Planning (UK) articles from December 2004

Planning (UK) archives from December 2004

Agenda.(Calendar)
December 3, 2004... DIARY TO 17 DECEMBER 6 December: Planning Law Conference; Organisers: LGG and 39 Essex Street Chambers. Venue: London. Fee: pounds 195 + VAT. Details (tel) 0870 730 3040. 7 December: London RTPI Annual General Meeting; Organiser: RTPI...

Diary: Architects bid for frozen commission.(Brief Article)
December 3, 2004... Three teams of architects and engineers will embark on an icy site visit to Antarctica next year for an architectural competition. The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has organised a contest to find a design for the British...

Diary: Hull pays tribute to slavery reformer.(University of Hull to William Wilberforce.)(Brief Article)
December 3, 2004... A unique research centre to examine the issues surrounding slavery is to be created in Hull in tribute to the work of William Wilberforce, the reformer who battled to eradicate the practice 200 years ago. The University of Hull has been...

Diary: Modernist slams 'ghastly boroughs'.(Piers Gough)(Brief Article)
December 3, 2004... The fragile links between architects and planners took another battering last week as leading modernist Piers Gough aired his disenchantment with London planning authorities' 'abysmally low' appreciation of architecture in the national press....

Appointment at Malyan.(Chris Berry joins Broadway Malyan)(Brief Article)
December 3, 2004... Chris Berry has been appointed associate director of regeneration by Broadway Malyan. He spent seven years at the London Docklands Development Corporation and was formerly a technical director at Halcrow. Berry recently completed an 18-month...

Appointment at Churchill Retirement Living.(Kevin Shakespeare and David Hodges)(Brief Article)
December 3, 2004... Kevin Shakespeare is to join Churchill Retirement Living as design manager in Birmingham. David Hodges has also joined as project surveyor in the firm's head office in Hampshire and Fred Andress has joined as development director.

Appointment at Redrow.(John Ireland becomes director)(Brief Article)
December 3, 2004... John Ireland has joined Redrow as director of regeneration to focus on brownfield schemes, primarily in London and the Thames Gateway. He was previously group land director and director of special projects for Wilson Connelly. Ireland has also...

Appointment at Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment.(Anthea Case replaces Sophie Andreae)(Brief Article)
December 3, 2004... Anthea Case has been appointed as a member of the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment, replacing Sophie Andreae, who retired as heritage commissioner this summer. Case is the chairwoman of Heritage Link and was previously...

Appointment at Turley Associates.(Brief Article)
December 3, 2004... David Diggle has joined Turley Associates in Manchester as a planner. He moves from Cheshire County Council, where he was part of the environmental planning team for four years. Robert Buckley has been appointed as an assistant planner in...

Appointment at Strategic Planning.(Bill Morrison becomes chief planning adviser)(Brief Article)
December 3, 2004... Bill Morrison, an independent consultant, has been made chief planning adviser by Strategic Planning in Holyrood, Northern Ireland. He previously worked for the Planning Service for more than 25 years, is director of planning at Ostick and...

Appointment at Arup.(Peter Head joins as urban design and development director)(Brief Article)
December 3, 2004... Peter Head is to join Arup as an urban design and development director. Head joins from Faber Maunsell, where he worked as corporate development director. He is a member of the London Sustainable Development Commission.

Appointment at Boyer Planning.(Phil Baxter joins as senior planner)(Brief Article)
December 3, 2004... Phil Baxter has joined Boyer Planning as a senior planner in Cardiff. He moves from Cardiff County Council. The firm has also appointed three planners: Emma Lamey, who will work in Windlesham, Barrie Davies in Cardiff and Catherine Brown in...

Calling all consultants.(Royal Town Planning Institute)
December 3, 2004... As we enter December, the chairman of the RTPI sole practitioners network, Peter Scott, offers his overview of the past year. As we approach the end of the year I thought that it would be a good idea to be the first to get an article on the...

Community involvement.(Royal Town Planning Institute)
December 3, 2004... The consultation draft of PPS1 - whatever happened to PPS1? - stated that 'the key policies and principles that should underpin the planning system are built around three themes: sustainable development, the purpose of the planning system; the...

