HC Deb 14 October 2003 vol 411 cc12-4WS
The Minister for Housing and Planning (Keith Hill)

I have today published for consultation draft regulations and policy statements on regional and local planning arrangements, and on development control processes. The regulations and guidance underpin the provisions of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Bill, currently before the House. They are issued for consultation, subject of course to any changes made to the Bill by the House.

The draft regulations set out detailed procedural matters in relation to regional and local planning matters and development control. We are also publishing draft revised rules for procedures for major infrastructure projects.

Planning Policy Statement 11 (PPS11), which will supersede PPG11 when the Planning Bill comes into effect, sets out the how Regional Spatial Strategies (RSS) should be prepared and revised under the new statutory framework. In particular it places a new emphasis on community involvement and partnership working, integration with other strategies, making the RSS more regionally specific and on the delivery of policies

Planning Policy Statement 12 (PPS12) sets out the Government's policy on the preparation of the local development documents that will comprise the local development framework for a local planning authority or for a minerals and waste planning authority. It explains the actions that need to be taken in preparing the local development documents, which will deliver the spatial strategy for the area and the new, streamlined arrangements for dealing with the formal stages of the process. It emphasises the need for community involvement and explains how local planning authorities should prepare sound development plan documents, which will be independently tested before adoption by the authority.

The Government also published today for consultation draft guidance on development control matters.

The Government will be publishing consultation drafts of other planning policy statements in due course, in particular Planning Policy Statement 1, setting out the principles underlying the planning system in England.

The public consultation on the draft guidance and regulations will run until 16 January. The secondary legislation will be laid before Parliament as soon as possible after the Planning Bill receives Royal Assent. We are planning for both the guidance and secondary legislation to come into effect at commencement of the Act.

I am today placing copies of the documents in the House library. They will also be available on the website of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.