The government has rejected newspaper reports claiming recent changes to planning rules will make it easier for unauthorised Traveller sites to receive planning permission.
It said the reports had misinterpreted changes to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), arguing that the reforms instead strengthen the rules around unauthorised development.
For the first time, the NPPF explicitly states that councils should give substantial weight to cases where someone has deliberately developed land without planning permission when considering a retrospective application.
The government also said environmental protections had not been weakened. Applications for Traveller sites will continue to be assessed against policies covering issues including flooding, transport, environmental impact and environmental quality.
According to ministers, the reforms remove duplication within the planning framework rather than removing safeguards. Local councils will continue to identify local need, allocate sites and make decisions on individual planning applications.
The government also highlighted councils’ existing enforcement powers, including the ability to seek injunctions where a breach of planning control is likely.
It said the changes would provide a clearer and stronger planning framework, rather than making it easier for unauthorised developments to gain permission.
An MHCLG spokesperson said: ‘The government is cracking down on illegal traveller sites and it is completely misleading to suggest otherwise.
‘Our new planning rules explicitly tackle any potential environmental damage and transport impacts, and make it harder for people to get retrospective permission for developments that were built without approval.’
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