Planning (UK) articles from May 2009

Planning (UK) archives from May 2009

Planning in the media.
May 1, 2009... White-collar professionals are bearing the brunt of the recession and the planning sector is among those at the forefront of a disturbing trend. According to an analysis by The Daily Telegraph of Job Centre figures, 210 planners signed on for...

Diary.(Diary entry)
May 1, 2009... Frinton-on-Sea's Victorian railway gates are a symbol of the Essex resort's history, even appearing on the town's crest. So imagine residents' distress when they woke up one morning to discover that Network Rail had replaced them with...

Appointment at London Borough of Barnet.
May 1, 2009... The London Borough of Barnet has appointed Colin Ross head of regeneration. He joins from BBP Regeneration. -------------------- Did you find this article useful? Why not subscribe to the magazine? Please call 08451 55 73 55 for more...

Appointment at Burges Salmon LLP.
May 1, 2009... Burges Salmon LLP has appointed Michael Barlow a partner in its environmental practice. He has been an associate since 2001. -------------------- Did you find this article useful? Why not subscribe to the magazine? Please call 08451 55...

Appointment at GL Hearn.
May 1, 2009... David Reilly has joined GL Hearn's London retail team as a surveyor to provide market-led advice. -------------------- Did you find this article useful? Why not subscribe to the magazine? Please call 08451 55 73 55 for more information...

Appointment at Berwin Leighton Paisner.(Vicky Fowler )(Brief article)
May 1, 2009... Berwin Leighton Paisner has promoted associate director Vicky Fowler to partner. Also made partners are senior associates Sunita Chawla, Scott Dickson, Victoria Gardner, Stephen Ketteley, Samant Narula and Juliet Thomas. Simon Brayton, Paul...

Appointment at Stansgate Planning LLP.
May 1, 2009... Andrew Murphy is promoted to associate and Miranda Rogers to principal planner at Stansgate Planning LLP. -------------------- Did you find this article useful? Why not subscribe to the magazine? Please call 08451 55 73 55 for more...

Awards turn the spotlight on planners' leadership quality.
May 1, 2009... Nominations are sought in the regions and nations for innovative professionals, announces Charles Veal. Our profession depends on outstanding planners who can help to shape the future we want to live in and steer practitioners through...

Housing entries invited for World Habitat Awards.
May 1, 2009... The Building and Social Housing Foundation is seeking entries for the World Habitat Awards 2009. A panel of international judges will assess the projects and select two winners who will receive a pounds 10,000 prize at the annual UN...

Network makes progress on biodiversity initiatives.
May 1, 2009... The RTPI environmental planning and protection network is working with the UK Green Building Council to develop a standard method for collating information about changes to biodiversity as a result of development. The group is also reviewing...

Planning enforcement management committee members sought.(National Association for Planning Enforcement )(Brief article)
May 1, 2009... The National Association for Planning Enforcement has three vacancies on its management committee. This network is committed to shaping the policy and practice of planning enforcement and is seeking representatives from those who live or work...

Institute commissioned for government land-use analysis.
May 1, 2009... The RTPI has been approached for further input into the government's Foresight programme on the future of land use in the UK This will include analysis of valuation approaches and land allocation mechanisms and their implications for...

Events.(Brief article)(Calendar)
May 1, 2009... - Rural Planning Skills 8 May. Rural Planning Network. Cheltenham. The advisory group will discuss key rural skills, how these differ from urban or general planning skills, the extent of crossovers and how skills shortages might be...

Stretching staff training advantages.
May 1, 2009... Employers and staff alike should continue to invest in improving skills in preparation for the upturn in workloads, advises Jacqui Ward. There is no question that many in the profession are facing challenging times in the current economic...

Course bids to boost regional plan response.
May 1, 2009... A Planning Aid boot camp taught volunteers how to engage groups across the spectrum in the East Midlands plan review, explains Penny Strutton. East Midlands Planning Aid has recently been commissioned by the East Midlands Regional Assembly...

Planning Convention well prepared to take on the challenge of change.(2009 Planning Convention)(Conference news)
May 1, 2009... Planners experiencing the tough reality of changing social, economic and climatic conditions can look to next month's key event to learn, debate and share fresh approaches and opportunities, writes Janet O'Neill. Planning in a Changing...

DC Casebook: Agricultural Development - Fledgling alpaca breeding justifies cabin.(Brief article)
May 1, 2009... A log cabin has won a three-year permission in North Yorkshire's Howardian Hills area of outstanding natural beauty even though an associated farming enterprise is not yet established on-site. The appellant proposed to start an alpaca...

