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Response to the Planning Reforms

Response to National Planning Policy March 2023

This document sets out the joint response from the authorities responsible for the Plymouth and South West Devon Joint Local Plan; Plymouth City, South Hams District and West Devon Borough Councils.

We have responded to each question asked in the Consultation and have not used the online portal because the response is more nuanced than the specified options allow.

We would be very happy to meet with Ministers and government officials to help improve and guide the detail of the proposed Planning Reforms.

Formal response to Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill: Reforms to national Planning Policy

Response to the Planning White Paper 2020

This document sets out Plymouth City Council's formal response to 'Planning for the Future' White Paper. We object to 16 of the 24 proposals. We support 6 of the proposals in principle and fully support 2 of the proposals.

We have responded to each question asked in the White Paper, where appropriate.

We have undertaken community group engagement on the proposals and incorporated the views we captured from these local stakeholders within our response and we have encouraged local residents to directly engage in the consultation process.

We have also commented upon parts of the White Paper where no specific question was identified.

We are widely acknowledged as one of the leading local planning authorities in the country for positive, proactive planning and local plan performance, and as such we would be very happy to meet with Ministers and Government officials to help improve and guide the detail of the proposals set out in the White Paper. We note that the task force behind the ideas included in the White Paper did not include any local authority representative, which to us seems a glaring omission given that local government has not only the most direct experience in operating the current planning system but will be crucial to the successful implementation of a new planning system. We can offer the experience many years of high quality engagement with the planning process from a local authority perspective.