The Government consultation on proposed wide-ranging changes to the planning system, outlined in a White Paper entitled Planning for the Future is now closed. You can read the paper here .

We formed a working group within the Management Committee to study the Government’s White Paper – Planning for the Future in detail. We have aimed to address the proposals and respond to the consultation from the perspective of the neighbourhood forum. WNF’s response to the White Paper is here.

In our response, we have included a background section to set the scene in Woodford and outline some of our experience with planning here, as our unique contribution. There is also a section outlining the advantages of local engagement and consultation in the planning system, based on our experience in Woodford.

General concerns about the implications of the proposals are outlined in section 3. This is followed by a section that addresses the specific proposals and answers the questions asked in the consultation.

We do not have any idea yet about timescales involved in terms of a response from the Government but we will let you know as soon as we hear anything.