Planning (UK) articles from January 2006

Planning (UK) archives from January 2006

Agenda.(Brief Article)(Calendar)
January 6, 2006... DIARY TO 20 JANUARY 18-19 January: Road Expo London. Organiser: Faversham House Group. Venue: London. Fee: Free. Details: (tel) 020 8651 7100. FORWARD DIARY 8-9 February: Road Expo North. Organiser: Faversham House Group. Venue:...

Buildings derided in television show.
January 6, 2006... Continuing television's recent obsession with all things regeneration related, Channel 4 has been taking a close look at the buildings that we love to hate. Presenter Kevin McCloud was joined by former Royal Institute of British Architects...

China makes blueprint of Dorchester.(Brief Article)
January 6, 2006... Work has begun on redesigning Dorchester - in a Chinese city. A development in Chengdu will be home to 200,000 people and will have the imaginative name of 'British Town'. Residents will walk down streets named after other Dorset towns...

Gate left on council land after notice.(Brief Article)
January 6, 2006... A cheeky householder in south Devon has had the last laugh by obeying an enforcement order requiring him to move a fence by 2m because it was encroaching on council land. The fence was moved but a gate was left where it stood, leaving...

Appointment at CM Parker Browne.
January 6, 2006... Solomon Agheyisi has joined CM Parker Browne as an assistant quantity surveyor in Liverpool. He previously worked in Nigeria as a quantity surveyor for the State Government Property Development Authority. Agheyisi is studying for a BSc in...

Appointment at National House Building Council.
January 6, 2006... Mebhan Chowdery has been appointed head of social housing by the National House Building Council. He has 18 years' experience with the organisation and has also worked on secondments in the industry. These include the Housing Forum, where he...

Appointment at Entec UK.
January 6, 2006... Fergus Thomas has joined Entec UK as assistant consultant in Leamington Spa. Colin McAllister has joined the Bristol office as assistant consultant, having previously worked for CPG Developments. Helen Lee has joined the London office as...

Appointment at Redrow.
January 6, 2006... Tom Poole has been appointed regional director for Redrow housing subsidiary Redrow Homes (East Midlands) in Newark. He moves from Marshalls PLC, where he spent the past six years as managing director of various subsidiaries.

Appointment at Drivers Jonas.
January 6, 2006... Julie Prentice has been recruited as an associate partner by Drivers Jonas in London. She was previously head of statutory planning at Llewelyn Davies Yeang. Luke Carter has joined Drivers Jonas as a senior surveyor. He moves from Strutt and...

Appointment at Scott Wilson.
January 6, 2006... Darren Bayfield has joined Scott Wilson as a transport planner in Manchester. He moves from Faber Maunsell. Bayfield has worked on several development and regeneration projects in the North West.

Appointment at Bidwells.
January 6, 2006... Brenda Donnelly has been appointed as a planner by Bidwells in Chelmsford. She previously worked in development control at Maidstone Borough Council.

Appointment at CTP.
January 6, 2006... Andrew Kingsley has joined CTP in Manchester as senior development manager. He moves from Neptune Developments in Liverpool. Paul Ogden has joined CTP as a graduate development surveyor. He recently graduated from Sheffield Hallam University.

Retirement and Appointments at Stafford Borough Council.(Brief Article)
January 6, 2006... David Pinnock has retired from Stafford Borough Council. He started work with the authority in 1974 and was most recently strategic director. Ian Thompson has taken over as executive director with responsibility for planning, regeneration,...

Appointment at Atkins.
January 6, 2006... Claire Wansbury has joined Atkins in London as senior ecologist in the water and environment division. She moves from Jaquelin Fisher Associates. Wansbury has more than 12 years' experience in ecology, mostly in environmental consultancy, and...

Get involved as a volunteer for Planning Aid England in 2006.
January 6, 2006... Planning aid would not be able to deliver its service without the support of a skilled volunteer network, reports Shereen Shafi. Planning Aid England provides free, independent and professional advice to groups and individuals who are...

Institute welcomes clear vision for parks in Wales.
January 6, 2006... A draft policy statement for Welsh national park authorities recognises the potential contribution they make to the environment. Welsh planning policy officer Rebecca Phillips says that the RTPI welcomes the draft policy statement for...

RTPI Bulletin Board.
January 6, 2006... ELECTION RESULTS The results of the election for the junior vice-president, the executive board and the general assembly are: - Junior vice-president 2006: Janet O'Neill. - Corporate members elected as trustees 2006-07: Martin...

