The Presumption in Favour of Sustainable Development

Proposition

The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) will consolidate existing planning policy statements, circulars and guidance documents into a single document. The draft NPPF sets out that where there is no local or neighbourhood plan in place or the plan is silent, indeterminate or policies are out of date there will be a presumption in favour of sustainable development.

The draft NPPF also contains the definition of sustainable development which will need to be holistic and robust, to ensure that high quality development in the right place is achieved, ensuring the long term wellbeing of our communities.

Key Points

The definitions of sustainable development, along with the 'presumption in favour of sustainable development' are set out in the draft National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), currently out for consultation.

The presumption in favour of sustainable development will come into play where the neighbourhood and/or local plan is absent, silent, indeterminate or where relevant policies are out of date.  Any proposal which can be shown to comply with the definition of sustainable development contained within the draft NPPF will therefore be eligible for consent.

It is imperative the definition of sustainable development takes a holistic and robust approach which considers social, environmental and economic needs of the current and future generations of that community and of the nation as a whole. If there is a robust, holistic definition then this will allow the right kind of high quality development in the right place.

However, if the definition is not defined adequately and applied effectively, it could:

  • Result in local authorities consenting to low quality development, particularly where there is pressure from budget cuts to capture incentives from the New Homes Bonus and CIL. The implementation of the presumption could lead to short term speculative investment decisions in housing without proper consideration of local needs. This would compromise long-term sustainable development and affect the quality of life of local communities and places.
  • Perpetuate in other areas, less pressured by budget cuts, low levels of development where a weak definition of sustainable development can be used to demonstrate no need for housing or development.
  • Undermine the local communities’ trust in the planning system by seeing development take place in which they do not feel sufficiently engaged.
  • Create uncertainty and challenges for developers working in different local authority boundaries, undermining economic and housing growth.

However, it must still be recognised that a definition of sustainable development can only act as a framework/ baseline for local communities not a rigid template. Therefore, we need an improved understanding of what sustainable development is, and how to apply it to planning decisions.

Planning for sustainable development needs to consider more than land-use and location – where something is created, built, used or conserved - but also:

  • What should be created: the need the development is intended to meet within the strategy for the area, and what the alternatives may be
  • What is to be created: the form and function of the development including purpose, design and aesthetics, building standards, materials
  • How it is to be created: such as time-scale (of development and use), methods to be employed, consultation with the public and others
  • How it is to be used: such as access, management plans, target or priority users
  • Who or what are the beneficiaries, and how benefits will accrue: including to users and local residents, (current and potential), visitors, commerce and industry, wildlife and biodiversity.

Case Study:

Hammarby Sjöstad, Sweden

Hammarby Sjöstad has developed a world famous diagram of sustainable development which can be viewed here along with further detail.

This 200 hectare brownfield development was conceived to expand the inner city with a focus on the water, while converting an old industrial and harbour area into a modern, sustainable neighbourhood with a strong emphasis on ecology and environmental sustainability.

The project has already delivered homes for almost 10,000 people in a neighbourhood and will deliver 9,000 homes and 10,000 jobs by 2015.

The scheme has attracted international acclaim for the quality of place created and convinced many that carbon neutral development is necessary and achievable. The development successfully links with inner city Stockholm, with contemporary adoption of the inner city street dimensions, block lengths, building heights, density and mix of uses, delivering a quality neighbourhood..

 

Key messages

  • All development should be sustainable, whether approved through the local or neighbourhood plan or the presumption in favour of sustainable development.
  • Development which meets the Triple Bottom Line of economic, social and environmental sustainability enables us to meet to local needs and aspirations of a community, whilst also reconciling these with issues of national and strategic importance, both now and in the future.
  • Sustainable development is about balance.  We want to ensure the right kind of high quality development happens in the right place and therefore the definition needs to be strong enough to ensure appropriate quality development takes place as well as preventing poor development.
  • The new National Planning Policy Framework should contain a holistic and robust definition of sustainable development to guide local authorities and communities.  This is important to ensure quality of place and, importantly, give certainty and consistency to developers working with different local authorities. 
  • The definition within the National Planning Policy Framework will need to ensure local and immediate aspirations are reconciled with national need (housing, climate change) and strategic issues such as infrastructure provision, flooding etc. 
  • The UK Sustainable development Strategy (DEFRA, 2005) sets out the most holistic and robust definition of sustainable development

Signposts to Good Practice

Links