Planning (UK) articles from December 2006

Planning (UK) archives from December 2006

Agenda.
December 1, 2006... DIARY TO 15 DECEMBER 4 December: Giving Evidence at Inquiries. Organiser: RTPI. Venue: London. Fee: pounds 399-pounds 499 + VAT. Details: (tel) 0845 120 9602. 4 December: Why Out-of-Town Retailing is Different in Seaside Towns....

Forum sees Thames Gateway future.(Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... The Thames Gateway Forum was a big success this year, buzzing with developers and planners who displayed ambitious proposals for the area. Clearly excited by all the commotion was one forum official who had agreed to give an interview to a...

Club protests fail to swing inspector.(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... A Blackpool man has failed to overturn an order to close down a controversial party venue despite his objections that it breached his human rights - as a swinger. Blackpool Borough Council deemed that the venue contravened planning...

Newquay urinals levitate for revellers.(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... Diary can report further hedonistic goings on, this time in Cornwall. Newquay's party town reputation has caused a conundrum for councillors as revellers relieve themselves in the streets. Four pop-up male toilets have been installed...

Appointment at DMH Stallard.
December 1, 2006... Mark Grant has joined law firm DMH Stallard as a partner in the company's residential development team. He was previously regional legal director at Bovis Homes and has also worked in similar roles for Fairclough Homes and Ryden Homes.

Appointment at Stratford Renaissance Partnership.
December 1, 2006... Sir Christopher Benson has been appointed chairman of Stratford Renaissance Partnership. Benson, a chartered surveyor, is chairman of the Thomas Coram Foundation and deputy lord lieutenant of Greater London.

Appointment at Enplan.
December 1, 2006... Louisa Bruce has joined Enplan in Tunbridge Wells as a planning consultant. She previously worked for Cunnane Town Planning LLP.

Appointment at Birmingham City Council.
December 1, 2006... Jack Glonek has been appointed as assistant director for investment, enterprise and employment by Birmingham City Council. He was previously head of economic development at Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council.

Appointment at Rapleys LLP.
December 1, 2006... Lisa Davies has joined Rapleys LLP as a senior planner in the firm's Edinburgh office. She has spent the past three years working for Aberdeenshire Council and was elected a member of the RTPI earlier this year.

Appointment at Acadametrics.
December 1, 2006... Peter Williams has been made chairman of Acadametrics. He was previously deputy director-general of the Council of Mortgage Lenders.

Appointment at SENNTRi.
December 1, 2006... Brian Ham has been appointed chairman of the board at South East Northumberland and North Tyneside Regeneration initiative SENNTRi. Ham was previously a director at Newcastle City Council.

Appointment at DTZ.
December 1, 2006... Geoffrey Harbison and Kate Howe have joined DTZ as graduate surveyors. They have a degree in geography and a masters in real estate management respectively.

Appointment at Buro Happold.
December 1, 2006... Gerry Prodohl has been recruited as director of transportation and highways at Buro Happold.

Appointment at Redrow.
December 1, 2006... Alan Dorn has joined house builder Redrow as managing director for its Tamworth-based operation. He replaces David Campbell-Kelly, who has been promoted to Midlands regional chairman.

Promotion at Goadsby Town Planning.
December 1, 2006... Mark Axford has been promoted to associate director by Goadsby Town Plannning in Bournemouth.

Appointment at Wilson Bowden Developments.
December 1, 2006... Patrick Arthurs has been appointed planning director by Wilson Bowden Developments in Piccadilly. He will advise the company on planning strategy across a range of development sites.

Appointment at Baker Associates.
December 1, 2006... Chris Dadds has joined Baker Associates as an associate in Bristol to lead the office's applications and appeals work.

Promotion at Lennon Planning.
December 1, 2006... David Hall has been promoted to associate director by Lennon Planning in Winnersh, where Holly Mitchell has joined as an assistant planning consultant. Alexandra King has joined as an assistant planning consultant in Southampton.

Improving planning for Gypsies and travellers.
December 1, 2006... An upcoming conference will explore best practice and delivery of services in these communities, writes Deborah Hendon-Jones. Professionals who provide services to Gypsies and travellers are all too aware of the urgent need to deal with the...

