Planning (UK) articles from November 2005

Planning (UK) archives from November 2005

AGENDA.
November 4, 2005... DIARY TO 18 NOVEMBER 8 November: Planning Law Update. Organiser: RTPI East of England Branch. Venue: Cambridge. Fee: pounds 70 + VAT. Details: (tel) 01359 252366. 9 November: Development Control. Organisers: RTPI East and West...

Confidence pays off in student quiz.(Brief Article)
November 4, 2005... Planning To Win triumphed in last week's Birmingham heat of the 2005 Planning Student Quiz at Millennium Point. University of Central England spatial planning masters students Maria Dunn, Claire Snowdon, Jon Molloy and Rachel Riley won the...

Greens slam stingy US foreign policy.
November 4, 2005... Enraged environmentalists are ganging up on the US embassy in London following revelations that it has refused to pay pounds 157,000 in congestion charge fines. Transport for London figures show that the embassy accumulated a whopping 455...

Civil engineers target higher profile.
November 4, 2005... The incoming president of the Institution of Civil Engineers has thought up a novel way of boosting the flagging number of young people entering the profession. Gordon Masterton, who took office last week, plans to personally underwrite an...

Appointment at the Lichfield District Venture regeneration programme.
November 4, 2005... Emrys Jones has been recruited as director of the Lichfield District Venture regeneration programme. Jones was previously chief planning officer at Birmingham City Council, where projects that he worked on won the RTPI President's Award for...

Appointment at WSP Development.
November 4, 2005... Colin Smith has been appointed technical director at WSP Development in Hertford. Smith moves from White Young Green, where he was head of transportation in the south.

Appointment at Homes for Scotland.
November 4, 2005... James Reilly has joined Homes for Scotland as a senior planning adviser. He previously worked in the planning department at Berwick-upon-Tweed Borough Council and has also worked in Edinburgh's city development department and Fife Council's...

Appointment at Romans Professional Services.
November 4, 2005... Guy Peirson-Hagger has joined Romans Professional Services as land and development director.

Appointment at Drivers Jonas.
November 4, 2005... Myriam Hengesch has joined Drivers Jonas in Glasgow as a graduate planner. She recently completed a postgraduate masters degree in urban and regional planning at Heriot-Watt University.

Appointment at Shepway District Council.
November 4, 2005... Terence Ellames has joined Shepway District Council in Kent as major applications and projects co-ordinator. He previously worked for Thurrock Borough Council, Voluntary Services Overseas and the London Borough of Tower Hamlets.

Appointment at Queen's University, Belfast.
November 4, 2005... Joe Howe has been appointed chair of spatial planning at Queen's University, Belfast. He previously worked in the planning and landscape department at the University of Manchester, where he was director of the postgraduate programme.

Appointment at Westminster City Council.
November 4, 2005... Barry Smith has been appointed head of city planning policy in Westminster City Council's department of planning and city development. Smith moves from Cross River Partnership, where he was on secondment as assistant director.

Appointment at Leeds City Council.
November 4, 2005... Peter Jorysz has been recruited as a principal planner by Leeds City Council, where he will work on major development proposals in the west of the city. Jorysz previously worked for Spawforth Associates.

Appointment at JMP Consulting.
November 4, 2005... Keith Woodcock has joined JMP Consulting as a principal transport planner in Lichfield. He moves from Waterman Civils in Solihull.

Appointment at Signet Planning.
November 4, 2005... Sandra Thompson and John Wyatt have both joined Signet Planning as associates. Thompson moves from Barlow Consultants and Wyatt previously worked for RPS in Newcastle.

Appointment at Steer Davies Gleave.
November 4, 2005... Jim Steer, a founder and former managing director of Steer Davies Gleave, has returned to the firm as a director. He was previously on secondment at the Strategic Rail Authority.

Appointment at McGrigors.
November 4, 2005... Eliza O'Toole has joined law firm McGrigors as a partner in London. She joins from Bircham Dyson Bell.

Fee increase welcomed.
November 4, 2005... All costs recovered by the proposed increase in planning fees should be ring-fenced for planning authorities, says the RTPI. The institute welcomes the proposal to increase planning application fees to a level at which they recover more of...

Introducing urban design: masterclasses.
November 4, 2005... The masterclasses offered by the institute aim to provide an awareness of the urban design agenda, explains Rob Cowan. Many years ago I visited Liverpool's planning department to talk to Jim Amos, the then city planning officer - and later...

