TOWN AND COUNTRY PLANNING IN THE UK Thirteenth Edition This extensively revised edition of Town and Country Planning in the UK retains and enhances its reputation as the bible of British planning. The book now covers the whole of the UK and gives a critical discussion of current issues and problems. It provides an explanation of the nature of planning, the institutions and organisations involved, the plans and other tools used by planners, the system of controlling development and land use change, and planning policies pursued. Detailed consideration is given to: • The nature of planning and its historical evolution • Central and local government, the EU and other agencies • The framework of plans and other planning instruments • Development control • Land policy and planning gain • Environmental and countryside planning • Sustainable development, waste and pollution • Heritage and transport planning • Urban policies and regeneration • Planning, the profession and the public This thirteenth edition has been completely revised to take into account the many changes to the planning system and policies introduced by the Labour government. The devolution of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, the new instruments of regional and strategic planning, new area-based urban policy initiatives, innovation in planning for sustainable development and the rapidly expanding role of the European Union in spatial planning and environmental policy are all given comprehensive treatment in the new edition. Each chapter ends with notes on further reading and there are lists of official publications and an extensive bibliography at the end of the book. Barry Cullingworth has held academic posts at the Universities of Manchester, Durham, Glasgow, Birmingham and Toronto and is Emeritus Professor of Urban Affairs and Public Policy at the University of Delaware. Vincent Nadin is Director of the Centre for Environment and Planning and Reader in the Faculty of the Built Environment, University of the West of England, Bristol. TOWN AND COUNTRY PLANNING IN THE UK Thirteenth Edition Barry Cullingworth and Vincent Nadin London and New York First published 1964 Thirteenth edition published 2002 by Routledge 11 New Fetter Lane, London EC4P 4EE Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada by Routledge 29 West 35th Street, New York NY 10001 Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group This edition published in the Taylor & Francis e-Library, 2005. “To purchase your own copy of this or any of Taylor & Francis or Routledge’s collection of thousands of eBooks please go to www.eBookstore.tandf.co.uk.” © Barry Cullingworth 1964, 1967, 1970, 1972, 1974, 1976, 1979, 1982, 1985, 1988 © Barry Cullingworth and Vincent Nadin 1994, 1997, 2002 All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Cullingworth, J. B. Town and country planning in the UK / J. Barry Cullingworth and Vincent Nadin.– 13th ed. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. 1. City planning–Great Britain. 2. Regional planning–Great Britain. I. Nadin, Vincent. HT 169.G7 C8 2001 361.6’0941–dc21 2001019932 ISBN 0-203-46256-4 Master e-book ISBN ISBN 0-203-77080-3 (Adobe eReader Format) ISBN 0–415–21774–1 (hbk) ISBN 0–415–21775–X (pbk) CONTENTS List of Figures xiii List of Tables xv List of Boxes xvii Preface xix List of Acronyms and Abbreviations xxi Internet Resources xxxi 1 THE NATURE OF PLANNING 1 Introduction 1 Conflict and Disputes 2 Planning, the Market and the Development Process 3 Rationality and Comprehensive Planning 4 Incrementalism 6 Implementation 7 The British Planning System in Comparative Perspective 8 Accommodating Change 10 Planning Questions 11 Further Reading 12 2 THE EVOLUTION OF TOWN AND COUNTRY PLANNING 14 The Public Health Origins 14 The First Planning Act 15 Interwar Legislation 16 The Depressed Areas 17 The Barlow Report 18 The Impact of War 19 The New Planning System 20 The Early Years of the New Planning System 22 Additional New Towns 24 The Rediscovery of Poverty 24 Land Values 26 Entrepreneurial Planning 26 The Environment 27 Road-building Policies 28 vi CONTENTS The Countryside 28 The Blair Government 1997–99 29 Whither Planning? 