7. Town and Country Planning

Town and country planning legislation aims to control the development of land and buildings. Section 57(1) of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 stipulates that ‘planning permission is required for the carrying out of any development of land’. This chapter first discusses the two main elements of town and country planning: (1) obtaining planning permission for new developments; and (2) the change of use of existing properties. It then explains breaches of planning control and enforcement; building regulations; and typical planning enquiries. A town and country planning decision tree is also presented.

SPATIAL PLANNING LEGISLATION IN GHANA: EXPLORING THE EVOLUTION, CONTRIBUTIONS, AND THE WAY FORWARD.

This paper explored the evolution of spatial planning in Ghana’s context. Using Institutional Analytical Framework, the paper posits that spatial planning has gone through several changes over the years. Additionally, it was revealed that spatial planning as an idea dates back to nineteenth-century industrialization and urbanization that mostly happened in developed countries. These had less focus on civic design and came to be more competent in state policy. Although planning in Ghana antedates the early 90s, nationwide spatial planning commenced with the preparation and initiation of CAP 84 (Town and Country Planning Ordinance) in 1945. Fast forward spatial planning in Ghana is presently being done by tenets and provisions as captured in Act 925 - Land Use and Spatial Planning Act 2016. However, this paper establishes possible conflict and duplication of planning efforts and practices by looking at Act 925 and Act 480 - National Development Planning System Act, 1994. It envisages that planning in Ghana will go through another evolution to avert the “spatial” and “policy” perspectives to planning and as well attain coordinated efforts to guide the course of planning in Ghana. Keywords: Spatial planning, Land use, Evolution, Planning conflict

Lost plotlands: regulatory consequences of forgotten places

A connection between specific aspects of mapping evidence prepared in advance of the Town and Country Planning Act of 1947 and the history of the plotlands provides opportunities for critical reflection. First, new mapping evidence demonstrates that the scope and distribution of plotland places were historically of far greater significance than previously thought or documented both in conventional planning theory and in existing plotland-focused research. Second, the sociopolitical agenda which accompanied the production and representation of mapping evidence during the 1930 and 1940s offers opportunity for critical reflection on the consequences and responsibilities of rethinking planning regulations.

Early experiences of women and planning initiatives 1980-1990

This paper discusses gender planning initiatives from the 1980s to the 1990s based on the experiences in London of two practising planners when local authorities began discussing gender-sensitive cities and developed specific actions and planning policies, women’s committees and women’s officers in planning departments. The first experience in the early 1980s introduced women into mainstream discourse particularly through the Town and Country Planning Summer School. The second describes Open Sesame, a project in Haringey. These experiences are contextualised in the GLC promotion of women’s issues through their Women’s Committee. It concludes with a discussion of the current position of women in planning.

7. Town and country planning

Town and country planning legislation aims to control the development of land and buildings. Section 57(1) of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 stipulates that ‘planning permission is required for the carrying out of any development of land’. This chapter first discusses the two main elements of town and country planning: (1) obtaining planning permission for new developments; and (2) the change of use of existing properties. It then explains breaches of planning control and enforcement; building regulations; and typical planning enquiries. A town and country planning decision tree is also presented.

4. Pre-Contract Searches and Enquiries, Town and Country Planning

This chapter considers pre-contract searches, enquiries, and town and country planning. It explains the why, what, and when of pre-contract searches and enquiries; the National Land Information Service; effects of the Law Society Conveyancing Protocol; commercial property enquiries; planning and conveyancing; changes of use; enforcement notices and stop notices; and building regulations.