RTPI Bulletin Board.
November 4, 2005... PLANNING MATTERS The RTPI's PlanningMatters is a practical online learning resource for the planning professional. It provides accessible generic and specialist information in a planning context, allowing the user to apply their knowledge...

Informing and developing the institute's lifelong learning strategy.(Academy for Sustainable Communities)
November 4, 2005... The general assembly met at the Academy for Sustainable Communities in Leeds on 19 October. Michael Napier reports. Chris Murray is interim chief executive at the Academy for Sustainable Communities (ASC). He explained that the academy was...

Casebook: Development Control Casebook Forum.
November 4, 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 2LW...

Casebook: Inspector orders removal of cement render at listed pub.
November 4, 2005... Listed building consent has been denied for the retention of cement that had been applied to a listed pub in Gloucestershire after an inspector decided that it was inappropriate and harmed the building's character. The late 17th century...

Casebook: Appeal Cases - Advertisements - Retail park signage rejected due to clutter.
November 4, 2005... An appeal for the display of eight double-sided free-standing internally illuminated advertisements at a retail park on Merseyside has met with mixed success following a ruling that only three would not be detrimental to amenity. The...

Casebook: Appeal Cases - Agricultural Development - Poultry farm plea founders on lack of evidence.
November 4, 2005... An enforcement notice directed against poultry processing at a farm in Essex has been upheld after an inspector concluded that the appellants' evidence was lacking in detail. The appellants produced high-quality free range turkeys,...

Casebook: Appeal Cases - Agricultural Development - Stables rejected despite grazing land sufficiency.
November 4, 2005... Plans for four stables at a farm in the Merseyside green belt have been turned down as inappropriate development although the inspector agreed that the holding had sufficient grazing land to feed the horses. The appeal site already...

Casebook: Appeal Cases - Agricultural Development - Cattle building held appropriate to green belt.
November 4, 2005... An inspector has ruled that a cattle-rearing building in the Staffordshire green belt constitutes appropriate development that is needed as part of a livestock enterprise. The 85ha holding comprised mainly permanent pasture and was...

Casebook: Appeal Cases - Commercial and Industrial - Training benefits support workshop at boatyard.
November 4, 2005... A workshop intended for use in repairing and building canal boats has been allowed in the Staffordshire green belt after an inspector decided that very special circumstances had been established. The appellant operated a young people's care...

Casebook: Appeal Cases - Commercial and Industrial - Swimming lessons secure trial run for assessment.(Brief Article)
November 4, 2005... The commercial use of a swimming pool at a house in Lancashire has been allowed for a temporary period to allow further assessment of the impact of the development on parking and traffic. The pool was located in a separate building at the...

Casebook: Appeal Cases - Commercial and Industrial - Kennels ruled out due to impact on rural area.(Brief Article)
November 4, 2005... An inspector has turned down proposals from an animal rescue charity for kennels for unwanted dogs in the Devon countryside after finding that the scheme would have an unacceptable impact on a rural area. The appeal site comprised two...

Casebook: Appeal Cases - Community Facilities - Station extension judged to enhance amenity.(Brief Article)
November 4, 2005... An extension to a fire station in north London has been allowed following a ruling that it would not adversely affect the amenity and outlook of adjoining residents. The inspector decided that the extension would improve the neighbours' privacy...

Casebook: Appeal Cases - Energy Development - Turbines accepted in varied lowland landscape.
November 4, 2005... A proposal for three wind turbines on farmland in Cumbria's Solway Plain has been granted planning permission, with an inspector placing significant weight on the need to promote renewable energy. The landscape featured a mix of lowland,...

Casebook: Appeal Cases - Gypsies and Travellers - Family needs held to outweigh countryside impact.(Brief Article)
November 4, 2005... An inspector has allowed the retention of a Gypsy caravan site in Somerset after concluding that the family's medical and educational needs carried sufficient weight to justify granting a temporary permission. The appellant lived on the...

Casebook: Appeal Cases - Housing: New Build - Flats survive affordability and amenity concerns.
November 4, 2005... The redevelopment of a site in south London to create 72 flats has been approved after an inspector decided that it would make sufficient provision for affordable housing, private amenity space and public art and tackle a deficiency in open...

Casebook: Appeal Cases - Housing: New Build - Authority loses bid for capital contribution.
November 4, 2005... A residential development has been approved on industrial land in Cambridgeshire containing a range of buildings after an inspector accepted that it would make efficient use of previously developed land. The site contained seven units...

