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Title:
New Planning Guidance on Sustainable Economic Growth – PPS4
Date:
07 - 12 - 2009
New Planning Guidance on Sustainable Economic Growth – PPS4
The Government’s Department for Communities and Local Government have published the anticipated new Planning Policy Statement, PPS4, in December 2009. This combines economic, retail and rural matters under the Government’s “overarching objective” of sustainable economic growth.
The final version of the Statement reflects much of what was contained in the Consultation Draft version, published in May this year. It adopts a wide definition of economic development, maintaining the Government’s ‘town centres first’ policy for office, retail and other uses whilst seeking to speed up economic recovery, however encouragement for economic growth in rural areas has been tempered.
As anticipated, the retail ‘Need’ test is axed but more stringent ‘Impact’ tests are introduced for all forms of economic development, including for factories and warehousing in the ‘B’ use classes as well as public and community uses. These include impacts on climate change, accessibility, the character and quality of an area, economic and physical regeneration and local employment.
Town Centre uses, defined as retail, leisure/entertainment, office and certain cultural uses will also need to satisfy new impact tests on investment, consumer choice, and trade/turnover; any ONE of which resulting in a “significant” adverse effect will potentially lead to a refusal of planning permission. In practice, many planning authorities have already anticipated these tests and have been seeking information on them to accompany planning applications for some time.
The Sequential Assessment is maintained for town centre uses, but the Statement remains silent on the introduction of a ‘Competition Test’ as advocated by the Competition Commission investigation into the Groceries Market, the Government’s response to which still remains awaited.
What is missing is any significant reference to sub-regional planning for economic development or integration of planning for housing and economic development, which the Government was thought to be promoting. Whilst there are policies to protect the range and diversity of local shops and services, there is little guidance against which to assess proposals for change of use of employment land and premises to other use classes, or support for commercial redevelopment of existing employment sites.
Although many of today’s headlines are familiar to practitioners and planning authorities alike, it is expected that the detailed wording of the Government’s new policy will be thoroughly tested at Inquiry, and in the Courts, in coming months.
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