Planning (UK) articles from November 2007

Planning (UK) archives from November 2007

Diary.(Diary entry)
November 2, 2007... Who says architects have no sense of humour? When the six developers investing pounds 1 billion in a new five-star business district in Leeds enlisted John Thorp to draw up the design, little did they realise he would be creating a fashion...

Planning in the media.
November 2, 2007... The Office for National Statistics' projected rise in the UK population to 75 million by mid-century sent the media into a flutter. The Sun pointed out that the increase is 'the same as another London and Birmingham added together'. The...

Appointment at Gerald Eve.
November 2, 2007... Gemma Elton has been appointed a senior planner at Gerald Eve in its planning and development team. She was previously a development control officer at the London Borough of Southwark

Appointment at JMP Consulting.
November 2, 2007... Martin Higgitt has moved to JMP Consulting as an associate in Leeds. He leaves Steer Davies Gleave, where he was a principal transport planner. Olaf Eberhard joins as an associate in the central London office. He moves from the Project...

Appointment at TLT Solicitors.
November 2, 2007... David Smithen has been recruited by TLT Solicitors to join its real estate group as a partner. He was previously a senior associate at Eversheds in Birmingham

Appointment at Partnership for Renewables.
November 2, 2007... Marcus Beddoe has been appointed head of planning and a principal developer at the Partnership for Renewables, a subsidiary of the Carbon Trust. He moves from renewable energy developer Ecotricity, where he was head of planning

Appointment at Terence O'Rourke.(Vaughan Thompson appointed as technical director )(Brief article)
November 2, 2007... Vaughan Thompson has joined Terence O'Rourke as technical director in planning and urban design, working between the Bath and Bournemouth offices. He moves from Bath and North East Somerset Council, where he was a strategic manager. Lee...

Appointment at Nathaniel Lichfield and Partners.(Will Edmonds)(Christine Reeves)(Brief article)
November 2, 2007... Will Edmonds and Christine Reeves have been promoted to senior associate directors at Nathaniel Lichfield and Partners. Edmonds is based in London and Reeves works in Cardiff. Gillian Jones and Simon Coop have been promoted to associate...

Institute upgrades planning consultancy listing website.
November 2, 2007... The RTPI has relaunched the official directory of firms that provide high-quality services, notes Simon Owen. Earlier this month, the RTPI re-launched its Online Directory of Planning Consultants, the only official listing of firms...

Minister sets out action plan for community empowerment.
November 2, 2007... The RTPI is keeping an active watch on parliamentary affairs and aims to reach the right MPs with the right information. Last month, communities secretary Hazel Blears set out her community empowerment agenda. In her speech, she outlined...

DCLG spokesman tackles question on land banking.
November 2, 2007... Also last month, shadow communities secretary Eric Pickles asked the government to estimate the amount and proportion of land banking by property developers in the form of not initiating developments that have been granted planning permission....

Event.
November 2, 2007... David Fryer Memorial Lecture: Spatial Planning as a Political Project. 8 November. RTPI South East. Oxford Brookes University. The lecture will be given by Patsy Healey, this year's RTPI gold medal winner and emeritus professor of town...

Transport conference sets agenda.(Royal Town Planning Institute and TRICS planning on transportation)(Conference news)
November 2, 2007... The RTPI and TRICS have joined forces for an event that will get transport planning professionals up to speed on important issues, writes Colin Black. Do you know whether your local development framework (LDF) or regional spatial strategy...

Initiative engages young people in planning.
November 2, 2007... Planning Aid North's educational programme gives children a voice in building sustainable and strong communities, maintains Kevin Lillie. Twelve months ago, the DCLG published the local government white paper. This outlines a vision for...

Welsh Assembly Government gives planning a distinctive national voice.
November 2, 2007... Devolved government arrangements for Wales allow the principality to introduce its own land-use legislation. As a result it has been able to tailor its planning policy to meet specific local needs, Roisin Willmott discovers. This year, the...

DC Casebook: Appeal cases - Egg operation deemed unduly prominent.(Brief article)
November 2, 2007... A free-range egg production unit and associated mobile home have been denied permission on a Staffordshire site because the facility would be unduly large and prominent in the landscape. Two buildings were proposed at the 13ha farm, each...

DC Casebook: Appeal cases - Nursery and lake ruled to harm green belt.(Brief article)
November 2, 2007... An appeal over the construction of a horticultural nursery on the Merseyside green belt has been dismissed because an inspector judged that the project would unduly affect the openness of the area. The scheme comprised glasshouses,...