Enforcement has a vital role for planning system.(National Association for Planning Enforcement )
December 1, 2006... The RTPI association for planning enforcement has grown rapidly since it was formed just six months ago, reports Mike Cowley. Two years ago, we had a mission - to set up an organisation that represented enforcement. The challenges we faced...

RTPI Bulletin Board.(royal town planning institute)(Judd Farris)
December 1, 2006... YOUNG PLANNERS FIND TREASURE IN LONDON On 9 November more than 100 young planners from across London and further afield took part in a treasure hunt in the London Victoria area. Participants were challenged to obtain a variety of...

Regions and nations continue to pursue an active line-up of events.
December 1, 2006... Regionally and nationally across the British Isles the RTPI has held numerous events and seminars this year, reports Charles Veal. The RTPI's regions and nations, which represent respectively the nine English administrative areas and...

Casebook: Development Control Casebook Forum.
December 1, 2006... 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...

Casebook: Homes turned down at lime works in green belt location.
December 1, 2006... A proposal to demolish a lime works in the Bedfordshire green belt and build 40 homes on the site has been rejected on the grounds that it would involve unacceptable development in the countryside. The 4ha appeal site contained an active...

Casebook: Appeal cases - Commercial and Industrial - Tank storage unjustified by diversification claim.(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... An enforcement notice requiring storage tank repair, sale and storage to cease at a farm in Hampshire has been upheld after an inspector rejected the appellant's argument that it supported his holding's economic viability. The business...

Casebook: Appeal cases - Community Facilities - Care home reconstruction fails green belt test.(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... The demolition and replacement of a care home for the elderly in the Buckinghamshire green belt has been refused despite the appellants' protestations that the existing building did not meet government guidelines. Alternative schemes were...

Casebook: Appeal cases - Food and Drink uses - Seating judged to contribute to city atmosphere.(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... An inspector has allowed pavement seating outside two catering outlets in a Truro conservation area after finding that it would not harm the area's character or appearance or the building's setting. The lightweight furniture and removable...

Casebook: Appeal cases - Gypsies and Travellers - Temporary permission granted on personal grounds.(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... The secretary of state has accepted an inspector's advice to grant a five-year temporary permission for an unauthorised Gypsy site in Bedfordshire after concluding that it was justified by the appellants' personal circumstances. The...

Casebook: Appeal cases - Housing: New build - Regeneration scheme secures affordable housing.
December 1, 2006... The secretary of state has allowed an appeal for the demolition of 108 houses and their replacement with 173 dwellings on an estate in Surrey after ruling that the risk of flooding was acceptable. The 1950s council estate had used an...

Casebook: Appeal cases - Housing: New build - Greenfield site released despite adequate supply.
December 1, 2006... The secretary of state has accepted an inspector's recommendation to allow housing development on a 5.7ha greenfield site in Essex after concluding that it would not cause significant harm to the area's housing strategy. The council...

Casebook: Appeal cases - Housing: New build - Housing allowed despite park-and-ride objection.
December 1, 2006... A proposal to build 58 homes and convert part of a listed mill in Lancashire to 52 apartments has been approved despite local authority concerns that it would prejudice plans for a park-and-ride facility. The site lay next to a small...

Casebook: Appeal cases - Householder Development - Model railway allays residential amenity concerns.
December 1, 2006... The construction of a 180mm gauge model railway track in the rear garden of a house in North Yorkshire has been permitted despite a neighbour's complaints that it would give rise to unacceptable noise and other disturbance. The site...

Casebook: Appeal cases - Householder Development - Well screened additions endorsed at manor house.(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... Retrospective permission has been granted for a range of developments at a listed manor house in Essex after an inspector concluded that they did not adversely affect its setting or the integrity of a scheduled ancient monument. The...

Casebook: Appeal cases - Mixed use Development - Lack of need no bar to city redevelopment scheme.
December 1, 2006... The secretary of state has accepted an inspector's advice to grant permission for a mixed redevelopment scheme in Southampton in light of the economic benefits that would be derived. The proposal entailed demolishing all buildings on the...

Casebook: Appeal cases - Mixed use Development - Stadium supported despite retail impact worries.
December 1, 2006... A mixed-use development in Greater Manchester has been granted permission following a call-in inquiry after the secretary of state ruled that a hotel and retail development were necessary to underpin the scheme financially. The development...

