Decision details

To provide the Executive with an overview of the proposals contained within the Government’s Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill consultation, and to seek approval for the submission of the consultation response, at Appendix 1.

The Government has launched a consultation on planning policy reforms entitled ‘Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill: reforms to national planning policy’.  The consultation ranges from discussing proposals that will be brought in as part of the Bill, or subsequent secondary legislation, to changes that the Government hope to bring forward through amendments to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) this spring.  The Government further commits to a ‘wider review‘ of the NPFF later this year.  Therefore, the consultation contains three sets of proposals to reform the planning agenda, with the most sweeping of changes to the plan-making system being introduced in 2024 onwards.  The consultation closes on 2 March 2023 and this report considers the impact of the changes from the perspective of Fareham in its South Hampshire context.

RESOLVED that, having considered the content of the report, the Executive:

(a)  approves the suggested approach to the Council’s response; and

(b)  delegates authority for the final consultation response to the Director of Planning and Regeneration, following consultation with the Executive Member for Planning and Development.