Dear Constituent,

Thank you for contacting me about National Development Management Policies.

The Government’s proposal for National Development Management Policies would set out nationally a range of planning considerations that apply regularly in decision making across England or significant parts of it. This would help local authorities produce slimmer local plans more quickly which are more genuinely locally focused and reduce time-consuming duplication of policies that apply universally.

These reforms need to be introduced with care and in a way which takes into account the views of communities across the country. The Government will hold a full public consultation on the draft policies, building on the initial views which have already been sought via consultation on the principles for producing National Development Management Policies.

The existing National Planning Policy Framework – which sets out planning guidance for local authorities in England – already contains development management policies of this type. Policies in the framework can be significant ‘material considerations’ when assessing planning applications, meaning that they should be taken into account.

Ministers have been clear that National Development Management Policies would not impinge on local policies for shaping development, nor direct what land should be allocated for particular uses during the plan-making process. These will remain matters for locally produced plans.

I am a firm supporter of the vital role that local plans play in the planning system and the importance of putting local voices at the heart of development. I see these reforms as an important way of speeding up the process of creating a local plan and ensuring that even more communities can benefit from the protections of having a local plan in place.

Thank you again for taking the time to contact me.

Yours,

EDWARD LEIGH MP