Casebook: Appeal cases - Retail development - Tesco Extra store fails sequential flexibility test.
December 1, 2006... An inspector has dismissed two appeals for a Tesco Extra superstore in Greater Manchester after ruling that the appellants had not demonstrated sufficient flexibility in assessing the suitability of sequentially preferable sites. ...

Casebook: Appeal cases - Retail development - Expansion allowed at out-of-town retail complex.(Trago Mills)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... The secretary of state has granted permission following a call-in inquiry for an expansion of the Trago Mills retail centre in Devon after concluding that it complied with retail policies. The scheme involved a 3,000m2 garden centre, a...

Casebook: Appeal cases - Retail development - Car boot sales considered harmful to countryside.
December 1, 2006... An inspector has refused to grant retrospective planning permission for the use of a 2.5ha field in Kent for car boot sales after concluding that they undermined the character of the area. The council produced photographs demonstrating that...

Casebook: Appeal cases - Telecommunications - Action to remove rooftop antennae confirmed.
December 1, 2006... In dismissing an appeal against an enforcement notice requiring the removal of three pole-mounted antennae from a site in north London, an inspector has questioned the appellants' interpretation of their permitted development rights. The...

Casebook: Appeal cases - Telecommunications - Antennae screening held harmful to church tower.(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... Screening four antennae on the tower of a grade II listed church in Bradford behind imitation pediments would harm the building's special architectural and historic interest and the wider area, an inspector has ruled. The stone spire of...

Casebook: Appeal cases - Transport development - Bridge infill held no threat to recreational route.(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... An inspector has allowed a proposal to fill in the space beneath a bridge over a former railway in a conservation area in Kent after ruling that it would not prejudice proposals for a recreational cycling route. The railway had closed in...

Casebook: Appeal cases - Waste management - Plant blocked by impact on residents and waterside.
December 1, 2006... The change of use of a former ship repair yard on Tyneside to a waste transfer, recycling and treatment station has been rejected on the grounds that it would unacceptably harm neighbours' living conditions through noise, odour, dust and visual...

Casebook: Appeal cases - Agricultural Development - Equine scheme judged harmful to character.(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... Retrospective permission has been denied for the retention of a stable block and barn at an equine breeding facility in Warwickshire following a ruling that they were not reasonably necessary for the purposes of the enterprise. The...

Casebook: Appeal cases - Community facilities - Church use ruled out by employment policies.(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... Two appeals involving the use of employment buildings in Kent for religious and community purposes have been dismissed following a ruling that it was necessary to retain a strategic reserve of industrial land up to 2016. The inspector held...

Casebook: Downloading decisions.
December 1, 2006... [TX] 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...

Casebook: Appeal cases - Housing: New build - Residual employment land agreed on air base.
December 1, 2006... The secretary of state has allowed an appeal for residential development on part of a former RAF airbase in Norfolk after concluding that the area reserved for employment uses was acceptable. The council opposed the scheme, relying on a...

Casebook: Appeal cases - Leisure and Entertainment - Nightclub deemed compatible with town centre.
December 1, 2006... An inspector has allowed an appeal to vary a condition restricting the use of premises in Aylesbury town centre as a venue for tableside pole and lap dancing, hostess services and private hire for conferences and functions. The extant...

Pound signs trigger action.
December 1, 2006... A recent rallying call from a leading economist has drawn in unexpected raw recruits to the global fight against climate change, maintains Cliff Hague. 'Double G and T, George?' 'Thanks, Alistair. Just this one, then I'll have to leave...

Planning for health benefits.(sports villages)
December 1, 2006... Sports villages can make a significant contribution to the health of the nation given the right conditions, contends Steve Ottewell. Increasing participation in sports is a key government target and is central to the legacy of the 2012...

Rising stars target top prize.(young planners competing for Young Planner of the Year Award)
December 1, 2006... Four young planners are competing for your votes to take first prize in this year's award, says Bryan Johnston. This year four planners have been shortlisted for an award that acclaims the brightest members of the profession aged below 35....

Crisis shapes spatial plans.(climate change )
December 1, 2006... Planning decisions that fail to consider the impact of climate change will be unsustainable, insist John Firth and Michelle Colley. All those involved in spatial planning who do not take the changing climate into account when they make...

