Planning (UK) articles from October 2004

Planning (UK) archives from October 2004

Agenda: Diary to 8 October.(Calendar)
October 1, 2004... 5 OCTOBER: Planning for Wind Energy. Organisers: British Wind Energy Association and DTI. Venue: Swaffham, Norfolk. Fee: Free. Details: Helen Barnes (tel) 020 7689 1968. 5-10 OCTOBER: Introduction to Local Economic Development. ...

Diary: Clock comes home to roost in Gorbals.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Residents of Glasgow's once-notorious Gorbals district have taken delivery of a radical timepiece. Four larger-than-life birds came to rest last week above entrances to the Dawns Homes development in the city's Queen Elizabeth Gardens. The...

Diary: Judge unmoved by primal screaming.(cases of Triyoga Institute)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Yoga is widely regarded as a healthy and relaxing way of caring for mind and body, but as a method of spiritual healing it has driven shipping law arbitrator Mark Hamsher to the edge. Hamsher, a resident of A-list London location Primrose...

Diary: Salford rewarded for blooming vista.(Britain in Bloom awards)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... The city of Salford is rarely celebrated for its floral diversity. So the Seedley and Langworthy community in central Salford deserves particular credit for winning the community section of this year's annual Britain in Bloom awards. Seedley...

Moves: Appointment at FPD Savills.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Laura Bridle has joined the Wimborne office of the FPD Savills planning and urban design consultancy after earning an honours degree in applied geography from Bournemouth University. Andrew Gray has also joined FPD Savills as a graphic...

Moves: Appointment at FPD Savills.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Kate Cottrell and Paul Britton have joined FPD Savills as senior planners in Bristol. Cottrell joins from Tetlow King, where she specialised in mixed-use development and affordable housing. Britton joins from RPS, where he specialised in...

Moves: Appointment at Primesight.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Jim Barron has resigned his position as planning manager at Primesight Advertising and is going to work in Singapore. Barron previously worked for the London Boroughs of Bexley and Newham. His position at Primesight has been filled by Ben...

Moves: Appointment at Knight Frank.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Sarah Butterfield has joined Knight Frank's planning team as a planner. Keith Fenwick has been appointed to head the team. He previously worked for Mason Richards Planning.

Moves: Appointment at Rapleys.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Aidan Thatcher has joined Rapleys in London as a town planner. He moves from the London Borough of Hackney and was previously a planning assistant at Lewes District Council. Bernadette McQuillan has also joined Rapleys as a town planner in the...

Moves: Appointment at Baker Associates.(Claire Mitcham)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Claire Mitcham has joined Baker Associates in Bristol as a planning consultant and urban designer. She previously worked as a planner on the World Health Organisation's healthy cities programme.

Moves: Appointment at AERC.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Jennifer Mwonjoria has joined AERC's planning and environmental impact assessment group in Colchester. She moves from Oxfordshire County Council, where she worked as a planning officer.

Moves: New company - Ben Hunt Planning Ltd.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Ben Hunt has set up his own planning consultancy in Nottingham, called Ben Hunt Planning Ltd. He moves from David Tyldesley and Associates, where he worked for seven years.

Moves: Appointment at WA Fairhurst and Partners.(appoints Jo McKenna)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Jo McKenna has been appointed as a development planner at WA Fairhurst and Partners. She moves from Michael Courcier and Partners and will specialise in residential and commercial planning.

Moves: Appointment at Traffic, Transport and Highway Consultancy.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Morag Wilson has joined the Traffic, Transport and Highway Consultancy in Manchester as a senior consultant. She has worked in private practice for 15 years.

Moves: Appointment at Oxfordshire County Council.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Stephen Harness has been appointed as a strategic planning officer by Oxfordshire County Council. He moves from Inventures (NHS Estates), where he was a senior consultant in town planning.

Moves: Appointment at Scott Wilson.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Lee Dale has joined Scott Wilson's transportation team in Manchester as a transport planner. He moves from Halcrow.

RTPI News: Taking a career break? Don't forget your CPD.(Continuing Professional Development)
October 1, 2004... In response to dozens of enquiries, Christina Hirst looks at the opportunities available for CPD for those planning a career break. For members taking a career break, CPD may seem like a thing of the past. But the institute's requirements...

