The government has been criticised for failing to reflect the opportunities the countryside holds and that current planning policy is holding back the rural economy.
In its consultation response to the draft revised National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), rural organisation the CLA said the needs of the modern rural economy must be met.
The NPPF sets out the government’s planning policies for England and how these should be applied.
But according to the CLA, planners hold long-standing perceptions about what the countryside is exclusively for, mainly farming.
CLA President Tim Breitmeyer said there that while farming is the core industry in the countryside, there is much more going on.
“Our countryside is home to a diverse business landscape held back by the planning system,” Mr Breitmeyer said.
“Outdated views of what the countryside is, and what is required to make it sustainable remain, and must be challenged so that people living and working in rural areas have the same opportunities as those in urban areas.”
The government has recently brought forward rural-centric policies such as the revised framework Entry Level Exception Sites to build more affordable homes in the countryside.
However, Mr Breitmeyer said more can be done to inject growth into the rural economy. He said rural areas are largely neglected, and changes must go further.
Development tax
The CLA has also expressed concerns over changes to development tax proposed in both the NPPF and in a separate consultation focused solely on developer contributions.
Developers are charged a Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) when planning permission is granted to build residential and commercial units.
The CLA says the combined effect of both consultations appear to remove virtually all incentives for landowners to bring agricultural land forward for development.
Mr Breitmeyer said: “New proposals for developer contributions will lead to even more costs being shifted on to the price landowners receive for the land. Frontloading these costs, especially before planning decisions are made, will serve as a major barrier to businesses taking risks and bringing forward the innovative development that rural areas need.”
