Public Bill Committee: 15th January 2008

104

Planning Bill, continued

(A2)	The Secretary of State shall lay before Parliament and publish each year a report

on the national policy statements which have been designated and whether a

review is being carried out or will be carried out.’.

Member’s explanatory statement

This amendment seeks to a provide a continuous review, as raised on Clause 10.

Mrs Jacqui Lait

Robert Neill

7

Clause  6,  page  3,  line  31,  after ‘must’, insert ‘continuously’.

Dan Rogerson

Tom Brake

73

Clause  6,  page  3,  line  31,  leave out from ‘statement’ to end of line 32 and insert

‘annually and publish a report’.

Mrs Jacqui Lait

Robert Neill

8

Clause  6,  page  3,  line  31,  leave out from ‘statement’ to end of line 32.

Mrs Jacqui Lait

Robert Neill

Mr David Jones

Mr Richard Benyon

Mr David Curry

James Duddridge

186

Clause  7,  page  4,  line  9,  at end insert—

‘(1A)

The Secretary of State shall provide for early public participation, when all

options are open and effective public participation can take place, within a

transparent and fair framework.’.

Member’s explanatory statement

The amendment incorporates into the Bill obligations in the Aarhus Convention on Access to

Information, Public Participation in Decision-Making and Access to Justice in Environmental

Matters which apply to public participation concerning plans, programmes and policies relating

to the environment. The text is taken from Articles 6(4) and 7.

Mr Clive Betts

90

Clause  7,  page  4,  line  10,  leave out first ‘such’.

Mr Clive Betts

91

Clause  7,  page  4,  line  10,  leave out second ‘such’.

Mr Clive Betts

92

Clause  7,  page  4,  line  11,  leave out ‘as the Secretary of State thinks appropriate’.

Public Bill Committee: 15th January 2008

105

Planning Bill, continued

Mr Clive Betts

93

Clause  7,  page  4,  line  13,  leave out ‘subsections (4) and (5)’ and insert ‘subsection

(4)’.

Mrs Jacqui Lait

Robert Neill

Mr David Jones

Mr Richard Benyon

Mr David Curry

James Duddridge

187

Clause  7,  page  4,  line  13,  leave out ‘subsections (4) and (5)’ and insert ‘the rest of

this section’.

Member’s explanatory statement

This amendment makes the Secretary of State’s discretion on consultation requirements subject to

the remainder of section 7 rather than particular subsections to accommodate additional

subsections.

Mrs Jacqui Lait

Robert Neill

Mr David Jones

Mr Richard Benyon

Mr David Curry

James Duddridge

244

Clause  7,  page  4,  line  13,  leave out ‘and (5)’ and insert ‘(4A), (4B) and (5)’.

Member’s explanatory statement

This amendment imposes some minimum consultation requirements.

Mrs Jacqui Lait

Robert Neill

Mr David Jones

Mr Richard Benyon

Mr David Curry

James Duddridge

188

Clause  7,  page  4,  line  13,  at end insert—

‘(2A)

The consultation period shall not be less than 12 weeks.

(2B)	The publicity arrangements shall include advertisement in one or more national

newspapers and the Gazette, placing the proposal and relevant supporting

material on the Secretary of State’s website and giving notice to Parliament.’.

Member’s explanatory statement

The amendment provides for a minimum consultation period and a minimum level of publicity.

Mr Clive Betts

94

Clause  7,  page  4,  line  14,  at end insert—

‘(za)

options seriously entertained by the Secretary of State as contributing to

a draft or amended statement for the purposes of this Act.’.

Public Bill Committee: 15th January 2008

106

Planning Bill, continued

Mrs Jacqui Lait

Robert Neill

Mr David Jones

Mr Richard Benyon

Mr David Curry

James Duddridge

189

Clause  7,  page  4,  line  19,  at end insert—

‘(4A)

If the national policy statement relates, in whole or part, to England the Secretary

of State shall consult Natural England, the Historic Buildings and Monuments

Commission for England, the Environment Agency and the Local Government

Association.