31 Further Reading 32 Notes 33 3 THE AGENCIES OF PLANNING 34 (A) European Government 34 The Growing Influence of Europe 34 Britain in the EU 34 The European Council 35 The Council of the European Union (Council of Ministers) 35 The European Commission 37 The European Parliament 38 The Committee of the Regions 39 The European Courts 39 The Council of Europe 39 (B) Central Government 40 Modernising Government 40 Organisational Responsibilities 41 The Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions 41 The Department for Culture, Media and Sport 43 The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 43 Executive Agencies 45 The Planning Inspectorate 46 Central Government Planning Functions 46 (C) Devolved and Regional Government 50 Devolution to Scotland and Wales 50 The Scottish Executive 50 The National Assembly for Wales 51 Northern Ireland 52 Towards Regional Government in England? 52 Regional Development Agencies 54 Funding of the RDAs 56 (D) Local Government 56 Reorganising Local Government 57 The English Local Government Review 57 Local Government in Scotland 58 Scottish Local Government and ‘Community Planning’ 59 Scottish Local Government and the Scottish Parliament 59 Local Government in Wales 63 Welsh Local Government and the Welsh Assembly 63 CONTENTS vii Local Government in Northern Ireland 64 The New Greater London Authority 64 Managing Planning at the Local Level 65 The Ethical Local Authority 68 Further Reading 69 Notes 72 4 THE PLANNING POLICY FRAMEWORK 76 Introduction 76 (A) Supranational Planning 77 The Rationale for Planning at the European Scale 77 Spatial Impacts of Community Policy: The Structural Funds and Community Initiatives 78 European Competences in Spatial Planning 80 What is Spatial Planning? 81 The Emergence of Supranational Plans 81 Interreg IIc 84 Convergence of European Planning Systems 85 (B) National and Regional Planning 85 National Planning Guidance 85 Regional Planning Guidance 88 (C) Development Plans 92 Establishing Development Plans 1947–68 92 Separating Strategy and Tactics from 1968 93 Evaluation of the 1968 Development Plans 95 Planning in London and the Metropolitan Counties from 1985 96 The Future of Development Plans 97 Development Plans in England since 1992 98 Development Plans in Northern Ireland 98 Development Plans in Scotland 104 Development Plans in Wales 105 The Content of Plans 105 The Statutory Procedures and Management of the Plan Process 107 Evaluation of the Impact of the Plan-Led System 111 Zoning Instruments 112 Best Value and Development Plans 113 Further Reading 114 Notes 116 5 THE CONTROL OF DEVELOPMENT 120 The Scope of Control 120 The Definition of Development 121 The Use Classes Order and the General Development Orders 121 Variations in Northern Ireland and Scotland 126 viii CONTENTS Special Development Orders 127 Withdrawal of Permitted Development Rights 128 The Planning Application Process 128 The Development Plan in the Determination of Planning Applications 129 Other Material Considerations 131 Good Design 131 Amenity 134 Conditional Permissions 135 Fees for Planning Applications 136 Planning Appeals 136 Call-in of Planning Applications 139 Enforcement of Planning Control 141 Revocation, Modification, and Discontinuance 142 Development by the Crown, Government Departments, and Statutory Undertakers 142 Development by Local Authorities 143 Control of Advertisements 144 Control of Mineral Working 145 Caravans 147 Telecommunications 147 Purchase and Blight Notices 148 Efficiency in Development Control 149 Further Reading 153 Notes 155 6 LAND POLICIES 160 The Uthwatt Report 160 The 1947 Act 161 The 1954 Scheme: The Dual Land Market 162 The 1959 Act: The Return to Market Value 163 The Land Commission 1967–71 163 The Conservative Years 1970–74 164 The Community Land Scheme 165 Planning Agreements and Obligations 166 Planning and Affordable Housing 168 Land Policies in the 1980s 170 Land Availability and Urban Capacity Studies 171 Household Projections 174 New Settlements 177 Green Belts 179 Town Centres and Shopping 184 Vacant and Derelict Land 185 Contaminated Land 186 Scottish Land Reform 188 Further Reading 188 Notes 192 CONTENTS ix 7 PLANNING, THE ENVIRONMENT, AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT 196 The Environment 196 Sustainability 198 Agenda 21 in the UK 200 Regional Sustainability Frameworks 206 Local Agenda 21 206 Environmental Politics and Institutions 207 The Impact of the EU 208 The Environment Agencies 210 BATNEEC, BPEO, and BPM 210 Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control 211 Penalties for Pollution 211 Economic Instruments of Environmental Policy 211 Local Environment Agency Plans 213 Clean Air 214 The Water Environment 215 Waste Planning 217 Noise 219 Environmental Impact Assessment and Appraisal 221 Strategic Environmental Assessment 223 Further Reading 223 Notes 226 8 HERITAGE PLANNING 231 Early Actions to Preserve 231 Conservation and Heritage 232 Heritage Responsibilities 233 Archaeology 233 Ancient Monuments