DC Casebook: Appeal cases - Lower standard of sustainability agreed.
November 2, 2007... A condition imposed on a planning permission for an office development near Bristol requiring it to be built to a top environmental standard has been declared unnecessary. Under the proposals, 784m2 of an existing building would be...

DC Casebook: Appeal cases - Woodland training centre held too remote.(Brief article)
November 2, 2007... The retention of wooden structures associated with a Devon forestry and woodland management training business has been rejected because they did not fulfil sustainable development principles. The structures, which were raised on stilts,...

DC Casebook: Appeal cases - Site size counts in affordable homes claim.(Brief article)
November 2, 2007... In dismissing an appeal for nine homes on a site in Oxfordshire, an inspector has agreed with the local planning authority that the scheme generated a need for affordable housing. The council's local plan stated that affordable housing...

DC Casebook: Appeal cases - Flats faulted on design and prematurity.
November 2, 2007... A proposal for 38 flats in a Kent conservation area has been ruled to be visually unacceptable and likely to prejudice the provision of an integrated transport interchange. The appeal site formed part of a block on the edge of a town centre...

DC Casebook: Appeal cases - Layout details found logical and legible.(Brief article)
November 2, 2007... An inspector has decided that a detailed layout for 154 houses in Northamptonshire is logical and legible, overruling council concerns that it involves an excessively dense form of development. The council alleged that the proposed density...

DC Casebook: Appeal cases - Garage conversion judged to affect area.(Brief article)
November 2, 2007... The conversion of a domestic double garage in Peterborough into a separate dwellinghouse has been refused on the grounds that it would adversely affect the character of the area. The appeal site lay in a predominantly residential area...

DC Casebook: Appeal cases - Pool for hire location found unsustainable.(Brief article)
November 2, 2007... The construction of an indoor swimming pool in the grounds of a Norfolk manor house has been ruled unsustainable because the majority of customers would travel to the site by car. The appellant proposed to operate the pool on a private hire...

DC Casebook: Appeal cases - Caravan site rearrangement wins backing.(Brief article)
November 2, 2007... The relocation of circus caravans from a site in Lancashire and their replacement with static holiday caravans has been approved following a ruling that it would result in no material harm to the local landscape. The appeal related to two...

DC Casebook: Appeal cases - New buildings permitted to serve hospital.(Brief article)
November 2, 2007... The secretary of state has accepted an inspector's recommendation to allow a mixed-use proposal in central London's Lambeth Palace conservation area, finding that the scheme would deliver a high quality of design. The proposal entailed the...

DC Casebook: Appeal cases - Mixed scheme held to enhance city centre.(Brief article)
November 2, 2007... A proposal for 53 flats and a drug rehabilitation centre close to an Aberdeen conservation area has won support from a reporter who held that the design would enhance the area. The mainly five-storey building was designed in contemporary...

DC Casebook: Appeal cases - Traffic light condition deemed excessive.(Brief article)
November 2, 2007... An inspector has deleted a condition from a planning permission for a mixed-use scheme in a Lancashire town after finding that it was not necessary to ensure pedestrian safety. The site lay outside but near to a shopping area. Outline...

DC Casebook: Appeal cases - Larger store blocked in conservation area.
November 2, 2007... Tesco Stores Ltd has obtained detailed approval from the secretary of state for a food store on an edge-of-centre site in Carlisle but has failed to secure outline permission for a larger superstore on the same site. The company sought...

DC Casebook: Appeal cases - Car boot sale ruled to cause highway harm.
November 2, 2007... Operators have failed to secure permission for a car boot sale site in Derbyshire following a ruling that it would adversely affect local residents' amenity and undermine highway safety. The site lay approximately 225m from a residential...

DC Casebook: Appeal cases - Benefits deemed to outweigh flood risks.(Brief article)
November 2, 2007... The provision of a shopmobility unit on part of a Dorset car park has been allowed after an inspector overruled concerns that it would conflict with highway safety or cause unacceptable flood risks. Although the scheme would lead to the...

DC Casebook: Appeal cases - DIY store meets partial quantitative need.
November 2, 2007... The secretary of state has followed an inspector's recommendation to approve a 2,447m2 gross DIY store with associated garden centre in Northumberland despite concluding that it met only a limited quantitative need. The secretary of state...

