Department for Communities and Local Government issue Consolidated Guidance

On 10 March 2014 the Rt Hon Nick Boles MP Minster for Planning wrote to Coalition MP's advising that the final version of the consolidated planning guidance had been issued.  

"Planning should not be the exclusive preserve of lawyers, developers or town hall officials. This Government inherited over 7,000 pages of complex, overlapping and repetitive planning practice guidance. This is in addition to planning policy contained with the consolidated National Planning Policy Framework. A streamlined version of the practice guidance can now be found online in one place at: http://planningguidance.planningportal.gov.uk"

He went on to say:

"We have carefully listened to representations from colleagues in recent Parliamentary debates. In particular, to help councils with their Local Plans, we are:"

There are several elements which are of particular relevance to the Gleeson proposal:

"Issuing robust guidance on flood risk, making it crystal clear that councils need to consider the strict tests set out in national policy, and where these are not met, new development on flood risk sites should not be allowed. http://planningguidance.planningportal.gov.uk/blog/guidance/flood-risk-and-coastal- change/planning-and-flood-risk/#paragraph_001 "

and

"Re-affirming the importance of Green Belt protection and ensuring its robust safeguards are not undermined when assessing unmet housing need.  http://planningguidance.planningportal.gov.uk/blog/guidance/housing-and-economic- land-availability-assessment/stage-5-final-evidence-base/#paragraph_034 "

"Stressing the importance of bringing brownfield land into use.   http://planningguidance.planningportal.gov.uk/blog/guidance/viability- guidance/viability-and-plan-making/#paragraph_025 "

There are also elements which relate more to the situation MSDC find themselves in with regard to the emerging Local Plan.