Bedford Borough Council

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Bedford Borough Council

• FARM DIVERSIFICATION THE PLANNERS PERSPECTIVE
• Susan Garbutt
• Senior Planner

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Todays Presentation

• I shall cover
• Planning policy structure in England
• Current planning policy on farm diversification
• The changing local planning system
• Bedford Development Framework
• How to get involved in local planning policy
  making

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Planning Policy Structure in England

• National (PPG, PPS, Circulars)
• Regional (RPG, RSS/East of England Plan
• County (Structure Plan)
• Local (Local Plan, Local Development
  Framework)
• Currently in a period of change from the old
  planning system to the new (shown in italics).

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• Planning policy at the local level must
• Have regard to national policy and guidance
• Be in general conformity with regional planning
  policy

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Current Planning Policy - National

• Rural Strategy 2004 (see www.defra.gov.uk)
• Change is a part of rural life
• Vision of a living, working, protected and
  vibrant countryside

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Current Planning Policy - National

• Planning Policy Statements (PPS)
• (see www.odpm.gov.uk)
• PPS7 Sustainable development in rural areas
• promote sustainable, diverse and adaptable
  agricultural sectors
• Re-use of buildings for preferable economic
  development but also residential conversions
• Support farmers and farming

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Current Planning Policy - Regional

• Milton Keynes South Midlands Sub Regional Strategy

• East of England Plan

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Current Planning Policy - Regional

• Draft East of England Plan
• Policy SS9 encourage change and enable
  diversification of the economy

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Current Planning Policy - Local

• Bedford Borough Local Plan
• Various policies including countryside
  development, barn conversions, rural employment,
  housing in open countryside etc
• Policy E21 Farm diversification
• support the diversification of farm enterprises
  subject to the following criteria (e.g. remains
  primarily agricultural, no permanent loss of
  grade 1, 2, 3a land, adequate parking and access,
  retains or provides additional employment etc)

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The changing local planning system

• Old System Local Plan (adopted 2002)
• Single document containing all planning policies
• New System Local Development Framework
• Separate documents, produced when needed, which
  collectively contain all planning policies for
  the area

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Bedford Development Framework

• Bedford Development Framework 2001-21
• Core Strategy and Rural Issues Plan (vision for
  the future, objectives and broad locations for
  delivering needs e.g. housing, employment,
  retail, leisure, community, transport etc.)
• Land Allocations (identify specific sites for
  housing, retail, employment etc)
• Area Action Plan (for areas of significant change
  e.g. Bedford town centre)
• Development Control policies (e.g. housing
  extensions, landscaping, public spaces etc)
• Supplementary Planning Documents (add further
  detail to policies in the above documents)

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Bedford Development Framework

• So where can policy on farm diversification be
  located within the Bedford Development Framework?
• Core Strategy and Rural Issues Plan
• sets out the broad policies on employment
  development and development in the rural area
• Development Control policies
• more detailed policy on farm diversification

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How to get involved in local policy making

• Statement of Community Involvement
• (see www.bedford.gov.uk/planning)
• Each Local Authority produces one
• States who and how the Council will be consulting
  on each document

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How to get involved in local policy making

• Local Development Scheme
• (see www.bedford.gov.uk/planning)
• Each Local Authority produces one
• Sets out which documents will be produced in the
  next 3 years for the Bedford Development
  Framework
• Presents a timetable for when each document will
  be produced
• States when the Council will be consulting the
  public on each document