Institute adds support to third way in Scotland.
December 3, 2004... Third party rights of appeal is the hottest topic on the planning agenda in Scotland at the moment, writes Graham U'ren. In contrast to the rapidly prepared green paper in 2001, which heralded the ODPM's agenda for a planning bill in...

RTPI Bulletin Board.(Royal Town Planning Institute approving appointments)
December 3, 2004... ELECTION SPECIAL Junior vice-president An election is currently being held for the position of junior vice-president. The candidates are Jim Claydon and Dory Reeves. Ballot papers have been sent to all RTPI corporate members....

Celebration of life achievement as former president receives honour.(Royal Town Planning Institute honoured Parkinson,Ewart)
December 3, 2004... After a lifetime spent in the profession and a career of innovation on which to reflect, the RTPI honours a past president. Ewart Parkinson FRTPI was honoured with the RTPI's lifetime achievement award for his prolific and award-winning...

Casebook: Development Control Casebook Forum.(queries on UK planning law)
December 3, 2004... E-mail your queries, or your replies to earlier queries, to casebook@haynet.com. Alternatively, post them to Development Control Casebook Forum, Development Control Services Ltd, Suite 1, Fullers Court, 40 Lower Quay Street, Gloucester GL1...

Development Control Casebook: Fear of antisocial behaviour foils conversion to nightclub.(Torbray restaurant conversion)(Brief Article)
December 3, 2004... The change of use of a restaurant in Torbay to a nightclub has been rejected on the grounds that it would be likely to prejudice the regeneration of the harbourside. The inspector accepted that the conversion would create a relatively...

Casebook: Appeal cases - Agricultural Development - Council fails in bid to prevent agricultural dwelling.
December 3, 2004... A lawful development certificate has been issued for an agricultural dwelling in West Sussex by an inspector who was satisfied that works constituting commencement of the development had been carried out. The inspector noted that in 1987...

Casebook: Appeal cases - Agricultural Development - Residential use of farm building deemed lawful.(Brief Article)
December 3, 2004... An inspector has granted a lawful development certificate for the occupation of a building at a farm in Devon, concluding that it had acquired immunity over the previous four years. In so finding he also granted permission for the use of a...

Casebook: Appeal cases - Agricultural Development - Barn development judged harmful to green belt.(farm buildings are rejected)(Brief Article)
December 3, 2004... An appellant's request to rebuild a single-storey barn in the Worcestershire green belt has been denied by an inspector who decided that it would undermine the openness of the area. The proposal involved building a gymnasium with a bathroom...

Casebook: Appeal cases - Commercial and industrial - Intensified caravan storage rejected in green belt.(Brief Article)
December 3, 2004... An enforcement notice directed against the storage of caravans on agricultural land in the Lancashire green belt has been upheld after an inspector determined that the use had intensified to such an extent that it created a material change in...

Casebook: Appeal cases - Energy Development - Taller wind turbines supported in scenic area.( )(Brief Article)
December 3, 2004... A reporter has agreed to vary a condition imposed on a planning permission for five wind turbines in south-west Scotland, concluding that the proposed increase in their height would not have a harmful impact on a scenic area. Permission...

Casebook: Appeal cases - Gypsies and Travellers - Long compliance period justified before relocation.(Gypsy family of essex)(Brief Article)
December 3, 2004... In determining an appeal involving an extension to the period for compliance with an enforcement notice requiring the removal of a Gypsy family living in caravans in Essex, an inspector has agreed that an unusually long compliance period was...

Casebook: Appeal cases - Housing: New Build - Flats rejected due to tree and bowling green loss.(Brief Article)
December 3, 2004... A proposal to replace a bowling green in Birmingham with a block of 41 flats has been rejected after an inspector ruled that it would harm the appearance and character of the surroundings and would entail the loss of a recreational facility....

Casebook: Appeal cases - Housing: New Build - Sports field loss scuppers housing development.(Brief Article)
December 3, 2004... The demolition of a football clubhouse and the reuse of the land for residential purposes in Essex has been ruled unacceptable because the proposed replacement playing fields were harmful to the character of the area. The appellant...

