Accessible Retail (AR), the out-of-town trade body, is calling for changes to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) in order to protect retail jobs and make sure retailers have a commercially sustainable trading future.
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The government has launched a consultation on a proposed national design code for buildings in England.
The publication of the draft code is the latest step in Whitehall’s far-reaching shake-up of England’s planning system, which is expected to see all local authorities required to divide up their jurisdiction into defined areas for growth, renewal or protection. As part of this goal, authorities must set out local plans for development, drawn up with community involvement, that include local design codes.
The draft national code provides a model for how local authorities should tackle their design oversight role under the new regime, offering a checklist focused on topics such as street character, wellbeing and environmental impact.
Representatives from councils in the home counties have vented frustration over the challenges they are facing in delivering government housing numbers to two senior Whitehall officials, the week after many had their planning powers curtailed after failing to meet their targets.
The 2020 housing delivery test results announced earlier this month show that 55 councils are now subject to the National Planning Policy Framework s presumption in favour of sustainable development as a result of failing to meet a new target requiring councils to ensure 75% of the homes required in their area over the past three years had been built.
Of those 42 (76%) were in London and the home counties with five councils - Havering LBC, North Hertfordshire DC and Eastbourne, Epsom and Ewell and Southend-on-Sea BCs - seeing less than 45% of the required homes built in their areas.
Central ‘Office for Place’ to steer work on local design codes
The Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government is to set up a new ‘office for place’ to help communities develop design codes for all new developments in their areas.
Building on proposals put forwards in its planning white paper, MHCLG has confirmed it will create an office for place within the next year in order to support local communities to turn their local design codes into the standard for all new buildings in their area.
The government’s ambition is that every council will produce a local design code and guide which it claims will give residents have a “real say” in the design of new developments in their area. Despite the legislation for the planning white paper not being expected to be brought forward until the Autumn, the ministry is already encouraging all councils to publish their design codes.
Consultation description
This consultation seeks views on draft revisions to the National Planning Policy Framework. The text has been revised to implement policy changes in response to the Building Better Building Beautiful Commission “Living with Beauty” report.
A number of other changes to the text of the Framework are also set out and explained in this consultation document, but we are not proposing a review of the National Planning Policy Framework in its entirety at this stage. A fuller review of the Framework is likely to be required in due course, depending on the implementation of the government’s proposals for wider reform of the planning system.