Planning (UK) articles from March 2005

Planning (UK) archives from March 2005

Raven rivals facing Tower execution.(Brief Article)
March 11, 2005... Legend has it that the ravens at the Tower of London are the guarantors of the future of the British monarchy. According to myth, the tower will collapse if the birds leave and chaos will ensue. This alarming prospect appears to have moved...

Inspector finds no sympathy in court.(housing development)(Gedling Borough Council)(Brief Article)
March 11, 2005... A planning inspector from Nottingham has failed in his challenge to a development that he says will ruin his enjoyment of a study that he has used for 16 years. Paul Morris was incensed by Gedling Borough Council's decision to allow the...

Islanders back royal road monikers.(to ban Norwegian street names)(Brief Article)
March 11, 2005... Shetland islanders are campaigning to ban Norwegian street names. Local representatives want to stop the island's governing body from naming streets with Scandinavian connotations. The action comes after proposals were put forward to name...

Appointment at Drivers Jonas.(Alastair Wood)(Brief Article)
March 11, 2005... Alastair Wood has joined Drivers Jonas in Glasgow as an associate planner in the planning and development team. He joins from Jema Fund Management in London and previously worked for Montagu Evans. David Gear is joining Wood as a graduate...

Appointment at Kember Loudon Williams Ltd.(Julian Black)(Brief Article)
March 11, 2005... Julian Black has been appointed as director of Kember Loudon Williams Ltd with primary responsibility to expand the company's urban design and masterplanning functions. He has been as associate at the firm for more than two years.

Appointment at RPS.(Brief Article)
March 11, 2005... Lynn Basford has joined RPS as a technical director. She moves from TRL, where she was head of business and development for transport planning.

Appointment at RPS Transport.(Luke Regan )(Brief Article)
March 11, 2005... Luke Regan has joined RPS Transport's Manchester office as a principal consultant. He recently completed an MSc in transport engineering and planning at the University of Salford and previously worked for Arup Consulting Engineers in Dublin.

Appointment at Tribal HCH.(Brief Article)
March 11, 2005... Julie Longden has been recruited to a consultant role in Tribal HCH's economic development and regeneration team in Manchester. She previously worked for ERM. Patrick Ross, Ben Southworth and Andy Young have all joined Tribal HCH as managing...

Appointment at WSP Development.(Jon Wallace )(Brief Article)
March 11, 2005... Jon Wallace has been appointed associate director by WSP Development, based in London. He was previously a principal consultant at Steer Davies Gleave. Wallace will continue his work in public transport and development planning.

Appointment at Broadland District Council.(Peter Geraghty )(Brief Article)
March 11, 2005... Peter Geraghty has been appointed head of planning and conservation by Broadland District Council. He moves from Epping Forest District Council and was formerly at the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Geraghty is a member of the RTPI...

Appointment at Redrow Homes.(Peter Thomas )(Brief Article)
March 11, 2005... Peter Thomas has been promoted to director by Redrow Homes. He joined the developer in 1997 as land manager covering south Wales. Thomas has previously worked for Lovell and Berkeley Homes.

Appointment at Partnerships UK.(Andrew Rose )(Brief Article)
March 11, 2005... Andrew Rose has joined the board of Partnerships UK to lead its work on major public-private partnership and private finance initiative projects. Rose, a senior investment banker with expertise in infrastructure investment, joins from CIBC...

Appointment at Stamford Homes.(Martin Bunker )(Brief Article)
March 11, 2005... Martin Bunker has taken up the post of senior quality surveyor for the Stamford Homes commercial team, where he will deal with developments in Lincoln and Oakham, Rutland.

Appointment at Malcolm Judd and Partners.(Mark Tombs)(Brief Article)
March 11, 2005... Mark Tombs has been appointed as an associate by planning consultancy Malcolm Judd and Partners. He joins from Waldon Telecom, where he was national planning manager.

