Planning Policy Changes 2022

In September, new housing secretary Michael Gove said he would “pause” the government’s proposed planning changes for review.

Photo by Paul Hanaoka on Unsplash



Matters being considered further include the following;

Indications suggest the government will replace section 106 planning gain agreements with “locally set” levies. They are looking for a means whereby the public purse captures a bigger proportion of the uplift in land value generated by a planning permission.

The impact of permitted development (PD), including its lack of contribution to planning gain, will be considered as part of the planning system review.

White paper proposals for binding local housing targets and automatic outline permissions for development in areas defined in local plans as “growth areas” would be dropped.

The government is committed to the planning system supporting the UK’s commitment to bring all greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050.

A policy idea tipped to feature is the concept of “street votes” and the government wants to review the way that the system “calls for sites” from landowners and others at the start of the plan-making process, as well as obstacles to development of “later living homes”. Ministers are also said to be interested in “nature recovery zones” in which rewilding would be encouraged.

The Environment Bill was granted royal assent on 9 November. It includes measures that will, two years on, introduce a legal requirement for developments to deliver a ten per cent net gain in biodiversity.

The Govt. will look to partly aim to “level up” through changes to the government’s method of assessing housing need that would shift more new development towards the North and Midlands.

Expect updates to ‘national policy statements’ (NPSs) for major energy infrastructure projects, including those relating to fossil fuels; renewable energy; oil and gas supply and storage; and electricity networks; as well as an overarching energy NPS.

The Govt. will continue to keep PD rights under review.

Updated planning practice guidance (PPG) is expected on flood risk.

The government is reviewing the “appropriateness” of planning guidance relating to the freight sector. The statement said that the government was updating Highways Circular 02/2013 “to reflect the importance of providing logistics and freight”.