Planning (UK) articles from July 2007

Planning (UK) archives from July 2007

Planning in the media.(flood defence programme)
July 6, 2007... Last week's widespread flooding has sent the media on a frenzied hunt for a scapegoat. The Mail on Sunday dismissed the view of former environment secretary David Miliband that climate change was to blame Ross Clark described this as 'a...

Appointment at Unity Partnership.
July 6, 2007... Sylvia Eden has been appointed divisional manager of property at the Unity Partnership. She joins from the Impact Partnership

Appointment at Bevan Brittan LLP.
July 6, 2007... Charlie Proddow has been made a partner at Bevan Brittan LLP. He was formerly a partner at Devonshires

Appointment at DLP Planning.
July 6, 2007... Ellie Smith has joined DLP Planning's Bedford office as an assistant planner, coming from High Peak Borough Council. Robert Rasberry has also joined the Bedford office as an urban designer from Woods Hardwick

Appointment at Strutt and Parker.
July 6, 2007... Brian Raggett has moved to Strutt and Parker as a partner specialising in strategic planning and development consultancy

Appointment at Drivers Jonas.
July 6, 2007... Gordon Alexander has been made an associate in the strategic consulting team at Drivers Jonas. He previously worked for Turner and Townsend Project Management where he was associate director

Appointment at Urban Initiatives.
July 6, 2007... Roisin Barrett has been appointed associate director at Urban Initiatives. She was previously head of projects and public realm at Guildford Borough Council. Preeti Gulati has become managing consultant at the company, joining from Spelthorne...

Appointment at Institute of Historic Building Conservation.
July 6, 2007... Dave Chetwyn has been elected the chairman of the Institute of Historic Building Conservation. He is head of Planning Aid England

Appointment at Persimmon Homes.
July 6, 2007... Simon Miller has become a regional planner at Persimmon Homes North East's Newcastle office. He previously worked for Sedgefield Borough Council. Chris Struthers also joins as a graduate regional planner

Appointment at Rolfe Judd Planning.
July 6, 2007... Mark Sanderson has moved to Rolfe Judd Planning as a senior built heritage adviser, leaving Tynedale Council

Diary.(Thames Gateway)
July 6, 2007... Modern art is hardly the first thing that springs to mind when one thinks about the Thames Gateway. But now an installation at the Tate Modern is setting out to change that. Featuring a spool of thread, a kitsch plastic radio and an...

Planning enforcement gives professionals a louder voice.(National Association for Planning Enforcement)(Viewpoint essay)
July 6, 2007... Michael Hyde explains the career benefits of joining the National Association for Planning Enforcement. As I travel up and down the country pontificating on the subject of planning enforcement, I never miss an opportunity to plug the...

RTPI Bulletin Board.
July 6, 2007... Planning Convention speeches available as podcasts. Now you can enjoy even more benefits from this year's Planning Convention. Key speeches and discussions from the showcase line-up of internationally acclaimed speakers are now available as...

European planner offers his insight.
July 6, 2007... One young planner from Germany gives his angle on what can be learned from differences in European systems, reports Joanne Hooper. Torsten Thurmann is a planning adviser at the East Midlands Development Agency in Nottingham. He studied and...

Bulletin Board.
July 6, 2007... Young planners discuss good practice The Young Planners' Network (YPN) steering group was joined by regional representatives at a meeting on 25 June. They discussed activities across the country and shared lessons that could help the...

Planning Convention faces reality by looking outwards and upwards.(Sustainable development a major issue for planning convention)(Conference news)
July 6, 2007... At the RTPI's main annual gathering global challenges of climate change and sustainable development were high on the agenda while on a local level the housing supply shortage was reviewed, writes Jim Claydon. The RTPI Planning Convention...

Casebook: Appeal cases - Agricultural Development - Bid to treata caravan as building fails.(case on immunity enforcement)(Brief article)
July 6, 2007... An inspector has refused to issue a lawful development certificate confirming that a caravan at a goat farm in Devon is immune from enforcement, although he expressed sympathy for the appellants' predicament. The appellants had built up a...

Casebook: Appeal cases - Agricultural Development - Egg unit held compatible with landscape.
July 6, 2007... Proposals for an organic egg production unit and a mobile home in Nottinghamshire have been allowed after an inspector found that the area's character and appearance would not be unduly harmed and the mobile home was justified as an exception...

Casebook: Appeal cases - Agricultural Development - Local occupancy condition substituted.
July 6, 2007... An appeal seeking the removal of an agricultural occupancy condition imposed on a farm dwelling in the North York Moors national park has been allowed subject to a condition limiting occupation to a local resident or family. The appellant...