DC Casebook: Appeal cases - Detailed conditions judged unnecessary.(Brief article)
November 2, 2007... Various conditions imposed on a planning permission for a waste transfer and treatment station in Norfolk have been deleted after an inspector held that they were unnecessary and duplicated controls operated by the Environment Agency. The...

DC Casebook: Next week.(Brief article)
November 2, 2007... - Gas storage doubts justify rejection The secretary of state has rejected a proposed natural gas storage facility in Lancashire because of a lack of robust geological modelling, inadequate understanding of risk, visual harm and uncertainty...

DC Casebook: Appeal cases - In depth.
November 2, 2007... Shortfall of parking held likely to boost sustainable travel choices. The redevelopment of a factory in a Lincolnshire town with a block of 111 flats has been allowed after an inspector found that reduced parking provision would be...

DC Casebook: Appeal cases - Permitted development claim rejected.(Brief article)
November 2, 2007... An enforcement notice directed against the digging of foundation trenches to serve an agricultural building in the Nidderdale area of outstanding natural beauty (AONB) has been upheld because of the landscape harm that the scheme would cause....

DC Casebook: Appeal cases - Pub decking ruled no risk to amenity.
November 2, 2007... Proposals for an awning, heater, lights and decking at a pub in the West Midlands have been allowed following a ruling that they would not cause disturbance to local residents or harm the area's character or appearance. The pub occupied a...

DC Casebook: Appeal cases - Lawful siting of caravan allows cabin.(Brief article)
November 2, 2007... An inspector has given planning permission for the retention of a log cabin in the Cornwall area of outstanding natural beauty (AONB) in the light of a lawful development certificate allowing a caravan to be sited on the land. The council...

DC Casebook: Appeal cases - Loss of hotel rejected in tourist resort.
November 2, 2007... An inspector has rejected plans to convert a hotel in a Somerset seaside resort to 14 flats with commercial uses on the ground floor on the grounds of harm to the area's character. The hotel lay opposite the seafront and a listed railway...

DC Casebook: Appeal cases - Sports ground alternative held flawed.(Brief article)
November 2, 2007... A scheme in north-west London comprising 77 sheltered housing units, a guest suite and a sports and social clubhouse has been rejected after an inspector decided that less harmful ways of replacing facilities could be found. The...

DC Casebook: DC Forum.
November 2, 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... Monument safeguarded for archaeological work.
November 2, 2007... PROJECT: Silbury Hill. BACKGROUND: Problems with the hill, a Neolithic monument, were revealed in 2000 when a hole appeared in its summit above a shaft originally sunk in 1776. The hole has been temporarily capped but stabilisation work is...

The Things I Know.
November 2, 2007... Kelvin Macdonald, Chief policy adviser, RTPI - What skills did you have when you graduated? I took a BSc in town planning at Heriot-Watt University. - What attracted you to planning? Being a fairly sad person, I was first...

A Positive charge for communities.
November 2, 2007... The government has made a sound move in pursuing planning charges to raise infrastructure funding but it will take time for the machinery to be put in place, Catherine Davey concludes. It has long been recognised that only a small...

Consulting team player.
November 2, 2007... Tim Hancock has led Terence O'Rourke's growth by helping deliver ground-breaking schemes through a close-knit culture that emphasises interdisciplinary practice, Christina Papas finds. Terence O'Rourke managing director Tim Hancock was only...

Growth figure escalation shows up impossible dream on housing.
November 2, 2007... Stephen Colbert, the American comic who is running a spoof campaign for president, recently coined the term 'truthiness'. This refers to politicians who prefer the facts that they want to be true to those that are true. He is also behind...

Fyson on... investigation that should bring home the consequences of built environment staff shortfalls.
November 2, 2007... Prime minister Gordon Brown, apparently acting on a gratifying enthusiasm for housing people in sustainable communities, recently doubled the number of eco-towns to be included in the first round of new town building. However, although...

Legal Report.(Scottish planning system )
November 2, 2007... Reform offers chance to shape details of system. Modernisation of the Scottish planning system has been on the political agenda for as long as I can remember. It is, after all, de rigueur to complain about the complexities and...

Bell on... Body blows to a sacred cow.(Brief article)
November 2, 2007... Bravo Natural England! For the public body charged with stewardship of England's countryside, and still in its first year of business, to accept a policy paper that says development on the green belt may be necessary represents a courageous...

