The Government intends to keep a firm grip on greenfield development by making all significant schemes subject to call-in by the Secretary of State under the new PPG3.
The final document, published as Building Homes went to press, requires schemes on greenfield sites of five hectares or more, or 150 homes or more, to get the green light from the Secretary of State. Housing minister Nick Raynsford warned: “We have substantial powers to call in (plans) - we won’t hesitate to use them.” With next week’s Budget being widely tipped to herald the introduction of VAT on new-build homes, the pressure is on greenfield housebuilders.
The guidance also takes a strong stance on design, stating that planning authorities “should reject poor design, particularly where their decisions are supported by clear plan policies and adopted supplementary planning guidance, including village design statements.” Raynsford said he believed the guidance provided “challenges and opportunities.”
In his Commons announcement, deputy prime minister John Prescott stressed “brownfield first, greenfield last”. He explained that the new sequential approach meant planning authorities must give preference to recycling previously developed sites and empty properties. The emphasis of the consultation paper issued a year ago - a switch from predict and provide, to plan, monitor and manage - is retained, with a shift to five year plans rather than the current 20 years.
The South East will be required to plan for 43 000 homes a year outside London - a 10% increase on current levels. This amounts to a compromise between the Crow conclusions and the SERPLAN proposals. Prescott said SERPLAN had failed to take into account future housing needs, and had “assumed the same wasteful use of land as in the recent past”.
PPG3 strengthens previous suggestions on density: planning authorities “should avoid” schemes below 30 homes per hectare. Prescott said he believed this could be achieved using good design and cited the examples of Poundbury (40 homes/ha) and Greenwich Millennium Village (80 homes/ha). Off-street car parking should be no more than 1.5 spaces per dwelling.
The PPG:
- clarifies plan, monitor and manage
- makes clear that the National Land Use Database should be used in support of urban housing capacity studies
- sets out how sequential testing works
- indicates how to undertake urban housing capacity studies
- advises local authorities on how to influence the type and size of housing
- advises on how to create sustainable and attractive residential areas.
Developers will have to wait for some elements of the new housing policy toolkit. Yet to be published is the study on the role of design in the planning system. Good practice guidance on housing capacity studies is due soon.
Source
Building Homes
