Table 1. Selected planning reforms based... | Emerald Publishing

Table 1.

Selected planning reforms based on the criteria that the participants were most concerned about

Reform	Its key elements
Consolidation of policies	Planning legislation was consolidated in 1971 and then 1990. In 2012, 44 separate planning policy documents of over 1500 pages were condensed into a single National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) of about 50 pages long (DCLG, 2012). To make planning policy and guidance in England less complex and more accessible to the public, while introducing a strong pro-growth vision and a ‘presumption in favour of sustainable development’ (Grimwood, 2019, 2021).
Pre-application	A frontloading exercise involving informal meeting(s) with a planning officer, to discuss feasibility of ideas and problems that might occur. To deliver a more proactive and streamlined approach to development application workflows, reduce costs by filtering out potentially unsuccessful applications for quicker determinations and better-quality outcomes (DCLG, 2012; Tait and Inch, 2016).
Permitted development rights (PDR)	Development proposals that cause limited or minor impacts, are unlikely to require full planning permission, and are processed by way of PDR (DCLG, 2014). This handed back the full value of development rights to developers, without requirement to pay Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) or Section 106 on Permitted Development schemes.
Delegated decision-making	The Localism Act 2011 devolved decision-making to local areas, allowing decisions to be handled by LPAs’ delegated planning officers rather than higher level authorities. To enhance the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of consenting processes. It introduced: ‘neighbourhood planning’ to enhance democracy, local economic growth, and more effective administration (Tait and Inch, 2016); community rights to build, pre-application consultations with communities, and required LPAs to cooperate with their neighbours in preparation of their development plans.
Smarter work practices	More paperless administration and online IT systems (‘ePlanning’). To generate income, LPAs introduced fees, – for example, for pre-application advice. Sharing of services by way of inter-organisational collaborations and amalgamations of departments and services introduced to reduce overheads and make savings.

Reform	Its key elements
Consolidation of policies	Planning legislation was consolidated in 1971 and then 1990. In 2012, 44 separate planning policy documents of over 1500 pages were condensed into a single National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) of about 50 pages long (DCLG, 2012). To make planning policy and guidance in England less complex and more accessible to the public, while introducing a strong pro-growth vision and a ‘presumption in favour of sustainable development’ (Grimwood, 2019, 2021).
Pre-application	A frontloading exercise involving informal meeting(s) with a planning officer, to discuss feasibility of ideas and problems that might occur. To deliver a more proactive and streamlined approach to development application workflows, reduce costs by filtering out potentially unsuccessful applications for quicker determinations and better-quality outcomes (DCLG, 2012; Tait and Inch, 2016).
Permitted development rights (PDR)	Development proposals that cause limited or minor impacts, are unlikely to require full planning permission, and are processed by way of PDR (DCLG, 2014). This handed back the full value of development rights to developers, without requirement to pay Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) or Section 106 on Permitted Development schemes.
Delegated decision-making	The Localism Act 2011 devolved decision-making to local areas, allowing decisions to be handled by LPAs’ delegated planning officers rather than higher level authorities. To enhance the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of consenting processes. It introduced: ‘neighbourhood planning’ to enhance democracy, local economic growth, and more effective administration (Tait and Inch, 2016); community rights to build, pre-application consultations with communities, and required LPAs to cooperate with their neighbours in preparation of their development plans.
Smarter work practices	More paperless administration and online IT systems (‘ePlanning’). To generate income, LPAs introduced fees, – for example, for pre-application advice. Sharing of services by way of inter-organisational collaborations and amalgamations of departments and services introduced to reduce overheads and make savings.