DC Casebook: Commercial and Industrial - Estate agents win temporary permission.
May 1, 2009... The change of use of two flats in a residential building in south-east London into an estate agency has been permitted, giving the occupiers two years to find more suitable accommodation. The inspector accepted that the change of use did...

DC Casebook: Energy Development - Biomass station gains outweigh amenity.
May 1, 2009... Following recovery of an appeal for a straw-burning power plant in East Yorkshire, the secretary of state has agreed that exceptional circumstances apply to rural renewable energy projects. The appellants explained that the scheme would...

DC Casebook: Housing: New Build - School funding shortfall stymies homes.
May 1, 2009... A proposal for 14 homes on a site in Surrey has been turned down because it would fail to make a financial contribution towards improving a local primary school. The site lay next to a green belt and area of great landscape value. The...

DC Casebook: Housing: New Build - Zoo home approved on safety grounds.
May 1, 2009... An inspector has sanctioned the construction of a dwelling at a Hertfordshire wildlife park after finding that there is a functional need for somebody to live on-site. The park covered 3ha and operated as a licensed zoo containing a range...

DC Casebook: Housing: New Build - Wall requirement justified by security.
May 1, 2009... A condition imposed on a planning permission for 22 homes in Buckinghamshire requiring the construction of a brick wall has been found necessary in order to maintain the privacy and security of future occupiers. The appellants claimed that...

DC Casebook: Housing: New Build - Developer escapes affordable provision.
May 1, 2009... An inspector has quashed a condition imposed on a permission for 14 dwellings in Northamptonshire requiring that a scheme for affordable housing provision be approved by the council. The council's core strategy sought to ensure that 30 per...

DC Casebook: Housing: New Build - Garden home space concerns overruled.(Brief article)
May 1, 2009... The construction of a dwelling in the side garden of a substantial property in Devon has been approved after an inspector ruled that it would not create a cramped form of development. The inspector noted that the resulting density would be...

DC Casebook: Housing: Conversion - Flood risk scuppers upper floor flats.
May 1, 2009... The conversion of the roof space of a former corn mill in Norfolk to create two flats has been pronounced unacceptable on the grounds that it poses a potential flood risk. The site lay in an area facing a greater than once-in-200-year...

DC Casebook: Householder Development - Second access held to need permission.
May 1, 2009... An appellant has persuaded an inspector that a hardstanding in the curtilage of his Dorset home is permitted development but has failed to prove that a new access has similar status. The appellant noted that class F, part 1, schedule 2 of...

DC Casebook: Householder Development - Plastic windows deemed harmful to block.
May 1, 2009... Two listed building enforcement notices requiring removal of UPVC windows in a flat in a north London grade II listed building have been upheld, an inspector rejecting calls that they maintained the property's historic and architectural...

DC Casebook: Householder Development - Hardwood cladding judged in keeping.
May 1, 2009... An extension to an end-of-terrace home in a north-west London conservation area has secured backing from an inspector with the use of hardwood cladding on the exterior. The scheme involved infilling adjacent land and an adjoining property...

DC Casebook: Householder Development - Lightwells held to affect belt openness.(Brief article)
May 1, 2009... The formation of two lightwells at a replacement house in the West Yorkshire green belt has been permitted despite the council's concern that they would harm the area's openness. The property's basement was used for a number of purposes,...

DC Casebook: Householder Development - Conservatory design restriction dropped.(Brief article)
May 1, 2009... A condition imposed on permission for a conservatory at a house in a south-east London conservation area has been deleted after an inspector found no need to build the structure in timber. The planning application indicated that the...

DC Casebook: Leisure and Entertainment - Gaming centre judged to support vitality.(Brief article)
May 1, 2009... The change of use of a bank in north-west London into an adult gaming centre has been allowed, an inspector reasoning that it would be no more harmful to vitality or viability than likely alternatives. The appeal premises were at the limit...

DC Casebook: Leisure and Entertainment - Extended occupancy ruled out at village.(Brief article)
May 1, 2009... The owners of a holiday village in Kent have failed to persuade an inspector to extend the period over which a number of caravans on the site are allowed to be occupied. A condition stipulated that no caravan could be occupied between 31...

