My Lords, during the debate in Committee on permitted development rights, a subject to which we shall return on day two on Report, concerns were expressed about the operation of local development orders. In response to those concerns we have brought forward changes to the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 by proposing the introduction of a new clause to the Bill in respect of the operation of the powers in England. These are matters which are devolved in respect of Wales.
The new clause removes current powers for the Secretary of State to intervene in and approve local development orders and for local planning authorities to report on them in England. This will mean local authorities will be able to consult on and make a local development order without the need to send a copy to the Secretary of State for his consideration and approval. Similarly, an authority will not have to report on the effectiveness of the order. Instead the local authority will just have to send a copy of the order to the Secretary of State once adopted.
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As we have made clear during previous debates on the planning clauses in the Bill, we are keen to free the planning system from unnecessary constraints to ensure that local planning authorities can focus on the most important planning matters in their area. We welcome that local authorities are also taking strides in this area and want to ensure that they can use local development orders to their maximum benefit to remove barriers. Local development orders provide a quick and simple way to extend permitted development rights locally. The number being put in place across the country is booming. More than 30 local development orders have now been put in place in enterprise zones with more coming through by the month. These orders are contributing to growth by helping to speed up the delivery of everything from small domestic alterations to major industrial development. Having this central knowledge about the local development orders that have been adopted helps to spread good practice and promote their potential.
As we indicated in Committee, we welcomed the interest of my noble friends Lord Tope and Lord Shipley in making the case for greater freedoms for local planning authorities. We are clear that experience and interest in making local development orders is growing rapidly and we want to capture this. I believe that the proposed new clause will both encourage and give confidence to local authorities to be ambitious and bring forward greater planning simplification in their areas. I therefore hope that the House will support its inclusion in the Bill. I beg to move.