Casebook: Appeal Cases - Housing: New Build - Apartments judged to improve site appearance.
November 4, 2005... The demolition of an office building in a protected Northamptonshire woodland to enable a housing scheme to proceed has been permitted on the grounds that it would make beneficial use of brownfield land. The site contained a flat-roofed...

Casebook: Appeal Cases - Housing: Conversion - Conversion stymied by loss of space for artists.
November 4, 2005... The conversion of an artist's studio in south-west London to a self-contained dwelling has been refused permission on the grounds that it would undermine the supply of space for future artists. The studio was designed for use by an artist...

Casebook: Appeal Cases - Housing: Conversion - Straw bale home held innovative but unsustainable.
November 4, 2005... The conversion of a barn at a Nottinghamshire farm to residential use has been rejected despite an inspector's recognition that the use of straw bales in its construction represented an innovative project. The barn was a tall, functional...

Casebook: Appeal Cases - Leisure and Entertainment - Jetty alterations held to comply with landscape.(Brief Article)
November 4, 2005... A proposal involving alterations to a jetty in the Lake District to enable access for disabled people has been accepted by an inspector who determined that it would not undermine the character of the national park. The scheme incorporated...

Casebook: Appeal Cases - Leisure and Entertainment - Leisure club wins reprieve in employment area.(Brief Article)
November 4, 2005... The retention of a members-only leisure club at a major employment area in west London has been allowed after an inspector decided that a five-year temporary permission was justified. The appellant operated a club with facilities for...

Casebook: Court cases - Gypsy decision on employment site quashed.(Brief Article)
November 4, 2005... The deputy prime minister has accepted that an inspector failed to provide adequate reasons for allowing a Gypsy family to occupy land on a West Midlands trading estate on a three-year temporary permission. The council objected to the...

Casebook: Court cases - Inspector faulted over reasoning on immunity.(Brief Article)
November 4, 2005... The High Court has quashed an inspector's decision to allow the use of part of a house in Bognor Regis for student accommodation after concluding that she failed to apply the correct approach. The council had granted planning permission for...

Casebook: Ombudsman cases - Inconsistent treatment lands council in trouble.(Brief Article)
November 4, 2005... The local government ombudsman has criticised Wansbeck District Council for failing to give equal consideration to two alternative schemes for a house. The complainant had been granted permission for a house and garage. At the council's...

Casebook: Appeal cases - Advertisements - Hotel sign judged harmful to conservation area.
November 4, 2005... The display of an internally illuminated sign at a hotel in Worcester's city centre conservation area has been rejected after an advertisement appeals inspector decided that it would look out of place and create a sense of clutter. The...

Casebook: Appeal cases - Community Facilities - Post office extension rejected at listed church.
November 4, 2005... A replacement vestibule and extension of a grade II listed church in Sussex to provide accommodation for a local post office has been rejected on the grounds that it would undermine the building's architectural character. The proposal...

Casebook: Appeal cases - Food and Drink Uses - Urban village held to have restaurant capacity.
November 4, 2005... The change of use of a former storage building in Manchester to a restaurant has been rejected on visual and amenity grounds despite a finding that the area had not yet reached capacity for food outlets. The building was originally a chapel...

Casebook: Downloading decisions.
November 4, 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 - Lower building height preferred on seafront.
November 4, 2005... Plans to redevelop a sea cadets' headquarters in a Kent town's conservation area for housing have met with partial success after an inspector allowed one scheme but rejected two others. The two-storey seafront building and an open concreted...

Casebook: Appeal cases - Listed Buildings - Different thatch style blocked at cottage.
November 4, 2005... Listed building consent has been denied for rethatching the front elevation of a grade II listed cottage in a Cambridgeshire conservation area after an inspector determined that the replacement thatch would have an inappropriate appearance. ...

Study influences key policy.
November 4, 2005... Research methods should be developed as part of the campaign to mitigate climate change impacts, maintains Darryn McEvoy. Despite some lingering scientific uncertainties, concerns are mounting that climate change may be the biggest threat...

Turnarounds set an example for others.
November 4, 2005... Reading and Canterbury planners have found the key to success in dealing with major applications, reports David Dewar. If you are a development control case officer working in Canterbury, you are unlikely to get many straightforward...

