Welcome progress for rural planning, says CLA

The CLA, the rural economy experts, has welcomed the publication of the Government's Planning Policy Statement Planning and Climate Change, and also the consultation draft PPS4 – Planning for Sustainable Economic Development. Following intense CLA lobbying, it now appears that vital rural enterprise is considered in the planning system.

The new PPS requires local planning authorities to accept that sustainable rural development may well be acceptable even when it is only accessible by private cars. The draft PPS4 was published in December 2007 and urges local authorities to plan positively for economic development and to promote new businesses and economic growth in both urban and rural areas "unless there is good reason to believe the costs outweigh the benefits". It also states that rural sites may be acceptable for development even though there are no public transport links.

The draft Statement emphasises the need to achieve a "proper balance" between economic growth and environmental and social concerns, something on which the CLA has been lobbying for many years. Local authorities will be expected to support activities which address disparities and promote opportunities for regenerating deprived areas and which support business diversification in rural areas, and the economic re-use of historic buildings.

Angus Collingwood-Cameron, Director CLA North East said: "Many rural businesses have been frustrated by the planning authorities using a very narrow definition of "sustainable" and insisting that economic development must be linked to public transport. In many rural areas, there is no public transport. Those seeking to generate wealth and implement national and regional economic strategies have been thwarted by the planning system. Hopefully, this inconsistency will now cease."

"This is a huge step forward and removes barriers to rural diversification that have killed off previous economic regeneration in the countryside. The CLA will continue to lobby to ensure that these changes are implemented by local planning authorities, both on a case by case basis and to ensure that they are embedded in the new Local Development Frameworks, which many planning authorities are in the process of creating."

The CLA is advising Members affected by planning issues to contact their regional and national planning experts via the North East office on 01668 217017