Casebook: Appeal cases - Housing: New Build - Residential scheme allowed despite misgivings.(Brief Article)
December 3, 2004... An inspector has granted permission for residential development on more than 2ha of land in Cambridgeshire, concluding that it would not harm the long-term planning of housing development in the village. The site was allocated for housing...

Casebook: Appeal cases - Housing: New Build - Cul-de-sac extension backed despite amenity fears.(Brief Article)
December 3, 2004... A proposal to build 96 houses in Surrey has been approved despite local planning authority concerns that it would erode the character and amenity of an existing housing estate. The scheme involved extending a cul-de-sac to provide access to...

Casebook: Appeal cases - Housing: New Build - Housing scheme judged harmful to local landscape.(Brief Article)
December 3, 2004... A reporter has rejected a scheme in the Scottish Borders for 40 houses on agricultural land, concluding that it would have an unacceptable impact on the landscape. The site comprised more than 1.5ha of land on the edge of a village. ...

Casebook: Appeal cases - Housing: New Build - Lack of facilitates building redevelopment.(Brief Article)
December 3, 2004... The deputy prime minister has granted permission for the redevelopment of industrial buildings in Doncaster, ruling that there was little likelihood of tenants being found. The site contained two vacant buildings, with the larger one...

Casebook: Appeal cases - Leisure and Entertainment - Green belt fishing lakes deemed appropriate.
December 3, 2004... Two fishing lakes in the Essex green belt have been approved after an inspector ruled that they would not harm the green belt, the natural environment or the living conditions of neighbours and would not adversely affect the performance of...

Casebook: Appeal cases - Leisure and Entertainment - Microlight flights rejected in countryside location.(Brief Article)
December 3, 2004... An inspector has upheld an enforcement notice directed against the use of agricultural land near the Somerset coast for microlight aircraft flights, ruling that the activity harmed the nature of the countryside. The council alleged that the...

Casebook: Appeal cases - Listed Buildings - Servery shack turned down in historic piazza.
December 3, 2004... The deputy prime minister has accepted an inspector's recommendation to refuse listed building consent for the provision of service connections to supply an outside servery in front of a grade II* listed restaurant in Covent Garden, central...

Casebook: Appeal cases - Mixed Use Development - Local centre fails to meet required design standard.(Brief Article)
December 3, 2004... An appeal seeking reserved matters approval for the design of a local centre in a wider development area in Kent has been rejected because it failed to reach a sufficiently high standard of design. The site formed a substantial parcel of...

Casebook: Appeal cases - Mixed Use Development - Live-work units fail due to loss of protected trees.(Brief Article)
December 3, 2004... An appeal involving the development of live-work units on land allocated for employment purposes in Essex has been rejected by an inspector who determined that it would lead to an unacceptable loss of protected trees. The inspector agreed...

Casebook: Appeal cases - Retail Development - Difficulties identified in defining Sunday market.(Brief Article)
December 3, 2004... In quashing an enforcement notice and allowing an appeal for the continued use of land on a former RAF base in south Wales as a Sunday market, an inspector has acknowledged the difficulty associated with defining the precise nature of the...

Casebook: Court cases - Gypsy removal halted pending full challenge.(South Cambridgeshire District Council)(Brief Article)
December 3, 2004... The High Court has granted an injunction preventing the removal of Gypsy families at Cottenham, Cambridgeshire, pending a challenge to enforcement notices. The site had been occupied by Gypsies without planning permission. Roads and...

Casebook: Court cases - Information failure leads to quashed permission.(Pridmore and Others v Salisbury District Council)(Brief Article)
December 3, 2004... A Salisbury resident's failure to notify his neighbours of a proposal for a bungalow in his back garden has led to permission for the development being struck down by the High Court. The council informed the applicant that he would have to...

Casebook: Court cases - Inadequate reasons scupper housing rejection.(Brief Article)
December 3, 2004... The High Court has quashed an inspector's decision dismissing an appeal for eight dwellings at a former mushroom farm in the Nottinghamshire green belt, with a judge concluding that the appellant had been prejudiced because inadequate reasons...

