Planning news – 30 March 2023
Our planning news is published in association with The Planner, the official magazine of the Royal Town Planning Institute.
National park to implement scheme to restore biodiversity
The South Downs National Park Authority is introducing a scheme to restore biodiversity and deliver nature-based climate action.
Laura Edgar, The Planner
Planning Portal announces location plan creator tool
Users of the Planning Portal’s new tool will be able to draw their own site boundaries rather than sourcing a map provider when preparing applications.
Ben Gosling, The Planner
Cardiff City Council commits to £800m council house programme
The capital has committed to spending £800 million on a high-quality, low-carbon affordable council housing programme.
Roger Milne, The Planner
West Midlands local plan paused
Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council has announced that the examination of its local plan has been paused.
Laura Edgar, The Planner
London office tower block plans approved
The City of London Corporation’s planning applications subcommittee has approved plans for a 32-storey tower at 85 Gracechurch Street, creating more than 27,000 square metres of office space.
Prithvi Pandya, The Planner
News round-up
– Councillors vote to adopt Calderdale plan
– Views to be sought on climate change documents
– City of Wolverhampton Council and English Cities Fund sign MoU
– Berkshire council to submit local plan soon
– 51 projects set to receive CIL funding
Laura Edgar and Prithvi Pandya, The Planner
Planning Portal Blog 
In regards to the location plan creator. Can I download a dwg or CAD file of the location plan. Most Councils now want dimensions to boundaries shown on the plan as they do not trust the Ordnance Survey maps to be that accurate. I tend to download them and put an accurate outline of the measure building on it and then manipulate it accordingly.
The new location plan service will allow applicants to easily draw the application site ‘red line’ boundary on a map (and blue lines where needed), after finding the site address using a postcode search (or the location by entering a grid reference).
This process will use OS as the base map, so effectively you can mark-up the plan as you would now, following your site survey.
This new service can be used as an alternative to purchasing a location plan elsewhere, offering an easy, integrated solution.
However, as its solely for the location plan, the new feature does not provide the ability for you to purchase and download a DWG or CAD file of the location plan.
There may be a point in the future where we can facilitate the purchase of the DWG file from the purchase of the location plan, and this has been raised as a suggestion with our Solutions Team.
In terms of amending location plans, you will have an opportunity to ‘review and amend’ the location plan once you have created application in your Planning Portal account.
However, you can only access the GeoJSON file following submission. You will then be able to import this file into your systems.
A benefit of our service is that we will use OS as the base map. OS has a relationship with Local Planning Authorities to share data through the Public Sector Geospatial Agreement (PSGA). Using OS means an uplift in the costs, but should mean a smarter and more efficient submission process for all. It also means we can pass the digital location plan file (in GeoJSON format) to LPAs to ingest in their planning systems when currently they are manually plotting this from a PDF plan. This will save them resources in time and staff and should help reduce invalidations due to location plan issues that affected c.22% of submissions.
This forms a key part of DLUHC’s plans of using ‘data not documents’ and we are encouraging LPAs to validate applications based upon the digital file rather than the old PDF copies. They will be able to amend the digital files, if required, based upon their site ownership details that should save the corresponding time and effort around getting this right. Reasons for invalidations are due to no North arrow, no licensed map, requiring two features that will be removed with using digital maps.
This is also the first step in Planning Portal using more digital and spatial data to join-up Development Management with Local Plan Policy. You may be aware of DLUHC’s planning data platform (https://www.planning.data.gov.uk/) where they are looking to set national standards for LPAs to publish their local plans. As part of this we can then look to build up on our current technical foundations and the new location plan feature to facilitate greater integration with these national and local designations to better inform the planning submission process and the required documentation.
I hope this helps and it would be useful to get your thoughts and feedback on the above.
Best wishes,
Planning Portal
So we still have to purchase site/block plans to create existing and proposed? I can purchase location and block plans for £25. Do I still have to pay an extra £30 for something I don’t need or want?
The new location plan service will allow applicants to easily draw the application site ‘red line’ boundary on a map (and blue lines where needed), after finding the site address using the postcode search (or the location by entering a grid reference).
Alternatively, the applicant can upload a GeoJSON file.
This new service can be used as an alternative to purchasing a location plan elsewhere, offering an easy, integrated solution.
A benefit of our service is that we will use OS as the base map, OS has a relationship with Local Planning Authorities to share data through the Public Sector Geospatial Agreement (PSGA). Using OS means an uplift in the costs, but should mean a smarter and more efficient submission process for all. It also means we can pass the digital location plan file (in GeoJSON format) to LPAs to ingest in their planning systems when currently they are manually plotting this from a PDF plan. This will save them resources in time and staff and should help reduce invalidations due to location plan issues that affected c.22% of submissions.
This forms a key part of DLUHC’s plans of using ‘data not documents’ and we are encouraging LPAs to validate applications based upon the digital file rather than the old PDF copies. They will be able to amend the digital files, if required, based upon their site ownership details that should save the corresponding time and effort around getting this right. Reasons for invalidations are due to no North arrow, no licensed map, requiring two features that will be removed using digital maps.
This is also the first step in Planning Portal using more digital and spatial data to join-up Development Management with Local Plan Policy. You may be aware of DLUHC’s planning data platform (https://www.planning.data.gov.uk/) – they are looking to set national standards for LPAs to publish their local plans.
As part of this we can then look to build up on our current technical foundations and the new location plan feature to facilitate greater integration with these national and local designations to better inform the planning submission process and the required documentation.
I completed my householder application, advised my client. Before he paid he asked for the surname Simm to be changed to Simms. The portal stated pay first then you can amend. It was then paid and the Portal locked it as it went to the LPA. So how do you amend the application. The portal has lost a further option I used to use. A mystery to me.
Hello Leslie, sorry to hear about this. For further support on this matter, please contact our service desk support@planningportal.co.uk.
Just reposting the original doesn’t constitute an answer to my query. Will this process also enable me to create 1:200 existing and proposed site plans as also required or is it merely a red edged 1:1250 location plan? Should I go back to submitting applications by post with a cheque payment and save the applicants £64 while also creating more work/delays at the validation process.
Hello. We do not currently offer an integrated site plan feature as part of our application service, however, it is something we are looking to include in the future. If your application requires a site plan, you will need to upload this as a separate supporting document. Site plans can be purchased from our accredited supplier, ReQuestaPlan by visiting their website: https://www.requestaplan.co.uk/