In their response to MP Matthew Taylor's 2008 Review of the ‘Rural Economy and Affordable Housing’, the Government has announced plans to consult on combining a number of planning policy documents related to economic development.
 
In an attempt to highlight the key role rural areas and communities can play in delivering economic prosperity, the Government has stated that it will consult on a new PPS aimed at facilitating sustainable economic development in urban and rural areas and town centres. The PPS will replace the following documents:

 
Planning Policy Guidance Note 4
Industrial, commercial development and small firms (PPG4, 1992)
 
Planning Policy Guidance Note 5
Simplified Planning Zones (PPG5, 1992)
 
Planning Policy Statement 6
Planning for town centres (PPS6, 2005)
 
Planning Policy Statement 7
Sustainable development in rural areas (PPS7, 2004) (as far as it relates to economic development)
 
Paragraph 53, 54 & Annex D of Planning Policy Guidance Note 13 Transport (PPG13, 2001)
 
Other plans set out in the Government's Response to the Taylor Review include:

• Allocating protected areas where shared ownership properties will be retained for future purchases;
• Recognition that live/work units and rural hubs have a key role to play in the rural economy;
• Outlining the importance of masterplanning by local authorities for planning the sustainable expansion of small or medium-sized settlements; and  
• Creating a Working Groups to bring the industry together and explore possible ways to incentivise landowners to provide land for rural housing exception sites (i.e. sites on the edge of rural settlements where local planning authorities can allow small scale affordable housing as an exception subject to need.