Decision details

1        PLANNING WHITE PAPER – IMPLICATIONS AND PROPOSED RESPONSE - The Director: Business Development submitted a report outlining the proposed changes to the planning system following the issue of the consultation document “Planning for the Future” by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, and seeking approval for the  council’s response to the consultation.

On the 6 August 2020, the Government published the White Paper: “Planning for the Future”, concerning longer term changes to the planning system.

The White Paper identified several issues with the current planning system that it intended to address including: that it was too complex; planning decisions were discretionary rather than rules-based; that it took too long to adopt a Local Plan; it was based on 20th-century technology; not enough focus on design; and not enough homes were being built.

The White Paper sought responses on multiple components of the planning system in England with a focus on reforming the way planning was structured and achieving the Government ambition.

The report set out the vision for the planning system and what the Government considered the reforms would mean.

Resolved – (a) That the response and submission to the Government White Paper “Planning for the Future” consultation issued by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, as set out in Appendix 1 to the report, be approved; (b) that the proposal for the council to explore in principle working as a pilot authority with central government to develop a new-style local plan for North Lincolnshire be agreed, and (c) that the Head of Economy and Growth be authorised to submit the response to government as detailed in Appendix 1 to the report.