The report highlighted the key features of the draft Framework and what it could mean for Havering in terms of its plan making and development management roles.

It was suggested that the broad thrust of the Framework could be supported and that the focus on economic growth can be welcomed as this will complement the Council's own priorities.

However, it was noted within the report, and in an Appendix to the report, that there were key concerns about aspects of the draft Framework which should be addressed by Government before it was published.  These included issues such as:

• the need for clarity and consistency on the definition of ‘sustainable development’;
• the importance of environmental and other sustainability considerations not being over-ridden in the priority afforded to economic growth;
• more information being needed on how the new system would be introduced,
• clarity needed on the respective roles of Local and Neighbourhood Plans and how and when the community may be involved in the latter, and
• the importance of local interests and priorities being properly taken account of in planning decisions.

The report also highlighted concern that the draft Framework failed to address the particular circumstances of planning in London where the Mayor’s London Plan was a key part of the planning system for all boroughs, and where some issues specific to London (such as housing land availability) were unique and particular.

The report identified that recent planning guidance from the Government (for example, that on heritage matters) was so slimmed down in the draft Framework that authorities had to prepare local advice to supplement the Framework. It was noted that ‘culture’ was identified as a theme where the Framework required further work if it was to help address quality of life issues properly.

The report included a recommendation to the Council’s Regulatory Services Committee about how the draft Framework should be used in the determination of planning applications. The report noted in this regard that in specific circumstances, it should be afforded weight taking into account the need to secure economic growth providing proposals did not have unacceptable adverse social or environmental impacts.

Reasons for the decision :

To ensure that Havering’s views on the draft National Planning Policy Framework were taken into account by the Government when it finalised the Framework.

Other options considered :

The National Planning Policy Framework sets out the Government’s planning policies and, importantly,  also sets out very clearly how ‘planning’ should take place to best deliver economic growth.

As such, it would provide a context for the Council’s own planning and regeneration policies and programmes and the assessment of development proposals. It was important that Havering respond to the consultation on the draft Framework and that the option of not responding had been discounted

Members welcomed the report and the proposed reduction in bureaucracy that the new Framework would bring. Members noted with caution however that the new framework lacked clarity in issues such as the Local Neighbourhood Plan and local green space.

Cabinet AGREED:

1.                  To welcome the overall approach set out in the draft National Planning Policy Framework ;

2.                  To agree that the comments in Section 4 of the report (paras. 64 -147) and Appendix 1 to the report be submitted as the Council’s response to the draft Framework ;

3.         To recommend to the Regulatory Services Committee that the draft National Planning Policy Framework be afforded weight, in particular when schemes did not accord with the Havering Local Development Framework or the Local Plan was silent (ie. indeterminate) provided development would not have unacceptable adverse social or environmental impacts.