Transport enthusiast.
December 1, 2006... Docklands Light Railway planning chief Richard de Cani takes pride in improving travel times and personal mobility in deprived east London, he tells Vivien Wilson. Competition to be named best public sector planning organisation was fierce...

Surge of documents set to engulf system.(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... Imagine for a moment that an evil mastermind is hell-bent on causing as much chaos and confusion in the planning community as possible. How would Ernst Stavro Blofeld or Professor Moriarty go about it? Storing up all the keynote policies...

Fyson on ... pros and cons of effort to develop better urbanism.
December 1, 2006... The Academy of Urbanism, a self-styled 'group of thinkers and practitioners' launched last February, held its first awards ceremony in November. A rather arbitrary selection of British and Irish cities, towns, neighbourhoods, streets and...

Network to take fresh angle on key concerns.
December 1, 2006... We have a chance to debate the ideas at the root of planning, write Tim Marshall and Huw Thomas. Planning has always attracted the attention of those who wish to create a society where the nature of social and economic life is completely...

Bell on ... why more should be done to help rough sleepers.
December 1, 2006... As the nights draw in and chill winds blow I have flashbacks to my childhood. I still have my ration book from the time when sugar and biscuits were sold loose and you were someone if you knew someone who owned a car. Safe at home, my only...

Gateway needs accumulate.(EDAW )
December 1, 2006... Social infrastructure is essential if the Thames Gateway is to meet its potential, reports Ben Kochan. Transport has long been the main barrier to the redevelopment of the Thames Gateway. But with the area's population set to rise by up to...

Experts suggest student flat drive.(student housing)
December 1, 2006... Planners are being asked to set aside space for student housing in future masterplans for major Edinburgh development sites. A report by Heriot-Watt University recommends an increase in purpose-built accommodation to relieve pressure on...

Biomass plans win executive backing.(biomass power plant )(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... Plans for a biomass power plant on a brownfield site in the Highlands have been unveiled. The project at Invergordon would supply the national grid and feature a combined heat and power plant. It would also include a facility for...

Airport tunnel project seeks approval in bill.
December 1, 2006... Two 1.5km tunnels have been proposed to take trains under the runway to a planned station at Edinburgh Airport. Details of the scheme were announced last week by project officials. 'This is Scotland's most ambitious engineering project...

Donaldsons to advise on strategy for Erith Western Gateway.(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... Donaldsons is to advise English Partnerships and the London Borough of Bexley on a marketing and development strategy for Erith Western Gateway. The 10ha site is located between the town centre and Erith railway station and has a...

Vision for Farnborough regeneration to be prepared.(CB Richard Ellis)(Colin Buchanan)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... A vision for the regeneration of Farnborough in Hampshire is to be prepared by Urban Practitioners for Rushmoor Borough Council. The masterplan will set out the priorities for revitalising the town centre over the next five to ten years....

TEP to continue work in Leicestershire.(Alison Millward Associates)(Mersey Forest)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... TEP is to continue work on green infrastructure planning for delivering community woodland and green spaces in central Leicestershire. The firm will work with Alison Millward Associates and consultants from the Mersey Forest on the...

Nathaniel Lichfield to carry out employment land reviews.(Nathaniel Lichfield & Partners)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... Employment land reviews for Swindon and South Shropshire are to be carried out by Nathaniel Lichfield and Partners. Both studies will consider the quality of employment facilities as well as the need for additional development to meet...

Data to be gathered for Ayrshire.(North Ayrshire Council appointed Colin Buchanan and Partners and the Paul Castle Consultancy)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... Data to develop a strategic transport model for Ayrshire are to be gathered by Colin Buchanan and the Paul Castle Consultancy (PCC). The firms have been appointed by North Ayrshire Council and will lead a public sector consortium on the...

JMP Consulting develops travel plan.
December 1, 2006... A travel plan for staff and students at the University of Strathclyde has been developed by JMP Consulting in advance of a major redevelopment of its Glasgow city centre and other campuses. Objectives include reducing single-occupancy...

MVA Consultancy to carry out analysis.
December 1, 2006... MVA Consultancy is to analyse the market for train operator Southeastern's integrated Kent franchise. The research will be used as a basis to evaluate the demand impact of High Speed One domestic services. It will also help in the growth of the...

Arup relocates Belfast offices.
December 1, 2006... Arup has relocated its Belfast offices to deal with an increased level of work in Northern Ireland. The premises in Linenhall Street in central Belfast will house a 25-strong team. Although the firm has been operating in Northern Ireland...