DC Casebook: Leisure and Entertainment - Intensified sport use allowed on open land.
May 1, 2009... Permission has been granted for sports pitches, a refurbished pavilion and an extended car park on metropolitan open land in Middlesex after an inspector found the scheme appropriate to the area. The 5ha appeal site had previously been used...

DC Casebook: Retail Development - Render exterior graffiti fears overruled.
May 1, 2009... The retention of sand and cement render on the exterior of an Aldi food store on Merseyside has been permitted after an inspector accepted that the materials would not encourage graffiti. The site lay in a local centre containing a mix of...

DC Casebook: Next Week.
May 1, 2009... - Urban plant sales judged less sustainable Retail sales have been allowed at a nursery in rural Devon, an inspector reasoning that an urban site would be less sustainable because plants would have to be transported from the growing area....

DC Casebook: Community facilities - Viability case allows care home work.
May 1, 2009... Side and rear extensions to a care home occupying a listed Surrey building have been approved after an inspector agreed that they would help secure its economic viability. The proposed alterations would result in a significant enlargement...

DC Casebook: Housing: New build - Demolition agreed with design proviso.
May 1, 2009... The demolition of a house in a Dorset conservation area has been permitted as long as its replacement reflects the character of others in the area, with an inspector rejecting a modern design presented by the appellant. The council argued...

DC Casebook: Housing: Conversion - Costs awarded over doomed proposal.
May 1, 2009... Costs have been awarded against appellants seeking a lawful development certificate (LDC) for residential use of an outbuilding in south London after pursuing an appeal despite firm advice that they had no chance of success. The Planning...

How we did it ... Archive extends trust's fenlands reserve vision.
May 1, 2009... PROJECT: Wicken Fen Vision and natural history archive. BACKGROUND: The area is the focus of a century-long plan to create public open space while offering the highest standards of wildlife conservation and protection. WHO IS BEHIND...

The Things I Know - Steve Quartermain, Chief planner, DCLG.
May 1, 2009... - Where did you study planning? Chelmer Institute, now Anglia Ruskin University. - What skills did you have when you graduated? Doing a part-time postgraduate course I was able to put planning theory into practice on the job. I...

Invisible Answers.
May 1, 2009... Sustainability can be delivered effectively and economically without resorting to self-conscious and intrusive devices as long as basic principles are observed, argues Howard Liddell. There is no need for cities to be peppered with...

Territorial Ambitions.
May 1, 2009... Europe provides the starting point for moving from localised concerns with land-use regulation to a genuinely spatial approach, advises Cliff Hague. The attempt to shift planning away from its traditional culture of micro-scale land-use...

Hands-on city chairman.
May 1, 2009... Jones Lang LaSalle planning team head Jeff Field sees signs of an industry revival but believes that longer consent timescales and site frameworks would help, says Domenic Donatantonio. In assuming a key management role at Jones Lang...

Darling shows poor foresight by taking an axe to delivery grant.
May 1, 2009... Experienced observers of budget statements have long held one mantra - beware the throwaway line from any chancellor. With his public finance figures shot to pieces, Alistair Darling proved to be no different. The DCLG will have to make a...

Fyson on ... welcome backing for the planning system from architects scuppered by traditional opposition.
May 1, 2009... The latest unedifying spat between Prince Charles and Lord Rogers, or rather between their respective supporters, revealed temporary but nevertheless welcome support for planning among some of the country's leading architects. Enraged by...

Richards on ... no apology for spatial beliefs.(Brief article)(Column)
May 1, 2009... A response to my previous column suggested that I am idealistic (Planning, 17 April, p8). This is not far from the truth and I take it as a compliment. Experienced managers will know that effective leadership comes in many shapes and sizes and...

Legal report - Realism on planning gain grows north of the border.
May 1, 2009... In boom times, developers keen to proceed with projects signed up to generous planning gain packages rather than incur delays in prolonged negotiations. Now that the financial viability of schemes is constrained and funding hard to find, the...

Budget gives mixed bag.(Brief article)
May 1, 2009... Last week's package aims to lift housing and the green technology sector but uncertainty over funding for council planning services has clouded the picture, Planning staff conclude. Attention may have focused on a public spending squeeze,...

Planning stats.(Brief article)
May 1, 2009... Pounds 7 million - Estimated cost of setting up High Speed 2 Ltd, transport minister Paul Clark has told parliament. 620MW - Capacity of a proposed offshore wind farm 27km off Blakeney Point in Norfolk. If it goes ahead, it could generate...