RTPI News: Spatial planning - what is it good for?
October 1, 2004... We need to popularise the concept of spatial planning and make it part of everyday conversation, maintains Steve Clark. The year 2003 marked the death of soul legend Edwin Starr, but I doubt that even at the height of his powers he would...

RTPI News: Bulletin Board.(Royal Town Planning Institute )(Calendar)
October 1, 2004... PLANNING CONSULTANCY OF THE YEAR 2004 Call for entries For the third year running, the RTPI in association with Planning wishes to recognise the excellent contributions made by consultants to better planning practice. Last year the...

RTPI News: Sustainable development - planners take hold of the tools.(Royal Town Planning Institute)
October 1, 2004... Sustainability is no longer an academic concept. It is now truly an integral part of the planning process, reports Jed Griffiths. In a state of the nation address at this year's RTPI conference on sustainable environments, Ove Arup's Adrian...

Casebook: Development Control Casebook Forum.
October 1, 2004... New queries Is it lawful or good practice for councils to issue split decisions on planning applications? Section 70 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 says that authorities may either grant permission, with or without conditions,...

Casebook: Holiday scheme accepted at mill but council claims costs.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... The change of use of a grade II listed windmill on Anglesey to holiday accommodation has been supported by an inspector even though he considered that the appellants had behaved unreasonably during the course of the appeal. The sole issue...

Casebook: Appeal cases - Agricultural development. Agricultural use claim rejected for generator.
October 1, 2004... An inspector has ruled that a generator building in the Bristol green belt requires planning permission after rejecting the appellant's arguments that it should benefit from permitted development rights. The appellant claimed that the...

Casebook: Appeal cases - Community facilities. Car park lighting held harmful to local amenity.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... An enforcement notice directed against ten lighting columns in the car park of a Christian meeting room on the Isle of Wight has been upheld on the grounds that they harm the character and appearance of the area and the living conditions of...

Casebook: Appeal cases - Community facilities. Portable classroom justified by educational need.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... The retention of a portable classroom building at a school on the Isle of Wight has won support from an inspector due to a pressing educational need, despite its adverse impact on the character of the area. The building was basic and...

Casebook: Appeal cases - Community facilities. Care home held unlikely to cause amenity loss.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... The change of use of a guest house near Glasgow to a children's care home has been approved despite council concerns that it would give rise to unacceptable noise levels and complaints from residents. The reporter noted that children...

Casebook: Appeal cases - Community facilities. Day nursery building deemed out of character.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... The stationing of a mobile building for use as a day nursery at a farm in Kent has been rejected after an inspector decided that it would be of utilitarian appearance and out of character with the rural area. He also judged the location to be...

Casebook: Appeal cases - Food and drink uses. Sushi restaurant supported despite odour fears.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... An enforcement notice alleging the partial change of use of a shop in south-west London to a restaurant has been quashed after an inspector decided that adverse amenity and highway effects could be controlled by conditions. The appellants...

Casebook: Appeal cases - Food and drink uses. Outside area at tea rooms ruled unlawful.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... An inspector has upheld two enforcement notices directed against the laying of paving stones to create a sitting-out area associated with a brasserie and tea rooms at a site in Hampshire, concluding that the land had not been continuously used...

Casebook: Appeal cases - Housing: New build. Restriction on windfall housing sites supported.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Plans for 13 apartments at a site on Merseyside have been rejected after an inspector determined that there was an adequate supply of housing land to meet foreseeable needs in the area. The council argued that the borough's predicted...

Casebook: Appeal cases - Housing: New build. Turret dwelling rejected as unduly cramped.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Proposals for a hexagonal three-storey house with a turret in Bournemouth have failed to secure approval after an inspector concluded that the scheme would result in a cramped form of development. The appeal scheme was designed to reflect...

Casebook: Appeal cases - Housing: New build. Apartment designs approved and costs awarded.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Two appeals seeking approval for the design and external appearance of 22 apartments on a former nursery in Exeter have been allowed, with the inspector also awarding costs to the appellant. The council had granted outline planning...

Casebook: Appeal cases - Housing: New build. Homes approved after favourable privacy ruling.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Country and Metropolitan Homes has secured permission for 39 flats in Hertfordshire after an inspector decided that they would not adversely affect the privacy of neighbours or harm the character and appearance of the area. She also granted the...

Casebook: Appeal cases - Householder development. Extension held to harm small dwelling supply.(Public Notice)
October 1, 2004... In upholding an enforcement notice requiring the removal of a single-storey extension at a cottage in the New Forest, an inspector has accepted that its retention would undermine the council's approach to maintaining an adequate supply of small...