Agenda.(Calendar)
March 11, 2005... DIARY TO 25 MARCH 14 March: Health Improvements in the New Planning System. Organisers: East of England Development Agency and NHS. Venue: Bedford. Fee: Free. Details: (tel) 020 8744 1055. 15 March: Urban Design Training. Organiser:...

Lifelong learning and CPD update.
March 11, 2005... The institute is striving to offer its members the best possible opportunities for effective lifelong learning, maintains George Law. As lifelong learning manager my aim is to return the emphasis of core initiatives such as CPD to the...

Comment - The RTPI is ahead of the game.(Royal Town Planning Institute)
March 11, 2005... 'I didn't know that planning could be so interesting,' was the comment of a broadsheet features writer I was briefing about the implications of demolishing Cumbernauld. Just one of the spin-offs from helping the upcoming Channel 4 programme,...

Planning Matters to Haringey: a case study.
March 11, 2005... How can local authorities support and sustain the performance levels of their employees? Carson Warnes investigates. In the film The Matrix, the female lead finds herself in a spot of bother. She needs to fly a particular aircraft but does...

Bulletin Board.(Calendar)
March 11, 2005... THE PLANNING CONVENTION 2005, LONDON 30 June-1 July. Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre. This year's convention is not far away. Supported by the ODPM, you will find that this year's event will be even more successful than last year....

RTPI - Planning in Norway: vital need to husband country's land resources.(Royal Town Planning Institute)
March 11, 2005... Norwegians seem to give priority in planning matters to functionality rather than aesthetics, says Michael Fergus. As anyone who has travelled much in Europe will know, the style and nature of physical planning varies from country to...

Casebook: Development Control Casebook Forum.
March 11, 2005... 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: Development Control Casebook - Broader sales range at store ruled out because of impact.(Brief Article)
March 11, 2005... An inspector has refused to modify the terms of a planning obligation restricting the range of goods that can be sold from a DIY store in Swansea after concluding that it still served a valid planning purpose. The appeal related to a...

Casebook: Appeal cases - Agricultural Development - Need arguments fail to secure farm buildings.(Brief Article)
March 11, 2005... The retention of two buildings at a farm in the Stour Valley special landscape area in Essex has been refused permission after an inspector determined that they harmed the character of the countryside. The appeal buildings formed part of a...

Casebook: Appeal cases - Agricultural Development - Gallop held threat to outstanding landscape.(Brief Article)
March 11, 2005... The extension of a gallop in the North Wessex Downs area of outstanding natural beauty has been rejected on the grounds that it would harm the character, quality, distinctive features and views of the surrounding countryside. The lower...

Casebook: Appeal cases - Agricultural Development - Farm worker's cottage judged to be unlawful.(Brief Article)
March 11, 2005... An appeal seeking confirmation that a house in north Wales could lawfully be used as a farm worker's cottage has been dismissed after an inspector decided that the use had been abandoned. The two-storey property was located in open...

Casebook: Appeal cases - Commercial and Industrial - Trench judged to meet commencement rules.
March 11, 2005... A lawful development certificate has been issued for the construction of a four-storey office building in Bristol after an inspector found that development had begun in accordance with a planning permission. Approval was granted for the...

Casebook: Appeal cases - Commercial and Industrial - Cattery fails green belt and countryside tests.(Brief Article)
March 11, 2005... The conversion of a single-storey building in the Bristol green belt to allow the expansion of a cattery has been rejected after an inspector decided that although the proposed access arrangements were satisfactory, there was no overriding need...

Casebook: Appeal cases - Gypsies and Travellers - Family circumstances justify personal use.(Brief Article)
March 11, 2005... An inspector has agreed that the stationing of a mobile home and two touring caravans for a Gypsy family in Kent should be permitted because of their personal circumstances. The inspector agreed with the council that the development...

Casebook: Appeal cases - Housing: New Build - Council overruled on planning gain package.
March 11, 2005... A proposal by McCarthy and Stone (Developments) Ltd to build 54 sheltered flats and communal facilities at a site in south London has been approved after an inspector decided that it would create a building of local distinction. The site...