Bursting at the seams.
November 2, 2007... Latest projections pointing to faster than expected increases in population are feeding into debate about whether planned housing numbers will meet demand, reports Susanna Gillman. Visions of an overcrowded Britain can quickly veer into an...

Ferry move throws marina into doubt.
November 2, 2007... The multi-million pound redevelopment of Stranraer waterfront is uncertain after plans for a ferry terminal were abandoned last week. Dumfries and Galloway Council and Scottish Enterprise are assessing the consequences of Stena Line's...

Caltongate faces delays.(Mountgrange)(Brief article)
November 2, 2007... Plans for the Caltongate project in Edinburgh city centre are expected to be delayed after developer Mountgrange submitted alternative plans. The scheme would entail an arched passageway driven through tenements to link the Royal Mile with...

Task force demands more house building.
November 2, 2007... The Scottish Government's housing supply task force has insisted that action is needed to speed up house building in Edinburgh and the Lothians. The region was put under the spotlight last week at the task force's second meeting. Members...

Online now..
November 2, 2007... Visit the online forums at PlanningResource.co.uk for Does guidance on validity dates for planning applications apply to other notifications? Also online Masterplan for Burnley town centre reviewed British Council of Shopping Centres chief...

Planning stats.(Statistical data)
November 2, 2007... Pounds 132m - The amount of money announced by the Department for Transport this week for rail freight projects. This will be spent on four specific schemes across the UK. Pounds 36m - Extra funding from the Northwest Regional Development...

Housing plan wins backing.
November 2, 2007... DPP has won approval for one of the first housing schemes near the Thames Basin Heaths special protection area (SPA) since development was put on hold. Natural England's concerns about the impact of development on rare wildlife have held...

Work to start on rugby site.(Barton Willmore contracts with Bellway Homes)(Brief article)
November 2, 2007... Work is due to start on redeveloping the former Exeter Chiefs Rugby Club ground to designs produced by Barton Willmore's Bristol office. The firm acted as planning consultants, urban designers and architects on the scheme for Bellway...

Lawyers help waste set-up.
November 2, 2007... Law firm Nabarro has given advice on the creation of the first 'virtual' waste authority, which will be responsible for all waste management services in Somerset. The Somerset Waste Partnership is a single joint committee comprising...

Consultancy urges obligation policies.
November 2, 2007... Local authorities need to progress supplementary planning documents (SPDs) on planning obligations as a matter of urgency, a leading consultancy has warned. Cushman and Wakefield planning and environment partner Michael Crook said many...

Hastings briefs consultancies on sports-based regeneration.
November 2, 2007... Capita Symonds and S&P Architects have been appointed by Hastings Borough Council to investigate the viability of leisure and commercial developments. The council wants to turn the town into a leisure destination. This will be a catalyst...

Funds agreed for Newlands.(Northwest Regional Development Agency )(Forestry Commission)(Brief article)
November 2, 2007... Extra funding of pounds 36 million has been agreed by the Northwest Regional Development Agency and Forestry Commission to expand a woodland regeneration scheme. The money will support the Newlands programme, which aims to turn more than...

Areas assess cultural role.(Brief article)
November 2, 2007... Five growth and regeneration areas have been selected in a government scheme to ensure communities benefit from cultural facilities. The Thames Gateway, the South West region, Elevate East Lancashire, Corby and Partnership for Urban South...

Work begins at Southside.(Wandsworths Southside shopping centre)(Brief article)
November 2, 2007... Work has now begun on a pounds 20 million revamp in the latest phase of transforming Wandsworth's Southside shopping centre. Owner Metro Shopping Fund's investment will provide 1,860m2 of new shops on the Garratt Lane frontage with offices...

Bury town centre extension wins approval.
November 2, 2007... Thornfield Properties has won approval for an expanded version of its town centre scheme in Bury. The pounds 330 million development, known as The Rock, now includes a Marks & Spencer store alongside Debenhams, 60 shops, a cinema, a...

Waterloo plan aims to boost attraction.
November 2, 2007... A city square and local road closures have been proposed to regenerate the area around London Waterloo station. An opportunity area planning framework published last week by the Greater London Authority aims to take advantage of Waterloo's...

Birmingham shares cars.(Parking facilities)(Birmingham City Council )(Brief article)
November 2, 2007... Birmingham's first car-share lane is due to open later this month as part of a pounds 260,000 trial to cut traffic jams and improve journey times. Birmingham City Council believes that it can increase the city's low car occupancy of 1.2...

