All,
This consultation outlines potentially important changes to the planning system but does not seem to have been sent to any Environmental Health Departments or Environmental consultancies, so if you wish to comment - the deadline is 30th June and all details are at this link:
http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/planningandbuilding/pdf/1883189.pdf
As part of the Governments planning reforms they "want to encourage economic growth by encouraging developers to bring redundant commercial premises back into use and at the same time help tackle the need for more housing. The key proposal is to introduce permitted development rights to allow changes of use from B1 (business – offices, research and development premises and light industry) to C3 (dwelling houses) to happen freely without the need for planning applications".
Although the document states that sites affected by land contamination will be excluded from the permitted development right, it does raise questions as to how that will actually happen if no planning permissions are needed (i.e. the primary tool for regulating land contamination through the planning process) if, for example, a site had been remediated to commercial criteria that were many times higher than those we would require for residential uses.
Marcus
Marcus Bell
Scientific Officer: Environmental Services
East Cambridgeshire District Council
The Grange, Ely, Cambs, CB7 4EE
TEL: 01353 665555 DD 616463
FAX: 01353 616223
|