Casebook: Appeal cases - Commercial and Industrial - Office scheme allowed in strategic gap.(planning permission granted for office buildings)(Brief article)
July 6, 2007... Following a call-in inquiry, the secretary of state has agreed that planning permission should be granted for office and research buildings in a strategic gap in Kent. The 3.2ha site contained two lakes, gardens, a tennis court and a...

Casebook: Appeal cases - Energy Development - Condition imposed to safeguard radar.(Brief article)
July 6, 2007... A reporter has granted planning permission for 15 wind turbines in Scotland's central belt after concluding that a condition could be imposed to deal with potential impact on the operation of two radar installations. The proposed turbines...

Casebook: Appeal cases - Housing: New Build - Sheltered homes fail need test in park.
July 6, 2007... A proposal for 44 sheltered homes in the Lake District national park has been refused planning permission after the appellants failed to demonstrate a need for the development. The units were to be made available to people aged 55 years and...

Casebook: Appeal cases - Housing: New Build - Details judged to meet outline terms.
July 6, 2007... An inspector has granted reserved matters approval for a housing development in south Wales after rejecting council claims that the proposals fell outside the scope of the outline planning permission. A condition imposed on the outline...

Casebook: Appeal cases - Housing: New Build - Housing secured on employment site.
July 6, 2007... A housing proposal on greenfield land in West Sussex has won approval from an inspector despite the council's view that the site should be retained for class B1 employment use. The 1.9ha site formed part of a larger area previously...

Casebook: Appeal cases - Housing: New Build - Restoration of manor house turned down.
July 6, 2007... Plans to rebuild a derelict manor house in a green wedge in south Wales to create four homes have been thwarted after an inspector decided that the appellant's approach conflicted with a raft of planning policies. The 2.3ha appeal site...

Casebook: Appeal cases - Housing: New Build - Dormer and roof pitch details endorsed.
July 6, 2007... An enforcement notice requiring the demolition of a Georgian-style block of 16 flats in a Wirral conservation area has been quashed after an inspector held that the appellant's changes to the approved scheme were acceptable. In granting...

Casebook: Appeal cases - Housing: New Build - Greenfield moratorium held irrelevant.
July 6, 2007... In allowing an appeal for 14 dwellings on land in South Yorkshire, an inspector has ruled that a local authority policy seeking to prevent development on greenfield land is of no relevance. The council had issued a lawful development...

Casebook: Appeal cases - Housing: New Build - Apartments allowed in listed building.
July 6, 2007... Listed building consent and planning permission have been granted for 65 assisted living apartments in West Sussex after an inspector overruled the council's concerns about the scheme's adverse impact on the area's character. The inspector...

Casebook: Appeal cases - Householder Development - Permitted rights claim for pool rejected.(permission for design and construction of Swimming pools)(Brief article)
July 6, 2007... An inspector has quashed an enforcement notice requiring the removal of a swimming pool, patio and retaining walls at a house in a Kent conservation area despite holding that the scheme was not permitted development. The appellants argued...

Casebook: Appeal cases - Leisure and Entertainment - Amusements found harmless to vitality.(renovation of shopping centre)(Brief article)
July 6, 2007... The change of use of a shop in a Devon town to an amusement centre has been allowed because it would not harm the retail function and character of the primary shopping area. The main parties noted that there was no prescribed method for...

Casebook: Appeal cases - Leisure and Entertainment - Bike track rejected in special landscape.(Brief article)
July 6, 2007... A motocross practice track proposed in a special landscape area in south Wales has been ruled out by an inspector who decided that it would be too noisy and visually intrusive. The land was already used as a practice circuit and the tracks...

Casebook: Appeal cases - Mixed Use Development - Station square scheme wins approval.(case on Multipurpose buildings)(Brief article)
July 6, 2007... A significant redevelopment in Stratford-upon-Avon has won support from an inspector who decided that it would produce a high-quality design and an intimate square in front of a new transport interchange. The scheme comprised 197...

Casebook: Appeal cases - Mixed Use Development - Housing plan rejected on basis of design.
July 6, 2007... The secretary of state has agreed that a developer can reduce the proportion of affordable homes in a mixed-use scheme in south-east London but rejected the proposal on design grounds. The scheme comprised 261 homes, shops, a community...