Casebook: Court cases - Cemetery refusal upheld due to lack of support.(Kemnal Manor Memorial Gardens Ltd )(Brief Article)
December 3, 2004... A company seeking to redevelop a south-east London sports fields as a cemetery and crematorium has failed in its bid to overturn an inspector's decision to refuse permission for the development. The company claimed that the inspector had...

Casebook: Court cases - Generator shelter at farm subject to full hearing.(Brief Article)
December 3, 2004... The High Court has granted permission for a Gloucestershire resident to challenge an inspector's decision to refuse planning permission for a generator shelter and wall built on land associated with a grade II listed dwelling in a conservation...

Casebook: Court cases - Housing: Conversion - Marketing accepted in barn conversion scheme.(Brief Article)
December 3, 2004... In granting planning permission for the conversion of a farm building in Yorkshire to a dwellinghouse, an inspector has accepted that the marketing of the property for commercial or industrial purposes was adequate. The council accepted...

Casebook: Court cases - Listed Buildings - Satellite dish substituted for television aerial.(Brief Article)
December 3, 2004... In granting planning permission and listed building consent for the erection of a satellite dish on a grade II listed thatched cottage in Hampshire, an inspector has decided that a traditional television aerial should be removed to compensate...

Casebook: Downloading decisions.
December 3, 2004... Decision letters for all cases with a DCS reference number can be immediately downloaded from the DCS website for pounds 12 + VAT per case. Readers without a free entry code can apply through the site. The site may also be used to browse for...

Casebook: Retail Development - Shop outside town centre passes viability test.(Brief Article)
December 3, 2004... A shop selling safety footwear at a warehouse in Northamptonshire has been allowed after an inspector ruled that it would not harm the vitality and viability of other recognised shopping centres. The inspector decided that the shop would be...

O planners, where art thou?
December 3, 2004... With planning student numbers in decline, the profession is significantly short of qualified staff, as shown in a conversation overheard by Cliff Hague. 'Bad news I'm afraid, Andy.' 'Sorry to hear that, Dennis. What's up in your...

China offers growth lesson.
December 3, 2004... Economic growth in China highlights the need to recognise the principles of sustainable development, suggests Ivan Turok. The cylinders of China's burgeoning economic engine, its cities, are powerful magnets drawing foreign investment,...

Quality links award hopefuls.
December 3, 2004... Design and appearance feature strongly among the projects competing for this year's RTPI awards, reports Anthony Fyson. In another record year for entries to the RTPI Planning Awards, 38 were selected for detailed assessment and 21 made it...

Planning tomorrow's cities.(Royal Town Planning Institute)
December 3, 2004... Next week's RTPI annual lecture will explore a vast range of themes based on making the most of cities, writes Huw Morris. Sir Terry Farrell was listening to a prestigious evening debate at the Royal Institution of Great Britain some 18...

Shout from rooftops.
December 3, 2004... Hugh Bullock argues that planners should not be ashamed of their profession but enjoy the chance to work in such a socially responsible sector, reports Huw Morris. From time to time Planning's letters pages feature an argument about the...

Awareness gap adds to reform confusion.(sustainable development)(Brief Article)
December 3, 2004... Time now for the latest instalment in the great planning reform shambles. Barely a week goes by without further evidence that the updated system is not so much stalling as failing to even reach the starting line. The hold-up on appeals at...

Fyson on... How to achieve improved public participation.
December 3, 2004... Speeding up the planning process while making it more accessible to the public are sometimes presented as incompatible goals. Certainly if participation is pursued in the usual ways, prolonged periods of consultation and spasms of protest are...

Policy struggles to win over minerals sceptics.
December 3, 2004... Revised direction on minerals planning has not impressed green lobbyists, says Susanna Gillman. The government is treading a fine line between protecting the environment and maintaining a sufficient supply of minerals in its latest update...

Salter on... The need to be wary of current housing policies.
December 3, 2004... Are you worried about housing growth? Would you go as far as to question the validity, dare one say oppose, the extra 10,000 homes coming to a green space near you? Well, fear not, for a government-backed coalition that - surprise, surprise -...

