The Government is under pressure to make changes to its draft National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) following a Communities and Local Government Select Committee report concluding that there is “compelling case for the definition of sustainable development to include a cultural dimension”. The Committee is recommending that the Government should “clarify the policy position on town centres with respect to arts, culture and tourism uses, to ensure that they are included in the Town Centre First policy”. These recommendations follow a vigorous campaign by the Theatres Trust to draw attention to the potential implications for the cultural sector of being overlooked in the Planning Framework (see AP241), and the Committee received many submissions that drew attention to the lack of specific references to culture and the arts in the draft Framework. It has also recommended that “the NPPF should refer to the role of statutory consultees as a safeguard for community amenities” – something that is warmly welcomed by the Theatres Trust, which is a statutory consultee on planning applications affecting land on which there is a theatre. Director Mhora Samuel said: “We were extremely concerned about the lack of any references to culture and the arts in the draft NPPF. The Select Committee’s report is a huge endorsement for culture and the arts and the role they play in achieving balanced sustainable development. We sincerely hope that the Government will adopt these recommendations.”
