Planning & COVID-19

This situation is changing rapidly, and we have put together some thoughts, resources and FAQs to share good practice and common questions. 

Following on from the Coronavirus Act 2020 and the enabling Regulations, and the Covid-19 Planning Update, the government has published the Business & Planing Bill, and issued a Written Ministerial Statement (WMS) on 25 June 2020. Between them, these cover: 

• Planning applications - extending the 3 year permission requirement for certain applications (Business & Planning Bill);
• Plan-Making - intention to change the requirements for councils to make DPD documents physically available for inspection at offices and other places. 
• Publicity and consultation on planning applications (inc. site notices); Regulations covering the changes will be enacted on 14th May 2020. 
• CIL (payment deferral); 
• Compulsory Purchase Orders (pragmatic approaches);
• Consultation and pre-decision matters;
• Construction site working hours. 

Our FAQs have been updated and we’ll publish more details as we get them. 

General update – items that haven’t changed: no changes to local plan publicity requirements (still under consideration); paper applications still need to be received and validated; no changes to 8/13 determination timescales; keep committees going virtually.  ________________________________________________________________________________

Resources and information available

• FAQs - advice and answers to common questions relating to planning during COVID-19.
• Resources - we have published two guides: running virtual planning committees and revising protocols for virtual planning committees
• Plan making - policy planners discuss the implications for plan making during Covid-19
• PAS Bulletin - we're sending out our bulletin more frequently than usual while there is so much going on. Sign up here. 
• The KHub is our open forum for asking questions and seeking advice - it has some useful discussion around site visits, site notices, consultation, monitoring. If our FAQs don't cover it, please feel free to raise them in a new thread or in a reply. At times like these there are no stupid questions.  

The LGA is maintaining a list of COVID-19 resources for local government, including advice specifically for councillors and shortly how the new regulations regarding remote committees will work.