West Worcestershire MP Harriett Baldwin today welcomed the ‘common-sense’ changes to national planning policy outlined by the Government in the House of Commons. Harriett wrote to the Planning Minister last year raising a number of concerns and asking for changes before the National Planning Policy Framework is implemented. Communities Minister Greg Clark confirmed that local plans, produced by local people, will be the keystone of the planning system. Councils will get 12 months from today to complete their local plans. And the Minister praised Harriett and confirmed that her consultation response had been taken into account when re-thinking the framework. Harriett commented: “My constituents care deeply about our area and wanted to see three main changes to the draft National Planning Policy Framework. These were clarity about putting brown-field sites first, allowing local windfall sites and local buffer zones.” “The Department has clearly been listening to the voices of local people and I will be able to pass on the good news to the South Worcestershire councils that all these points have been heard.” “It is now essential that our councils move at full speed to get the South Worcestershire Development Plan completed and approved in the next twelve months. There is also a clear transitional framework.” “I have always been keen to see local planning matters are decided locally and we have moved away from the previous Government’s top-down Stalinist approach to housing numbers. “I am sure that development under the new approach will be more local, more organic and will preserve the countryside we cherish, while allowing enough growth for our children to afford to live in the area.” The MP has met with representatives from her two district councils in the last fortnight to discuss the impact of the framework and how it would affect local planning policy. Wychavon District Council and Malvern Hills District Council are working together with Worcester City Council to develop the South Worcestershire Development Plan. FULL TEXT: Harriett Baldwin (West Worcestershire) (Con): Today is a landmark for localism and for consultations being listened to, because the three points that I made in the consultation, about brownfield land, windfall and the localisation of the buffer, have all been adopted. I am absolutely delighted. Will the Minister clarify for my local councillors, who will now be in charge, how the transition process for the community infrastructure levy will work? Greg Clark: I am grateful to my hon. Friend for her contribution to the consultation. We have listened broadly. I know that people are cynical about consultation exercises, but I think they will find that practical and sensible suggestions have been listened to and incorporated. The community infrastructure levy will be introduced, and we are about to publish some regulations regarding the conduct of it. I will update her in a few days about when they will take effect. Among other things, the levy will provide funding for neighbourhoods for the first time, so that communities that host developments will get to share in the proceeds at a very local level. | Hansard | Letter from Greg Clark, 27th March 2012