Casebook: Appeal cases - Householder development. Cottage plans refused as harmful to character.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... An inspector has refused permission to extend a cottage in Lincolnshire on the grounds that it would undermine the diminutive character of the original building, which stood 6.4m high and had a footprint of only 24 sq m. The extension was...

Casebook: Appeal cases - Householder development. Car parking space rejected in conservation area.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... The provision of a car parking space at a 19th century house in a west London conservation area has been refused on the grounds that it would detract from the character and appearance of the locality. The inspector decided that it would create...

Casebook: Appeal cases - Leisure and entertainment. Play equipment dismissed on noise grounds.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... A proposal to install football equipment and surfacing at a play area in Lancashire has been rejected following a finding that it would be seriously harmful to residential amenity due to increased noise and disturbance. The inspector...

Casebook: Appeal cases - Leisure and entertainment. Horse riding facilities rejected in green belt.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Two enforcement appeals for a menage, stables and hardstanding areas in the Surrey green belt have been dismissed after an inspector held that they represented inappropriate development and the appellant had failed to show very special...

Casebook: Appeal cases - Leisure and entertainment. Tennis dome deemed out of scale with neighbours.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Proposals for a bubble tennis dome in Wiltshire for use during the winter months have been rejected after an inspector concluded that at 9m in height the building would be a visually overpowering and intrusive feature and out of scale with...

Casebook: Appeal cases - Retail development. Reporter rejects precedent argument on store.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... A reporter has refused planning permission for a 2,000 sq m non-food retail store on a Glasgow industrial estate, concluding that the appellants had failed to consider prevailing development plan policies properly. The 1.1ha site lay close...

Casebook: Appeal cases - Retail development. Garden centre held immune from enforcement.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... The use of land between two houses in Oxfordshire as a garden centre has been allowed after an inspector ruled that it had been established for more than ten years and was therefore immune from enforcement action. The inspector concluded...

Casebook: Appeal cases - Telecommunications. Mast additions judged to cause no further harm.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... The installation of three additional antennas on a 12m telecommunications mast in the Highlands and the erection of an equipment cabin have been allowed following a ruling that the development would not lead to a cluttered or unacceptable...

Casebook: Court cases - Permission for hotel in listed mansion under threat.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... A High Court judge has agreed to a request by a Buckinghamshire resident for a substantive hearing into a proposal to convert a grade I listed Victorian stately home into a six-star hotel. Meritmore Towers was built in the 1850s as the home...

Casebook: Court cases - Bedford town centre plans called into question.(government contracts)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Bedford Borough Council's decision to appoint St Modwen Developments Ltd as the preferred developer for the regeneration of Bedford's town centre bus station has been questioned by the High Court, which decided that other developers have an...

Casebook: Court cases - Housing decision quashed on legal grounds.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... The deputy prime minister's decision to refuse permission for 187 dwellings to be built by developer Wimpey in Morpeth, Northumberland, against the recommendation of one of his inspectors has been struck down because of his ruling that there...

Casebook: Appeal cases - Commercial and industrial. Scale of business extension held excessive.(Public Notice)
October 1, 2004... The provision of additional offices, tasting rooms and an enlarged cellar at a wine laboratory in the Surrey countryside has been ruled out by an inspector on the grounds that it would lead to an excessive increase in the scale of the operation...

Casebook: Appeal cases - Housing: Conversion. Residential use of barn judged lawful.(Public Notice)
October 1, 2004... A lawful development certificate has been issued to confirm that the use of a barn in Kent for residential purposes is lawful, with an inspector quashing an enforcement notice requiring the removal of an extension to the property. The barn...

Casebook: Appeal cases - Housing: Conversion. Curtilage conversions deemed acceptable.(Public Notice)
October 1, 2004... The conversion of a coach house and stables in Gloucester to form two flats has been allowed after an inspector decided that the scheme would cause no harm to the character and appearance of the area, the setting of a listed building or...

Casebook: Downloading decisions.
October 1, 2004... 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 - Mixed use development. Antique sales operation accepted in factory.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Continued use of a factory in Leicestershire for the display and restoration of antiques has been approved despite council argument that the operation should be located in a town centre. The building offered trade dealers their own display...

