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Public Bill Committee: 31st January 2008                

534

 

Planning Bill, continued

 
 

(a)    

28 days from the date of notification of the decision; or

 

(b)    

in the case of an appeal under subsection (1)(b), 28 days from the

 

end of the period prescribed as mentioned in subsection (b) or, as

 

the case may be, the extended period mentioned in that

 

subsection.”.’.

 

Member’s explanatory statement

 

This New Clause provides for publicity and consultation periods for applications for lawful

 

development certificates. Subsection (3) provides for a time limit for appeals to be made against

 

the refusal or non-determination of such applications.

 


 

Abolition of conservation area consent

 

Mrs Jacqui Lait

 

Robert Neill

 

Mr David Jones

 

Mr Richard Benyon

 

James Duddridge

 

Mr David Curry

 

NC10

 

To move the following Clause:—

 

‘(1)    

After section 179 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 there is inserted—

 

“179A

  Demolition in conservation areas

 

(1)    

A person commits an offence if the person executes or causes to be

 

executed any works of demolition of a building in a conservation area

 

which constitute the carrying out of development without the required

 

planning permission.

 

(2)    

Without prejudice to subsection (1), if a person executing or causing to

 

be executed any works of demolition of a building in a conservation area

 

fails to comply with any condition relating to the demolition works and

 

attached to a planning permission, he shall be guilty of an offence.

 

(3)    

In proceeding for an offence under this section it shall be a defence to

 

prove the following matters—

 

(a)    

that works to the building were urgently necessary in the

 

interests of safety or health or for the preservation of the

 

building;

 

(b)    

that it was not practicable to secure safety or health or, as the case

 

may be, the preservation of the building by works of repair or

 

works for affording temporary support or shelter;

 

(c)    

that the works carried out were limited to the minimum measures

 

immediately necessary; and

 

(d)    

that notice in writing justifying in detail the carrying out of works

 

was given to the local planning authority as soon as reasonably

 

practicable.

 

(4)    

A person who is guilty of an offence under this section shall be liable—

 

(a)    

on summary conviction, to imprisonment for a term not

 

exceeding six months or a fine not exceeding £20,000, or both; or


 
 

Public Bill Committee: 31st January 2008                

535

 

Planning Bill, continued

 
 

(b)    

on conviction on indictment, to imprisonment for a term not

 

exceeding two years or a fine, or both.

 

(5)    

In determining the amount of any fine to be imposed on a person

 

convicted of an offence under this section, the court shall in particular

 

have regard to any financial benefit which has accrued or appears likely

 

to accrue to the person in consequence of the offence.”

 

(2)    

In sections 81A and 81B of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation

 

Areas) Act 1990 references to “a relevant consent” or “relevant consent” shall be

 

replaced by “listed building consent”.

 

(3)    

In paragraph 5 of Schedule 4 to the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation

 

Areas) Act 1990 for the words “to 75” there is substituted “to 73”.

 

(4)    

The Secretary of State may by regulations make transitional provision consequent

 

upon the abolition of conservation area consent.

 

(5)    

The regulations made under subsection (4) may in particular—

 

(a)    

make provision in respect of conservation area consents and planning

 

permissions granted before subsection (1) comes into force;

 

(b)    

make provision in respect of applications for conservation area consents

 

and planning permission made before subsection (1) comes into force.’.

 

Member’s explanatory statement

 

This New Clause provides for the abolition of the requirement for conservation area consent. The

 

demolition of unlisted buildings inside or outside conservation areas will be governed by the

 

requirement for planning permission. It would be an offence to demolish a building in a

 

conservation area without the required planning permission.

 


 

Enforcement (financial implications)

 

Dan Rogerson

 

Tom Brake

 

nc13

 

To move the following Clause:—

 

‘The local planning authority may seek from the Secretary of State financial

 

support if it can demonstrate the need for additional resources in order to monitor

 

or investigate potential offences under section 130 or 131, or in order to take

 

remedial action where offences have been committed under section 130 or 131.’.

 



 
 

Public Bill Committee: 31st January 2008                

536

 

Planning Bill, continued

 
 

Amendment of Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990

 

Mrs Jacqui Lait

 

Robert Neill

 

Mr David Jones

 

Richard Benyon

 

James Duddridge

 

Mr David Curry

 

nc14

 

To move the following Clause:—

 

‘(1)    

The Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 is amended as

 

follows.

 

(2)    

In section 67(2) (publicity for applications affecting setting of listed buildings)

 

after “situated” insert “or online on its own website”.’.