RTPI News - Planning alone cannot solve the UK's affordable housing crisis.
January 6, 2006... Relying on section 106 agreements for affordable housing has changed the tenure mix across the UK, explains Geoff Cross. The changes that are occurring in the way that affordable housing is provided and the level of such housing that could...

Casebook: Development Control Casebook Forum.
January 6, 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: Appeal Case - Energy saving and efficient space use secures approval.
January 6, 2006... The change of use and extension of an office building in west London has won approval from an inspector who placed weight on the significant benefits associated with the development. The three-storey concrete and glass building had been...

Casebook: Appeal Case - Advertisements - Council objection to shop signage overruled.
January 6, 2006... Boots the Chemist has won advertisement consent for vinyl signage treatment in ground-floor windows at a store in the West Midlands following a ruling that it did not harm the building or its wholly commercial surroundings. A strip of blue...

Casebook: Appeal Case - Agricultural development - Farm buildings survive following legal opinion.
January 6, 2006... An enforcement notice directed against two agricultural buildings in Surrey has been quashed after an inspector ruled that the council was estopped from taking action against the first building while the second was permitted development. ...

Casebook: Appeal Case - Commercial and industrial - Office permission thwarted by excess car parking.(Brief Article)
January 6, 2006... An appeal to extend the period for submitting reserved matters on an office development in Cambridgeshire has been dismissed after an inspector held that it would provide an excessive number of parking spaces. Outline permission had been...

Casebook: Appeal Case - Commercial and industrial - Studio design faulted for industrial appearance.(Brief Article)
January 6, 2006... A proposal for a two-storey building in a residential area of Essex has been refused after an inspector held that its contemporary design would harm the area's character. The appellant explained that a garage block would be demolished,...

Casebook: Appeal Case - Energy development - Alternative lorry route supported at dockyard.
January 6, 2006... A reporter has agreed to vary the route lorries can use when delivering coal to the former Royal Navy dockyard at Rosyth on the Firth of Forth after concluding that it would not undermine highway safety. The appellant company had a contract...

Casebook: Appeal Case - Housing: new build - Green belt hospital redevelopment turned down.
January 6, 2006... The deputy prime minister has rejected plans to redevelop the former Canadian Red Cross Memorial Hospital in the Buckinghamshire green belt after ruling that the site was unsustainable for housing on the scale proposed. The proposal was...

Casebook: Appeal Case - Housing: new build - Green belt homes deemed to increase openness.
January 6, 2006... The deputy prime minister has accepted a call-in inquiry inspector's recommendation to grant permission for the redevelopment of a sports and social club site in the Staffordshire green belt. The applicant proposed to demolish buildings on...

Casebook: Appeal Case - Housing: new build - Contemporary home design accepted in village.
January 6, 2006... An appeal against the refusal of reserved matters approval for a single family home in a Devon village has been allowed on the grounds that it would not harm the area's character and appearance. The inspector observed that although there...

Casebook: Appeal Case - Householder development - Curtilage building held incidental to home use.
January 6, 2006... An inspector has granted a lawful development certificate (LDC) for the residential use of a double garage in the curtilage of a house in Essex and made a full award of costs to the appellants. The building was originally used as a garage...

Casebook: Appeal Case - Householder development - Roof terrace use allowed as incidental to home.(Brief Article)
January 6, 2006... A lawful development certificate has been issued for the use of a roof terrace at a house in north London as a sitting-out area after an inspector concluded that no development was involved. The inspector noted that section 55(2)(d) of the...

Casebook: Appeal Case - Householder development - Pond agreed despite concerns over water flow.(Brief Article)
January 6, 2006... The construction of a pond in a field next to a house in Devon has been permitted despite objections from a neighbour who was concerned that it would disrupt the flow of water in two local streams. The streams crossed the field and the...

Casebook: Appeal Case - Housing: conversion - Smaller flats considered no threat to housing mix.
January 6, 2006... The retention of 21 flats in four Georgian buildings in a Bristol conservation area has been allowed after an inspector found that they caused no harm to the mix of housing types in the area. Permission had previously been granted to...

Casebook: Appeal Case - Housing: conversion - Water tank conversion rejected as unsustainable.
January 6, 2006... A reporter has refused permission for the conversion of a disused water storage tank in West Lothian after finding that development plan policies had to prevail in a case where the planning issues were finely balanced. The tank, which...

Casebook: Appeal Case - Leisure and entertainment - Chalet repairs escape need for permission.(Brief Article)
January 6, 2006... An inspector dealing with an enforcement notice alleging that building works had occurred has accepted that improvements to a timber chalet in the Dartmoor National Park do not legally involve development. The park authority took action...

