Planning
and Development Control
O
ne of the major influences on the countryside, and, indeed on
much of the environment is development of new buildings,
land uses, changes to existing buildings, and so on. Much of this activity is
controlled by the planning system. This system, based on the Town & Country
Planning Acts (of which there have been several) and some other Acts, is immensely
complicated and often confusing. However, used wisely it can be a very powerful
weapon to those wishing to preserve or enhance certain areas - be they countryside
or urban.
There is a huge and ever-changing body of information about
planning and planning law (a bit of which is online), so don't expect to find
much of it here on Naturenet. But read on, don't worry, as we will supply you
with a few essential elements, and pointers to find out plenty more.
Like most legal issues, if it is a matter which is important
to you you are strongly advised to get professional advice before making any
decisions. Just because you read it on the Internet dosn't mean it's true enough
to bet your house on (unless its on Naturenet, of course). Planning consultants
are not too expensive and could save you a pile of money and trouble.
- Planning Help: CPRE Planning help
website. Full of useful advice and information, and all done with landscape
and conservation in mind. Very good.
- Planning Aid: a voluntary
service offering free, independent and professional advice on town planning
matters to community groups and individuals who cannot afford to employ a planning
consultant. It aims to give people the confidence to help themselves and to
become involved in planning issues. They give good advice and if you're confused
about any planning issue and don't know where to start, this is the place to
go.
- How to object
to a planning proposal: a good no-nonsense summary of the way
to approach it.
- The Planning Portal: the Government's
official planning pages for England and Wales particularly; with a huge amount
of information and services online.
- Environmental Impact
Assessments: people often get quite worked up about these, but they are
not really what they sound as though they are. Just because it includes the
word 'environmental' doesn't mean it is anything to do with green conservation.
You need to know exactly what you are doing if you are going to argue legal
matters on the basis of an EIA, so get some proper advice before you do. Follow
the link for the official pages anyway.
- Tree Preservation Orders (TPOs)
- Archaeologists
and Development Campaign Strategy: an interesting old document which would be
worth reading if you are considering planning a campaign against a development,
even if it is nothing to do with archaeology.
- Community Planning Website:
promoting more local involvement in the planning and management of the environment.
- Beating the Developers: An Activist’s
Guide to the Planning System: a comprehensive and well-informed guide, in
simple terms, to the planning system and how to operate it from the point of
view of an objector. Good bits on Forward Planning, Development Control, Planning
conditions, Structure Plans, Local Plans and UDPs. Caution - now quite out of date in parts but still worth the read.
- Trees
in Conservation Areas
Protected Sites:
Naturenet's index of sites with designations, which includes many giving special
planning protection.
- Green Belt myths: what you need to know useful CPRE debunking page
- "How to object to a planning application" A PDF document written by campaigner Ruth Allen in 2010. Still useful, although bear in mind that some of the legal and policy matters will have changed.
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