§ Mr. Nigel JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will remove the presumption in favour of granting planning applications which is currently enjoyed by applicants to local planning authorities. [34760]
§ Mr. CabornPlanning Policy Guidance Note 1, 'General Policy and Principles', explains that
'Owners of land and property properly expect to be able to use or develop their land as they judge best unless the consequences for the environment or the community would be unacceptable.'The Planning system seeks to strike the right balance between the interests of those wishing to undertake development and the wider community through the 'plan led' system. Under section 54A of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, planning applications must be decided in accordance with development plans produced by local authorities, unless material considerations indicate otherwise. We have no proposals to change this presumption in favour of the development plan.