NPPF( National Planning Policy Framework)

[Polstar]

What does the afore mentioned NPPF document mean for householder applications? I can actually find very little information about the implications towards home extensions - the field i work in, can you point me in the right direction?

Eddy

 

[^woody^]

Basically, the coalition think that there is too much national policy to adhere to when deciding local planning issues

So it wants to do away with most of it and just have a framework with guiding principles, and let local authorities devise their own policies which reflect the need of the locality.

Its not clear what this means precisely for home extensions, but the key wording is "presumption in favour of sustainable development". This is intended to let councils set guidelines of what will be acceptable, and if development adheres to these then they will be approved. I suppose it will be a bit like permitted development, , but more prescriptive.

The idea is that there will be more involvement from local groups and stakeholders to determine local policy

It may or may not mean less work for those submitting planning applications, but its not clear how this will work out in practice just yet

 

[Polstar]

so what is going to make more of a difference to me, is the document that the local authorities are going to publish as their own specific guidelines? I haven't heard of or seenany of these. Is there going to be any real difference at all for home extensions?

 

[^woody^]

You wont have seen any yet because the policy is still being debated and is not published.

So no-one knows exactly what impact it will have.

Some situations I have seen discussed is say, an area of similar houses may be allowed certain two-storey extensions of a certain design, but nothing different, or no infill houses or garden grabbing. Local groups or residents may decide the criteria

There could potentially be a massive difference to home extensions and what is allowed or not allowed.

 

[^woody^]

So, Polstar, have you read the framework yet? What do you think?

 

[jeds]

What does the afore mentioned NPPF document mean for householder applications? I can actually find very little information about the implications towards home extensions - the field i work in, can you point me in the right direction?

Eddy

I don't believe it will make any difference at all. The policy is really aimed at steering local plans on major development and land use. The buzzwords are sustainable use, community, climate change etc. Some small one-off development may get caught up in the crossfire where it involves the use of land or changes of use but I can't see anything that will alter planning permissions for domestic extensions.

 

[Polstar]

Well, i have skim read the NFFP and it seems to point fingers in all sorts of directions without having a clear guideline for the public. I will not be looking at it in more depth as i agree with Jeds, about the impact it wil have on householder applications. Also, i am assuming that Local Policy Frameworks are going to get an overhaul and become the ruling policies - thus making it harder to work in deifferent L.A. areas?

 

[jeds]

What will happen is that local authorities will re-write their own local plans and incorporate them into a local development framework. Bristol, for example, has allready done theirs and the sort of changes it makes are more to do with the type and level of information submitted with an application rather than the legality of a proposal.

 

[mattylad]

Not to forget that they will also put their fees up

 

[kevindgas]

section 106 agreements have already done that! greedy barstewards!!