ONLINE guidance will simplify the planning system and encourage more community involvement, says the government.

Planning Minister Nick Boles launched the government's national planning practice guidance as an online resource on Wednesday (28 August)

The government hopes its user friendly format will make planning guidance more accessible and easier to keep up to date.

Existing technical guidance – described as "often complex and repetitive" – runs to 7,000 pages and 230 documents, making it "almost impossible" for residents and businesses to use effectively.

Mr Boles said: "Up to now, even the experts have struggled to plough through all the background documents and find the right advice."

Following an external review, the proposed new streamlined planning practice aims to provide the support for growth and creation of jobs and homes that the country needs.

It will also provide clearer protections for our natural and historic environment by giving power back to communities who are generally best placed to make local decisions.

The new tool is in test mode and for comment: none of the current planning practice guidance will be cancelled until the final online guidance is in place and live later in the autumn.

It includes advice and guidance on a range of issues including:

    * an affordability test for house building
    * opening up planning appeal hearings to be filmed
    * housing for older people
    * neighbourhood planning guidance
    * local green space guidance

Mr Boles said: "To be effective, our planning system needs to be supported by practical guidance that anyone can consult and follow."

Having stripped away outdated advice, the website brought together a simplified set of clear, concise guidance and published it together in one place, said Mr Boles.

Making the government's planning system easier to navigate was recommended last December in a review by Lord Taylor of Goss Morr.

Responding to the new system, Lord Taylor the new online resource could transform the effectiveness, accessibility and accountability of the government's planning guidance.

"By opening the draft guidance suite to public testing and comment we now have the opportunity to make sure it works and doubtless improve it," he said.

"I would encourage anyone with an interest in the planning system to use the next six weeks while the site is open for comment to submit their feedback to help make the site even better."