Planning Policy
Gummers Law
The policy began in 1997 when the then Environment Secretary, John Gummer, introduced into planning policy – Planning Policy Guidance 7: Countryside – the opportunity to secure permission for new country houses to continue the centuries-old tradition of building stately homes in the English countryside. The roots of Para 84 are clearly visible from the origins of “Gummers Law”.
The policy began in 1997 when the then Environment Secretary, John Gummer, introduced into planning policy – Planning Policy Guidance 7: Countryside – the opportunity to secure permission for new country houses to continue the centuries-old tradition of building stately homes in the English countryside. The roots of Para 84 are clearly visible from the origins of “Gummers Law”.
National Planning Policy
What is Gummer's Law?
New house building and other new development in the open countryside, away from established settlements or from areas allocated for development in development plans, should be strictly controlled. The fact that a single house on a particular site would be unobtrusive is not by itself a good argument; it could be repeated too often. Isolated new houses in the countryside require special justification – for example, where they are essential to enable farm or forestry workers to live at or near their place of work. An isolated new house in the countryside may also exceptionally be justified if it is clearly of the highest quality, is truly outstanding in terms of its architecture and landscape design, and would significantly enhance its immediate setting and wider surroundings. Proposals for such development would need to demonstrate that proper account had been taken of the defining characteristics of the local area, including local or regional building traditions and materials. This means that each generation would have the opportunity to add to the tradition of the Country House which has done so much to enhance the English countryside. PPG7, Paragraph 3.21 (1997).
In 2004, the Labour Government initially sought to remove the policy due to it seeming to unduly favour the wealthy elite. However, the policy was retained, albeit in a different form, in the newly published Planning Policy Statement 7: Sustainable Development in Rural Areas (PPS7).