(4B)	If the national policy statement relates, in whole or part, to Scotland, the Secretary

of State shall consult the Scottish Executive, the Scottish Environment Protection

Agency, Scottish Natural Heritage and the Convention of Scottish Local

Authorities.

(4C)	If the national policy statement relates, in whole or part, to Wales, the Secretary

of State shall consult the Welsh Assembly Government, the Environment

Agency, the Countryside Council for Wales and the Welsh Local Government

Association.’.

Member’s explanatory statement

The amendment provides that the main environmental agencies and the devolved executives are

consulted on national policy statements.

Mrs Jacqui Lait

Robert Neill

Mr David Jones

Mr Richard Benyon

Mr David Curry

James Duddridge

245

Clause  7,  page  4,  line  19,  at end insert—

‘(4A)

The public shall have a minimum of 13 weeks from the publication of notice of

the Secretary of State’s intentions to make representations upon the proposal.

(4B)	The draft of the proposal shall be accompanied by an Environmental Report

under the Environmental Assessment of Plans and Programmes directive and, if

necessary, a draft Appropriate Assessment under the Habitats Directive.’

Member’s explanatory statement

See explanatory statement to amendment 244.

Mr Clive Betts

95

Clause  7,  page  4,  line  20,  leave out subsection (5).

Dan Rogerson

Tom Brake

55

Clause  7,  page  4,  line  23,  at end insert ‘which must include publicising the

consultation in formats accessible to people with disabilities.’.

Public Bill Committee: 15th January 2008

107

Planning Bill, continued

Mrs Jacqui Lait

Robert Neill

Mr David Jones

Mr Richard Benyon

Mr David Curry

James Duddridge

190

Clause  7,  page  4,  line  23,  at end insert—

‘(5A)

The publicity to be taken under subsection (5) shall include advertisement in a

newspaper circulating in the locality, the display of one or more site notices at the

location and placing copies of the proposal and relevant supporting material for

inspection by the public at one or more places in or convenient to the location.’.

Member’s explanatory statement

The amendment provides minimum standards of publicity in locations identified as suitable or

potentially suitable for a specified description of a development.

Mrs Jacqui Lait

Robert Neill

Mr David Jones

Mr Richard Benyon

Mr David Curry

James Duddridge

191

Clause  7,  page  4,  line  23,  at end insert—

‘(5B)

If subsection (5) applies, any authority required to be consulted under section 8

shall also be consulted on the proposal.

(5C)	If subsection (5) applies, the Secretary of State shall consult any parish or town

council (if in England) or any community council (if in Wales) whose area

includes the location or is within 10 miles of the location.’.

Member’s explanatory statement

Clause 8 requires the Secretary of State to consult various authorities as to the appropriate

publicity to give to location specific proposals. The amendment requires that those authorities are

consulted upon the proposals themselves. It also requires town and parish councils and community

councils in the vicinity to be consulted.

Mrs Jacqui Lait

Robert Neill

Mr David Jones

Mr Richard Benyon

Mr David Curry

James Duddridge

246

Clause  7,  page  4,  line  25,  at end add ‘with or without modifications’.

Member’s explanatory statement

This amendment makes clear that the Secretary of State can modify the proposals after

consultation.

Dan Rogerson

Tom Brake

160

Clause  7,  page  4,  line  25,  at end add—

‘(7)	Where a national policy statement refers to a geographically specific part of the

country, the Secretary of State must, in arranging publicity under subsection (2),

arrange for publicity to be made available in at least two local newspapers in the

relevant area, where published.’.

Public Bill Committee: 15th January 2008

108

Planning Bill, continued

Mrs Jacqui Lait

Robert Neill

Mr David Jones

Mr Richard Benyon

Mr David Curry

James Duddridge

247

Clause  7,  page  4,  line  25,  at end add—

‘(7)	The Secretary of State shall give reasons for designating a statement as a national

policy statement, including his reasons for not following any representations

made.’.

John Healey

49

Clause  8,  page  4,  line  40,  leave out ‘district council’ and insert ‘county council, or

district council,’.