Casebook: Appeal cases - Housing: New Build - Mill scheme blocked by doubt over benefits.(Brief Article)
March 11, 2005... The deputy prime minister has rejected an inspector's recommendation to grant permission for housing development on an abandoned mill in the Greater Manchester green belt, concluding that it was unclear whether it would lead to a significant...

Casebook: Appeal cases - Housing: New Build - Green belt homes rejected due to urbanising effect.(Brief Article)
March 11, 2005... A proposal to demolish farm buildings in the West Midlands green belt to make way for six dwellings has been rejected on the grounds that the scheme would be out of character with its rural setting. The main farmhouse was a substantial...

Casebook: Appeal cases - Housing: New Build - Houseboat mooring held to harm countryside.(Brief Article)
March 11, 2005... The mooring of a residential narrowboat on a canal in Leicestershire has been rejected on the grounds that it would harm the character and appearance of the countryside and prejudice the safety of road users. The boat was to be moored...

Casebook: Appeal cases - Housing: New Build - Inspector rejects footpath amenity concerns.(Brief Article)
March 11, 2005... In granting permission for 96 dwellings in Bedfordshire, an inspector has accepted arguments by Bryant Homes (Eastern) Ltd that it would not harm the amenity of the Kingfisher Way, a long-distance public footpath running adjacent to the site....

Casebook: Appeal cases - Householder Development - Thatched folly held to harm cottage setting.(Brief Article)
March 11, 2005... The erection of a folly in the garden of a house in Somerset has been rejected on the basis that it would harm the setting of adjacent listed buildings and the character and appearance of a surrounding conservation area. The appeal...

Casebook: Appeal cases - Leisure and Entertainment - Golf course improvements secured with costs.(Brief Article)
March 11, 2005... Proposed improvements to a golf course and driving range in the South Yorkshire green belt have secured planning permission after an inspector agreed that they would not harm the openness of the area. The appeal scheme involved importing...

Casebook: Appeal cases - Mixed Use Development - Park extension plans fail to stop mixed scheme.(Brief Article)
March 11, 2005... A mix of housing, employment and community uses has been sanctioned at a site in Essex despite a local plan policy identifying the site as suitable for an extension to a town centre park. The local authority, in opposing development on the...

Casebook: Appeal cases - Retail Development - Glazed extension agreed in conservation area.(Brief Article)
March 11, 2005... The extension of a glass showroom in a Cumbrian town has been allowed following a finding that it would enhance the surrounding conservation area and would not harm the setting of a listed building. The local planning authority contended...

Casebook: Appeal cases - Retail Development - Store secures consent despite highway concerns.(Aldi Stores (Swindon) Ltd.)(Brief Article)
March 11, 2005... Aldi Stores (Swindon) Ltd has secured planning permission for a 1,269m2 gross food store in south Wales after an inspector agreed that access arrangements at the site could be suitably improved. The site contained old industrial and storage...

Casebook: Court cases - Council noise assessment supported by judge.(South Cambridgeshire District Council)(Brief Article)
March 11, 2005... A challenge to South Cambridgeshire District Council's decision to extend the hours of operation at a farm near Cambridge being used for light industrial activities has been dismissed by the High Court. A local resident claimed that the...

Casebook: Court cases - Phasing and affordable home policies quashed.(West Wiltshire District Council, Wainhomes (South West) Holdings Ltd.)(Brief Article)
March 11, 2005... West Wiltshire District Council has agreed to delete two local plan policies putting back housing development on greenfield sites and requiring the provision of affordable housing units on sites of more than one hectare after submitting to...

Casebook: Court cases - Court refuses to intervene on probity advice.(Manchester City Council)(Brief Article)
March 11, 2005... The High Court has refused to sanction a full hearing into officers' advice given to six Manchester councillors over a possible conflict of interest in deciding a mixed-use proposal. United Co-operatives Ltd argued that the council should...