Casebook: Appeal cases - Mixed Use Development - Local authority overruled on slurry odour.
July 6, 2007... The redevelopment of a factory in Somerset for a range of uses has been approved despite council concerns that odour from an adjoining farm would adversely affect the amenity of occupiers. The scheme comprised 125 homes, sheltered housing,...

Casebook: Appeal cases - Waste Management - Waste recycling centre wins reprieve.
July 6, 2007... Retrospective planning permission has been granted for the use of industrial land in north London as a waste transfer and recycling facility after an inspector accepted that a flood risk assessment might be inaccurate. The land was partly...

Casebook: Next week.
July 6, 2007... - Airport growth thwarted by noise fears The expansion of Coventry Airport to include a new passenger terminal has been refused permission because it would cause noise problems for residents and have poor public transport access. DCS...

Casebook: Appeal cases - In Depth - Appellant fails to show grounds for demolition of listed building.
July 6, 2007... An inspector has refused to sanction the demolition of a fire-damaged listed building in a south Wales conservation area after finding no justification for its removal on viability grounds. Having received the appellant's estimated costs...

Casebook: Appeal cases - Mixed Use Development - Benefits justify employment land loss.
July 6, 2007... The secretary of state has accepted an inspector's recommendation to allow redevelopment of buildings and structures on a south London trading estate to provide a mix of residential and commercial space. The proposal comprised 11 blocks...

Casebook: Appeal cases - Commercial and Industrial - Intensification fears block funeral use.
July 6, 2007... The conversion and extension of an electricity substation in south Wales to house a funeral director's business has been rejected following findings that it would harm highway safety and result in noise and disturbance for neighbours. The...

Casebook: Appeal cases - Mixed Use Development - Scheme held no bar to regeneration.
July 6, 2007... The redevelopment of a redundant transport depot in the historic core of an East Riding town has been allowed primarily because it would not harm a conservation area's character and appearance or the setting of nearby listed buildings. The...

Casebook: DC Forum.
July 6, 2007... Email your queries or your replies to earlier queries to casebook@haymarket.com or post them to Development Control Casebook Forum, DCS Ltd, Casebook Suite 1, Fullers Court, 40 Lower Quay Street, Gloucester GL1 2LW. Comment and post at...

How we did it ... Plan for deprived area to be suburban community.
July 6, 2007... Project Supplementary planning document for North Huyton action area. Background The North Huyton New Deal New Future partnership was formed in September 2001 to transform an area suffering from economic stagnation into a viable and...

The things I know.(Mark Southgate is Head of planning and environmental assessment, Environment Agency.)(Interview)(Brief article)
July 6, 2007... Mark Southgate, Head of planning and environmental assessment, Environment Agency. - What skills did you have when you graduated? Sociology, planning theory and practice and some design and development economics skills. - What...

Islanders ready to turn tide.(disaster planning)(Report)
July 6, 2007... The Western Isles face a number of critical issues for the future but a renewal opportunity for Stornoway could offer a substantial fillip, report Scott Davidson and Derek Laidlaw. Recent headlines have established that the Western Isles...

Shopping faces change.
July 6, 2007... Retail operators and local authorities alike are currently looking at the likely future prospects for town and city centres of all shapes and sizes, maintains Ben Kochan. Shoppers are jaded and bored with clone-town Britain and planners...

Space efficiency driver.(urban planning)
July 6, 2007... Car sharing and special mortgage deals for people living in environmentally sustainable neighbourhoods are among ideas US designer Scott Bernstein shares with Huw Morris. Scott Bernstein has a theory why many insurance companies in the USA...

Blame game clouds real lessons to be learnt after flood disaster.(floods insurance management)
July 6, 2007... In some places it was the wettest June on record, leaving death and destruction in its wake. Only a new prime minister and terrorist outrages have kept the story off the top of the news agenda. But it is a very human story. Not only will...

Fyson on ... key priorities for incoming communities.(Column)
July 6, 2007... Key priorities for incoming communities secretary in light of shortage of affordable housing. As new communities secretary Hazel Blears gathers her ministerial team together, prime minister Gordon Brown will doubtless take a close interest...

Legal report: New breed of application spawned by smoking ban.
July 6, 2007... Last week's introduction of smoke-free legislation means planning departments are seeing a wave of new types of application as businesses seek to mitigate the impact on them. The Health Act 2006 bans smoking in all enclosed or substantially...

Richards on ... striving for better results.
July 6, 2007... Collaboration is a theme of the local government and planning white papers. Similar phrases such as 'partnership working' and 'integrated services' are used in the sector, but how do we ensure that these buzzwords translate into practical and...