Casebook: Appeal Case - Leisure and entertainment - Waste tank pollution threat viewed as minimal.(Brief Article)
January 6, 2006... A proposal to install a 2,720-litre chemical waste disposal tank at a touring caravan site in Worcestershire has been approved after an inspector agreed that there was little likelihood of waste leaking into the ground. The council and a...

Casebook: Appeal Case - Leisure and entertainment - Greyhound kennels restricted to personal use.(Brief Article)
January 6, 2006... The conversion of a stable building in Essex to kennels to keep up to ten greyhounds has been approved subject to conditions limiting the use to the appellant's dogs. The appellant kept greyhounds as a hobby, racing the animals about three...

Casebook: Appeal Case - Leisure and entertainment - Betting office allowed despite disorder warning.(Brief Article)
January 6, 2006... The change of use of a shop in a parade in south Wales to a betting office has been approved despite council assertions that it would increase the risk of crime and disorder. The local authority claimed that there was a problem associated...

Casebook: Appeal Case - Leisure and entertainment - Balloon gas tank judged harmful to rural character.(Brief Article)
January 6, 2006... Plans to locate a gas tank in a Dorset field for use in hot air ballooning activity have been rejected following a ruling that they would involve activity harmful to the rural area's character. The 1,000-litre tank was 1m long, 1.8m wide...

Casebook: Appeal Case - Retail development - Superstore marquee evades sequential testing.
January 6, 2006... Tesco Stores Ltd has secured permission to retain a marquee at an outlet in the North West after an inspector held that the firm did not have to prove a need for the development or that sequentially preferable sites were available. The...

Casebook: Appeal Case - Waste development - Metal recycling facility let down by noise impact.
January 6, 2006... The establishment of a metal recycling facility at a 10ha scrapyard in the West Midlands has been judged unacceptable even though an inspector agreed that the site was in a sustainable location for its purpose. The appellant sought to...

Casebook: Appeal Case - Agricultural development - Strawberry farmer loses permitted rights claim.
January 6, 2006... Various appeals lodged by the operator of a Herefordshire fruit farm have been rejected by the deputy prime minister following a ruling that they would adversely affect the area's character. The company, which specialises in growing...

Casebook: Appeal Case - Food and drink uses - Council supported on camera payment plea.(Brief Article)
January 6, 2006... An inspector has allowed the change of use of a former school in Cambridge to a restaurant and bar after the appellants agreed to make a contribution towards a closed-circuit television camera. The building had been vacant since 2001. The...

Casebook: Appeal Case - Retail development - Canopy and shutter judged harmful to setting.(Brief Article)
January 6, 2006... The retention of an external front canopy and steel roller shutter at a shop in Peterborough has been rejected on the grounds that they harmed the appearance of the building and the street scene. The building had a front door next to the...

Casebook: Downloading decisions.
January 6, 2006... 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...

Casebook: Appeal Case - Telecommunications - Changes to bell tower deemed unacceptable.(Brief Article)
January 6, 2006... A plan to install 12 radio antennae and six dish antennae in the bell chamber of a former church in Oxford has been rejected after an inspector held that the alterations could not be accommodated without a serious effect on the integrity of the...

Small hydro shows potential.
January 6, 2006... European experience can show how to bypass the obstacles to delivering small hydroelectric plants, suggests Martin Cahn. The administrative hurdles to be overcome when developing small-scale hydroelectric plants are a nightmare in every...

Guidance looks set to rock the system.
January 6, 2006... Planning reform aims to tackle the housing issue but there is still concern and confusion over PPS3, maintains Chris Baker. Newspapers are fascinated with house prices. Under the government's planning reforms, planners will have to share...

Constant consultant.
January 6, 2006... Olympic bids and urban development corporations sound familiar to Ian Charie as he revisits old stamping grounds in a consultancy role, as David Dewar discovers. When International Olympic Committee chairman Jacques Rogge announced that...

Review fever reveals awareness shortfall.(Brief Article)
January 6, 2006... Are we any better off than we were 12 months ago? Only one verdict stands on 2005: when all is said and done, a lot more was said than done. Another year begins and we are faced with the prospect of yet another government review of the...

Fyson on ... threats posed to crucial policy on house building.
January 6, 2006... As the prime minister's star wanes, so that of his deputy is likely to dim as well. John Prescott's legacy will be positive and ought to include his grand strategy for sustainable communities in growth areas, but there is growing evidence...

