CPRE Herefordshire Annual Report October 2012

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CONTRIBUTORS Bob Widdowson Ros Bradbury Ian Jardin Barbara Bromhead-Wragg Penny Farquhar Oliver KEEP IN TOUCH... You can keep up-to-date with all the latest news and information by visiting our website at www.cpreherefordshire.org.uk You can also contact the branch by the following methods: By email... Please send any comments or letters to: contactus@cpreherefordshire.org.uk Secretary David Phelps davidsphelps@yahoo.co.uk Chairman Bob Widdowson rw@gumpol.demon.co.uk By phone... David Phelps 01432 279185 Bob Widdowson 01544 230050 © MMXI1 CPRE Herefordshire. The contents of this publication are subject to copyright protection and reproduction in whole or in part, whether mechanical or electronic, is expressly forbidden without the prior consent of CPRE. All details were correct at the time of going to press but may change at the publisher’s discretion. Registered Charity No. 213951 Designed by Wayne Summers t 01544 262 794 e wayne@waynesummers.co.uk It is, quite simply, the most radical shakeup of the planning system in our time. After months of consultation, thousands of public responses, a swell of media criticism and much heated political debate, the Government has finally unveiled its new National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). Throughout the consultation process, CPRE has been a leading voice in favour of strong planning regulations, and expressed its concerns about the draft document’s failure to recognise the value of our ordinary countryside, 52% of which has no special environmental designation or protection. We had been curious to see just how the final NPPF would condense over 1,000 pages of previous legislation into a mere 50. The Government appears to have listened to CPRE, our members and supporters and other campaigners’ concerns, and incorporated some of our key objectives in the final NPPF – including a clearer definition of sustainable development, an explicit recognition of the value of the countryside as a whole, and a revived emphasis on building on previously developed brownfield sites rather than unspoilt green spaces. However, the Government’s self-proclaimed pro-growth agenda means that we will have to remain vigilant about whether such growth comes at the expense of the countryside. OUR REACTION We were very reassured that the Minister, Greg Clark, recognised the intrinsic value of the ordinary countryside “whether specifically designated or not” and stated that the five principles of the UK Sustainable Development Strategy are included in the document. The test will be whether the NPPF document is clear when put in practice. If the actual wording is vague or open to interpretation, it could undo the good intentions and slow everything down. The NPPF’s deadline for local plans will place councils under pressure. Herefordshire Council’s Local Development Framework is not planned to be adopted before Spring 2014. MATCHLESS COUNTRYSIDE Shortly before the release of the NPPF, Prime Minister David Cameron praised the planning vision of the CPRE co-founder Sir Patrick Abercrombie in a key speech on infrastructure at the Institute of Civil Engineering, saying that he hoped to emulate Abercrombie’s ideal of well-planned homes. It is worth remembering that Abercrombie was also a fierce critic of governments risking beautiful countryside for economic gain and who pointed out: ‘It is a matter for serious thought that at periods of financial stress it is always beauty that is sacrificed upon the altar of expediency.’ Only time will tell whether the Government’s long-awaited new planning framework will truly protect, rather than sacrifice, the beauty of our countryside. Needless to say, CPRE will be scrutinising the full NPPF in detail over the coming days - and will be continuing to work within the planning system, and with the Government, local authorities and communities, defending what Greg Clark rightly called ‘our matchless countryside.’ 2
NPPF AT A GLANCE... GREEN Improved/Good AMBER Unchanged/Caution RED Poor/Area for Concern GREEN: INTRINSIC VALUE One of the most worrying aspects of the draft NPPF was its omission of the previous policy requirement that all countryside should be recognised as intrinsically valuable for its own sake, not just specially designated sites. Minister Greg Clark confirmed that the final policy recognises the intrinsic character and beauty of the countryside, ‘whether specifically designated or not’. While this does not mean no development in the countryside, it should help ensure that building on green fields is not a first resort. GREEN: LOCAL PLANS The NPPF clearly stressed that all decisions on development must be taken in line with locally agreed plans and policies, unless other relevant issues indicate otherwise. We also welcomed the Government’s response to calls to allow local authorities time to get their local plans up to date before the presumption in favour of sustainable development kicks in, although it will be a challenge for many authorities to finalise their plans within the new 12 month deadline. GREEN: LIGHT POLLUTION AND TRANQUILLITY The inclusion of policies to enable local authorities to combat light pollution, by encouraging good design and planning and better lighting controls is a good thing. We hope that more local authorities will now seek to limit the impact from artificial light on local amenity, intrinsically dark landscapes and the natural environment. Also welcome is the first reference in national policy to the need to identify and protect areas of tranquillity. We will be supporting this policy to protect and enhance areas of tranquillity for their contribution to health and quality of life. AMBER: SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT Many were concerned that while the draft NPPF championed ‘sustainable development’ at all costs, it signally failed to spell out exactly what that meant. The final NPPF provides rather more detail on what such development should entail, referencing the key principles of the UK Sustainable Development Strategy, and Greg Clark reiterated to Parliament that environmental and social aspects were key elements of sustainable projects. However, there was still a lack of clarity over what sustainable development might mean in practice, and a lack of UK-specific environmental limits. AMBER: BUILDING ON BROWNFIELD The draft NPPF dispensed with the old requirement that previously developed brownfield land should be prioritised for development, so we were pleased to note that the final document explicitly acknowledged that building on brownfield should be a priority. However, the new NPPF does not go as far as previous policies in making sure that brownfield is always prioritised over greenfield. RED: GREEN VERSUS GROWTH? While the Government has removed much of the alarming language in the draft NPPF, including the notorious ‘default yes’ to sustainable development, it continues to call for ‘significant weight’ to be placed on delivering economic growth, implying that strong planning regulations are an impediment to such growth. This is something that CPRE has long questioned, as our research shows that far from holding back growth, sensible planning has huge and lasting benefits for the economy. RED: HOUSING PRESSURE Under the NPPF, the Government has still retained its misguided approach to requiring the planning system to make available a five year supply of ‘deliverable’ housing land, plus an additional ‘buffer’ requirement of 5-20%, based on the performance of local planning authorities. While the approach is not new, the extra buffer requirement can only increase pressure to develop on lower-cost green field and rural housing sites. COULD YOU HELP? If you have just a few hours a month to spare, we can find a valuable role for you. We offer appropriate training and can reimburse all relevant expenses. All our volunteers work from home and keep in touch by e-mail, telephone and through the linked “members’ area” at www.cpreherefordshire.org.uk We have monthly meetings. Job holders are most welcome to attend as often as they wish, although in practice some of the roles described below do not require regular attendance. Job Descriptions are available on our website for the jobs listed: just click on the relevant link. We currently have specific vacancies for: • Press Officer: to provide support to the branch in drafting Press releases and publicising CPRE Herefordshire’s work • Planning Watchdogs: to help monitor planning applications across the county • Policy Volunteers: to help formulate CPRE Herefordshire’s position on issues like, the emerging development plan, the Local Development Framework, polytunnels, Telecommunications masts and windfarms • Public Relations Volunteers: to help man CPRE information stands at public events • Volunteers to join our Executive Committee If you are interested in finding out more about becoming a committee member, or would like more information on any of the other volunteer posts then email us at: contactus@cpreherefordshire.org.uk 3
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Page 9 and 10: CHAIRMAN’S REPORT N THE LAST YEAR
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CPRE Herefordshire Annual Report October 2012

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