§ The Minister for Housing and Planning (Keith Hill)In its report on the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's Annual Report 2003 the ODPM Select Committee gave consideration to the programme for replacing planning policy guidance notes, which set out national policies on issues such as planning for housing, transport etc., by more succinct planning policy statements. The Committee recommended (para 25)
The failure to deliver on commitments to reform the planning system by issuing revised guidance notes, has led to uncertainty and delays in planning decisions because of impending revisions to policies. We recommend that the Department redoubles its effort to complete the revision of national planning policy, and supporting good practice advice, where necessary, by July 2005. The ODPM would do well formally to withdraw its stated intention to revise the less controversial PPG notes.An interim response was included in the Government response to the Select Committee's report (Command 6141) published in February 2004. This listed the consultations on reviews of PPGs that were already in hand or planned but indicated that a further announcement would be made on other PPGs. A complete list of planning policy guidance notes is tabled below.
The ODPM is concerned to complete the early updating and revision of policy in those PPGs where this is required for good policy reasons. It is equally concerned that the process of policy review should not cause undue disruption to the programme for local authorities to put in place the first round of new local development documents following commencement of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act, which received Royal Assent on 13 May 2004.
45WSThe ODPM will therefore treat as a priority the review of the following PPGs: PPG1 (General Policies and Principles), PPG3 (Housing), PPG4 (Economic Development), PPG6 (Town Centres), PPG7 (Countryside), PPG9(Nature Conservation/ Biodiversity), PPG10 (Planning and Waste Management), PPG11 (Regional Planning), PPG12 (Development Plans), PPG 22 (Renewable Energy), PPG 23 (Planning and Pollution) and PPG25 (Development and Flood Risk) Consultation has already taken place or is currently underway on several of these documents. The revision, or replacement as PPSs, of these PPGs will be completed by early 2005. Any further revisions to PPG3 (Housing) to take account of the recommendations of the Barker review of housing supply will be completed later in 2005.
The review and replacement of other planning policy guidance notes will only take place as and when necessary in the light of their policy and strategic significance. In the meantime the current PPG will remain in place.
PLANNING POLICY GUIDANCE NOTES 1 General Policy and Principles 2 Green Belts 3 Housing 4 Industrial and Commercial Development and Small Firms 5 Simplified Planning Zones 6 Town Centres and Retail Development 7 The Countryside—Environmental Quality and Economic and Social Development 8 Telecommunications 9 Nature Conservation/Biodiversity 10 Planning and Waste Management 11 Regional Planning 12 Development Plans 13 Transport 14 Development on Unstable Land 15 Planning and the Historic Environment 16 Archaeology and Planning 17 Planning for Open Space, Sport and Recreation 18 Enforcing Planning Control 19 Outdoor Advertisement Control 20 Coastal Planning 21 Tourism 22 Renewable Energy 23 Planning and Pollution 24 Planning and Noise 25 Planning and Flood Risk