§ Lord Baker of Dorkingasked Her Majesty's Government:
How the needs of disabled people will be addressed through the reform of the planning system. [HL892]
§ Lord RookerThe reforms of the planning system seek to address the issues of access and inclusion throughout the entire planning process.
Clause 38 of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Bill puts a duty on those responsible for preparing development plans to address the issue of sustainable development. This will be defined in planning policy statement 1 (PPS1), which will make it crystal clear that development plans should contain clear and comprehensive inclusive access policies.
Local authorities must seek to involve the whole community in the preparation, alteration and review of all local development documents and significant development control decisions. PPGs 11 and 12 also make clear the importance of access to documents and processes. This includes not only the accessibility of material in terms of clarity, but also in terms of different formats, and—in the case of examinations-in-public—in terms of access both by public transport and to the venue itself.
The draft regulations to be made under Parts 1 and 2 of the Bill make clear that, among others, regional planning bodies and local planning authorities will be required to consult formally with bodies representing disabled people.
The Bill also contains measures to enable planning aid to become more proactive and develop a greater role in targeting communities which traditionally do not get involved in the planning system—including disabled people and disability groups.
Clause 42 of the Bill introduces new powers to introduce a standard application form. Depending on the views of stakeholders we would expect that a document which demonstrates how the project will meet certain provisions of legislation and related codes of practice to ensure that the needs of the disabled are addressed could be required to accompany the form in appropriate cases.
Those applying for planning permission would therefore be required to demonstrate how their proposals contribute to an inclusive environment, and local planning authorities would have to consider this alongside other requirements.
97WAThe current review of the operation of outline planning permission will address the provision of additional information, and while this would need to cover the key design principles, it would also be expected to address access issues.
Outside the Bill the programme of culture change is examining issues such as the diversity of the planning profession, and the issues addressed in education and training.