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Sustainability: a golden thread?
It’s now five months since the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) was published, writes Jen Sanders of Vail Williams
Many thought that "golden thread of sustainability" which runs through the document, would herald a new way of thinking in planning circles, but have there been any significant changes to the way in which the planning system now operates? The NPPF outlines a presumption in favour of sustainable development, however the exact definition of this is a grey area. Additionally, any proposal still needs to be considered alongside other policies in the document, so that the entire framework is “taken as a whole”. So what does this mean for our “golden thread”?
Guildford Borough Council recently approved a development for 39 residential units on a site located in the countryside beyond the green belt. In accordance with the NPPF, consideration had to be given to
the “intrinsic character and beauty of the countryside”. The NPPF also requires that each district has a five year housing land supply which some authorities, such as Guildford Borough Council, do not. The Council therefore had to weigh up the adverse impacts that the development might have on the countryside, compared with the need for housing in the district. Only when it was decided that the associated benefits of the scheme outweighed the adverse impacts on the countryside, was the golden thread of sustainability considered and the application granted.
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Prior to the publication of the NPPF, an application (also in Guildford) was dismissed at appeal in 2011, for circa 80 residential units. This site was also located in the countryside beyond the green belt and despite
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the fact that at this time Guildford Borough Council had a housing land supply of just two and a half years, the inspector determined that the benefits associated with the provision of housing did not outweigh the harm that the development would have on this greenfield site.
So, what if we considered the above examples in reverse, ie if the firstwas prior to the NPPF publication and the second following the NPPF publication? Would the decisions have been different as a result of the “golden thread”?
Although there has been a change in national planning policy guidance, the crux of the NPPF remains as per previous guidance, just in a condensed form. The examples
above were fundamentally considered on their planning merits and the policy framework as a whole, despite the fact that both would provide a sustainable development. In our opinion, the decisions would have remained the same, whether in the pre or post NPPF world. However, where planning applications are determined on a matter of NPPF interpretation, these may take some time to iron out either locally or in the courts.
Details: Jen Sanders 07887-558074
jsanders@vailwilliams.com www.vailwilliams.com
www.trilogiecre.com T. 01628 811277 THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE – THAMES VALLEY – SEPTEMBER 2012
www.businessmag.co.uk
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