CLG recently highlighted some of the changes to planning regulations envisaged for 2008. These wide-ranging changes will affect RICS members across several disciplines and are focused on localised issues such as planning applications. The following are issues that affect the vast majority of Planning and Development Faculty members. Changes include:

• the adding of World Heritage Sites to the list of areas in which restrictions are imposed on any development permitted without the need for planning permission
• deregulating, to some extent, the current regulations by removing some of the burdens on local authorities in preparing Development Plan Documents
• ensuring consistency in the planning process by introducing a standard application form for planning and associated consents, as well as validation checklists for any additional information which may accompany applications
• extending the range of types of planning appeal which the Secretary of State for CLG can transfer to inspectors for decisions
• making amendments to the Town and Country Planning (Fees for Applications and Deemed Applications) Regulations 1989 (SI 1989/193) (“the 1989 Regulations”). This will increase the level of fees payable to local planning authorities in England for planning applications, deemed planning applications, and applications for consent to display advertisements, made on or after 6 April 2008. It will create a new fee for a request for confirmation of compliance with conditions. It will also remove the obsolete fee for an application to renew a planning permission – which will no longer be possible
• providing permitted development rights for certain forms of microgeneration development aimed at domestic use
• dealing with reviews of old mineral permissions which are currently 'stalled' for want of environmental information; applying sanctions to make the application of the Environmental Impact Assessment Directive to all reviews of mineral permissions is as effective as possible
• complying with two ECJ judgments from May 2006, whose effect, in the case of outline planning applications, is to allow environmental impact assessments to be carried out at the 'reserved matters' stage.

RICS will respond in due course.

To view the full statement of regulations, please click the download link to the right of this page.