Developer outlines quay project detail.
May 1, 2009... A six-storey hotel and conference centre could form the centrepiece of a pounds 90 million development at Atlantic Quay in Glasgow's financial services district. The complex would be built on a site between James Watt Street and York...

Capital body eyes design.(Edinburgh World Heritage )(Brief article)
May 1, 2009... The organisation overseeing the Edinburgh world heritage site has called for more architectural competitions as a way of improving the quality of developments. Edinburgh World Heritage chairman Charles McKean believes that such a move by...

Leith Dock drawings raise flood risk fear.(Brief article)
May 1, 2009... Extra measures are needed to bolster flood defences at proposed developments on Edinburgh's waterfront, a new report concludes. The Edinburgh City Council transport and engineering department study highlights uncertainty about extreme water...

Online now ..
May 1, 2009... Visit PlanningResource.co.uk today for a look at how physical regeneration in Yorkshire is being kept on track during the downturn Also online Project review of Think Tank business centre in Lincoln Interview with directly elected mayor of...

Airport noise sparks alert.
May 1, 2009... Leicestershire County Council has called for increased noise protection if East Midlands Airport is allowed to extend its runway. The county urged North West Leicestershire District Council to request from the airport 'proposals to offset...

Cash deficit delays tram.
May 1, 2009... Edinburgh City Council has shelved plans for a tram link from Haymarket to Granton because of the downturn and funding constraints. Council leader Jenny Dawe said: 'It is disappointing that monies are not available to fund Line 1b. We will...

Eco-town rail links pressed.
May 1, 2009... Government proposals for eco-towns will lead to developments that depend on cars, according to environmental campaigners. Responding to the draft planning policy statement (PPS) on eco-towns, the Campaign for Better Transport called on the...

Group reveals rival rail freight hub plan.
May 1, 2009... Plans to build a rail and road freight depot to rival the proposed Kent International Gateway (KIG) near Bearsted have been outlined. The proposal for the 101ha site put forward by landowners including Cemex UK and Borough Green Sandpits...

Council moves to enforce train service depot removal decision.(Southern Railways)(Brief article)
May 1, 2009... Train operator Southern Railways is to be ordered to dismantle a multi-million pound servicing depot that it constructed without planning permission. The London Borough of Lambeth's planning committee voted unanimously that illuminated...

Audit pushes cost savings.(Brief article)
May 1, 2009... The Audit Commission has urged East Staffordshire Borough Council to make savings in planning, citing the service's costs as among the highest in the country. Its annual audit letter says the council is in the best category for application...

Turley gains campus work.(Brief article)
May 1, 2009... Turley Associates has been chosen as planning consultant for a pounds 48 million building at the University of Exeter's Streatham Campus. The Forum Project is part of a pounds 450 million capital investment that aims to propel Exeter into...

Shift on coal sees support.
May 1, 2009... Environmental campaigners have given a cautious welcome to government plans for up to four coal-fired power stations to be built in the UK by the end of 2020. Energy and climate change secretary Ed Miliband said the plants will have to be...

Group looks to mayor to halt market plans.
May 1, 2009... Campaigners against the redevelopment of a market in east London are hoping that London mayor Boris Johnson will use his powers to refuse the scheme. St Modwen's proposals to redevelop Queens Market were approved by the London Borough of...

Greens retaliate on wind bid opposition.
May 1, 2009... Green Party members on Norfolk County Council have voiced their anger after the authority chose to object to a wind farm on the strength of one councillor's views. Norfolk's planning and highways delegation committee opposed Centrica's...

Agenda.(Brief article)(Calendar)
May 1, 2009... 13 May: Development Management Conference Organiser: RTPI Conferences Venue: London Fee: pounds 469 + VAT Details: services@rtpiconferences.co.uk 19 May: Planning for Play - Children & Young People Now Show 2009 Organiser:...

Eastern expansion outlined in Swindon.(Swindon Borough Council )(Brief article)
May 1, 2009... Swindon Borough Council has launched a consultation on which option should be used for a 12,000-home development east of the town. The authority has named these the 'crunch, stretch and weave' models. It must find space for 34,200 homes by...

Section 106 signing delay puts race track consent in jeopardy.(Brief article)
May 1, 2009... The owners of Donington Park have been given an ultimatum to sign a section 106 agreement or jeopardise local authority approval for expansion plans at the circuit. North West Leicestershire District Council will debate the issue next week...

Larger green belt mapped.(Brief article)
May 1, 2009... Improved measuring methods have seen the government record an extra 3,170ha of English green belt land. The figure comes despite planning decisions leading to a net loss of 170ha. The DCLG revealed that as at 31 March there were 1.64...