Urban design shaker.(Jonathan Bore)(Biography)
November 4, 2005... Former inspector Jonathan Bore feels that his move into consultancy puts him at the heart of the action in creating sustainable places, he tells Nancy Wainscoat. Leaving a key position at the Planning Inspectorate at the pinnacle of one's...

Disasters show need for action on climate.(Brief Article)(Column)
November 4, 2005... It is not often this column agrees with the prime minister, but Tony Blair hit the nail on the head by complaining about the reluctance to face up to the reality of climate change. His warning, ahead of this week's conference of rich and...

Fyson on ... culture's role in creating social sustainability.
November 4, 2005... If social sustainability is to mean anything, it has to encompass the cultural life of the community. Whether defined by traditional music, literature, theatre and film, or in the popular arts found in festivals and events, or in sport in its...

Nimbyism threatens to derail housing growth.
November 4, 2005... Public resistance to house building sets a tough test for local democracy, reports Susanna Gillman. The two sides are squaring up. Central government with its housing growth agenda is in one corner, local politicians with nimby leanings in...

Bell on ... belated solutions for a persistent housing shortfall.
November 4, 2005... Three cheers for deputy prime minister John Prescott. The approval of a major extension of Stevenage may be late in coming but it is no less welcome. As director of the Town and Country Planning Association I did the rounds in 1998 promoting...

Saga commands attention.
November 4, 2005... Debate on growth at West Stevenage will invigorate a regional strategy hearing, says David Dewar. As planning battles go, this one has been titanic. There have been political rows, a change of administration, legal challenges, protests and...

Arena unveiled on Glasgow riverside.(Brief Article)
November 4, 2005... Details of a purpose-built concert arena on the banks of the River Clyde in Glasgow were uncovered last week. The 12,500-seat venue would be built on the site of a car park next to the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre (SECC) and is...

Protesters lament road project costs.
November 4, 2005... Environmentalists have stepped up their campaign against the M74 motorway extension in Glasgow, the UK's largest road building project. Last week Friends of the Earth Scotland (FoES) staged an on-site demonstration as it unveiled figures...

Headquarters win consent in face of outcry.(FirstGroup PLC)(Brief Article)
November 4, 2005... Transport company FirstGroup has secured consent to build its global headquarters in the green belt around Aberdeen, despite a wave of protest. Last week Aberdeen City Council overturned the decision of its own planning committee and...

Study to examine impacts of harnessing energy.(Brief Article)
November 4, 2005... A study to examine the impacts of harnessing energy from the marine environment has been commissioned by the Scottish Executive. Faber Maunsell and Metoc will assess the potential impacts of a range of technologies that generate energy from...

Profits at Drivers Jonas jump by 13 per cent.
November 4, 2005... Profits at Drivers Jonas jumped by 13 per cent in the last financial year to pounds 10.69 million. Results for the year to 31 May show an eight per cent increase in turnover to pounds 49.4 million. The firm reported strong growth in the UK...

Study of Newton Heath district centre.(by Donaldsons (London, England))(Brief Article)
November 4, 2005... A study of Newton Heath district centre in east Manchester is to be drawn up by Donaldsons to guide a development framework. The firm will examine how to help develop the centre into a viable and attractive retail destination following a period...

District-wide town centre study of the New Forest.(by Nathaniel Lichfield and Partners )(Brief Article)
November 4, 2005... A district-wide town centre study of the New Forest is to be carried out by Nathaniel Lichfield and Partners for the district council. The study will assess the capacity and demand for retail, leisure and other town centre development in...

Initiative schools project for Kent completed.
November 4, 2005... A pounds 100 million private finance initiative schools project for Kent has been successfully completed. Specialists at law firm Pinsent Masons advised Kent County Council on the 28-year project, which stretches across six school sites and...

Highways services in Gloucestershire to be provided by Atkins.
November 4, 2005... Highways and transportation services in Gloucestershire are to be provided by Atkins. The ten-year contract will cover highway maintenance, construction, design, emergency response, winter services, resurfacing and recycling for the county...

Traffic movements in South Tyneside to be examined.(Brief Article)
November 4, 2005... Traffic movements generated by potential developments in South Tyneside are to be examined by JMP Consulting. The study, commissioned by South Tyneside Council and passenger transport executive Nexus, will focus on the Tyne and Wear Metro,...

