Town And Country Planning, England Citation, commencement, extent and application 1 1 This Order may be cited as the Town and Country Planning (Northwood Headquarters) Special Development Order 2025. 2 This Order comes into force on 5th February 2025. 3 This Order extends to England and Wales. 4 This Order applies to the land at Northwood Headquarters, Sandy Lane, Northwood, Middlesex, HA6 3HP shown bounded externally by the outer edge of a bold red line on the Map (the “Order land”). Interpretation 2 In this Order— “ 2015 Order ” means the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015 ; “ approval condition ” means— a condition subject to which the Secretary of State gives a relevant approval or a subsequent approval, or a condition subject to which the Secretary of State gives an approval under a condition within paragraph (a); “ approved document ” means— a document or part of a document submitted by the Defence Secretary to the Secretary of State, to which reference is made— in an approval condition, in a relevant approval notice, to specify the development for which relevant approval is given in that notice, or in a subsequent approval notice, to specify the relevant instrument or change, subsequent approval of which is given in that notice; at any date after a document or part of a document within paragraph (a) is amended or replaced pursuant to a subsequent approval notice, that document or part of a document, as so amended or replaced at that date by one or more subsequent approval notices, and references to any particular approved document, including references in a relevant approval notice or approval condition, are to be construed accordingly; “ construction work ” means— the erection, installation, provision, extension, maintenance, repair, improvement, alteration, decommissioning, removal or demolition of a building, structure, plant, equipment, machinery, sewer, main, pipe, cable or other apparatus; engineering or other operations, including any— excavation, other than mining operations; building, engineering or other operation, including construction, maintenance or repair of a road that facilitates the carrying out of other operations, or access to a building or structure; “ construction worker ” means a person engaged in construction work on the Order land; “ Defence Secretary ” means the Secretary of State for Defence; “ European site ” has the meaning given in regulation 8 of the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017 (European sites and European marine sites); “ the Map ” means revision P05 of the map with reference number 1296Y16-TTE-ZZ-ZZ-DR-A-10012, submitted by the Defence Secretary to the Secretary of State; “ new document ” means a document— for which the Defence Secretary is required to seek the Secretary of State’s approval pursuant to a Schedule 1 condition or an approval condition, and in respect of which the Secretary of State has not previously given subsequent approval; “ Order land ” has the meaning given in article 1(4); “ personnel ” means persons, other than construction workers, who work on the Order land and are employed to do so; “ relevant approval ” means the Secretary of State’s prior approval for the carrying out of relevant development; “ relevant approval notice ” has the meaning given in article 5(1)(b) (relevant approvals); “ relevant change of use ” means any development that— falls within the class specified in article 4(1)(a) (grant of planning permission), and involves the change of use of a building or land— from being used for living accommodation to another use; from another use to being used for living accommodation; “ relevant development ” means development carried out, or to be carried out, under the planning permission granted by article 4(1), that— is a relevant change of use, or falls within a class specified in article 4(1)(b) or (c); “ relevant instrument or change ” means— a new document, a document that embodies an amendment or replacement of an approved document, a document that embodies a variation or replacement of an approval condition, or the removal of an approval condition; “ relevant submission ” means a written submission to the Secretary of State seeking relevant approval for relevant development; “ Schedule 1 condition ” means a condition set out in Schedule 1 (conditions subject to which planning permission is granted); “ the Secretary of State ” means, except in the definition of “Defence Secretary”, the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government; “ subsequent approval ” means the Secretary of State’s approval of a relevant instrument or change; “ subsequent approval notice ” has the meaning given in article 6(1)(b) (subsequent approvals). Permitted development rights and development management procedure 3 1 Subject to paragraph (2), the 2015 Order applies to the Order land in respect of— a development commenced before 5th February 2025, and b development commenced on or after 5th February 2025 that falls within a class described as permitted development in a provision of Schedule 2 to the 2015 Order (permitted development rights) that is listed in Schedule 2 to this Order (specified provisions of Schedule 2 to the 2015 Order). 2 In the application of the 2015 Order to development within paragraph (1)(b), references to the local planning authority are to be read as references to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government. 3 The Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) (England) Order 2015 applies to the Order land in respect of any development— a in respect of which it would, apart from this Order, apply, and b for which planning permission is not granted by this Order, or article 3(1) of the 2015 Order (permitted development) as applied by paragraphs (1) and (2) of this article. Grant of planning permission 4 1 Subject to the provisions of this Order, planning permission is granted for the following classes of development, where they are carried out for the purpose of national defence by or on behalf of the Defence Secretary— a the making of any material change in the use of— i any building in, on, under or over the Order land, or ii any part of the Order land; b the carrying out, in, on, under or over the Order land, of any construction work, including in relation to any of the types of building or structure specified in paragraph (2); c the retention on the Order land of buildings or structures erected or installed under temporary planning permission granted— i by Three Rivers District Council, or ii by a general development order, either permanently, or for a longer period than is permitted under that permission, as specified in a relevant approval notice. 2 The types of building or structure specified are— a permanent or temporary— i offices and working spaces for personnel, construction workers, or persons visiting the Order land; ii living accommodation for personnel and their families; iii other facilities and amenities, including car parking, for personnel, their families, construction workers, or people visiting the Order land; b permanent or temporary plant, equipment or machinery, and structures where it is to be housed or located. 