Planning
Planning is one of the issues on which CPRE is most often asked for information and help. Many Parish Councils and Amenity Groups, individual members and local people find themselves faced with unwelcome planning proposals in their area, and turn to CPRE for help and advice.
The Planning system exists to make sure the public interest in the environment is properly protected when new development is proposed. In many cases, this is achieved by requiring developers to submit a planning application to the local authority, and then to obtain planning permission before work can begin.
You are entitled to comment on such applications, which must then be formally considered by the local authority. The local authority has to consider applications against a number of policies, including national planning guidelines and Local Development Plans.
The local authority will normally assign a Planning Officer to consider each application, and they will produce an initial recommendation after considering the application, appropriate policies and comments received. Depending on the size of the application and the procedures of the Local Authority, this may then be considered by a committee of elected Councillors, or in simpler cases the decision may be 'delegated', i.e. made by the Planning Officer.
CPRE produces a guide to the Planning Applications process, explaining how to present your views on planning applications properly, effectively and to the decision-makers. A copy of the Guide can be downloaded from CPRE National Office by clicking here. (Note: this is quite a large file and may take a few minutes to download).
CPRE National Office also produces a range of other Planning-related publications which can be seen here.
Your District Committee or the Branch may also be able to comment on applications, or help you formulate your own comments, particularly if they are major or have a significant environmental impact. In the first instance, please get in touch with your local District Contact or the Branch Office to discuss your concerns.
New CPRE National Office Planning Help
CPRE has launched a new website to help people understand how to use the planning system.
The site, called Planning Help, should be of interest to both experienced planning volunteers and people who've never come into contact with the planning system before.
To help seasoned volunteers, the site offers guides on the new local plans (called local development frameworks) and on regional spatial strategies, shows people the major ways in which the new system differs from the old, explains our view on the new planning system and keeps people up-to-date on the latest planning news.
Those who are less familiar with the planning system should find useful the site's guides to responding to planning applications and making the most of public inquiries and the simple explanations of how the planning system works. The site also contains examples of how CPRE has been able to successfully use the planning system to protect the countryside and contribute to urban regeneration.
Why not give it a visit and let us know what you think? The website is at http://www.planninghelp.org.uk/.
An ever-changing Planning System
The government introduced sweeping changes to the planning system with the Planning and Compulsory Purchases Bill which came into force in 2004.
To update yourself on the current position, refer to the CPRE National Office 'publications' page on planning - notably 'Local Development Frameworks' and 'Regional Spatial Strategies', both published in September 2004, and 'Local Development Schemes' published in November 2004. All are downloadable free of charge. Also, please refer to the National Office press release of 7th September 'Public Involvement and Environmental Improvement: the Acid Test for the New Planning Regime'.
At a regional level, North West Regional Planning Guidance (RPG 13) is now being replaced by a new Regional Spatial Strategy, which is currently going through the consultation stage. CPRE's North West Regional Group are engaged in this process.
At the county level, Cheshire County Council are partially revising the Cheshire Structure Plan. To find out CPRE Cheshire Branch's input into this process, click here.