Planning abusers targeted with new regulation

Planning abusers targeted with new regulation



The Government has proposed new measures in order to protect the countryside and the green belt from planning system abuse….


 The Government has proposed new measures in order to protect the countryside and the green belt from planning system abuse.

Brandon Lewis, Housing Minister, announced new proposals this week to tackle travellers who “flout planning rules and abuse the system”, after ministers have become worried that its traveller planning policy is not providing fairness or “sufficient protection” within the planning system.
The increasing problem comes from a small minority of travellers who are disregarding planning rules already set in place.
Lewis argues that there was a four-fold increase in unauthorised caravans between 2000 and 2009, where the minister hopes his new proposals will help those ignoring the rules, will not “benefit” from the protection it offers.
The National Planning Policy Framework has planned that once the rules are in place, local authorities can only alter Green Belt boundaries under “exceptional circumstances”.
Paragraph 23 of the Planning Policy has been proposed to be changed to “Local planning authorities should very strictly limit new traveller site development in open countryside,” in order to reinforce the importance of the “beauty of the countryside”.
Commenting on the new measures, Brandon said: “We will not sit back and allow people who bypass the law to then benefit from the protection it can offer.
“We have already strengthened the powers that councils have to enforce planning rules and take action against breaches which fuel community tensions. This will not only tackle the abuse of the system but prevent long drawn-out cases like Dale Farm.”
He added: “Today’s proposed measures go even further, and would end the perverse incentive for councils not to act when travellers ignore planning rules and set up unauthorised sites.”
The problem highlighted in the proposals was that local authorities were faced with extensive costs (including costs of bailiffs and police action in some cases) and having to take early enforcement actions.
Under the new rules, councils who are put in this situation are “simply required to plan to provide sites for the numbers of travellers they could reasonably expect.” The definition of travellers within planning law will also be amended.
It was also proposed that green belt areas were to be further protected against “inappropriate” developments, which includes reducing temporary permission granting circumstances and making sure traveller sites are treated the same as bricks-and-mortar housing when relating to the green belt policy. The measures have stated that “councils should very strictly limit new traveller sites in open countryside.”
After the consultation, a summary of responses are expected, including the Government’s own.
See our latest coverage of the Resi conference to see some opinions on the subject. 


1 Comments

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    Daveigh

    Wow! Great thkniing! JK

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