Ladyman seeks mitigation on M1 plans.(Stephen Ladyman)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... The proposed widening of the M1 will be shelved if its environmental impact cannot be mitigated, transport minister Stephen Ladyman promised local residents last week. He told the House of Commons that a full assessment of carbon emissions...

Academics see revenue boost for road tunnels.
December 1, 2006... Revenue from road pricing would allow some road building to lessen the impact of congestion, a think-tank argued this week. The Independent Transport Commission said that the introduction of road pricing would reduce congestion but that it...

Study considers role of retail transport.(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... Travel for shopping is growing faster than any other type of travel, research by the British Council of Shopping Centres (BCSC) has discovered. A report on the future of retail transport argues that travel is becoming more important for...

Bus use beats expectations on Kent route.(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... Large numbers of people are choosing to use a rapid transit bus system in north Kent rather than cars, a survey has revealed. The Fastrack service in Kent Thameside, launched earlier this year, has carried 50 per cent more passengers than...

Scheme aims to encourage pupils to walk.
December 1, 2006... The government is to invest pounds 15 million in initiatives to encourage more children to walk to school, transport secretary Douglas Alexander announced last week. The money is mainly aimed at setting up groups of children who walk to...

Wakefield weighs up transport hub.(Wakefield Metropolitan District Council, Metro and Aedas Architects )(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... Plans for a pounds 10 million transport interchange in Castleford were submitted to Wakefield Metropolitan District Council this week. West Yorkshire public transport body Metro and Aedas Architects submitted the proposal to improve links...

Council backs plan for Basildon estate.(Basildon District Council)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... Proposals to regenerate the Craylands estate and Fryerns School site have won support from Basildon District Council. The 40ha scheme proposed by English Partnerships and Swan Housing Group will see pounds 200 million invested in homes,...

Sheffield firm aims to set up project team.
December 1, 2006... A pounds 135 million housing regeneration scheme in Sheffield is looking for a project team. Developer Home hopes to recruit a project director and two assistants for the largest regeneration project outside the housing market renewal...

Funding launched for urban regeneration challenges in north of England.
December 1, 2006... A pounds 17 million investment to tackle key urban regeneration challenges facing the north of England was launched this week. The funding, announced by the University of Salford, will be ploughed into a project co-ordinated by the...

Plans submitted for flats in Marylebone.(Ridgeford Properties )(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... Plans to build more than 2,000m2 of flats and penthouses in Marylebone have been submitted to Westminster City Council. Ridgeford Properties hopes to start work on the 12 luxury flats designed by Ken Shuttleworth's architectural practice...

Urban village in Bromley by Bow to form part of action plan.(London Thames Gateway Development Corporation )(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... The creation of an urban village in Bromley by Bow is to form part of an action plan to create East End Amsterdam in the Lower Lea Valley over the next year. The London Thames Gateway Development Corporation announced that it also plans to...

Money to be spent redeveloping wing of former Jessop Hospital.
December 1, 2006... More than pounds 6 million is to be spent redeveloping the Victorian Wing of the former Jessop Hospital in Sheffield after the scheme gained approval this week. Carey Jones Architects secured planning and listed building consents to...

Members appointed to South East Excellence.(Trevor Osborne, Crest Nicholson and Martin Randall)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... Nine members have been appointed to South East Excellence, which works to develop sustainable communities across the region. The nine who will join chairman Trevor Osborne include English Partnerships regional director for the South East...

Deal struck by Merseyside housing associations.
December 1, 2006... A deal has been struck by several Merseyside housing associations on how to regenerate some of their most deprived neighbourhoods. Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council appointed the associations to look after the five neighbourhoods...

Chairman of Opportunity Peterborough to leave company.(Lord Mawhinney)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... The chairman of Opportunity Peterborough has announced that he will leave the urban regeneration company at the end of the month. Lord Mawhinney, who joined as chairman 18 months ago, cited 'increasingly heavy calls' on his time as the firm...

Draft proposals unveiled for South Tyneside town centre.(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... Draft proposals that show how South Tyneside town centre and new town could look following a regeneration scheme have been unveiled. South Tyneside Council announced that it is holding a series of public exhibitions until the end of the year....