Update

The planning system, policy and law ever changes.  Non more so than at present.  

Although the main focus of our business is  in North Wales for obvious geographical reasons, we work over the "border" too. Driving back from Wrexham along the A483 you briefly drive into England and then back into Wales along the A55.  This week, those "Croeso y Gymru" signs caused me to think about these ever diverging systems.     

ENGLAND:

We've mentioned before Martin Goodall's superb blog which regularly updates on the system in England.  Its definitely worth a look of only to see the speed at which the English Government is "relaxing" planning controls. 

Aside from the temporary (and controversial) 8 metre domestic extensions rules, you can now change the use of offices to dwellings.  change certain agricultural buildings to shops, offices and cafes, as well as temporary flexible uses of typical town centre use buildings.  From 06 April it will be possible to change the use (and carry out necessary operational development) to convert agricultural buildings to dwellings and of A1 (retail) and A2 (financial/professional services) uses to dwellings.  

We would add that there are  limits and conditions to the changes and prior approval procedures required to jump through. So don't get too excited if you own them just yet.  We of course happy to advise and take your instructions.

In his budget speech the Chancellor announced further review of the General Permitted Development Order in England and even before that potential rights to convert warehouses to dwellings as permitted development are being muted.  The government has also stripped away a mass of guidance (much of it we must say being very useful) and replaced it with the much briefer National Planning Practice Guidance.  We also learn this week that the English Government is to axe the Code for Sustainable Homes as part of its review of Housing Standards.

WALES:

The Welsh Government has introduced few f those permitted development relaxations and shows little or no sign of relaxing controls too much further to say permit residential uses or the kinds of flexibility in England.  Householder permitted development was revised last year.  Relatively minor changes to allow larger extensions to industrial and warehouse premises, schools,university and hospitals, offices, alterations to A1 and A2 use buildings come into force on 28 April.  

It has recently revised (again) Planning Policy Wales with a new chapter covering Waste Management and Infrastructure matters and along with an accompanying Technical Advice Note (TAN21) and a. TAN23 (Economic Development)  has been published.  WG has indicated that requirements through PPW for Code 4 SH may well be replaced when B/Regs Part L comes into force (31 July 14 we understand). 

  

With the the Planning Bill consultation over we are now moving towards to the Act and the multitude of changes will begin to impact applications processes, appeals and the the culture.  There are clear signs that the minister is given considerable weight to economic benefits in policy/appeal decisions, but that remains through policy direction rather than legislative action. 

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