Nick Wood-Dow chaired Westminster Briefing on Localism Bill

Chelgate's deputy chairman Nick Wood-Dow today chaired a Westminster
Briefing conference on the future of planning and development in light
of the Localism Bill, which cleared its final stages in Parliament only
this week.The conference brought together local authority planning
officers, councillors, civil servants, and developers to discuss the
kinds of changes that the new Bill will make to the local planning and
development system.

 

Speakers alongside Nick included Hugh Roberts from planning and urban
design consultancy Colin Buchanan Associates, Cllrs Nick Cuff from LB
Wandsworth and Ray Sutton from North East Lincolnshire, and civil
servant Steve Woolley from the Department of Communities and Local
Government.

 

The Localism Bill abolished regional strategies (except for London), and
introduces a new level of neighbourhood planning, bringing the planning
system closer to the people affected by development.

 

The Bill allows parish councils or Neighbourhood Forums to produce their
own plans for their area.These can be specific or general, but must be
consistent with national policy and the Local Plan if one exists, and
will have to be examined by an independent inspector.The Government is
currently funding 126 pilot plans, plus eight more in business-led
communities; an impact assessment published by the DCLG suggested that
there are more than 4000 neighbourhoods expected to produce a
neighbourhood plan in the policy's first eleven years.

 

The Localism Bill also demands that developers do their consultation
before submitting a planning application, and that applications which
involve local people in their design will be treated more favourably.

 

Nick said: "It was enlightening to get together with a range of experts
on how the Localism Bill will change the planning environment.This bill
and its associated regulations will make real changes to how developers
and planners do business in this country.There will have to be a real
focus on creating strong working partnerships across the sector to
create effective plans and to deliver sustainable development and
infrastructure improvements."

 

For information on how Chelgate can help your business adapt to the new
Localism agenda, contact us here.