Freight links secure funds.(Department for Transport)(Brief article)
November 2, 2007... Grants of pounds 132 million for infrastructure on four English rail freight routes have been made by the Department for Transport. The route between Peterborough and Nuneaton will receive pounds 80 million to offer an alternative to routes...

Region seeks bus network.(Urban transportation)(Brief article)
November 2, 2007... A bus and coach network is to be created in the South East, regional transport planners agreed last week. The South East England Regional Assembly's transport board is considering an express network across the region. It is focusing on two...

Group fights airport plan.
November 2, 2007... The biggest ever coalition against Heathrow Airport expansion was launched this week, including 12 local authorities representing two million residents. The Stop Heathrow Expansion group was launched ahead of the government's forthcoming...

Government offers transport strategy.
November 2, 2007... High-speed rail links, road pricing and motorway widening will form the future of the government's transport strategy, according to a document published this week. The report sets out goals up to 2014 and beyond as part of the Department...

Minister outlines proposals to ease congestion on motorways.
November 2, 2007... Opening hard shoulders and using variable speed limits may offer a better solution to congestion than wider roads, transport secretary Ruth Kelly said last week. The Highways Agency reported that opening the hard shoulder to traffic at...

Benn pushes carbon cuts.(Brief article)
November 2, 2007... Government targets to cut carbon emissions by 60 per cent by 2050 could be strengthened, environment secretary Hilary Benn has said. The draft climate change bill published this week recommended that an expert committee explore whether the...

Eco-village views sought.(Brief article)
November 2, 2007... A fourth round of public consultation on an eco-community in the North East will begin this month. The masterplan for the Eastgate renewable energy village has been amended by the Weardale Task Force, made up of One NorthEast, local...

Group raises agency issue.
November 2, 2007... Friends of the Earth has lodged a complaint with the European Commission on Northern Ireland's failure to form an independent environmental protection agency. The move follows a High Court judge's ruling that the Department of the...

MPs urge UK to halt reliance on landfill.
November 2, 2007... Facilities to process up to 15 million tonnes of waste a year must be introduced urgently, MPs said this week. The Commons public accounts committee said the government must do more to meet EU targets for reducing the amount of waste being...

Proposal for South Downs park to face reopened public inquiry.(Brief article)
November 2, 2007... A public inquiry on the proposed South Downs national park is to be reopened, the government said last week. Inspector Robert Parry, who sat during the original inquiry from November 2003 to March 2005, will hear evidence from next...

Authorities debate housing target rise.
November 2, 2007... Regional authorities have voiced concerns over suggestions that house building should be increased above green paper targets to alleviate the affordability crisis. The government's National Housing and Planning Advice Unit (NHPAU) said...

Leaders warn against imposing penalties on high-density areas.
November 2, 2007... Councils in densely populated areas should not face penalties if they fail to deliver housing growth under the grant regime, government leaders have warned. Reacting to consultation on the housing and planning delivery grant, which began...

Mayor slams council plan.
November 2, 2007... Mayor Ken Livingstone has criticised the London Borough of Wandsworth for not including enough affordable homes for rent in its local development framework. Under the terms of the mayor's London Plan, half of all new homes in the capital...

Agenda.
November 2, 2007... 7-8 November: Core Cities Summit Organiser Core Cities Venue Nottingham Fee pounds 352.50 Details (tel) 01772 767795 8 November: Local Authority Planning Policy for Climate Change Organiser LGC Conferences Venue London Fee...

Groups clash over green belt revision.(Natural England )(Brief article)
November 2, 2007... Natural England and rural campaigners were locked into a fierce debate this week over a proposed review of the green belt. On the organisation's first anniversary, Natural England chief executive Helen Phillips argued that a review of green...

Business tax challenged.
November 2, 2007... Plans to charge extra business rates to fund London's Crossrail scheme should be dropped, Westminster City Council's leader has said. Simon Milton insisted this week that members of business improvement districts (BIDs) in the capital that...

Agency set to offer training on heritage.
November 2, 2007... A training scheme to tackle heritage skills shortages was unveiled this week by a government advisory body. English Heritage said it is responding to problems with planning posts reported by local authorities. The level of trainees in...

Fine for damage to listed Mayfair building.
November 2, 2007... A homeowner who damaged a grade II listed building in Mayfair has been fined pounds 10,000 by magistrates. Andrew Cecil cut through original brickwork and cornices on the 250-year-old property in 2005 without listed building consent. He...