Today, Planning Minister Nick Boles launched the final version of the on-line National Planning Practice Guidance. You can find his statement, which has a link to the guidance itself, here.
This marks a significant milestone, not only for the implementation of the National Planning Policy Framework, but in my own professional life: for about 18 months I’ve been part of a small group of planning practitioners, chaired by Lord Matthew Taylor, which has been advising the Department of Communities and Local Government (DCLG) on the guidance.
The final wording of the guidance, though, rests in the minister’s hands, and this is the first time I’ve seen it in its entirety.
The RSPB commented on 19 different topic areas, from ‘appeals’ to ‘water supply’, but of course the ‘natural environment’ topic is of particular interest. It will take us some time to work through each area, but it’s particularly pleasing to see already that DCLG has listened to many of our comments about biodiversity.
For example, given the current debate about biodiversity offsetting, I’m pleased that the guidance emphasises the importance of the mitigation hierarchy (first avoid harm to biodiversity, then mitigate, and as a last resort compensate), and that if you can’t satisfy the requirements of the mitigation hierarchy, you should refuse planning permission.
There was a great example of this on last night’s Permission Impossible: Britain's Planners on BBC2, where local planners listened to their ecologist’s advice and refused permission for a housing development on the beautiful and wildlife-rich Rodborough Fields in Stroud.
It’s also good to see, although I haven’t checked out the details yet, the minister talking about robust guidance on flood risk and the importance of bringing brownfield land into use (always remembering, as the guidance itself makes clear, that brownfield land can have a high ecological value).
My work on the guidance review has now formally ended, but as I’ve noted before, the issue now is Defra’s own guidance review. Although today’s announcement sweeps away a lot of old guidance, a key piece of biodiversity guidance for planners - ODPM Circular 06/2005 Biodiversity and geological conservation – statutory obligations and their impact within the planning system – is still extant and available here. We’ve been unimpressed by some of Defra’s new guidance so far. It is essential that Defra produces guidance which is fit for purpose, to ensure that protected wildlife and species are dealt with properly in the planning system.
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