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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.
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.
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25 Year Environment Plan Progress Report - January 2018 to March 2019
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Independent Review of Planning Appeal Inquiries - Action Plan
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Draft National Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management Strategy for England
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Government response to consultation on Planning Reform: Supporting the high street and increasing the delivery of new homes
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Time for a strategy for the rural economy
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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Making assumptions
Assume: To make an ass out of u and me. The DCP Blog was a little perturbed to find the following in a recent appeal decision relating to the refusal of planning permission for five... -
Electric avenue
Although the inspector in this case (DCS Number 400-021-871 ) was unconvinced, we thought that the idea of promoting the use of electric cars to address concerns about vehicle noise... -
Toys out of the pram 2
In Toys out of the pram we gave an account of an appeal case in which the council had refused to discharge pre-commencement conditions on the grounds that development had already commenced...
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Policy & Legislation News
Q&A: Independent inquiries review chair Bridget Rosewell on the PINS action plan
Planning spoke to independent inquiries review chair Bridget Rosewell about the new Planning Inspectorate (PINS) action plan.
SuDS changes delayed by Brexit workload, progress report reveals
Policy changes intended to lead to more sustainable urban drainage systems (SuDS) being put in place have been delayed due to resources being re-prioritised to aid Brexit preparations, the government has revealed.
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
Policy Summary: Government updates guidance on Planning Inspectorate fees for major infrastructure applications
POLICY: Planning Act 2008: Infrastructure Planning (Fees) Regulations 2010.
Policy Summary: Scottish Government's draft new powers for councils to regulate short-term lets
POLICY: Short-Term Lets: Consultation on a Regulatory Framework for Scotland.
Briefing: How can planners address the need to improve health and wellbeing?
Strategies and assessments are key tools for planning for health, but could be used by more local authorities, Michael Chang suggests.
How the planning system is differentiating between types of older people's housing
Observers say councils and inspectors are inconsistent in their approach to extra care retirement housing, sometimes treating it as regular housing and other times as care homes.
What growing political controversy over permitted development rights mean for the future prospects of the policy
In the wake of Labour's announcement that it will axe permitted development rights allowing offices to be converted into homes, observers say they expect ministers to introduce new restrictions on such rights to appease growing concerns.
Policy Summary: Scottish Government consultation on environmental principles post-Brexit
POLICY: Environmental principles and governance after Brexit: consultation.
How funding new school places has become a national planning priority
New guidance from the Department for Education reinforces the message in recent planning guidance revisions that new school places necessitated by development should be funded through developer contributions. Commentators have expressed concerns that the planning system is being asked to resource too many competing priorities.
Why Harlow wants to stop office-to-residential conversions
Permitted developent rights are bringing problems to the town, says the council. But it argues that there is little it can do.
