Inquiry into the Draft National Planning Policy Framework

 

Both the Environmental Audit Committee and the Communities and Local Government Select Committee have launched an inquiry into the Draft National Planning Policy Framework.

28 July 2011


The Environmental Audit Committee and the Communities and Local Government Select Committee are both to run inquires into the new Draft National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), which sets out major changes to national planning policy, including the ‘presumption in favour of sustainable development’. The two committees have agreed to co-work on the inquires with the Environmental Audit Committee specifically considering the way sustainable development is addressed, their brief inquiry will be completed in time to feed into the Communities and Local Government Select Committee inquiry, which will be broader in scope and has requested written submissions of evidence on the following topics:

 
  • Does the NPPF give sufficient guidance to local planning authorities, the Planning Inspectorate and others, including investors and developers, while at the same time giving local communities sufficient power over planning decisions? 
  • Is the definition of 'sustainable development' contained in the document appropriate; and is the presumption in favour of sustainable development a balanced and workable approach? 
  • Are the 'core planning principles' clearly and appropriately expressed? 
  • Is the relationship between the NPPF and other national statements of planning-related policy sufficiently clear?  Does the NPPF serve to integrate national planning policy across Government Departments? 
  • Does the NPPF, together with the 'duty to cooperate', provide a sufficient basis for larger-than-local strategic planning? 
  • Are the policies contained in the NPPF sufficiently evidence-based? 

Interested parties are also invited to comment on the fitness for purpose of the framework as a whole, with a deadline for all written submissions on the 9th September, with the oral evidence sessions due to be held during October and November. 

Communities and Local Government Select Committee inquiry
Environmental Audit Committee inquiry
 
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