Performance hike does little to appease chiefs.
January 6, 2006... Business leaders are still unhappy despite an improvement in timeliness, explains Catherine Early. While the ODPM sings the praises of local authority performance improvements, an unhappy chorus of businessmen and developers is adamant...

Shepley on ... the joy of finding the funny side in planning matters.(Column)
January 6, 2006... There is not a lot of comedy in planning these days. Sometimes I seek to essay a little humour in these columns, but most of what is written by planners as they go about their duties is sober and serious. Happily, there are exceptions. ...

Supplement seeks stability.(planning gain supplement )
January 6, 2006... Ideas for a planning gain supplement are focusing the debate on service provision, reports David Dewar. If there is a firm conclusion from the debate on the future of planning gain, it is surely that the issue will never be resolved to...

Proposed pylons generate protest.(Ramblers Association)(Scottish and Southern Electricity )
January 6, 2006... More than 12,000 objections have been lodged against plans for a line of electricity pylons from the Highlands to Stirlingshire. The scheme involves pylons up to 60m high carrying a 400KV cable from Beauly near Inverness to Denny. Scottish...

Housing set to test capital's local plan.
January 6, 2006... An estate of 250 homes proposed in Edinburgh's green belt is set to provide the first test of the city's local plan, which is due to be finalised shortly. The scheme, on a 62ha site at Colinton, will feature woodland and a park. But...

Guide aims to boost energy use in homes.
January 6, 2006... Guidelines intended to improve energy efficiency in new homes are being prepared by Edinburgh City Council. The advice will encourage developers to use rooftop turbines, solar panels and other energy-saving devices. A report expected later...

A study examining the feasibility of a community forest.
January 6, 2006... A study examining the feasibility of a community forest in central Leicestershire is to be carried out by TEP as part of the Stepping Stones countryside management project. The firm, appointed by Leicestershire County Council and the...

TANs on tourism and sport and recreation.
January 6, 2006... The Cardiff office of Nathaniel Lichfield and Partners is to draft technical advice notes (TANs) on tourism and sport and recreation for the Welsh Assembly Government. The documents will support Planning Policy Wales and eventually replace...

A management strategy for Londonderry's market area.(Brief Article)
January 6, 2006... A management strategy for Londonderry's market area is to be prepared by Colin Buchanan for Derry City Council. The initiative forms a key part of the delivery of the Walled City Signature Tourism Project. The study will demonstrate how the...

Hyder Consulting launches a dedicated climate change advisory service.
January 6, 2006... Hyder Consulting has launched a dedicated climate change advisory service to provide strategic consultancy in the run-up to the government's energy and climate change reviews. The service, which is based in the UK but intended to work globally,...

CBRE to provide strategic planning advice.
January 6, 2006... CB Richard Ellis (CBRE) is to provide strategic planning advice to the John Lewis Partnership on its portfolio in Greater London, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The instruction involves responding to existing and emerging planning policy...

A range of ecological advice on a project to store gas.(RPS Group )(Brief Article)
January 6, 2006... A range of ecological advice on a project to store gas under the Isle of Portland is to be provided by RPS Group. Portland Gas wants to excavate caverns in deep rock salt layers 2km under the island to store gas and transfer it to the mainland...

Faithful and Gould provides cost consultancy services.
January 6, 2006... Faithful and Gould is providing cost consultancy services for a pounds 350 million redevelopment programme in Coventry. The scheme will revamp the Wood End, Deedmore, Henley Green and Manor Farm areas. Faithful and Gould supported the process...

Report on annual traffic surveys.(Brief Article)
January 6, 2006... A report on annual traffic surveys that identify vehicle types moving on key routes is to be prepared by JMP Consulting for the London Borough of Camden. The surveys are being carried out in three tranches lasting 12 months from October 2005...

Roadside adverts face renewed attack.
January 6, 2006... A crackdown on illegal roadside advertising was announced by the ODPM last month. The department will contact all companies advertising on hoardings or trailers without permission and demand that they stop. It will also ask leaders of...

Bird habitat deal paves way for port expansion.
January 6, 2006... Capacity at the Port of Hull is set to double after the Department for Transport gave the go-ahead for a pounds 35 million short sea container terminal. Last month's decision follows partial approval by former transport minister David...

Merseytravel prepares for court action.(after rejection of finance from Department for Transport)(Brief Article)
January 6, 2006... A legal challenge against the government's refusal to fund the proposed Merseytram is set to go ahead after a High Court judge granted permission for the action. Passenger transport authority Merseytravel launched the bid after the...