Casebook: Court cases - Waste treatment plant decision to be reviewed.(Herefordshire County Council, Hereford Waste Watchers)(Brief Article)
March 11, 2005... The High Court has ordered Herefordshire County Council to review its decision to grant permission for a waste treatment facility after concluding that the environmental assessment carried out for the project was deficient. Local residents...

Casebook: Court cases - Travelling showmen ordered off green belt site.(Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council )(Brief Article)
March 11, 2005... A High Court judge has ruled that travelling showmen occupying green belt land in Kent must vacate the site by the end of March or face prison sentences for failing to comply with earlier court orders requiring them to move. Tonbridge and...

Casebook: Court cases - Court orders review of health club decision.
March 11, 2005... An inspector's refusal of permission for the partial use of an office building in Welwyn Garden City as a health and fitness club has been struck down after a High Court ruling that the reasons for the decision were unsatisfactory. The...

Casebook: Court cases - Commercial and Industrial - Estate agency judged to boost centre vitality.(Brief Article)
March 11, 2005... The change of use of a vacant shop in Cwmbran town centre to an estate agency has been judged acceptable by an inspector who concluded that it would complement the range of existing uses and would extend the choice of facilities for shoppers....

Casebook: Court cases - Food and Drink Uses - Roof terrace canopy deemed out of character.(Brief Article)
March 11, 2005... An enforcement notice directed against an aluminium-framed canopy over a roof terrace associated with a Victorian pub in north-west London has been upheld after an inspector agreed that it was out of character with the area and undermined the...

Casebook: Downloading decisions.
March 11, 2005... 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 cases - Housing: New Build - Stadium doubts prompt refusal of housing.(Boston United Football Club)(Brief Article)
March 11, 2005... Plans to demolish Boston United Football Club's ground in Lincolnshire to allow a residential development have been rejected after an inspector decided that they furnished no guarantee that a replacement stadium could be provided. The...

Boosting sustainable travel.(travel plans service provided by United Kingdom. Department for Transport)
March 11, 2005... Travel plans help to make development acceptable but they must be devised with great care, maintain Jon Harris and Sally Tagg. With the issue of sustainable transport high on the political and professional agenda, travel plans are moving...

Rail finance project promises benefits.
March 11, 2005... European co-operation on high-speed rail links has best practice lessons as well as local advantages, says Nancy Wainscoat. Worth EUR29 million and a EUR14 million share of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the EU's high-speed...

Supportive enforcer.(South Holland District Council's Steve Williams)(Biography)
March 11, 2005... Recent events show that enforcement teams can take action against breaches of planning control while protecting the innocent, Steve Williams tells David Dewar. Steve Williams, head of planning and development at South Holland District...

Editorial - Authorities shamed by low support level.(Planning Aid services)(Editorial)
March 11, 2005... Only those who have spent the past couple of years stranded on a desert island would dismiss community involvement as a central plank of the brave new world for planning. While the government has contributed a whole new layer of Orwellian...

Fyson on... Seeking a firmer commitment to our street scene.
March 11, 2005... It is always obvious when local elections are approaching. Councils throughout the land send out teams to clean the streets, mend broken paving stones and paint seats and railings, especially in marginal wards. There can be no clearer...

Image update sought for struggling region.(Black Country )
March 11, 2005... The Black Country is embarking on a big drive to turn around its image, reports Susanna Gillman. Ever since the collapse of its traditional manufacturing industries, the Black Country has struggled with an image problem. But efforts to...

Salter on... Standing up for planning in the face of criticism.(Metropolitan Millennial Quinquennial)
March 11, 2005... Poetry has people at its centre, plans do not. Or at least that seemed to be a common view among those presenting at the recent Future of London festival. The event, hosted under the unlikely title of the Metropolitan Millennial Quinquennial,...

Policy revives participation.(environmental information regulations )
March 11, 2005... Environmental laws have restored public notice of community involvement, reports Catherine Early. Environmental justice is back in the spotlight, with UK legislation and a UN convention giving the public increased rights to participation...

Coal industry airs policy objections.(Scottish Executive)
March 11, 2005... Coal industry bodies have submitted strong objections to a Scottish Executive draft planning policy that would introduce a presumption against opencast developments. A summary of responses to draft SPP16 released last week shows...

