BRIDFORD PARISH COUNCIL PLANNING GUIDE

Objectives

The objectives of this Planning Policy Guide are to:

Explain to our stakeholders the planning framework within which the Bridford Parish Council has to function.
Set out the planning guidelines of the Bridford Parish Council.
Ensure that there is transparency and consistency in responses to all planning applications on which the Bridford Parish Council is consulted.

The National Planning Policy Framework

The foundation on which all national planning policy rests has been set out in the National Planning Policy Framework published by HMG on 27 March 2012 and is supported by planning practice guidance on specific matters which have been published subsequently. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-planning-policy-framework–2

The National Planning Policy Framework marked a radical change in planning policy:

It recognised that our natural environment can be better managed.
It recognised that our landscapes and villages can be better cherished if their spirit of place thrives, rather than withers.
It recognised that our standards of design can be so much higher.
It introduced a presumption in favour of sustainable development.
It dismantled the unaccountable regional apparatus and introduced neighbourhood planning to include local communities.
It replaced more than a thousand pages of policy with around fifty.

The National Planning Policy Framework did not however change the statutory status of the ‘development plan’ as the starting point for decision making. ‘Development plans’ comprise adopted Local Plans and neighbourhood plans.

In the case of Bridford our ‘development plan’ comprises the Local Development Framework, Core Strategy Development Plan Document 2006-2026, as adopted by the Dartmoor National Park Authority during June 2008, together with the Development Management and Delivery Development Plan Document, as adopted by the Dartmoor National Park Authority during July 2013.

The Dartmoor National Park Authority published a consultation document during October 2016 and invited comments on specific issues for a new Local Plan. Bridford Parish Council submitted its comments before the consultation period ended on 13 January 2017.

Bridford Parish Council does not have a neighbourhood plan. Neighbourhood plans must be consistent with the adopted Local Plan but as the document approved by the DNPA is so prescriptive there would be little or no benefit in preparing and adopting a neighbourhood plan for Bridford. It would also be difficult to justify the expense of a neighbourhood plan in a relatively small parish. If circumstances changed it might be appropriate for Bridford Parish Council to collaborate with other councils in the Teign Valley and to prepare a neighbourhood plan for the wider community.

The DNPA does not seem to have embraced all of the changes introduced by the National Panning Policy Framework and the Bridford Parish Council hopes that the consultation document published by the DNPA during October 2016 will lead to the adoption of a more progressive Local Plan.

The National Planning Policy Framework requires that ‘great weight’ be given to conserving the landscape and scenic beauty in National Parks and states that major developments should therefore be refused except in exceptional circumstances and where they are in the public interest. Considerations of such applications should include needs and impact upon the local economy, the cost of development elsewhere and any detrimental impact on the environment.

The Town and Country Planning Act 1990

The Town and Country Planning Act 1990 puts the planning process for the development of land into public ownership, and continues to regulate that process.

The Act establishes the Dartmoor National Park Authority as the sole planning authority for Bridford and so Teignbridge District Council has no role in our planning process.

Local plan Local Development Framework Core Strategy Development Plan Document 2006-2026

The Local Development Framework, Core Strategy Development Plan Document 2006-2026 was adopted by the Dartmoor National Park Authority during June 2008. http://www.dartmoor.gov.uk/planning/pl-forwardplanning/pl-corestrategy

The objectives of the Dartmoor National Park Authority in exercising its planning are:

To conserve and enhance the natural beauty, wildlife and cultural heritage of Dartmoor.
To promote opportunities for the understanding and enjoyment of the special qualities of Dartmoor.
To seek to foster the economic and social well being of local communities.

Local plan Development Management and Delivery Plan

The Development Management and Delivery Development Plan Document, was adopted by the Dartmoor National Park Authority during July 2013. http://www.dartmoor.gov.uk/living-and-working/planning/planning-policy/local-plan. In respect of Bridford this document states:
“In the recent past, the village hosted a sizeable development of 16 homes at Bridford Barton Farm, which included four affordable dwellings for local needs. Any further housing development in Bridford should be very small scale to support needs arising locally.”
“There are no specific policies or proposals for this settlement. The policies in the Core Strategy and general policies of this document will be sufficient for development management purposes.”

Bridford Parish Council Parish Plan

The first Bridford Parish Plan was published in 2005. The Parish Plan, which does not have the same legal status as a neighbourhood plan, is reviewed by the Parish Council annually and updated accordingly. The latest version was revised in October 2015. https://bridfordvillage.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/2015-Parish-Plan-final.pdf

Planning practice guidance and Planning system

This document has been issued by the Department for Communities and Local Government, it was first published on 6 March 2014 and sets out the procedures to be followed by a planning authority when it receives a planning application. https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/planning-practice-guidance

When the Dartmoor National Park Planning Authority receives a planning application it is required to undertake a period of consultation where views on the proposed development can be expressed. The formal consultation period normally lasts for 21 days.

The largest group of consultees are the public which includes owners of neighbouring properties, and community group including the Bridford Parish Council.
Another group are the statutory consultees which would for example include the Devon Highways Authority and this category would only include the Bridford Parish Council in very exceptional circumstances.

The Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) (England) Order 2015

The Bridford Parish Council has been deemed to have issued a permanent notification that it wishes to be consulted in respect of all planning applications received in respect of its parish and so the Dartmoor National Park Planning Authority is required to consult it. http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2015/595/contents/made

The Dartmoor National Park Planning Authority is not permitted to determine any planning application in the parish until the earlier of the Bridford Parish Council informing them of its representations, or that it does not propose to make any representations, or 21 days.

The Dartmoor National Park Planning Authority is required to notify the Bridford Parish Council of its decisions on planning applications within its parish.

The Dartmoor National Park Planning Authority should consider the Bridford Parish Council to be a significant consultee because it can not only provide local knowledge but can also represent the local community.

The Dartmoor National Park Planning Authority invites the Bridford Parish Council in respect of each planning application to support, object or express a no objection / neutral view.

Planning Committee of the Bridford Parish Council Planning procedures

All planning applications are considered by the Planning Committee of the Bridford Parish Council, and the Committee is authorized by the Parish Council to make an informal representation to The Dartmoor National Park Planning Authority when necessary.

The Planning Committee includes all Councillors and the quorum is three members of the Planning Committee.

The Parish Clerk is notified by the Dartmoor National Park Planning Authority of all relevant planning applications received. The Parish Clerk advises members of the Planning Committee by email of the notifications received and also includes them on the agenda for noting and ratification at the next meeting of the Parish Council.

It is the general policy of the Planning Committee to arrange site visits in respect of all planning applications except either where the proposals are straightforward or where the Councillors have prior knowledge of the proposed development.

The Planning Committee will then discuss each planning application either in an ad-hoc meeting or by email.

The Planning Committee will then advise in the case of each planning application whether to support, object or express a neutral opinion and the Chairman will then instruct the Parish Clerk to respond to the Dartmoor National Park Planning Authority accordingly.

All responses of the Planning Committee to the Dartmoor National Park Planning Authority will be placed on the agenda of the next meeting of the Bridford Parish Council for noting and ratification.

When possible the written representation of the Planning Committee to the Dartmoor National Park Planning Authority will post-date ratification at a full Council Meeting. When the 21 day timescale prohibits this, the response will be marked as informal, and a note informing the Dartmoor National Park Planning Authority of ratification will be sent following the next Council Meeting.

The Parish Council is aware that a relatively low weighting appears to be attached to its responses.