'Newt-counting delays' are slowing building... EIA is 'cumbersome'... Sustainability appraisal is 'unnecessary'... The government says it will 'build back greener' But these are the rules it wants to change

摘要

Amid all the controversy surrounding the mess that was this year's A-Level results, a major government announcement attracted relatively little mainstream media attention. However, the government's planning white paper, published last month, has the potential to have far more longer-term consequences for the country than a duff algorithm. After all, the white paper proposes a wholesale reform of the way in which planning works in England, something that could profoundly impact the stewardship of urban and rural areas for years to come. So what exactly are the implications for the environment? And how do the proposals tally with the government's wider environmental agenda, not least the prime minister's apparent conviction that newts are a stop on development? At the heart of the government's ambitions is its proposal to "frontload" the planning system. Under the reforms, local planning authorities (LPAs) would be required to draw up a new type of local plan, dividing land into three categories: growth, renewal and protection. Critically, areas designated for growth would in effect be subject to a fast-track permission in principle, meaning developers would only need to tackle issues currently handled at a late stage and after the permission for development has been established.