3 The planning permission granted by paragraph (1) is subject to the Schedule 1 conditions. Relevant approvals 5 1 No relevant development may commence unless— a the Defence Secretary has made a relevant submission in respect of that development which complies with Schedule 3 (contents of relevant submissions), and b the Secretary of State, having received and considered the relevant submission, has given the Defence Secretary a written notice under this article, specifying that development and stating that the Secretary of State gives relevant approval for it (a “relevant approval notice”). 2 The Secretary of State must not give a relevant approval notice unless the Secretary of State has determined that the relevant development— a has no likely significant effect on the integrity of any European site, either alone or in combination with other plans or projects, and b is capable of being carried out in accordance with the Schedule 1 conditions. 3 A relevant approval notice— a has effect from the date on which it is given, or such other date as it may specify; b must specify, by reference to a document submitted by the Defence Secretary or otherwise— i the relevant development for which relevant approval is given; ii any conditions subject to which relevant approval is given. Subsequent approvals 6 1 A relevant instrument or change has effect for the purposes of a relevant approval notice or an approval condition if, and to the extent that— a the Defence Secretary has made a written application to the Secretary of State requesting subsequent approval of it (a “subsequent approval application”), and b the Secretary of State, having received and considered the subsequent approval application, has given the Defence Secretary a written notice under this article, specifying the relevant instrument or change and stating that the Secretary of State gives subsequent approval in respect of it (a “subsequent approval notice”). 2 The Secretary of State must not give a subsequent approval notice unless the Secretary of State has determined that the giving of subsequent approval will not result in the carrying out of relevant development that— a has a likely significant effect on the integrity of any European site, either alone or in combination with other plans or projects, or b is not capable of being carried out in accordance with the Schedule 1 conditions. 3 A subsequent approval application— a that requests subsequent approval of a new document, must include the new document; b that requests subsequent approval of a document that embodies an amendment or replacement of an approved document, must include— i the relevant approval notice or approval condition that first referred to that approved document, or to an earlier version of it; ii details of any subsequent approval notice that has previously been given in respect of that approved document; iii details of how the Defence Secretary proposes to amend or replace the approved document, and the reasons for the proposed amendment or replacement; iv a version of the approved document, incorporating the amendment or replacement of it for which the Defence Secretary requests approval; c that requests subsequent approval of a document that embodies a variation or replacement of an approval condition, or of the removal of such a condition, must specify or include— i the document that first specified that condition or an earlier version of it; ii details of any subsequent approval notice that has previously been given in respect of that condition; iii details of how the Defence Secretary proposes to vary, remove or replace the condition, and the reasons for the proposed variation, removal or replacement; iv where the request is for approval of a variation or replacement of an approval condition, a version of the approval condition, incorporating the variation or replacement of it for which the Defence Secretary requests approval. 4 A subsequent approval notice— a has effect from the date on which it is given, or such other date as it may specify; b must specify— i the relevant instrument or change, subsequent approval of which is given in the notice; ii the effect that the notice has on any document within paragraph (3)(b)(i) or (c)(i); iii any conditions subject to which subsequent approval is given. Documents: security and transparency 7 1 Where— a a provision of this Order or an approval condition, however expressed, requires the Defence Secretary to give a document or information to the Secretary of State, and b for reasons associated with national defence, national security, or international relations, the Defence Secretary requires instead to give the Secretary of State access to that document or information by enabling it to be inspected in a secure location by or on behalf of the Secretary of State, the Defence Secretary may comply with the requirement within sub-paragraph (a) by making the document or information available as described in sub-paragraph (b). 2 Subject to paragraph (3), the Secretary of State must make arrangements for a copy of— a the Map, and b each approved document, relevant approval notice, and subsequent approval notice (each such document being a “relevant document”), to be available for inspection by the public on a website maintained by or on behalf of the Secretary of State , and, by appointment, at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, at 2 Marsham Street, London SW1P 4DF. 3 The Secretary of State must not make available under paragraph (2)— a a document or information that has been inspected as described in paragraph (1)(b); b any other information in respect of which the Secretary of State considers that making it available— i may compromise the security of a building or structure in, on, under or over the Order land, or the safety of those working or living in, or visiting, any such building or structure, or ii would otherwise be contrary to the national interest, having regard to considerations of defence, national security or international relations. 4 In determining under paragraph (3)(b) what information to make available under paragraph (2), the Secretary of State must have regard to any representations made by the Defence Secretary in relation to the considerations set out in paragraph (3)(b)(i) and (ii). 5 Where the Secretary of State determines— a that only some of the information in a relevant document is not to be made available under paragraph (3), the Secretary of State must redact that information from the copy of the relevant document containing it that is made available; b that all the information in a relevant document is not to be made available under paragraph (3), the Secretary of State must publish a statement identifying that relevant document, and stating that it is not being made available under paragraph (3). Signed by the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government Angela Rayner Secretary of State Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government 14th January 2025