Strengthening the planning system

National Parks enjoy the highest level of planning protection in England and Wales. 

This should be enough to protect them from inappropriate development but sadly this is not always the case (for example, in 2007/8 a new holiday village was built in open countryside in the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park).

CNP gets involved on planning in 2 ways:

• Planning policy: this involves seeking changes to national and local policies
• Development control: reviewing individual planning applications that are of national significance or involve novel planning issues

In 2008, the Planning Act introduced changes to the system, the most significant being the process for deciding major infrastructure projects such as power stations, airports and green energy developments. The Government has been consulting on a series of National Policy Statements which will set the framework for decisions.

However, the new Coalition Government’s commitment to decentralising planning decisions could spell big changes for how such developments are dealt with.

CNP will be closely monitoring any potential changes that could affect the
National Parks.