Latest news:
The Localism Act was granted Royal Assent on the 15 November.
The measures of the Localism Act will begin to come into effect in the coming weeks and months as regulations come out and take effect. The Communities and Local Government Website confirm that '..........many of the measures are expected to be in place by April 2012.'
The Localism Act will enable the Government to abolish regional strategies (this includes the South East Plan).
Further information can be found:
A Plain English Guide to the Localism Act - An Update
Further news on this item from the Communities and Local Government Website
Link to document here. Acrobat Reader required 211kb.
The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government lost a High Court case over his plans to scrap the last government's regional housing targets in England. The move was ruled unlawful by the High Court. The ruling means that the South East Plan is again part of the development plan system. The Secretary of State has written to all councils advising them of his intention to properly abolish the South East Plan, however, the parliamentary process that will result in abolition could take up to two years to complete.
As part of the government's commitment to localism, decentralisation and the rolling back of regional government, ministers announced in May 2010 the abolition of the Government Office for London and a review of the case for the abolition of the remaining government offices.
On 22 July 2010, the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Eric Pickles, announced to Parliament that the government has the intention in principle to abolish the remaining eight government offices. The process will be subject to using the Spending Review to resolve consequential issues. The final decisions will be made at the end of the Spending Review in the autumn.
The Secretary of State published the final Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS) in May 2009. This replaces the Regional Planning Guidance for the South East (RPG9).
View the document here
View letter to local planning authorities following the judgement in the case brought by Cala Homes in the High Court, which considered that the powers set out in the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009 could not be used to revoke all Regional Strategies in their entirety.
Advice given to Havant Borough Council by QC, Peter Towler, regarding the implications of the abolition of the South East Plan. This statement was read at the Pre-Hearing Meeting August 2010.
Link to Word Document (22kb)
Document referred to by the council at the Pre-Hearing Meeting. Havant Borough Council Core Strategy - Comments relating to the Impact of the Revocation of the South East Plan.
Link to Word Document (28kb)
In March 2009 the assembly considered public consultation feedback and selected a preferred option for submission to government as regional advice on provision of pitches for GTTS in the South East. This will replace policy H7 in the South East Plan (proposed changes version). A public consultation on the preferred option by the government was held in late summer 2009. To view the draft policy please click here.