CRITICAL new planning papers guiding planners and developers are “bitty” and unclear, according to leading council officers.

The draft National Planning Policy Framework has been sent out to councils by the Government for consultation.

But Wychavon District Council has criticised parts of the document for being incoherent and selective, with some passages of planning policy “inserted apparently randomly”, according to Gill Colin, the council’s head of planning.

Wychavon’s executive board sent its written response about the draft after meeting on Tuesday, October 11.

Although it broadly welcomed the ethos of “plan-led” development, moving away from nationally-imposed housing targets, much of the response was deeply critical of the draft.

It was described as “bitty” for failing to give a “clear, consistent message” on important planning issues, which could end up costing the taxpayer money in the long-run, through legal battles with developers.

“We are concerned this lack of clarity and lack of precision in wording could lead to a significant amount of future litigation and a number of expensive and time consuming judicial reviews,” said Miss Colin.

The Government wants to simplify the planning process, but planning officers are concerned they will lose critical guidance with key areas “glossed over” in the draft.

For example, planners say the green belt is included in the draft, but guidance on conservation areas and listed buildings do not feature.

Wychavon’s planners believe the Government’s draft also does little to simplify the bureaucracy around planning applications.

“A review of the application process is likely, but this should have been the starting place for the Government’s overhaul of the planning system, not an add-on,” said Miss Colin.

Harsh criticism was reserved for the Government’s plan to force councils to build more homes in the short term, as we previously reported, while not letting councils count ‘windfall’ housing in their house-building targets.

“This flies in the face of localism and neighbourhood planning,” said Miss Colin.