Park election idea dropped.(Brief article)
May 1, 2009... The government has backed down over proposals for direct elections to national park authority boards, on which it launched a consultation last July. Environment minister Huw Irranca-Davies told parliament: 'I anticipate that my response...

Wyre salary review sees cuts and rises.
May 1, 2009... An evaluation of the planning team at Wyre Borough Council has seen four staff receive a cut in pay, while 13 have gained an increase. Despite representations to a council appeal board last week (Planning, 24 April, p1), one policy support...

Group backs levy passage.(Brief article)
May 1, 2009... Property experts still expect the community infrastructure levy (CIL) to go ahead next year despite a further delay announced in last week's budget. The government is holding off the levy until 6 April 2010 to avoid increasing burdens on...

Criticism mounts on games media centre.(London Borough of Hackney )(Brief article)
May 1, 2009... The London Borough of Hackney has backed CABE in its criticism of the design of the 2012 Olympic Games media complex. CABE's London 2012 panel announced this week that it is unable to support the 'extremely weak' architecture of the games'...

Government announces measures to help recycle buildings.
May 1, 2009... The government has announced measures to help areas to recycle buildings. Communities secretary Hazel Blears announced 22 additional demonstration areas on top of the existing 50 to support councils in transferring local buildings into...

Rise in applications to start homes.(Brief article)
May 1, 2009... The first quarter-on-quarter rise in applications to start homes for almost two years was revealed in latest figures from the National House Building Council this week. Some 16,232 applications were received during the first three months...

Welsh Assembly could win powers.(Brief article)
May 1, 2009... The Welsh Assembly Government could win powers to create its own environmental laws under plans presented to parliament this week. The revised Environment Legislative Competence Order will allow the assembly to make laws on waste, pollution...

Competition Commission sets out its views.(Brief article)
May 1, 2009... The Competition Commission has set out its view of how it will reconsider its competition test proposal for the planning system. The body got the go-ahead last month from the Competition Appeals Tribunal to do more work on the economic...

Sheffield City Council sets up panel of experts to advise.(Discussion)
May 1, 2009... Sheffield City Council is setting up a panel of experts to advise on sustainable development and design for key schemes in the city. The panel will meet monthly or as required. The council said meetings will comprise no more than eight...

Applications for cycling docking stations to be submitted.
May 1, 2009... Around 400 applications for cycling docking stations are about to be submitted to London boroughs. The stations, to be located 300m apart around the city, are part of Transport for London's plan to provide 6,000 bikes for hire. The scheme...

Right to buy new affordable homes to be abolished.
May 1, 2009... The right to buy new affordable homes will be abolished under proposals launched by the Scottish Government this week. Under a draft housing bill, the government is also consulting on excluding tenants moving into existing affordable homes...

WSP, Knight Frank and Tribal have been commissioned.(Brief article)
May 1, 2009... WSP, Knight Frank and Tribal have been commissioned to provide planning and transport advice on the growth of Jersey Airport. They are examining opportunities for landside development in the second phase of studies looking at...

Housing row faces debate.
May 1, 2009... The West Midlands Regional Assembly urged inspectors not to boost housing targets as a short-term response to the recession as its regional plan examination started. The seven-week examination in public, which began this week, is assessing...

Jail sites set out by Straw.(Brief article)
May 1, 2009... The locations of two of five new 1,500-capacity prisons were announced by the government this week. Proposals for three 2,500-place Titan jails advised in a report by Lord Carter proved unpopular. Justice secretary Jack Straw said the...

Panel to inspect eco-town.
May 1, 2009... One of the most contentious eco-town plans is to be considered through the West Midlands regional spatial strategy (RSS), delaying a decision until the end of the year. The government has ruled that Middle Quinton at Long Marston should...

Nottingham chief appointment awaits service probe outcome.(Mark Parkinson)(Brief article)
May 1, 2009... Nottingham City Council is to make a third attempt to recruit a planning director in July after it digests a detailed review of the service. The post has been vacant since Adrian Jones retired two years ago. He continued as a consultant,...

DCLG seeks grant savings.(Department for Communities and Local Government)
May 1, 2009... The DCLG aims to save pounds 20 million by 'refocusing' the housing and planning delivery grant (HPDG) as part of wider efficiency savings ordered by the Treasury. Details: are expected to be revealed shortly but the department declined to...