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| BE AWARE
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THE UK SPATIAL PLANNING SYSTEM |
Planning is a crucial part of delivering the UK Government's policies on SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT and SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES. Indeed, the UK planning system is one of the main delivery agents that will allow us to make a positive difference to the problems of CLIMATE CHANGE and GLOBAL WARMING.
But how can a planning system that was first thought of in the 1930's and remained much the same since the first main Planning Act of 1948 allow for a crucial contribution to be made to the Global environment?
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The issue and implementation of the UK's Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 was not merely an incremental step forward in terms of changes to the UK’s planning system. It represents a great step change – a ‘paradigm shift’ - in the UK’s planning culture and the importance of planning as a delivery tool for more sustainable growth and development. It heralds the beginning of a SUSTAINABLE REVOLUTION in the UK.
The 2004 Act created a whole new planning system called SPATIAL PLANNING.
The Act set up new a forward looking set of planning tools. It created REGIONAL SPATIAL STRATEGIES and LOCAL DEVELOPMEMT FRAMEWORKS, which together now form the DEVELOPMEMT PLAN for each Council area (plus the London Plan in London). The Act also makes sustainable development a specific aim of plan making, which now aims to create and maintain places and communities, not just control land uses and building mass.
SPATIAL PLANNING therefore goes beyond traditional land use planning, in that it brings together and integrates policies for the development and use of land with other policies and programmes that influences developments and communities and how they function.
This is fundamentally different to the old system that looked at development considerations with a more narrow focus – only issues that were material to land use and development were assessed in determining planning applications and other factors were ignored.
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We now have a much broader range of issues that can be considered under the planning system. Issues such as ENERGY USE & CONSERVATION, AIR QUALITY, CO2 EMISSIONS, RENEWABLE ENERGY, WATER CONSERVATION, BIODIVERSITY, QUALITY OF LIFE INDICATORS, HEALTH INDICATORS - as examples – are now considerations that can be material to the determination of a planning application, whereas before the 2004 Act they were not or at best only marginally relevant.
In addition, other policies, strategies and plans such as COMMUNITY STRATEGIES, HEALTH POLICY, and WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT PLANS are seen as an integrated part of the SPATIAL PLANNING SYSTEM, where before they were not.
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| THE NEW UK SPATIAL PLANS |
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New style SPATIAL PLANS should:
- Consider the needs and problems of communities and relate these to the development of land.
- Seek to integrate development and regeneration aims with other strategies and programmes.
This new planning system has as its core aim to achieve SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT and SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES. These are two concepts that are highly complex and a planning system that can address the myriad of issues to be addressed is therefore needed.
Thus, the SPATIAL PLANNING SYSTEM is more environmentally ‘watertight’ than the previous approach to planning – that is, it brings together a complex matrix of social, physical and economic factors and assesses, monitors and reviews these into a truly comprehensive sustainable policy framework…. Hence, the SUSTAINABLE REVOLUTION is with us…
The question now is: HOW WILL THE SPATIAL PLANNING SYSTEM BE DELIVERED? See below for more!!!
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| NEW PLANNING DELIVERY METHODS |
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The Planning & Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 set into place a new development plan making system that has SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT as its core objective.
Under the new SPATIAL PLANNING SYSTEM, UK Planning Authorities need to not only ensure that development plans are kept up to date, they need to produce plans that are sustainable, with annual ongoing sustainability appraisals being put in place.
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The 2004 Act created a whole new system for creating and delivering SPATIAL PLANS and SPATIAL POLICIES at different levels, as follows:
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AT GOVERNMENT LEVEL - Planning Policy Statements (PPS’s) and sustainability related strategy regulations and guidance. This forms the overarching framework for emerging planning policy. Also new regulatory requirements such as that for DESIGN & ACCESS STATEMENTS and new requirements for OUTLINE PLANNING PERMISSIONS herald in profound changes that will improve the overall system and quality of development.
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AT REGIONAL LEVEL: Regional Spatial Strategies (RSS’s) and in London, the London Plan. These will translate national policy into regional guidance.
