Local Authority Practice & PPG15

Information and Effectiveness

The government is talking about making the planning process more effective and reducing delays. A significant element of the planning system relates to listed buildings and conservation areas and this is often cited as a source of delay. At the same time, many people within the heritage sector had noted that PPG 15 - the government's guidance on Planning and the Historic Environment, and PPG 16 - the government's guidance on Archaeology and Planning - seemed to result in very different practices.

We asked Oxford Brookes University to look at local authority practice and PPG 15, particularly at what information, if any, local authorities were asking applicants for listed building consent to provide. The report shows that most applications lack proper information, but there is no consistency in what local authorities are asking for. It also recommends new policies and procedures to deal with this problem.

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