Night flight barrier lifted at Aberdeen.(Brief Article)
March 11, 2005... Restrictions on night flights to and from Aberdeen Airport are set to be lifted after the local authority ratified its planning committee's decision last week. Aberdeen City Council voted 21 to 18 to allow 24-hour flights for a two-year...

Borders train line set to cut road journeys.(Brief Article)
March 11, 2005... A reopened rail link between Edinburgh and the Borders would remove more than 750,000 car journeys a year from the roads, MSPs have heard. Members of the Waverley Rail (Scotland) Bill committee began taking evidence last week and were told...

Hospital bid driven by PMP.(PMP Consultancy, Bristol City Council )(Brief Article)
March 11, 2005... A bid to secure funding for a sports centre and community hospital in Hengrove Park, Bristol, is to be driven by PMP. The company has been commissioned by Bristol City Council to complete the private finance initiative for the Department for...

Steer Davies Gleave helps LTPs.(Slough Borough Council contract, local transport plans )(Brief Article)
March 11, 2005... Steer Davies Gleave is helping a number of local authorities to prepare their second local transport plans (LTPs). In Darlington the company is overseeing consultation on the strategy. In Essex it is developing a strategic plan on the Thames...

Tribal Group launches company.(Tribal Urban Futures )(Brief Article)
March 11, 2005... The Tribal Group has launched a company to help deliver the government's urban regeneration agenda. Tribal Urban Futures brings together a team with private sector expertise and experience in regeneration project leadership. Based in London,...

Gillespies to test park creation.(Dartford Borough Council's contract)(Brief Article)
March 11, 2005... Gillespies is to test whether an ancient woodland park should be created in Dartford to serve communities at Eastern Quarry. Its study, funded by the ODPM for Dartford Borough Council, will explore whether Darenth and Beacon Wood country parks...

JMP urge travel plans.(London Borough of Islington's contract)(Brief Article)
March 11, 2005... Firms along the 5km A1 corridor through Islington are being urged by JMP Consulting to develop travel plans to tackle congestion. There are around 1,500 businesses located along the route and the company is helping the London Borough of...

MVA carry out study.(Leicester City Council's contracts for public opinion on local transport plan )(Brief Article)
March 11, 2005... A qualitative study of residents' opinions of Leicester City Council's plans for local transport is to be carried out by MVA. The firm will conduct 11 group discussions under the annual consultation to help local people participate in preparing...

Faber Maunsell prepare proposals.(Oxfordshire County Council)(Brief Article)
March 11, 2005... Bus priority and pedestrian facilities improvement proposals in Kidlington are to be prepared by Faber Maunsell for Oxfordshire County Council. The consultancy will prepare detailed designs for traffic signals to help buses at a key congestion...

Atkins prepares masterplan.(Charnwood Borough Council contracts)(Brief Article)
March 11, 2005... A strategic masterplan for Loughborough town centre has been prepared by Atkins Urban Design and Regeneration for Charnwood Borough Council. It has identified a number of distinctive quarters, public realm improvements and key development...

MPs order enhanced disability access.(member of parliament)(Brief Article)
March 11, 2005... Improvements to disabled people's access to public transport must be better co-ordinated, the Commons transport select committee warned last week. The recommendation was made in a report detailing the findings of the committee's...

Green lobby condemns consultation on bypass.(Scottish Executive, Friends of the Earth)(Brief Article)
March 11, 2005... The Scottish Executive has been slammed for launching a consultation on the Aberdeen western bypass without first evaluating other options. Transport minister Nicol Stephen launched a public consultation on the scheme last week. It details...

Trust aspires to reduce road death toll.(AA Motoring Trust's EuroRAP)(Brief Article)
March 11, 2005... Simple road engineering solutions and speed cameras could slash the death toll on the UK's roads, the AA claimed this week. Publishing its annual EuroRAP road risk map this week, the AA Motoring Trust said that a 'mini-massacre' of...

