13 Feb 2012, 5:25 pm
The NPCU was established last year to take over some of the planning casework previously dealt with by the Government Office Network, which has ceased. Further details about the arrangements to transfer the work will be published before the summer.
"The unit will start to take on Compulsory Purchase Orders and Exchange Land Certificates as from this summer, which are currently being dealt with by the National Unit for Land Acquisition and Disposal," said Quartermain, in a letter to chief planning officers at local planning authorities in England.
The unit already deals with requests to call in planning applications for the Secretary of State’s decision, local development orders, listed building consents, conservation area consents, and public requests to order disposal of land.
The letter clarified the remit of the NPCU and said that confusion has arisen in respect of the consultation direction. "The Unit does not undertake work on local development frameworks, is not a statutory consultee, and will not comment on individual planning applications."
Further information aimed at helping local planning authorities in referring such cases, including details on what documents should accompany the referred applications will shortly be available on the DCLG website and via the Planning Portal, the letter said.
