PPG3 was published almost a year ago to promote a closer-knit style of residential development, with the Government objectives of making best use of land, re-using brownfield sites and promoting sustainability. Specifically, it recommends development density levels of not less than 30 homes per hectare, maximum car parking of 1.5 spaces per dwelling, and puts an emphasis on design. But homebuilders are discovering that even PPG3-compliant schemes that have been recommended by planning officers are being rejected by committees. "What PPG3 is setting out to achieve is creditable, but how it is being interpreted and how people are reacting to it are causing problems," said Robert Millar, managing director of Cala Homes (South). "Planners are using it when it suits, but then rejecting it also when it suits." The company's Midlands division has just seen three planning applications won on appeal, each having been turned down by committee after officers recommended approval. Managing director of Cala (Midlands), Alan Brown, said: "Because PPG3 mentions design it gives committees the opportunity to refuse applications and it cuts across local plans." Another housebuilder said that the planning delays it was suffering largely as a result of PPG3 were forcing it to look at ways of deferring payment to landowners.
John Assael, director of urban design specialist Assael Architecture, said: "The process of getting consents is very slow, because of the huge amount of consultation that brownfield development involves." With the new Urban White Paper advocating even more consultation, achieving planning consent could take even longer. "If we are going to get to 60% re-use of brown land by 2008 then something has to be done," said Assael.
Housebuilding industry planning applications are said to contribute around a third of the £522m annual running cost of the English planning system.
Source
Building Homes
