Planning Bill

The Government's Planning Bill introduces a new system for approving major infrastructure of national importance, such as airports, harbours and waste facilities. The objective is to streamline these decisions and avoid long public inquiries.

There are two areas in the current proposals that are of concern to local authorities in London and that London Councils has been lobbying on. These are: the lack of democratic accountability in the proposed new Infrastructure Planning Commission, and; the uncertainty surrounding how the new Community Infrastructure Levy will operate.

Infrastructure Planning Commission (IPC)

The IPC will be a new body given the task of approving nationally significant infrastructure projects. These are likely to be difficult and controversial proposals, with a significant impact on the local community - such as the expansion of Heathrow. London Councils argues that it is essential that the final decisions for such projects are made by a minister answerable to both parliament and public - and not an unelected body.

Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL)

London Councils is concerned that critical decisions on how the proposed Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) is to operate will not be subject to adequate scrutiny by Parliament. The Bill will empower local authorities to apply planning charges to new developments however much of the detail on CIL will be in regulations which are due to be published for consultation later this year. London Councils believes that it is essential that the draft regulations are published well in advance of the Lords' Committee stages for the Planning Bill to ensure that there is an opportunity for their implications to be debated publicly.

Planning Bill latest

On 6 October peers in the House of Lords began to examine the Bill in detail. London Councils is supporting amendments tabled to the Bill that will ensure that the two keys issues detailed above are addressed before the Bill progresses.

For more detail on the amendments that London Councils is supporting, click on the briefing document below.

Click here to follow this Bill progressing through Parliament Opens in a new window