Casebook: Appeal cases - Retail development. Halal butcher wins consent for more chickens.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... The variation of a condition limiting the number of live chickens delivered to a halal butcher's shop in the West Midlands to 30 per day has been allowed following a ruling that it would not harm residential amenity. The shop occupied the...

Notebook: Vital global role for planners.(United Cities and Local Governments)(Calendar)
October 1, 2004... A UN forum on the future of world cities strengthens the case for planning as part of any sustainable urbanisation strategy, maintains Cliff Hague. Four thousand people have come to Barcelona to talk about how to make cities more...

Act spells workload growth.(Disability Discrimination Act)
October 1, 2004... Equal rights for disabled people mean more work for planners and lawyers in ensuring compliance, Chris Baker discovers. Today sees the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act come into force. But is the planning profession ready?...

Northern Way aims to revive economy.
October 1, 2004... Strategies to help promote economic growth in the north of England still need some sharp fine-tuning, writes Susanna Gillman. For decades, the south of England has outpaced the north in the economic stakes. Few doubt an even wider gulf...

Interview: Business zones pilot.
October 1, 2004... Now that business improvement districts legislation is on the statute book, national co-ordinator Jackie Reilly has a further job to get pilots working, reports Huw Morris. Two weeks ago Jacquie Reilly experienced one of those threshold...

Editorial: Planners must steer urban strategy drive.(Brief Article)(Editorial)
October 1, 2004... Despite day-to-day pressures, I hope that all our readers will find the time to read Cliff Hague's report on the World Urban Forum (see page 18). The bad news is that many governments and international aid agencies have long given up on...

Opinion: Fyson on ... motives behind Blair's climate change rally cry.
October 1, 2004... The prime minister's speech on climate change last month made clear the government's commitment to radical reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. The fact that Tony Blair attributed such urgency to the issue reflects his political need...

Solution proves elusive in access rights tussle.(Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000)
October 1, 2004... The right to roam is not the end of the battle for access to open country, writes Nancy Wainscoat. At 87 years of age, John and Irene Bunting's presence at last month's mass ramble across privately-owned land in the Peak District's Goyt...

Bell on ... sending out the right message to future planners.(environmental planning)
October 1, 2004... Geronimo! Well, more like Little Plum really. The headdress only sported two feathers and one of those was bent in the post. Nevertheless, I was proud to receive my accolade from Big Chief I-Spy. Let me explain. Fifty years ago a series of...

Analysis: Fee rise fights for approval.
October 1, 2004... Higher planning fees will only win support if they lead to faster processing, reports Catherine Early. In principle, higher planning application fees would win support from both the public and private sectors. But the ODPM's latest...

Business brief: Masterplan for Peterlee NE industrial estate to be drawn up.(Ferguson McIlveen L.L.P.,)(East Durham Business Service)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... A masterplan for the Peterlee North East industrial estate is to be drawn up by Ferguson McIlveen LLP for East Durham Business Service. The main objective is to provide a blueprint for the regeneration of the ageing industrial estate to attract...

Business brief: Urban Splash profits soar.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... The profits of property developer Urban Splash have soared by more than 50 per cent for the 16-month period ending 31 March 2004. The 52 per cent increase brings profits to pounds 6,334,000. New projects include Fort Dunlop in Birmingham,...

Business brief: Roger Evans Associates to prepare guidelines.(Havant Borough Council)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... A borough-wide framework and design guidelines for streets and spaces is to be prepared by Roger Evans Associates for Havant Borough Council. The main aim of the study is to produce a practical public realm design guide to cover a range of...

Business brief: Mouchel Parkman team to establish ownership of land.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Mouchel Parkman's land aspects team is to establish ownership of land and property across the centre of Bradford for urban regeneration company Bradford Centre Regeneration (BCR). The ten-week land referencing project is designed to give a full...

Business brief: Aedas scoops prizes.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Architect Aedas has scooped two prizes at the British Council for Offices North Awards. The practice won an award for its Whitehall Phase II office scheme on the site of a former power station in Leeds. It also scooped a prize for the Bass...

Business brief: Experian launches classification system.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... The first consumer classification system to categorise the total population of the UK by their daytime location has been launched by analyst Experian. Mosaic Daytime can be used to capture the shift between daytime and evening populations to...

Business brief: JMP Consulting to carry out audit in Gateshead.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... A borough-wide audit of traffic regulation orders in Gateshead will be carried out by JMP Consulting in a move to decriminalise parking enforcement. The audit for Gateshead Council will review all traffic regulation orders held in the borough...

