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Policy & Legislation
Policy, legislation and guidance produced by the government or its designated bodies. Use adopted sections if you wish to see only policy or legislation in force or emerging sections if you are looking for consultation documents where central government is inviting opinion prior to the implementation of policy or legislation.
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Adopted Policy & Guidance
Here you will find the most recently published government policy and guidance. These are all documents that have been adopted upon publication.
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Changes to planning policy and guidance on the delivery of housing - Wales
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Covid 19 - Relaxation of enforcement where public houses and restaurants offer a takeaway service during the current outbreak - Scottish Government
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Delivery restrictions: Written statement
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Scottish planning and environmental appeals: guidance for reporters
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Coronavirus (COVID-19) - Planning Inspectorate guidance
Adopted Legislation
Locate adopted legislation including Acts of Parliament and Statutory Instruments/Rules.
Consultations & Emerging Policy
Latest consultations and reports on government policy and guidance.
Legislation In Progress
Track the progress of legislation through the Westminster and Scottish Parliaments as well as the Welsh and Northern Ireland Assemblies.
Fresh thinking on the DCP blog
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A textbook example
Every now and then an inspector writes a decision which is quite simply a textbook example of how to approach a particular situation. Here is a good one relating to a log cabin within... -
Causing an obstruction
Class B of Part 2 to Schedule 2 of the GPDO permits the formation, laying out and construction of a means of access to a highway which is not a trunk road or a classified road, where... -
A bit Spartan
Caravan sites can sometimes be a bit Spartan so it was perhaps with this in mind that the owner of a Hampshire caravan park decided to create a new classically styled entrance. In upholding...
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Policy & Legislation News
The implications of delegated and virtual decision-making
Local authorities are looking at using emergency delegated powers and a system of 'virtual' planning committees to allow decision-making to continue during the coronavirus outbreak. But practitioners warn that delegated powers are likely to be suitable for just a limited number of applications, while virtual committees face technical challenges and are likely to limit public participation.
RTPI, BPF and HBF call for ministers to allow English permissions to extend during pandemic
Developers, housebuilders and planners have urged the government to follow Scotland's lead and allow the automatic extensions of planning permissions due to expire during the coronavirus crisis, with the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) describing the move as a "measured and pragmatic approach" in "unprecedented times".
Key Topics
Guidance and legislation documents, news and in-depth coverage of key policy areas.
Briefing Notes
Parliamentary briefing documents on adopted and emerging policy/legislation
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Implementation of the Housing and Planning Act 2016 - Briefing paper
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Housing and Planning Bill: Report on Committee Stage
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Solar Farms: Funding, planning and impacts
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Nationally significant infrastructure projects and housing: briefing note
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Housing and Planning Bill briefing paper published
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Planning for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects: Briefing Paper
Policy & Legislation In Depth
Efforts to keep the system moving through the pandemic are essential, by Richard Garlick
As we went to press, strenuous efforts were being made to keep the planning system moving in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.
Why councils may struggle to meet the government's new local plan deadline
Some practitioners say the government's latest December 2023 deadline for local plan adoption is an ambitious target that, given the slow progress of plan production to date, will be a challenge for many councils to meet. However, other observers say it should be achievable given the timescale.
Need to Know: Planning changes in pipeline to support freeport status
Why is the government proposing to set up freeports in the UK and what changes to planning rules are envisaged to help them function effectively? By Robbie Owen.
The implications of government proposals to speed up planning: The Planning Briefing
We examine measures promised by ministers for the planning White Paper. By David Blackman.
How the coronavirus' impact on development activity might affect councils and applicants
The secondary impact of the coronavirus is economic, prompting fears of a significant hiatus in planning and development activity and what that might mean for planning departments and applicants. In particular, government rules designed to ensure authorities deal with applications promptly and ensure the delivery of housing have the potential to penalise authorities hit by a coronavirus-inspired cut in activity.
What previous experience reveals about the pros and cons of zoning, by Cliff Hague
Robert Jenrick’s recent statement ahead of another planning White Paper flirts with the idea of switching planning in England from a policy-based to a zoning-based system.
How the right to demolish to make way for new homes might work
The government has resurrected its long-standing idea to introduce a new permitted development right to allow office buildings to be demolished and replaced with new homes. Commentators suggest the new right may be implemented via changes to the General Permitted Development Order and could involve the introduction of new lighting standards.
What to expect in Jenrick's speech on planning system changes today
The chancellor yesterday revealed that housing secretary Robert Jenrick would today set out "comprehensive reforms to bring the planning system into the 21st century". What should we expect?