CB Richard Ellis to create planning team.(Brief Article)
November 4, 2005... Property consultancy CB Richard Ellis is to create a planning team for the Yorkshire and North East regions. Based in its Leeds office, the team will be led by Jay Everett, who has 14 years' experience in planning. Everett said that the...

The Landscape Partnership opens Norwich office.
November 4, 2005... The Landscape Partnership has opened a Norwich office to serve its expanding client base. Services include environmental and ecological project management, environmental planning and landscape and urban design. The team is led by director Paul...

Hepher Dixon moves to refurbished premises.
November 4, 2005... Hepher Dixon has moved into refurbished premises at Bridewell Gate near Ludgate Circus in London. The move strengthens the firm's roots in the Blackfriars area, where it has been based since setting up its London office eight years ago.

Masterplan outlines growth at airport.
November 4, 2005... A second runway could be built at Birmingham International Airport (BIA) if the owners' latest proposals secure approval. Publishing its masterplan for consultation this week, BIA said that it plans to extend its runway by 400m so that it...

Merseytram awaits city council funding verdict.
November 4, 2005... The future of Merseytram remains in the balance this week as Liverpool City Council meets to decide whether to provide contingency funding should the project go over budget. The deadline for ordering carriages officially passed at the end...

Research reveals road scheme impact.
November 4, 2005... Road schemes planned by the government will lead to a traffic increase of almost 25 per cent, according to latest Department for Transport (DfT) figures. Thirty-six per cent of approved schemes have no assessment of predicted traffic...

Survey shows actions taken on cargo duty.(Brief Article)
November 4, 2005... Most local authorities are fulfilling the requirement to deal with freight in their local transport plans (LTPs), a survey revealed this week. The Freight Best Practice programme surveyed local authorities on action being taking on freight...

Cash awarded to schemes to boost bus use.
November 4, 2005... Bus services are set to benefit from pounds 20 million in government funding, junior transport minister Karen Buck revealed this week. The money will be split across 43 schemes in England, chosen from 117 entries to the Kickstart Bus...

Multi-sport venue hinges on casino.
November 4, 2005... A masterplan for a pounds 300 million sport village in Saltley, east Birmingham, was unveiled last week. The proposals by Birmingham City Football Club aim to incorporate the UK's super casino to create thousands of jobs and boost...

Glasgow considers residential project.
November 4, 2005... Plans for around 500 homes on a former hospital site in Glasgow's East End have been submitted to the city council. Kier Homes is proposing to redevelop the former Belvidere Hospital, owned by NHS Greater Glasgow. It aims to transform the...

Dartford plan clash triggers public inquiry.
November 4, 2005... A public inquiry into controversial proposals to regenerate Dartford town centre began last week. The inquiry centres on plans by St James's Investments to build 500 homes and a large Tesco store at Lowfield Street. The development project...

Plans to relocate Cardiff's central library.
November 4, 2005... Plans to relocate Cardiff's central library to a purpose-built temporary facility were unveiled this week to enable the pounds 535 million St David's 2 scheme to progress. St David's Partnership aims to move the library into the 3,715m2...

Scheme to create up to 1,500 homes in Oldham and Rochdale.
November 4, 2005... A scheme to create up to 1,500 homes in the Oldham and Rochdale housing market renewal pathfinder area is to be developed by Barratt Homes and Artisan. The developers have been chosen for the 12-year East Central Rochdale scheme that aims to...

Belfast is next growth hot spot.(Brief Article)
November 4, 2005... Belfast is the next growth hot spot for retail-led regeneration, Northern Ireland secretary Peter Hain claimed this week. Speaking at the British Council for Shopping Centres annual conference, he said: 'Our vision is for the rebirth of...

Business and residents in Gloucester asked for ideas.(Brief Article)
November 4, 2005... Businesses and residents in Gloucester were asked for ideas on how to improve the city's main shopping streets at a meeting this week. More than 400 invitations were given to tenants and landlords of buildings in the four 'gate' streets to...

Exhibition on future of the Bournville Estate.
November 4, 2005... An exhibition on the future of the Bournville Estate in Birmingham was held this week to give the public a chance to view development proposals. A masterplan is being drawn up by Scott Wilson's landscape and urban team to provide a vision for...

Public debate on shopping needs in Devizes.(Brief Article)
November 4, 2005... A public debate on shopping needs and car parking in Devizes, Wiltshire, began this week. The consultation is based on a study by Gillespies, commissioned by Kennet District Council, which concluded that more needs to be done to attract...