Doubt cast on rural rail plan.
December 3, 2004... A strategy to revive countryside rail links has been met with a mixed response, says Catherine Early. The community rail strategy unveiled this week paints a healthy picture for the future of some of the UK's best loved but least used...

Inquiry highlights civil service lapse.
December 3, 2004... Civil servants failed to follow procurement guidelines when commissioning the Scottish parliament building and did not inform ministers of risk factors, an inquiry concluded last week. But they acted in good faith and no grounds were found...

Survey set to judge coastline potential.(Brief Article)
December 3, 2004... A survey of Scotland's 9,650km of coastline is to be carried out to identify potential locations for renewable energy schemes. Deputy first minister Jim Wallace pledged last week that the Scottish Executive will plough significant resources...

BAA confirms capital airport road scheme.(British Airports Authority)(Brief Article)
December 3, 2004... Plans for a road link to Edinburgh Airport are to be submitted early next year, it emerged this week. The route from the Gogar roundabout would be a single carriageway but could be made into a dual carriageway later. It is thought necessary...

Colin Buchanan commissioned.(Brief Article)
December 3, 2004... Colin Buchanan and Partners has been commissioned by the Highways Agency to help deal with emerging local development documents (LDDs) in the South West after the planning reforms. The company will review and advise on all LDDs published by...

TEP prepares masterplan.(Brief Article)
December 3, 2004... A spatial masterplan and design framework for a 5.2ha neighbourhood campus at Fitton Hill, Oldham, has been prepared by environmental consultancy TEP. The campus scheme, by Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council and Hathershaw and Fitton Hill New...

DLR link assessment.(Docklands Light Railway)(Brief Article)
December 3, 2004... An environmental impact assessment of plans to build a Docklands Light Railway (DLR) link from the North London Line (NLL) to Stratford is to be carried out by Environmental Resources Management. The commission for Docklands Light Railway Ltd...

Plymouth finance trust set up.(Brief Article)
December 3, 2004... A local improvement finance trust has been set up in Plymouth to help improve the Primary Care estate. A consortium comprising Midas Group, Sutton Harbour Holdings and Cyril Sweet developed designs and costings for the trust, ReSound (Health)...

White Young Green chosen.(Brief Article)
December 3, 2004... White Young Green's Manchester team has been chosen to work on an international business park on the outskirts of Warrington. The consultancy will provide civil and structural engineering for the Lingley Mere Business Park Development Company....

Faber Maunsell inspects stations.
December 3, 2004... Inspections of public areas at three stations on the London Underground's Piccadilly Line are to be carried out by Faber Maunsell for Tube Lines. Ealing Common, South Ealing and Hounslow Central will be assessed day and night.

JMP to evaluate DRT schemes.(demand responsive transport )(Brief Article)
December 3, 2004... JMP Consulting is to evaluate six local link demand responsive transport (DRT) schemes across Greater Manchester. The study will identify criteria for measuring the success of the schemes and will investigate why some services are more...

Gleeson begins school work.
December 3, 2004... Gleeson has begun building work on two primary schools in Oldham, Greater Manchester. Medlock Valley school in Fitton Hill and Blackshaw Lane school in Royton will provide modern learning environments for local children and adult education...

Hyder appointed consultant.(Brief Article)
December 3, 2004... Hyder Consulting has been appointed lead consultant on plans to build a centre of excellence for a pounds 2.5 million Dartford Judokwai sports centre. The building, designed to mirror the origins of judo, will include a hall for national and...

Report demands better public services.(Brief Article)
December 3, 2004... Edinburgh's leaders must prioritise public transport improvements to prevent the proposed congestion charge damaging city centre retail trade, an independent study insisted this week. The report, commissioned by Edinburgh City Centre...

Group set up to assume railway network control.(Brief Article)
December 3, 2004... A rail group will be created at the Department for Transport (DfT) to set railway strategy and monitor performance, transport secretary Alistair Darling announced last week. The Railways Bill plans to abolish the Strategic Rail Authority...

