Robust transport safeguarding in Government planning policy key for green
economy

25th July 2011

Freight on Rail has welcomed the retention of the principle of local authority safeguarding of key strategic rail corridors and sites in their local plans, announced today in the Draft National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) 1. However, it envisages safeguarding problems, especially during the transition period, because many existing local plans will not conform with the NPPF and the proposed text in the NPPF, will not protect sites, in its own right. In practice, it may therefore be difficult to safeguard strategic sites for long-term potential transport use from other less environmentally sustainable demands for the land.

Philippa Edmunds, Freight on Rail Manager said, "While the principle of land safeguarding remains, the lack of either adopted or NPPF compliant local plans may make it difficult in practice to protect key sites for possible future rail freight use 2 which lack defined and funded delivery plans. Once sites beside the railway, which by their nature are limited, are forfeited they will be lost to the nation forever."

Notes to Editors

1. The Government (DCLG) has today launched its consultation on the draft National Planning Policy Framework. Paragraph 94

2. Draft NPPF text is more generalised than the existing Planning Policy Guidance 13 which allowed authorities to protect sites without the need for a funded delivery plan.