Culture: Planning

(asked on 20th July 2021) - View Source

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment the Government has made of the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals to enshrine the Agent of Change planning principle in primary legislation to help protect and preserve cultural venues from new housing development proposals.


Answered by
Christopher Pincher Portrait
Christopher Pincher
This question was answered on 6th September 2021

The Government is supportive of ensuring that existing facilities, including cultural venues and businesses, do not have unreasonable restrictions put on them because of changes in their area due to new developments. That is why the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) includes the 'agent of change' principle. This sets out that planning policies and decisions should ensure that new development can be integrated effectively with existing business and community facilities. It also makes clear that the person or business responsible for the change of use of land is responsible for managing the effect of the change.

As this Agent of Change principle can be achieved through policy as demonstrated in the current NPPF, the Government does not believe it is necessary to include this in primary legislation. We were clear in Planning for the Future that the reformed planning system will continue to protect the places of environmental and cultural value which matter to us. We will have the opportunity to review the principle and how it will be applied under the new planning system when we review the NPPF as part of the planning reforms.

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