Changes to the planning system

The government is consulting on a new planning system. They want it to be simpler and for people to have more of a say. The Forum thinks that their proposals will achieve the exact opposite. The new local plans will be difficult to understand, while there will be fewer opportunities for people to be consulted. Even more, in many cases, developers will not need to apply for planning permission like they do now, taking away another way for people to be involved in the future of their local area. The scope of Neighbourhood Plans will likely be drastically reduced too.

We have put together a summary of the proposals and would like to hear your thoughts. Please send them by 28 October, so we can include them in our response to the government. Follow this link to read the summary.