Regional and National Planning Policy

NATIONAL PLANNING POLICY

The new  National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) has been published on the Communities and Local Government website.

This NPPF replaces almost all the existing national Planning Policy Guidance notes (PPGs) and Planning Policy Statements (PPSs), on different topics.

REGIONAL PLANNING POLICY

Update November 2010 - Regional Spatial Strategies

The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, the Rt. Hon. Eric Pickles MP, sought to revoke all Regional Spatial Strategies on the 6 July 2010, by making an announcement in Parliament under section 79(6) of the Local Democracy Economic Development & Construction Act 2009.

However, in August 2010, CALA Homes applied for a judicial review of this revocation. The judgement was issued on 10 November 2010, and found in favour of CALA Homes. A letter dated 10 November 2010 from the Chief Planner at CLG confirms that all Regional Strategies are now re-established.  This letter also makes clear that it is still the intention of the coalition government to remove RSSs from the development plan framework. 

Amendments to primary legislation were then required, which were made through the Localism Act, which was enacted in November 2011:

 - Read the Government's Plain English Guide to the Localism Act here

 - View the full Localism Act 2011 here

Government recently consulted on an environmental assessment of the decision to revoke each of the existing regional strategies, including the East of England Plan. This consultation closed on the 20th January 2012. The results have not yet been published. Read more here.

Until the East of England Plan is formally abolished, it remains in force.

East of England Plan (May 2008)

OTHER RELEVANT POLICY

Essex County Council and the Lee Valley Regional Park are other bodies which produce their own planning guidance, which the Council needs to take into account:

Essex County Council & Lee Valley Regional Park Planning Documents