The Planning Bill was given a second reading. The Bill was designed to implement proposals in the planning White Paper designed to streamline and improve the planning regime. It included provisions to introduce a single consents regime for major infrastructure projects, and to improve the town and country planning system. The Bill also included a new statutory planning charge to enable councils to capture greater levels of planning gain to support new infrastructure and housing.
Source: Planning Bill, Department for Communities and Local Government, TSO (0870 600 5522) | House of Commons Hansard, Debate 10 December 2007, columns 25-130, TSO
Links: Text of Bill | Explanatory notes | Hansard | HOC research brief | NHF press release
Date: 2007-Dec
The government published a Planning Bill. The Bill would implement proposals in the planning White Paper designed to streamline and improve the planning regime. It included provisions to introduce a single consents regime for major infrastructure projects, and to improve the town and country planning system. The Bill also included a new statutory planning charge to enable councils to capture greater levels of planning gain to support new infrastructure and housing.
Source: Planning Bill, Department for Communities and Local Government, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Text of Bill | Explanatory notes | DCLG press release | RTPI press release | TCPA press release | CPRE press release | Friends of the Earth press release | CBT press release | CBI press release | BCC press release | BPF press release | FSB press release | Liberal Democrats press release | Guardian report | BBC report | FT report
Date: 2007-Nov
The government published the results of consultation on the housing and planning delivery grant (announced as part of the housing Green Paper in July 2007). The responses were 'mixed'. There was neither outright overall support nor opposition to any of the elements set out: but there was general recognition that a move away from – but building on the success of the planning delivery grant – was appropriate, so long as some form of funding for planning departments continued.
Source: Housing & Planning Delivery Grant: Summary of Responses, Department for Communities and Local Government (0870 1226 236)
Links: Consultation responses
Date: 2007-Oct
The government began consultation on the mechanism for allocating the housing and planning delivery grant, totalling £510 million over the period 2008-2011. The proposed grant would offer extra funding for councils that identified at least five years-worth of good sites ready for housing and a further 10 years-worth for future development.
Source: Housing & Planning Delivery Grant (HPDG): Consultation on Allocation Mechanism, Department for Communities and Local Government (0870 1226 236)
Links: Consultation document | Hansard | DCLG press release | LGA press release | Inside Housing report
Date: 2007-Oct
The government announced that it planned to introduce a Planning Reform Bill. The Bill would be designed to implement the main proposals from the planning White Paper. In particular it would establish a new, separate planning system for major infrastructure projects; and simplify the planning system for minor home improvements.
Source: The Governance of Britain: The Government?s Draft Legislative Programme, Cm 7175, Leader of the House of Commons, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Statement | Hansard | CPRE press release
Date: 2007-Jul
A report summarized the results of research that followed a proposal that local and regional planning should be more responsive to market signals in allocating and releasing land for housing. It was generally recognized that the local planning authority level might not be the most appropriate for assessing housing markets. Housing market areas should be defined at the regional level, in consultation with the districts. It was not possible to use a single indicator of market demand.
Source: Lorraine Hughes et al., Planning for Housing: Market Signals ? Summary of research, Department for Communities and Local Government (web publication only)
Links: Report
Date: 2007-May
The government published its detailed response to a taskforce report which examined ways in which housing and planning burdens on local authorities could be reduced.
Source: Lifting the Burdens Task Force Report on Housing and Planning, February 2007: Government Response to Recommendations, Department for Communities and Local Government (0870 1226 236)
Links: Response
Date: 2007-May
A think-tank report said that there was too little incentive for local communities to permit new housing development. It proposed a radical new solution under which some of the gains from new developments would be returned to local communities, helping to alleviate pressures on the housing market.
Source: Tim Leunig, In My Back Yard: Unlocking the planning system?, CentreForum (020 7340 1160)
Links: Report | CentreForum press release
Date: 2007-Mar
An article said that the most important factor explaining England's housing supply problem was the operation of the land-use planning system. There was considerable doubt as to whether the measures proposed by the Barker Inquiry would be implemented on the requisite scale.
Source: Glen Bramley, 'The sudden rediscovery of housing supply as a key policy challenge', Housing Studies, Volume 22 Number 2
Links: Abstract
Date: 2007-Mar
A report said that clusters of 'mini-new towns' could be the sustainable solution to soaring housing demand - delivering high-quality sustainable homes, public transport, jobs, and retail space.
Source: Best Practice in Urban Extensions and New Settlements, Town and Country Planning Association (020 7930 8903)
Links: Report | TCPA press release
Date: 2007-Mar
An article examined the rationale and principles behind a link between land-use planning and the provision of affordable housing, and the experience in England of using land regulation to achieve housing goals.
Source: Christine Whitehead, 'Planning policies and affordable housing: England as a successful case study?', Housing Studies, Volume 22 Number 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2007-Jan
