NPPF DEBRIEF
JANE DANN, DIRECTOR, TBBALDS PLANNING AND URBAN DESIGN LTD
“The slim new document is a much less daunting statement of policy than that which it replaces, and it reminds us that the purpose of planning is essentially to shape positively the way that places change, not to prevent change from happening. I’m not convinced that, in itself, it will prompt growth however – developers are usually looking for clarity and certainty when considering whether to invest and the new NPPF provides too much scope for differences in interpretation that will potentially generate debate.
“The aim is to boost the supply of housing by making sure that local authorities identify a supply of sites that will more than meet local requirements, to promote choice and competition in the market for land. There is also a strong incentive for Local Plans to be in place and up-to-date. Localism will potentially complicate the picture,
particularly where neighbourhood plans potentially influence some Local Plans as they emerge. And it’s also worth noting that land supply is only one of the factors that influence the number of homes we build.
“Schemes that have been evolved by working closely with the local people who will be affected, will be considered more favourably, so consultation and collaborative working skills are likely to be increasingly important to architects. In terms of community involvement - it’s important that locals have a real say in where new development takes place. It is vital that choices are well informed, as they affect the long-term future of a place. If you ask people a simple question, the answer will generally be ‘as far away from me as possible’. But, we often find that, once people understand what their preferences will mean in practice, then their priorities change and they want to achieve the best possible outcome for the place as a whole.
“It’s good to see that the new NPPF continues to emphasise the importance of good design, and encouraging that it places great weight on outstanding or innovative designs that help to raise the standard of design generally in an area. Although the NPPF doesn’t attempt a definition of good design itself, it does tell us quite a lot about what ‘good design’ does and doesn’t involve. It is clear that good design is about visually attractive architecture and landscape, and also its urban design qualities. It extends beyond aesthetics, to include how a development functions, its quality over time, its sense of place, the kind of environment it creates, and its relationship to its context. “I welcome the statement that good design should be seen as independent of any particular architectural style or taste, and the positive references to innovation, originality and initiative in relation to design.
RIBA IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT AND CHAIR OF THE RIBA PLANNING GROUP, RUTH REED
“We are delighted that the government has accepted many of the key recommendations put forward by the RIBA. Enshrining good design as a core planning principle and ensuring that the advice of design review panels has greater weight within the planning system will send a clear message to developers, planning officers and committees that poor-quality development will no longer be accepted. “However, policy alone will not deliver the good-quality built environment that our future generations deserve. Although the transitional arrangements announced today are welcome, we hope that the government will truly back the plan-led system by ensuring that local communities and local authorities have the support and resources they need to make the new system work.”
SIMON NEATE, CHAIRMAN OF INDIGO PLANNING “Despite the term used by its critics, the NPPF is a long way from being a ‘developers charter’ – the Green Belt is still as protected as ever, brownfield development is still preferred to building on greenfield land, and out of town retail development is still subject to the sequential and impact tests. “But, with only 38 percent of English local authorities having adopted core strategies in place and guidance far from clear, there has never been a better time for developers to push projects forward outside the development plan process. As well as providing a platform for growth, it could provide an opportunity for developers and local authorities to renegotiate legal agreements and help unlock stalled schemes. “Planning is complex. As this announcement has shown, simplifying the rulebook doesn’t simplify the issues, it might even make them harder to resolve and the whole process less accessible and transparent. Without adequate clarity in the new simplified wording, the industry will still look to PPGs and older documents for guidance and justification, and ‘planning by appeal’ could well become the norm during this transition period.”
Review Panels is a mixed blessing, while some are very good, many are poor and it is a crutch for the lack of good, 'employed' planners inside local authorities. It also needs to be seen in the context of the dismantlement of other design quality mechanisms such as CABE's former programmes, a focus on design quality for schools etcetera.
“For me, these changes to the planning system will not prompt growth because growth is not prompted by the availability of new buildings - whether factories or homes - they only help facilitate. Local authorities already bid heavily to get businesses into their areas by giving them all sorts of incentives, often at the danger of cutting their own throats. “More homes might be a good idea for all sorts of other reasons, such as housing people and helping to bring down the excessive cost of renting/owning a home, but that doesn't help growth except in the house building industry. And whilst the NPPF may help us build the homes the next generation desperately need, it will not necessarily mean they are built in the right places. “While in principle it is right that, as the NPPF suggests, local communities should decide where new homes, businesses and infrastructure to support them should be built, in practice they will not as they do not command the skills, development funds etcetera. This is the job of planners - who should consult local communities.” n
The full NPPF document can be downloaded at
www.architectnews.co.uk
SIMON FOXELL, PRINCIPAL, THE
ARCHITECTS PRACTICE AND MEMBER OF THE BUILT-ENVIRONMENT THINK TANK - THE EDGE
“The NPPF focuses heavily on the idea of 'good design' without spelling out what that might be. The use of Design
ArchitectNews.co.uk | Architects Choice | 13
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