Cash pledged for transport improvement.
January 6, 2006... The Department for Transport (DfT) unveiled a pounds 1.6 billion fund last month to help improve local transport in 2006 and 2007. The local transport capital settlement includes pounds 672 million for highways maintenance, pounds 547...

Scots express preference for travel by cars.
January 6, 2006... The majority of people in Scotland prefer to drive rather than use public transport, according to latest research by the Scottish Executive. Around two-thirds of 15,000 households questioned last year said that they travel to work by car...

Hartlepool set for waterside revival.(Brief Article)
January 6, 2006... Plans for a pounds 500 million development along Hartlepool's waterfront have been backed by local councillors. The Victoria Harbour scheme, submitted by landowner PD Ports and Tees Valley Regeneration, is the largest regeneration project...

Business responds to oil depot inferno.
January 6, 2006... A public-private partnership has been set up to help revive the business community in Hemel Hempstead following the massive blaze at the Buncefield oil depot last month. The group will oversee the renewal of the Maylands business area,...

Royal Arsenal scheme wins council favour.(Brief Article)
January 6, 2006... A masterplan for a scheme to regenerate the Royal Arsenal area in Woolwich, south London, has been given the green light. The London Borough of Greenwich approved the outline plans before Christmas, paving the way for more than 2,500 homes,...

Latest phase of the regeneration of Sheffield city centre.(Brief Article)
January 6, 2006... The latest phase of the regeneration of Sheffield city centre is moving forward after plans for a multi-storey car park, office block and casino were approved. The St Paul's Place scheme is the commercial element of the pounds 130 million Heart...

Birmingham City Council to assess two proposals.
January 6, 2006... Birmingham City Council is to assess two proposals for the UK's only super casino to be based in the city, ahead of the unveiling of official selection criteria later this month. The local authority says that it would welcome a regional casino...

Plans to develop an outer harbour at Great Yarmouth.(Brief Article)
January 6, 2006... Plans to develop an outer harbour at Great Yarmouth have cleared another hurdle following the European Commission's decision to approve public funding for the project. This means that local agencies can continue the search for private sector...

Bids invited to transform a former hospital.
January 6, 2006... Bids are being invited to transform a 60ha former hospital site near Preston. Whittingham is one of 96 former NHS sites in English Partnerships' portfolio acquired from the Department of Health. The chosen developer will prepare a masterplan...

Regeneration plan for Londonderry unveiled.(Alex)(Brief Article)
January 6, 2006... A regeneration plan for Londonderry has been unveiled by urban regeneration company Ilex. The scheme aims to ensure the economic, physical and social renewal of the city so that it can compete with other urban regions. Ilex will bring forward...

A variety of projects to approve public space in Camden approved.(Brief Article)
January 6, 2006... A variety of projects to improve the quality of public spaces in Camden has been approved by the borough council. Improvement works will be made to the Regent's Canal and Buck Street, while closed-circuit television cameras will be installed in...

Work begins on a site in Leicester.(Brief Article)
January 6, 2006... Work has begun on a 3ha site in Leicester to create a home for firms relocating from other regeneration areas in the city. The Beaumont Leys site has been bought by English Partnerships from Leicester City Council to provide space for companies...

Appointment at Sheffield One.
January 6, 2006... Sir Hugh Sykes has been appointed chairman of urban regeneration company Sheffield One. Formerly deputy chairman, Sykes takes over from Sir Peter Middleton, who recently resigned to become chairman of Creative Sheffield, which is leading the...

Authority fails to secure site for statue.
January 6, 2006... The Greater London Authority (GLA) has been thwarted in its bid to overturn Westminster City Council's refusal of permission for a statue of Nelson Mandela in Trafalgar Square. An appeal against the refusal lodged by the GLA on behalf of...

Scottish system reform sets sustainability duty.(Brief Article)
January 6, 2006... A planning bill has been introduced in Scotland, ushering in a duty for planning to promote sustainable development. The bill, laid before the Scottish parliament before Christmas, was lauded by the executive as 'the most fundamental and...

Rooker unveils intentions on Irish pipeline.
January 6, 2006... Northern Ireland environment minister Jeff Rooker has signaled his intention to grant planning permission for a south-north gas pipeline. Rooker said before Christmas that he will approve plans for a 165km underground pipeline that crosses...

Assembly told to review land recovery plan.(Wales. National Assembly)(Brief Article)
January 6, 2006... The High Court has directed the Welsh Assembly Government to reconsider a planning application for a land reclamation scheme in Merthyr Tydfil. At a hearing before Christmas, Mr Justice Lindsay quashed a permission granted by the assembly...