Costs detailed for evaluation of Leeds tram.(Brief Article)
March 11, 2005... Details of Leeds Supertram costs are being drawn up for transport minister Tony McNulty to decide whether it proceeds, it emerged this week. The minister met city council transport officials to view the changes to the project, which had...

Authority calls for immediate verdict on port.(Port of London Authority)(Brief Article)
March 11, 2005... The Port of London Authority has urged the government to make a decision on the application for a port at Shellhaven as a matter of urgency. In a speech to launch the 2005 Port of London Handbook, authority chairman Simon Sherrard said:...

Aquarium to form Royal Docks core.(Brief Article)
March 11, 2005... Plans for a world-class aquarium forming the centrepiece of a major regeneration scheme in London's Royal Docks were unveiled this week. Mayor Ken Livingstone launched the pounds 1.5 billion Silvertown Quays development at the MIPIM...

Eastern England in line for investment.(Renaissance Southend, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's urban policy)(Brief Article)
March 11, 2005... Eastern England will benefit from pounds 1.4 million of investment a year for the next 15 years after the ODPM gave the go-ahead for the region's first urban regeneration companies (URCs) last week. The companies will operate in Southend...

Delivery group forged to lead Forthside plan.(Brief Article)
March 11, 2005... A delivery vehicle has been created to co-ordinate the redevelopment of Edinburgh's waterfront. Edinburgh Forthside, launched last week, will oversee developments outlined in the Leith Docks development framework, approved by Edinburgh...

Bolton town centre consultation.(Brief Article)
March 11, 2005... Bolton town centre development proposals were put out for consultation this week. The draft St Helena development opportunity area brief focuses on the area around Central Street behind Deansgate and Knowsley Street. It proposes a superstore,...

Sheffield landmark plans unveiled.(Brief Article)
March 11, 2005... Plans for a landmark building in Sheffield's pounds 130 million Heart of the City scheme have been unveiled. City Loft Developments and CTP St James aim to build a pounds 52 million scheme featuring 21-storey and nine-storey linked residential...

Grant for historic Sleaford Maltings.(Brief Article)
March 11, 2005... A pounds 200,000 grant has been secured to help speed up renewal plans for the historic Sleaford Maltings in Lincolnshire. The money from Lincolnshire Enterprise will fund consultation on the future of the derelict complex, which was built for...

Kensington Fields council funding.(Brief Article)
March 11, 2005... Homeowners in Liverpool's Kensington Fields, a Victorian housing estate, are set to benefit from council funding to improve their properties. Liverpool City Council is to spend more than pounds 6,000 on each of the 1,200 private properties in...

Green light for Watney Market.(Brief Article)
March 11, 2005... A pounds 34 million project to renew the Watney Market area of Whitechapel, east London, has been given the green light. The scheme by Stock Woolstencroft and Amsterdam-based S333 will create two streets and transform an area that has suffered...

NDC partnership improves area.(New Deal for Community)(Brief Article)
March 11, 2005... More than half of the residents in New Deal for Community (NDC) programmes think that the partnership has improved their area, according to latest figures. A MORI survey of the 39 NDC areas, published by the ODPM last week, shows that 51 per...

Phase of Wallsall flagship signed.(Brief Article)
March 11, 2005... The first phase of Walsall's pounds 180 million flagship regeneration project has begun after contracts for the start of works were signed last week. Regional development agency Advantage West Midlands, Urban Splash and Walsall Metropolitan...

Agency launches sea and coast rescue.(Brief Article)
March 11, 2005... A three-point strategy to save the country's coasts and seas was unveiled by the government's conservation agency this week. English Nature's move, ahead of the government's pledge to introduce a marine bill, follows its earlier research...

Mezzanine controls set for widespread support.(Brief Article)
March 11, 2005... Proposals to bring mezzanine floor spaces in large out-of-town shopping centres under planning control were welcomed this week. The ODPM's consultation recommends that increases in retail floor space of 200m2 and over be subject to planning...