What is planning?

The word "planning" has a variety of meanings, but in this context it is to do with how land is used. The planning system provides society with a way of controlling how we use land, what we build or dig and where we build or dig it. Planning therefore is associated with producing plans containing policies or criteria that outline which types of development might be appropriate or inappropriate in a particular locality. These are illustrated by maps showing allocations of land for specific purposes, and areas of constraint. Figure 1 is a simplified Proposals Map from the development plan for the Wombwell Community Area which is part of Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council (the original map can be downloaded). It shows the agreed potential sites for various types of development during the period covered by the plan, including a minerals consultation area.

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Wombwell Community Area Development Plan: Proposals Map, 2000. (1,130K)

The planning system helps to match the need for uses of resources and land for development, with the need for policies to protect and improve the environment. Planners must constantly try to balance conservation of the built and natural environment with the development that is necessary for economic prosperity or social need. They try to make sure that new development is environmentally sustainable by making use of development plans and development controls that will both be described in detail.

The planning system is something which affects every person in the United Kingdom, but which many people know little about. This is unfortunate because a sound planning system depends on the public engaging with the process at all stages. The system is administered by the local planning authority. For mineral development, the MPA is the County Council (e.g. Leicestershire County Council), Unitary Authority (e.g. Leeds City Council) or National Park Authority (e.g. Peak District NP) depending on the area concerned.

Some people may have submitted an application to a planning department to build an extension, while others may have signed a petition or written a letter against plans for the development of a road or shopping centre. Many people however will be unaware of the fact that mines and quarries also come under the planning system and that a comprehensive framework exists to ensure public involvement in the planning process. Decisions are reached which balance the various (sometimes conflicting) needs at the national, regional and local level. In England there is a system of guidance and plans which are set out in the following:

• National Planning Policy Statements,
• Regional Spatial Strategies,
• Local Development Documents.

The planning system in England and Wales has recently been modernised through the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004²⁶³ and accompanying Regulations and Guidance. This has made sustainable development a key objective of the planning system. Further information on sustainability, what it is and what its objectives are, can be found in the Introduction section of the Web site (here).

The Planning Portal

The UK government has produced a comprehensive Web site called the Planning Portal. It explains how the planning system works, gives checks to see if planning permission is needed for a development, enables on-line planning applications to be made, gives information about planning appeals and much more. However, it covers all aspects of planning such as housing, home extensions, roads, etc. and does not concentrate specifically on minerals planning. The Portal is administered by the Planning Inspectorate for the Communities and Local Government (CLG) and the National Assembly for Wales.

The Planning Portal has been designed as the first point of call for anyone who wants to find out about the planning system in England and Wales. It does not cover Scotland or Northern Ireland, but further information on the planning systems in these areas can be found on the relevant sites (Scotland, Northern Ireland). The Portal is aimed at everyone, from central government and local authorities to planning professionals and the lay person.

While the Portal has the capacity for sending planning applications, such as those for minerals, directly to the relevant authority, in practical terms most minerals applications are still made in documentary form because of the need for extensive bulky information including large maps and plans.