Perhaps its best proposal is its simplest: allowing councils to set their own application fees to reflect the costs of processing and determining applications. Despite horror stories of waste at local authorities, the fact is that planning departments are woefully underfunded. It is difficult to imagine recruiting, training or retaining planning officers of sufficient quality if they are not even being paid properly!
Away from legislation, equally significant changes are being made to planning through the green belt.
The green belt was created in 1947 to prevent urban sprawl and preserve the countryside: it’s generally regarded as a success. But development in the green belt is notoriously difficult to achieve because it requires ‘very special circumstances’ - a test that often can’t be met. As demand for housing grows, this sterilising effect can have perverse consequences. Land having negative landscape value or which hosts defunct industrial uses sits anomalously –neither beautiful nor productive.
Meanwhile, demand for housing continues to spiral. In this context, policy guidance is a powerful tool. The latest rewrite of the National Planning Policy Framework introduces the concept of ‘grey belt’. Not a belt, in fact – just the name given to sites within the green belt that make no special contribution to the green belt – to be treated accordingly.
Tunbridge Wells lies at one of the southernmost extremities of England’s green belt. There are many sites within that area which may, as a result of ‘grey belt’, emerge as likely development sites.
With expertise in commercial property, planning law and construction law, CooperBurnett are experts in legal aspects of redevelopment and can assist landowners and developers with their projects.
If you wish to discuss this further, please do not hesitate to contact Oliver Bussell by email: opb@cooperburnett.com or tel: 01892 515022
This blog is not intended as legal advice that can be relied upon and CooperBurnett LLP does not accept any responsibility for the accuracy of its contents.
This blog was originally published in the Tunbridge Wells Business Magazine: www.twbusinessmagazine.com