Floods fuel funding hike.
July 6, 2007... The latest outbreak of severe flooding to inundate large parts of the nation has prompted the government to heed calls to substantially increase flood defence spending, notes Vicki Shiel. Devastating floods throughout England last week...

MSPs rescue travel schemes in capital.(Member Of Scottish Parliament)
July 6, 2007... Scottish ministers backed down last week after their proposals to scrap Edinburgh's trams and airport rail link projects were decisively defeated in a parliamentary vote. MSPs voted 81 to 47 to press ahead with the trams within the pounds...

Mall lined up for clearance.
July 6, 2007... A rundown Edinburgh shopping mall is set to be demolished under multi-million pound redevelopment plans unveiled last week. Developer Creterion wants to demolish the Muirhouse centre and replace it with shops, a health centre and a public...

Glasgow heads call for parking charges.(Brief article)
July 6, 2007... Glasgow councillors are urging the Scottish Executive to allow local authorities to insist on the introduction of parking charges at shopping centres and workplaces. The city council said it is the most effective way of reducing congestion...

Planning stats.(grants for affordable housing )(grants to repair chruch buildings)(housing affected by floods)(Brief article)
July 6, 2007... pounds 1.1bn - The amount of money needed for affordable housing in the South East over three years, as recommended to the government by the region's housing board. pounds 67m - The cost of works to build the Docklands Light Railway...

Online now.
July 6, 2007... Visit the online forums at PlanningResource.co.uk for What use class is a zoo? Can I replace a shed under the four-year rule? Also online Progress on providing an Olympic legacy for London Review of the masterplan for Scotswood, Newcastle

JMP pioneers car-stacking.(JMP Consultants Ltd. contracts with Galliard Homes )(Brief article)
July 6, 2007... A car-stacking system has been created by JMP Consulting to provide parking spaces in constricted schemes. The mechanical system was used to maximise car parking space in a 22-storey mixed-use development in Ilford town centre. The firm...

Firms merge to reach out.
July 6, 2007... Planning and development consultancy John Martin and Associates (JMA) has merged with chartered surveyor and land agent King West. The Cambridgeshire-based firm said the merger with King West, whose main office is in Leicestershire, would...

Dutch group goes spatial.
July 6, 2007... Royal Haskoning is expanding its town planning capability by launching a recruitment drive. The 125-year-old Dutch firm of environmental consultants and engineers wants to 'further strengthen our ability to provide advice on strategy and...

Sustainability arm introduced by DTZ.(Brief article)
July 6, 2007... DTZ has followed a growing trend in offering bespoke sustainability services by setting up a dedicated team to advise clients. The move follows a number of consultancies that have aimed to capitalise on the growing market, including Drivers...

Consultancy gains city centre commissions from authorities.
July 6, 2007... Nathaniel Lichfield and Partners (NLP) has said it will use its expertise in retail and town centre assessments for its two latest commissions from local authorities. The consultancy is set to prepare a 20-year town centres strategy for...

Flood escape under debate.
July 6, 2007... Planning policy on flood protection 'raises significant issues for brownfield development', the Environment Agency admitted this week. The comment from head of planning Mark Southgate came after planners in East Anglia called for more...

Lancashire to get blueprint.(government finance for job creation)(Brief article)
July 6, 2007... A pounds 1.6 million blueprint has been created to boost Lancashire's economy with more than 50,000 jobs. The strategy focuses on regenerating deprived areas and bringing forward business parks. The framework, created by Lancashire Economic...

Temple Quay plan detailed.
July 6, 2007... Plans for infrastructure to support the Temple Quay development in Bristol will be drawn up after the project received investment of more than pounds 14 million. The South West of England Regional Development Agency (SWERDA) funds will pay...

Glasgow in line for major retail scheme.(Brief article)
July 6, 2007... Work is set to begin on a pounds 15 million office and retail development in Glasgow this month. The development will replace a 1970s building with 9,290m2 of offices and underground car parking spaces. The scheme, by City Site Estates and RMJM...

Pool to grow under renewal proposals.
July 6, 2007... More than 31ha of land at Pool in Cornwall could be regenerated as part of plans to be unveiled this month. A key part of the plans for Dundance Lane, prepared by CPR Regeneration with local authorities, will see the Carn Barn Leisure...

Firms press carbon case.(Brief article)
July 6, 2007... The Department for Transport gives insufficient priority to low-carbon issues, two-thirds of the members of the Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership have claimed. The partnership, which includes transport operators, fuel businesses and green...

