29th March 2012, 01:09 PM
Seems as if the NPPF will allow us to continue the debate started by PPS5 regarding undefined terms - having provided definitions for terms such as 'significance' and 'setting', PPS5 then introduced a distinction between developments that resulted in 'substantial harm' and those that resulted in 'less than substantial harm' without providing any guidance on how these terms should be interpreted. This has led to umpteen disagreements with EH, local authority curators etc. over what criteria should be used for this, i.e. at what point does the harm become substantial?
The NPPF continues to use these terms - the only advance on PPS5 is that the NPPF (para. 138) implies that the loss of a single building within a Conservation Area may (or not) be treated as 'substantial harm'.
I predict a fat guidance document to accompany the heritage part of the NPPF (thereby restoring the verbiage that the NPPF was supposed to eliminate), along with lots of work for planning lawyers and for heritage consultants in the development of decisions, case law etc.
Beamo
The NPPF continues to use these terms - the only advance on PPS5 is that the NPPF (para. 138) implies that the loss of a single building within a Conservation Area may (or not) be treated as 'substantial harm'.
I predict a fat guidance document to accompany the heritage part of the NPPF (thereby restoring the verbiage that the NPPF was supposed to eliminate), along with lots of work for planning lawyers and for heritage consultants in the development of decisions, case law etc.
Beamo