Parliament passed a law called the Planning Act, but it doesn't tell you exactly what you can do.

It allows the Sec of State for Dept of the Environment (D.o.E.) to issue a secondary piece of law every few years to improve on that.

It's called a General Development Order, but it still doesn't tell you exactly what you can do.

So, the Sec of State issues 'Planning Policy Guidelines' every now and again, with more detail in them.

These Planning Policy Guidelines (PPG's) are not law as such, that's why they call them Guidelines.

Local Councils draw up a Local Planning Policy every few years too, their Local Plan.

They draw it up 'in the context' of the Guidelines, as you might expect.

When they hear your planning application, they decide it on the basis of their Local Plan.

If they refuse consent and you go to Appeal, then;

you appeal against the Council's decision, based on their Plan, based on the Guidelines, from the D.o.E. -

to a D.o.E. Inspector, who's boss writes the Guidelines in the first place.


..... and you can have your change in £9 notes.




But wait !

We've a got a Human Rights Act now, have you noticed ?

It was passed in 1998, and came into force in 2000, a little bit of leeway you understand.

It's a chinese copy of the European Convention of Human Rights.

The UK signed up to that in 1964, but what the eye don't see the heart don't grieve.

So now a Dept of the Environment Inspector can't be an impartial judge on the D.o.E's Guidelines.

Therefore they've made up a new Court, it's called the Environment Court.

And guess who set it all up ?   Go on, guess.

You've got it, the Dept of the Environment.


Nice one.