 


 

Register of trees

 

Alun Michael

 

NC15

 

To move the following Clause:—

 

‘After section 210 of TCPA 1990 insert—

 

“Register of trees of special interest

 

210A  

Register of trees of special interest

 

(1)    

The Secretary of State may compile and maintain a register of trees

 

situated in England and appearing to him to be of special interest, or may

 

approve with or without modification such a register compiled by other

 

persons or bodies, and may amend any register so compiled or approved.

 

(2)    

The Welsh Ministers may compile and maintain a register of trees

 

situated in Wales and appearing to them to be of special interest, or may

 

approve with or without modifications such a register compiled by other

 

persons or bodies, and may amend any register so compiled or approved.

 

(3)    

The Secretary of State or, as the case may be, the Welsh Ministers shall,

 

as soon as practicable after including in the register an entry relating to

 

any tree, notify the persons mentioned in subsection (4) of this section of

 

the inclusion and send them a copy of the entry.

 

(4)    

The persons are—

 

(a)    

the owner and (if the owner is not the occupier) the occupier of

 

the land on or over which the tree or any part of it is growing; and

 

(b)    

any local planning authority in whose area such land is

 

situated.”’.

 



 
 

Public Bill Committee: 31st January 2008                

537

 

Planning Bill, continued

 
 

Protection of trees not subject to a tree preservation order

 

Alun Michael

 

NC16

 

To move the following Clause:—

 

‘(1)    

In section 211 of the TCPA 1990 (preservation of trees in conservation areas), in

 

subsection (2), after the words “in a conservation area” add “and to any other

 

tree”.

 

(2)    

In section 212 (power to disapply section 211)—

 

(a)    

after subsection (2)(b), insert—

 

“(bb)    

trees in such other areas or descriptions of areas as may

 

be so specified;”;

 

(b)    

in subsection (2)(c), before the word “size”, insert “description,”;

 

(c)    

after subsection (2), insert—

 

“(2A)    

Such regulations may, in particular, exempt from the application

 

of section 211 any works to a tree whose felling would require a

 

licence under the Forestry Act 1967.”; and

 

(d)    

omit subsection (4).’.

 


 

Decisions of Panel and Council (duty in relation to electromagnetic fields)

 

Mr Richard Benyon

 

NC17

 

To move the following Clause:—

 

‘(1)    

This section applies in relation to an application for an order granting

 

development consent if the decision-maker is a Panel or the Council.

 

(2)    

In deciding the application, the Panel or Council must ensure that it does not

 

expose any person to any risk to their health arising from exposure to electric and

 

magnetic fields with a frequency of between 30 and 300 Hertz.’.

 


 

Third party rights of appeal

 

Dan Rogerson

 

Tom Brake

 

NC23

 

To move the following Clause:—

 

‘(1)    

TCPA 1990 is amended as follows.

 

(2)    

After section 78(2) (right to appeal), insert—

 

“(2A)    

Where a local planning authority appprove an application for planning

 

permission, certain persons as specified in subsection (2B) below may by

 

notice appeal to the Secretary of State.


 
 

Public Bill Committee: 31st January 2008                

538

 

Planning Bill, continued

 
 

(2B)    

Persons who may by notice appeal to the Secretary of State against the

 

approval of planning permission in the circumstances specified in

 

subsection (2A) above are—

 

(a)    

any persons who have lodged a formal objection to the planning

 

application in writing to the planning authority for the area in

 

which the land to which the application relates is situated;

 

(b)    

other persons at the discretion of a person appointed by the

 

Secretary of State for that purpose.”

 

(3)    

In section 79 (determination of appeals)—

 

(a)    

in subsection (2), the word “either” shall be omitted, and after the words

 

“if the appellant or the local planning authority” there shall be inserted

 

the words “or the applicant (where different from the appellant)”;

 

(b)    

in subsection (6), after the words “or to proceed with the determination”,

 

there shall be inserted the words “except for appeals as defined in section

 

78, subsection (2A), and where the appellant is as defined in section 78,

 

subsection (2B)”;

 

(c)    

After subsection (7), there is inserted—

 

“(8)    

The Secretary of State shall have a discretion to dismiss an

 

appeal or referral where, having considered the grounds of

 

appeal or referral, the Secretary of State is of the opinion that the

 

appeal or referral—

 

(a)    

is vexatious, frivolous or without substance or

 

foundation, or

 

(b)    

is made with the sole intention of delaying the

 

development or the intention of securing the payment of

 

money, gifts, consideration or other inducement by any

 

person.”’.

 


 

Playing fields

 

Dan Rogerson

 

Tom Brake

 

NC24

 

To move the following Clause:—

 

‘(1)    

The Town and Country Planning (General Development Procedure) Order 1995

 

(“the 1995 Order”) shall be amended as follows.