Business brief: Pochin PLC profits boosted.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Property schemes have helped boost North West construction and development company Pochin PLC's profits by 13 per cent to pounds 5.08 million. The property and joint ventures division contributed pounds 3.3 million to overall pre-tax profits...

Business brief: Conwy chooses Service Net.(Telepartner)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... A web-based service to help manage street lighting electricians has been selected by Conwy County Borough Council's highways and transport department. Service Net from Telepartner uses mobile wireless telecommunications to connect operatives in...

Scottish News: Glasgow turns to green belt homes.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Green belt land has been released for housing in an attempt to tempt families back into Glasgow. The approval of plans for 330 homes at Parkhouse, in the south of the city, has been welcomed by house builders who called on other local...

Scottish News: Clyde site prepares for media invasion.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Scottish Television (STV) has become the second media organisation to relocate its headquarters to the former docks at Govan. Glasgow City Council last week approved STV's plans for a site at Pacific Quay on the south bank of the River...

Scottish News: Cash secured to buy Borders housing sites.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... The Scottish Executive has provided pounds 1.5 million to buy sites in the Borders for affordable housing. The money will be channelled through Eildon Housing Association, which hopes to build more than 90 homes. The grant was announced...

Transport News: Lib Dems propose high-speed rail link.(Liberal Democrats (United Kingdom))(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... The Liberal Democrats have proposed a London-Edinburgh high-speed rail line to form the backbone of an improved transport system. Speaking at the party's conference in Bournemouth last week, shadow transport secretary John Thurso said:...

Transport News: Minister pledges bill for healthier school travel.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Schools will be given pounds 200,000 each to develop greener, safer and healthier ways for pupils to travel to class. Schools minister Stephen Twigg confirmed last week that a bill will be laid before parliament as soon as possible to bring...

Transport News: London mayor issues fare rise warning.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... London's tube and bus fares will rise above inflation for the second consecutive year, mayor Ken Livingstone warned last week. Plans to increase bus fares by 20 per cent in January and tube fares by inflation plus one per cent will raise...

Transport News: Public railway takeover wins party support.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Renationalisation of the railways may become a reality after delegates at this week's Labour Party conference voted in favour of a motion put forward by the Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA). The TSSA's alternative position on...

Transport News: MPs put boot into air policy growth plans.(member of parliament)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... The Commons environmental audit committee has continued its attack on the government's aviation policy, admitting that its differences with the Department for Transport (DfT) appear to be 'irreconcilable'. The committee's fourth report on...

Regeneration News: Legal ruling stalls Bedford's revamp.
October 1, 2004... Regeneration plans for Bedford town centre stand in the balance after a High Court judge ruled that a dispute over the bus station's redevelopment should go to judicial review. Mr Justice Richards held that Stagecoach (South) Ltd, the bus...

Regeneration News: Developer selected for Oakgrove plans.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... A pounds 500 million millennium community in Milton Keynes is to be developed by Crest Nicholson. The company, chosen over 22 other tenders, will lead the development of the Oakgrove project, which is one of seven millennium communities...

Regeneration News: Crewe renewal draft sent out for comments.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... A multi-million pound masterplan to redevelop Crewe's south-east quadrant has been put out for consultation. The draft blueprint, developed by Building Design Partnership, aims to attract investment and job opportunities, encourage...

Regeneration News brief: Survey says government policies not fully joined up.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... More than three-quarters of regeneration professionals believe that government policies are not fully joined up despite around half claiming that the sector is improving, according to latest research. The survey, conducted by the British Urban...

Regeneration News brief: City Park Gate moves step closer.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... City Park Gate, the second phase of the Masshouse regeneration project in Birmingham, moved a step closer this week after the city council confirmed Countryside Properties as developer. The company won preferred developer status last December...

Regeneration News brief: Redevelopment of Cambridge takes major step forward.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... The redevelopment of Cambridge city centre has taken a major step forward after the deputy prime minister gave the project the green light. The issuing of a compulsory purchase order and a stopping up order have paved the way for work on the...

Regeneration News brief: Plan to transform east London launched.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... A plan to transform east London into a major tourist destination was launched this week. The scheme aims to make the most of the East End's diverse attractions, communities, history and fledgling businesses. The plan, a joint venture between...