Member’s explanatory statement

Clause 8 requires the Secretary of State to consult the district council in an area where there are

two tiers of local authority. This amendment (read with amendment 50) has the effect that the

county council must also be consulted in such an area.

John Healey

50

Clause  8,  page  4,  leave out lines 41 and 42.

Member’s explanatory statement

See Member's explanatory statement for amendment 49.

Mrs Jacqui Lait

Robert Neill

Mr David Jones

Mr Richard Benyon

Mr David Curry

James Duddridge

226

Clause  9,  page  5,  line  7,  at end insert ‘and the Independent Planning Commission’s

functions’.

Member’s explanatory statement

This amendment places a duty on the Independent Planning Commission as well as the Secretary

of State to consider the sustainability of development in the decision-making process.

Mr Elfyn Llwyd

57

Clause  9,  page  5,  line  9,  at end add—

‘(3)	“Sustainable development” is defined as enabling people to satisfy their basic

needs and enjoy a better quality of life, without compromising the quality of life

of future generations.’.

Public Bill Committee: 15th January 2008

109

Planning Bill, continued

Mr Elfyn Llwyd

58

Clause  9,  page  5,  line  9,  at end add—

‘(3)	In carrying out functions under sections 5 and 6 the Secretary of State shall have

regard to—

(a)	all relevant international obligations included under the Habitats

Directive;

(b)	carbon implications and targets set out for carbon emissions;

(c)	the biodiversity duty in section 40 of the Natural Environment and Rural

Communities Act 2006.’.

Dan Rogerson

Tom Brake

74

Clause  10,  page  5,  line  24,  at end add—

‘(4)	The Secretary of State must report on the progress of the review at 28 day

intervals.’.

Mrs Jacqui Lait

Robert Neill

Mr David Jones

Mr Richard Benyon

Mr David Curry

James Duddridge

192

Clause  11,  page  5,  line  32,  at end insert—

‘(1A)

No statement referred to within subsection (1) above may be designated as a

national policy statement or referred to in such a statement unless it has been

subject to environmental assessment in accordance with the Environmental

Assessment of Plans and Programmes Directive 2001/42/EC and regulations

implementing that Directive.’.

Member’s explanatory statement

The amendment requires a pre-existing statement which is to be designated as a national policy

statement to have been subject to strategic environmental assessment.

Mrs Jacqui Lait

Robert Neill

Mr David Jones

Mr Richard Benyon

Mr David Curry

James Duddridge

193

Clause  11,  page  5,  line  36,  leave out subsection (3).

Member’s explanatory statement

The amendment requires consultation on a proposed national policy statement to take place under

the Act and so excludes reliance on pre-commencement consultation.

Public Bill Committee: 15th January 2008

110

Planning Bill, continued

Mr Elfyn Llwyd

Mrs Jacqui Lait

Robert Neill

Mr David Jones

Mr Richard Benyon

Mr David Curry

James Duddridge

61

Page  5,  line  25,  leave out Clause 11.

Mrs Jacqui Lait

Robert Neill

Mr David Jones

Mr Richard Benyon

Mr David Curry

James Duddridge

195

Clause  12,  page  6,  line  6,  leave out ‘6’ and insert ‘12’.

Member’s explanatory statement

The amendment increases the period for bringing proceedings from six weeks to 12 weeks.

Dan Rogerson

Tom Brake

75

Clause  12,  page  6,  line  12,  leave out from ‘review’ to end of line 14.

Mrs Jacqui Lait

Robert Neill

Mr David Jones

Mr Richard Benyon

Mr David Curry

James Duddridge

196

Clause  12,  page  6,  line  13,  leave out ‘6’ and insert ‘12’.

Member’s explanatory statement

See explanatory statement to amendment 195.

Mrs Jacqui Lait

Robert Neill

Mr David Jones

Mr Richard Benyon

Mr David Curry

James Duddridge

248

Clause  12,  page  6,  line  14,  after ‘day’, insert ‘of publication’.

Member’s explanatory statement

This amendment makes the time for bringing a challenge run from the publication of the

Secretary of State’s act.

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Revised 15 January 2008