 

(2)    

In paragraph (z)(ii)(aa) of the table in Article 10(1) (as amended by the Town and

 

Country Planning (General Development Procedure) (Amendment) Order 1996)

 

leave out “5” and insert “20”.

 

(3)    

In paragraph (ii)(l) of Article 10(2) of the 1995 Order, leave out “0.4” and insert

 

“0.2”.’.

 



 
 

Public Bill Committee: 31st January 2008                

539

 

Planning Bill, continued

 
 

Use Class Orders

 

Dan Rogerson

 

Tom Brake

 

NC25

 

To move the following Clause:—

 

‘(1)    

The local planning authority may, when it deems it appropriate to do so, report on

 

the effectiveness of the Use Class Orders available to it in the Town and Country

 

Planning (Use Classes) Order 1987.

 

(2)    

In a report published under subsection (1) (“the Use Class Order report”), the

 

local planning authority may submit to the Secretary of State proposals for new

 

Use Class Orders to be made under sections 55(2)(f) and 333(7) of the Town and

 

Country Planning Act 1990.

 

(3)    

The Secretary of State shall consider the Use Class Order report within four

 

weeks of receiving it and may—

 

(a)    

order that new Use Classes be made under sections 55(2)(f) and 333(7)

 

of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 to reflect proposals made in

 

the Use Class Order report, or

 

(b)    

reject the proposals made in the Use Class Order report and publish the

 

reasons for that rejection in at least one local newspaper circulating in the

 

relevant area.

 

(4)    

Where the Secretary of State uses her power under subsection (3)(b) the Secretary

 

of State shall have a duty to meet with the local planning authority within four

 

weeks of the Secretary of State’s decision.’.

 


 

Enforcement charters

 

Dan Rogerson

 

nc26

 

To move the following Clause:—

 

‘(1)    

PCPA 2004 is amended as follows.

 

(2)    

After section 18 (statements of community involvement) insert—

 

“18A  

Enforcement charters

 

(1)    

The local planning authority must prepare an enforcement charter.

 

(2)    

For the purposes of this Act, an ‘enforcement charter’ shall set out—

 

(a)    

a statement of the authority’s policies as regards their taking

 

enforcement action for the purposes of TCPA 1990,

 

(b)    

an account of how members of the public are to bring any

 

ostensible breach of planning control to the attention of the

 

authority, and

 

(c)    

an account—

 

(i)    

of how any complaint to the authority as regards the

 

taking by them of enforcement action is to be made, and

 

(ii)    

of their procedures for dealing with any such complaint.


 
 

Public Bill Committee: 31st January 2008                

540

 

Planning Bill, continued

 
 

(3)    

The Secretary of State shall issue guidance to a planning authority for the

 

purposes of this section and an authority must have regard to any

 

guidance so issued.

 

(4)    

The local planning authority shall have a duty to review its charter and

 

publish it—

 

(a)    

whenever required to do so by the Secretary of State,

 

(b)    

at least every two years, and

 

(c)    

in such a manner as the Secretary of State shall by regulation

 

prescribe.

 

(5)    

For the purposes of sections 20 and 24 the enforcement charter is not a

 

local development document.”’.

 


 

New Schedule

 

John Healey

 

ns1

 

Parliamentary Star - white    

To move the following Schedule:—

 

‘Appeals: miscellaneous amendments

 

Town and Country Planning Act 1990

 

1          

TCPA 1990 is amended as follows.

 

2          

In section 78 (appeals against planning decisions and failure to take planning

 

decisions) after subsection (4) insert—

 

“(4A)    

A notice of appeal under this section must be accompanied by such

 

information as may be prescribed by a development order.

 

(4B)    

The power to make a development order under subsection (4A) is

 

exercisable by—

 

(a)    

the Secretary of State, in relation to England;

 

(b)    

the Welsh Ministers, in relation to Wales.

 

(4C)    

Section 333(5) does not apply in relation to a development order under

 

subsection (4A) made by the Welsh Ministers.

 

(4D)    

A development order under subsection (4A) made by the Welsh

 

Ministers is subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of the

 

National Assembly for Wales.”

 

3          

In section 195 (appeals against refusal or failure to give decision on application

 

under section 191 or 192) before subsection (2) insert—

 

“(1B)    

A notice of appeal under this section must be—

 

(a)    

served within such time and in such manner as may be

 

prescribed by a development order;

 

(b)    

accompanied by such information as may be prescribed by

 

such an order.

 

(1C)    

The time prescribed for the service of a notice of appeal under this

 

section must not be less than—


 
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