We provide advice and support to Local Planning Authorities that are making or reviewing their Local Plan. We offer direct support, and we also make topic guides and toolkits. Our support ranges from a friendly catch-up with our experienced team to more hands-on support and advice from PAS and its expert partners. Access our Local Plan Support pages below.
Planning Advisory Service offers critical friend support to Local Planning Authorities on Project Management, Evidence Base collation & review and the Duty to Cooperate. Visit our plan making support pages to find out more and get in touch.
The Local Plan Route Mapper & Toolkit gives practical advice and tools to undertake a Local Plan review, project plan, manage and carry out the update of a Local Plan. It is designed for LPAs to use themselves but we can work with local authorities to use it as a “critical friend”. Visit our local plan production route mapper support pages to find out more and get in touch.
Visit our plan making reforms page for details of events, materials and information we have produced in our attempt to keep pace with the changes to the planning system proposed and consulted on by government.
At the PAS Heads of Planning Conference in March 2023, we explored the different scenarios facing Local Planning Authorities reviewing and updating their Local Plan. The presentation from this session is available on our NPPF & Plan Making - Transitional Arrangements webpage.
In February 2022, PAS ran 4 sessions on ‘Future Proofing the Local Plan making Process’. Plan makers discussed what it’s like ‘carrying on planning’ at the moment including housing numbers, up to date evidence bases, site selection, procurement, the Duty, Climate Change and what makes for a smoother examination process. Visit our future proofing the local plan support page to find out more and get in touch.
The appropriate focus and detail of evidence required to support a local plan will vary from for different places and will require planners to make professional judgements to assess an area and develop a plan appropriate to its own circumstances. PAS published a note setting out advice and matters to be considered when collating evidence in support of a local plan in February 2020 and can also offer support through an independent and critical friend review. Visit our evidence base support pages to find out more and get in touch.
The use of new technology is changing how we reach out to and engage with our communities. It is also changing the way in which communities are taking part in the planning system. We have also produced an advice note and template to help LPAs produce their Local Plan Regulation 22 Consultation Statement of Main Issue for examination. Visit our consultation and engagement support pages to find out more and get in touch.
The Government’s ambition is to bring planning and plan making into the digital age. The aim is to transform how things are done for the better; to provide faster, simpler, more accessible plans and policies to deliver better outcomes, informed by up-to-date data and shaped more actively by communities and other stakeholders. Further information is available on our Digital Planning webpage.
The role for local plans in mitigating climate change and achieving carbon neutrality are clear to everyone. The ability to deliver that role is, in practice, limited to some degree by current frameworks and legislation arguably not reflecting the National ambitions and targets set by Government, and the viability challenges of delivering developments to the highest standards.
Climate change mitigation is gradually becoming more of an examination issue. The NPPF update in June 2021 brought climate change mitigation in the description of the presumption in favour of sustainable development and there is National guidance about how local plans can mitigate against climate change. We've signposted some resources here:
We have four key workstreams on planning and the environment.
Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) - PAS has set of resources to support local authorities with mandatory biodiversity net gain under the Environment Act. PAS has a BNG practitioner network for local authority officers. Visit our BNG Pages for more information.
Nature Recovery Network (NRN) & Local Nature Recovery Strategies (LNRS). The PAS Nature Recovery Network project is funded by Natural England and supports local authorities to get ready for delivering the Nature Recovery Network and Local Nature Recovery Strategies and sharing approaches and experience to date. Visit our NRN & LNRS Pages for more information.
Nutrient Neutrality - Since Spring 2022 we've been supporting local authorities to manage the impacts of nutrient neutrality and deliver mitigation, through sharing knowledge, technical skills, experience and best practice. Visit our Nutrient Neutrality Pages for more information.
Environmental Outcome Reports - How we assess the impacts of development, plans and policies, otherwise known as Environmental Assessment, is going to change with the introduction of Environmental Outcome Reports (EOR). What can we identify and learn from the current Sustainability Appraisal, Strategic Environmental Assessment and Environment Impact Assessment processes? And how do ensure that the new system of assessment and the preparation of EORs works better? PAS held a webinar on the EOR consultation on 30th March to provide information on the consultation. You can access the EOR consultation webinar here.