Module Catalogue 2024/25

Pre Requisite Comment

n/a

Co Requisite Comment

n/a

Aims

The aim of the module is to provide you with an understanding of the town and country planning law of England. It covers the law relating to local planning authorities, considering how they make decisions and how their decisions can be challenged. It focuses on the legislation, case law, and planning policy relevant to environmental management by local planning authorities. You will explore the legal obligations that require local planning authorities to manage the environmental impacts of development and the legal planning tools that are available to them to fufill these obligations. You will develop the skills to critically analyse these legal obligations and tools and identify the extent to which they provide for effective environmental management. The module will inspire you to engage with the political debates regarding the town and country planning regime and introduce you to judicial interpretation of planning law and the role of the courts in controlling local authorities in the exercise of their planning powers.

Outline Of Syllabus

Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover some or all of the following topics:

*An introduction to planning law
*Development plans
*The requirement for planning permission
*Determination of planning applications
*Environmental impact assessment
*Conditional planning permission
*Developer contributions
*Environmental obligations on local planning authorities
*Challenging local planning authority decision-making
*Proposed and recent developments in planning law

Intended Knowledge Outcomes

By the end of the module, you should be able to demonstrate:

*Understanding of the overall legal framework for the town and country planning regime

*Knowledge of the role of local planning authorities in planning for and controlling the development of their areas

*Critical awareness of the legal obligations that local planning authorities have to manage the impact of development on the environment and how these obligations interact with their other obligations, such as the requirement to meet housing need

*Detailed knowledge of the legal planning tools that are available to local planning authorities to manage the impacts of development and the extent to which these enable local planning authorities to effectively manage the environmental impacts of development

*Understanding of the role of the courts in the town and country planning regime

*Knowledge of recent and proposed developments in planning law and an understanding of how these changes may impact on the ability of local planning authorities to manage the environmental impacts of development

Intended Skill Outcomes

By the end of the module, you should have developed the skills to:

*Demonstrate detailed knowledge of the law relating to environmental management by local planning authorities

*Demonstrate the ability to understand, interpret, apply, and assess information from legislation, case law, and policy in a critical, evaluative, and detailed way

*Demonstrate the ability to develop and present your own structured and supported arguments and opinions

*Manage and use relevant learning resources and information with minimum guidance

*Demonstrate the ability to work independently and to manage time effectively in preparing for scheduled learning activities, exercises, and assessment

Teaching Rationale And Relationship

Lectures are used to introduce students to the key concepts in town and country planning law. The first lecture will introduce the course to the students and provide them with an introduction to planning law. The final lecture will be a revision/assessment preparation lecture to provide guidance to the students on the assessed coursework. Weekly lectures will deliver the substantive course content. Following each lecture, students will undertake independent reading and preparation of set tasks in preparation for the weekly workshops which will provide a forum for students to discuss the topics covered in the lectures in greater depth and help develop the skills necessary for successful completion of the assessment. The lectures and group discussion sessions will be complemented by a 1 hour drop in/surgery to provide students with the opportunity to ask questions relating to the course content, study skills, and the assessment.

Assessment Rationale And Relationship

The assessment will require students to analyse and evaluate the law relating to the role of planning law in implementing environmental protection. It will require students to engage research, interpretation and evaluation skills, and construct and communicate their argument with care and precision. The discussion sessions have been designed to focus on development of the skills necessary to do this.

General Notes

N/A