Planning Policy

The making of planning policy is a major political and legal issue and there is currently a considerable focus by the government in England and Wales on local plan policy making, with the government seeking published draft plans by 2017. Some changes are proposed to local and neighbourhood planning in the Housing and Planning Bill 2015 and the Minister’s Local Plans Expert Group (“LPEG”) is considering local planning more generally with a view to reporting in early 2016.

The current climate is characterised by government concern at the slow pace of local plan adoption in England, the controversial introduction of neighbourhood planning and new strategic planning tools with the Planning (Wales) Act 2015 and local devolution in England.

Planning Policy is the only book dedicated to planning policy, both national and local. It covers the policy framework within which planning decisions are taken in England and Wales. It addresses how national and local policy is formulated, examined and challenged.

Richard Harwood, QC is a planning, environment and public law QC at 39 Essex Chambers. Victoria Hutton is a planning, environment and public law barrister at 39 Essex Chambers.