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AT LOCAL LEVEL: Local Development Frameworks (LDF’s) will contain a suite of development documents to guide all development so that it is community beneficial, sustainable and of the highest standards of design. These include a Statement of Community Involvement, Local Development Documents. Supplementary Planning Documents and site specific proposals. Local Strategic Partnerships and Sustainable Community Strategies are additional tools that are seen as part of the Spatial Planning Framework. LSP’s and CSC’s will be produced by local authorities and will assist in informing and supporting spatial planning policies.
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| FUNDAMENTAL CHANGES... |
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The changes brought about by the introduction of the new SPATIAL PLANNING SYSTEM are very great and very fundamental. At a stroke, all County Structure Plans, Local Plans, District Plans, and existing regional guidance will be made obsolete and replaced with the above mentioned policy framework.
We now have modern, forward looking planning system that is focused on sustainable community development, place shaping and creating high quality environments, buildings and spaces, all within the crucial objective to sustainably use the Earth’s resources.
It is worth noting that the DEFINITION OF THE DEVELOPMENT PLAN HAS CHANGED . It now includes both the LDF and RSS for each Council area, and the London Plan in London.
Planning applications must therefore have full regard to a much wider set of policies, and it is our firm advice that all development schemes should have an integrated planning and sustainability approach…with a high level of advice occurring from scheme inception stage onwards
ENABLING PROJECTS provides both PLANNING CONSULTANCY and SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT RELATED services. We do hope that you will take time to see these links.
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| BEST PRACTICE EXAMPLES... |
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There is a huge amount on CLIMATE CHANGE that can be done at local level. The Planning System can (and will) make a major contribution as it has the advantage that LOCAL DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORKS are made at local level, with much public consultation and community scrutiny.
Thus, together with other Council weapons in tackling climate change, UK wide sustainable planning policy and guidance on sustainable design and construction are being developed by Councils. There are already some excellent BEST PRACTICE EXAMPLES, which indicate just what will be happening in our communities in coming years:
The LONDON BOROUGH OF ENFIELD has specified water efficiency measures in new developments that has saved the borough more than 4 million litres of water in the first year alone.
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SHROPSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL has reduced corporate emissions of carbon dioxide in its areas by around 40%
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WOKING BOROUGH COUNCIL has reduced emissions by more than 70% compared to 1990 levels.
Local sustainable policy and action so far differs markedly from area to area - so there is a need for cohesion, coordination and integration between the new guidance across all Council areas. But this issue will be addressed as Council sustainable policy and guidance is developed UK wide. It is an exciting time for all those in the planning and property sectors!!!
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Please give us FEEDBACK on our Sustainable Development web pages - any comments/additions are welcome!!! Also, if you have a Sustainable Development related website, would you like to LINK to us? Note: CLICK ON photos for links to other pages.
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We hope that you enjoy our 'BE AWARE OF:' series of articles on Climate Change, Sustainable Development and the Spatial Planning System. The full list of BE AWARE OF: articles is:
CLIMATE CHANGE AND THE SUSTAINABLE REVOLUTION
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT & SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES: A DEFINITION
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: A MORE ACADEMIC DEFINITION
7 KEY CONCEPTS FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE
THE UK SPATIAL PLANNING SYSTEM
NEW REQUIREMENTS FOR PLANNING APPLICATIONS
ENERGY, CO2 EMISSIONS & PLANNING APPLICATIONS
COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION & PLANNING APPLICATIONS
DESIGN AND ACCESS STATEMENTS
Please also see our SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT SERVICES
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ENABLING PROJECTS is actively involved in applying SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT and SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES planning policy, through their wide range of planning and development work. We do hope that you will fully browse this website, possibly starting with the links below, and then CONTACT us for further in information. |
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PLANNING CONSULTANCY SERVICES
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT SERVICES
TRACK RECORD
SITE MAP
QUICK CONTACT
HOME PAGE
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KEYWORD ZONE: Community, community organisations, community growth, sustainable community strategies, community sustainability, sustainable development, sustainable communities, sustainable construction, sustainable design, green design, planning guidance, design guidance, Local Development Framework, Regional Spatial Strategy, Spatial Planning, London Plan, GLA, local plan, development plan, Planning Act, PPS, PPG, RSS, LDF, community consultations, community participation, Statement of Community Involvement, development documents, carbon dioxide emissions, carbon nil developments, energy assessments, eco homes, eco homes assessments, design and access statements, planning statements, impact statements, planning application, planning permission, planning submissions, planning negotiations.
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