Highways Agency comes under attack.(Brief Article)
December 3, 2004... The Highways Agency needs to be less risk-averse in using latest technology to deal with congestion, according to the National Audit Office (NAO). In a highly critical report, the NAO claims that the agency lags behind some overseas...

Primary waste recycling plan wins approval.(Brief Article)
December 3, 2004... A million tonnes of waste could be taken off the roads each year after a recycling plant was approved by the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham last week. The site at Willesdon Junction has one of the capital's densest concentrations...

Ministers get route change for Crossrail.(Brief Article)
December 3, 2004... Changes to the proposed route for London's Crossrail link were sent to ministers this week. Cross London Rail Links Ltd (CLRL) has decided that trains should terminate at Abbey Wood in the scheme's south-east section. CLRL has asked...

Policy blamed for society's failings.(Brief Article)
December 3, 2004... Housing policy is blamed for encouraging society to become increasingly polarised in a report issued last week. The study, commissioned by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), claims that housing strategies discourage...

Stratford scheme secures approval.(Brief Article)
December 3, 2004... Stratford's regeneration forged ahead this week with approval for a pounds 50 million mixed-use development that will overlook the proposed Olympic park. The Warton Road scheme, a joint venture between Telford Homes and the Royal Bank of...

Locals' role to be studied in gateway plan.(London Thames Gateway Development Corporation and the regeneration impact of the capital's 2012 Olympic bid)(Brief Article)
December 3, 2004... Ways of involving Thames Gateway communities in decisions about the regeneration of the area are to be explored by the University of East London. Commissioned by the planning team at law firm Denton Wilde Sapte (DWS), the project follows...

Anderson rejoins Liverpool Vision.(Joe Anderson, leader of Liverpool City Council)(Brief Article)
December 3, 2004... Joe Anderson, leader of Liverpool City Council's Labour group, has rejoined the board of Liverpool Vision after he resigned in July over the collapse of the Fourth Grace development. The urban regeneration company has also expanded its team,...

Homes and retail park plans.(latest growth plans for the Thames Gateway unveiled by London mayor Ken Livingstone)(Brief Article)
December 3, 2004... Two thousand homes and a retail park are the centrepiece of latest growth plans for the Thames Gateway unveiled by London mayor Ken Livingstone last week. Managed by the London Development Agency, the pounds 400 million mixed-use development...

Former Coking Works cash boost.(Avenue Coking Works)(Brief Article)
December 3, 2004... A project to clean up one of Western Europe's most contaminated sites has been given a major cash boost from the government. The former Avenue Coking Works in Chesterfield, Derbyshire, will receive pounds 104.5 million through English...

Clydeside project given go-ahead.(Brief Article)
December 3, 2004... A pounds 200 million regeneration project for a rundown Clydeside neighbourhood has been given the go-ahead last week. Glasgow City Council voted unanimously to grant planning permission for the first phase of the scheme, which will provide...

Chinatown regeneration could destroy character.(Brief Article)
December 3, 2004... Regeneration plans for London's Chinatown could destroy the area's unique character, campaigners have warned. Community group Min Quan fears that plans to redevelop a key building in Soho would lead to increased rents that local firms would be...

Park Hill regeneration moves closer.(building will be converted into a mixed-use sustainable development )(Brief Article)
December 3, 2004... The regeneration of Park Hill in Sheffield, Britain's largest grade II listed building, moved a step closer last week when Sheffield City Council and English Partnerships named Urban Splash as their preferred development partner. The building...

Greenwich hospital site to be homes.(Greenwich District Hospital will be transformed into 400 homes)(Brief Article)
December 3, 2004... A former hospital site in south-east London is to be regenerated, deputy prime minister John Prescott revealed last week. Greenwich District Hospital will be transformed into 400 homes, with half earmarked for key workers. The 3ha site was...

Brownfield land project endorsed.(Brief Article)
December 3, 2004... A pounds 200 million regeneration project to develop 25ha of brownfield land in Gloucester was endorsed last week. Despite Gloucester City Council's decision to approve the Gloucester Quays scheme, it will be referred to the Government Office...