Cardiff trials traffic limits.
July 6, 2007... Cars will be banned from one of Wales's busiest streets this summer in a bid to attract more shoppers. St Mary Street in Cardiff city centre will be closed to cars from the start of August. If successful, the experiment could lead to the...

Chiefs back road charges.
July 6, 2007... Proposals for congestion charging in Manchester have been supported by property chiefs, who claim that there is no realistic alternative to raise funds for transport. An open letter from 35 business supremos backs plans on which the...

Sustainable gongs issued.(Kingston-upon-Thames )(Brief article)
July 6, 2007... Kingston-upon-Thames was named sustainable transport borough of the year at an event in London last week. The 2007 Sustainable Transport Awards, hosted by Transport for London and Steer Davies Gleave, recognised success in promoting...

Flexibility urged in local transport bill.
July 6, 2007... The draft local transport bill should be more flexible in its use of parking controls and charges, a cross-party group of MPs heard last week. Giving evidence to the Commons transport select committee, the Local Government Technical...

Lobbyist asks Kelly to improve integration of travel planning.
July 6, 2007... Transport 2000 director Stephen Joseph is seeking an early meeting with new transport secretary Ruth Kelly on the integration of transport and land-use planning. Kelly took the transport brief last week, replacing Douglas Alexander in...

Action group saves trees.(Brief article)
July 6, 2007... A scheme that would have destroyed 7,000 trees to make way for football pitches is to be reconsidered after a High Court ruling last week. Mr Justice Collins quashed a Forestry Commissioners' decision to allow the development in Newbottle...

Checks made compulsory.(South West of England Regional Development Agency)(Brief article)
July 6, 2007... A compulsory sustainability checklist for large developments was launched by the South West of England Regional Development Agency (SWERDA) last week. The South West is the only English region that makes using the checklist mandatory in...

Wood visitor centre opens.(Forestry Commission )(Brief article)
July 6, 2007... A pounds 1 million eco-centre celebrating one of Northamptonshire's ancient woodlands was opened by the Forestry Commission last week. Top Lodge at Fineshade Woods used local and natural materials and the latest renewable energy design to...

DEFRA tops up cash for flood defences.(Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)(Brief article)
July 6, 2007... Spending on flood defences has been increased to pounds 800 million a year, the government announced this week in the wake of major floods across the country. But the rise, which will take effect in 2010-11, must happen sooner, according...

Agency raises clean-up bill fear after landmark ruling by Lords.(Brief article)
July 6, 2007... Councils could face major bills for cleaning up contaminated sites after a landmark Lords ruling last week. Following an appeal by National Grid Gas (NGG) against a High Court decision last year, the Lords ruled that the firm is not...

Agenda.
July 6, 2007... 11 July: Current Planning Issues. Organiser: RTPI. Venue: Cambridge. Fee: pounds 99 + VAT. Details: (email) eastof england@rtpi.org.uk 11 July: Current Planning Issues. Organiser: RTPI. Venue: London. Fee: pounds 70-pounds 399 + VAT....

Tower block faces rebuke.
July 6, 2007... London's tallest block of flats was granted permission by former deputy prime minister John Prescott despite warnings from his officials, it emerged this week. Prescott received letters from advisers warning that the 50-storey Vauxhall...

Islington falls foul of housing targets.
July 6, 2007... The London Borough of Islington is set to withdraw its core strategy because it failed to agree with housing targets proposed for the area in the London plan. During a meeting with a government planning inspector, the borough council was...

Assembly demands review of capital's public sector estate.
July 6, 2007... The London Assembly has called for a review of the capital's public sector estate to help deliver modern public services. In a report this week, the assembly's planning committee said most public services in the capital are delivered from...

Blears heads DCLG following reshuffle.(Hazel Blears, Department of Communities and Local Government)(Brief article)
July 6, 2007... The latest ministerial line-up at the DCLG was welcomed by planning and property groups this week. Communities secretary Hazel Blears is joined by housing minister Yvette Cooper and local government minister John Healey. Further junior...

Gender issue highlighted.(women city planners)(Brief article)
July 6, 2007... A third of women are put off a career in the built environment, according to research by Atkins this week. The level hits 50 per cent among recent graduates, the survey of 2,250 men and women found. Male dominance was cited as a key reason....

Waterlooville plans win outline consent.(Brief article)
July 6, 2007... A 132ha environmentally sustainable urban extension proposed by developer Grainger west of Waterlooville in Hampshire has gained outline planning consent. Newlands Common will provide 100,000m2 of commercial space and 1,550 homes, 40 per...