This will be this blog’s third general election and may result in its seventh prime minister.
The Cabinet Office today published its General Election Guidance 2024 (23 May 2024), its guidelines as to what activities should and should not be undertaken by ministers, civil servants and non-departmental public bodies during the pre-election period to 4 July 2024, following the Prime Minister’s announcement yesterday. It comes into effect on 25 May 2024.
For commentary as to the implications for decision making on planning matters, at national and local levels, see my 1 November 2019 blog post Dial P For Purdah.
The Planning Inspectorate has also today (23 May 2024) published its approach to casework during the pre-election period 2024 . Key passages:
“The Planning Inspectorate always aims to issue decisions and recommendations promptly. However, in the run-up to the General Election we are concerned to ensure that decisions or recommendations relating to proposals which have raised sensitivities or interest in an area cannot be deemed to have influenced the election in any constituency or, more broadly, across the country, or have been used to electoral advantage by any interested body.
Whether a decision or recommendation should be held back until the election results have been announced is a judgement taken by senior managers in the Planning Inspectorate on the circumstances of the case. We shall of course ensure that any such delayed decisions or recommendations are issued promptly after the election.”
“All scheduled local plan examinations and hearing sessions will continue during the pre-election period and new examinations will also begin.
However, in order to avoid making announcements that could be politically sensitive, the Planning Inspectorate will not be issuing any letters regarding the soundness or legal compliance of local plans, or final reports (including for fact check), until after the election.”
You may also find useful the Local Government Association’s advice on publicity during the pre-election period. Note to LPAs:
“You are allowed to:
continue to discharge normal council business (including […] determining planning applications, even if they are controversial)”
Simon Ricketts, 23 May 2024
Personal views, et cetera
SIMONICITY 