Free Planning Update Seminar by Rural Solutions
Tuesday, 11th June 2013
Rural Solutions, the nationwide planning and development specialists are inviting businesses from across the South East, with an interest in planning, to a free seminar. The event which is taking place at The Granary Barns, Woodditton, near Newmarket, on Wednesday 26th June at 1.15pm will enable businesses to understand how they can benefit from recent changes to the UK’s planning system.
In March 2012 the government made significant changes to planning legislation with the introduction of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). This sought to ensure that every council would have an up to date local plan in place by end of March 2013 to guide development or pay the consequences. The 12 month period of grace is now at an end, meaning that planning decisions should defer to the NPPF’s “presumption in favour of sustainable development”.
More recently the Government announced further liberalisation of planning policies with the announcement of changes to Permitted Development Rights (PDR) - which came into force on May 30th in a bid to stimulate further rural economic growth.
The PDR changes in brief, will allow existing agricultural buildings of up to 500m2 the flexibility to change into a range of new businesses, including Shops (A1), Financial/professional services (A2), Restaurants & cafes (A3), Business (B1), Storage & Distribution (B8), Hotels (C1) or Assembly/Leisure (D2). There are certain restrictions regarding size and in certain circumstances a Prior Notification process will be necessary.
Duncan Hartley, director of planning explained: “The NPPF was introduced last year and there has been a great deal of debate over its application and value. We will be discussing requirements around housing land supply, opportunities for previously developed sites in Green Belt and how the NPPF affects rural areas.”
Hartley continues: “We will also focus on the changes to permitted development rights - a major shift in policy. It is not a free for all however, whilst the principle of change of use is now established, there is a prior approval process in place and the need to address development constraints and to gain consent for physical development of and related to the building substantively remains.”
The seminar will also include a question and answer session for attendees to discuss any challenges they are facing and how these might be tackled.
The session is open to landowners, property developers, architects and owners of rural businesses. To book a free place, please contact Jessica Watkiss on 01756 797501 or email marketing@ruralsolutions.co.uk