30/06/2005- The Government’s
principal advisors on environmental matters
- the Countryside Agency, Environment Agency,
English Heritage and English Nature - have
launched joint guidance to help regional and
local authority planners deliver environmental
quality through the Government’s reformed
land-use planning system.
Chief Executive of the Environment Agency,
Barbara Young, will today tell delegates at
the Royal Town Planning Institute’s 2005 Planning
Convention in London “The Environment Agency,
Countryside Agency, English Heritage and English
Nature believe in a strong and effective planning
system. Good planning can help deliver environmental
protection and improvement alongside economic
growth and development."
The four Agencies place great importance
on spatial plans and we joined forces to provide
integrated guidance on planning for the environment.
All local authorities and Regional Planning
Bodies are currently preparing spatial plans
for their area that should set a clear vision
and provide clear direction for development
and land use in the future. Our joint guidance
will help planning authorities identify the
environmental issues that matter in their
locality and to adopt an integrated approach
to the environment in their plans that delivers
a better quality of life for people and wildlife.”
Environmental Quality in Spatial Planning
– Incorporating the natural, built and historic
environment, and rural issues in plans and
strategies is available in both hard copy
and in electronic format from each of the
Agencies' websites .
The Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act
2004 introduced fundamental changes to the
planning system, not least the focus on delivering
sustainable development and the need to incorporate
a spatial element in plans. The four government
Agencies have designed the guidance to provide
integrated advice to regional planning bodies
and local planning authorities on incorporating
environmental quality into Regional Spatial
Strategies, Sub-Regional Studies, Local Development
Frameworks, and Mineral /Waste Local Development
Frameworks.
The Agencies share the view that the health
and well being of our society depends on clean
water and air, productive soils, distinctive
inspirational landscapes supporting a wealth
of wildlife, available minerals, natural coastal
and fluvial systems and processes that protect
us from flooding. Each of the Agencies hopes
the guidance will help planners deliver all
these and create sustainable, vibrant communities,
a well managed landscape with wildlife and
greenspace for all to enjoy.
