Planning (UK) articles from October 2005

Planning (UK) archives from October 2005

Ashes hero takes up extreme sports.(Simon Jones )(Brief Article)
October 7, 2005... England fast bowler Simon Jones unwinds after the binge partying to celebrate the historic Ashes win with that most sedate of games, croquet, on the roof of Harrods. Except this is 'urban croquet', a gangster-style version of the aristocratic...

Paddling planners lose sight of prize.(Brief Article)
October 7, 2005... Who said planning cannot be fun? This week Diary learnt of six planners who have gone to great lengths to add to their continuing professional development by taking a trip up the River Thames. The team from Medway Council took to the water...

London mayor flaunts gift of the gab.(Ken Livingstone)(Brief Article)
October 7, 2005... Love him or loathe him, no-one can deny that London mayor Ken Livingstone has a certain gift with the English language. In 2001 his contribution to a debate on tall buildings in London was to describe English Heritage as the 'Taliban of...

Appointment at London Borough of Hillingdon.
October 7, 2005... Jean Palmer has been appointed director of planning and transport and a member of the chief officers management board by the London Borough of Hillingdon. She was previously planning and transport chief.

Appointment at Hyder Consulting.
October 7, 2005... Colin Williams has been recruited by Hyder Consulting to lead its development planning team in Warrington. He was previously planning manager at Vale Royal Borough Council. Michael Stallard, who was previously with ERM, joins Hyder's Cardiff...

Richard Hammersley retires.
October 7, 2005... Richard Hammersley has retired as a senior academic at the Birmingham School of Planning. He has taken up part-time posts as a community planner at West Midlands Planning Aid and a lecturer at Liverpool John Moores University.

Appointment at Edinburgh City Council.
October 7, 2005... John Inman has been appointed as planning strategy manager by Edinburgh City Council. He was previously acting strategy manager at the local authority and has also worked for the former Lothian Regional Council.

Appointment at BURA.
October 7, 2005... Eddie Bridgeman has joined the British Urban Regeneration Association (BURA) as conference director. He previously ran a research and production consultancy. Karen Diamond has joined BURA as events manager.

Sam Ralph retires as director.
October 7, 2005... Sam Ralph has retired as director of planning and transportation at Norfolk County Council. He joined the local authority in 1974. Ralph is a former chairman of the East Anglia branch of the Institution of Highways and Transportation.

Appointment at Vision 21.
October 7, 2005... Helen Bidwell has been promoted to associate director by Vision 21. She was previously senior project manager. Bidwell joined the firm in 2000, having previously worked for Taylor Young.

Appointment at Ashursts.
October 7, 2005... Marianne Bate has been recruited by Ashursts as a solicitor in the firm's planning group. She moves from Nabarro Nathanson. Matthew Stimson has also joined Ashursts as a solicitor. He previously worked for Berwin Leighton Paisner.

Appointment at RPS.
October 7, 2005... Francesca Stokes has rejoined RPS in Bristol as a planner after completing an MSc in regeneration at Cardiff University.

Appointment at Mouchel Parkman.
October 7, 2005... David Hardcastle has joined the transport planning division at Mouchel Parkman as technical director. He moves from Kellogg, Brown and Root. Other recruits are Terry Wang, Stephen Moriarty, Phil Barrett, Mario Charalambides, Paul Hammond,...

Appointment at Regeneris Consulting.
October 7, 2005... Andrew Clegg has been appointed as a senior consultant by Regeneris Consulting. Michael Phillips has joined the firm as a research consultant and Rebekah Hicks has joined as a consultant.

Agenda.
October 7, 2005... DIARY TO 21 OCTOBER 14 October: Development Management. Organiser: Hawksmere. Venue: Manchester. Fee: pounds 283.50 + VAT. Details: (tel) 0845 120 9602. 14 October: Planning Law Update. Organiser: Wilbraham & Co. Venue: Newcastle. Fee:...

Global planning: the first world planners congress.(Column)
October 7, 2005... Planning is increasingly relevant to communities in all countries and on all continents around the world, says Clive Harridge. The need for good planning on a global scale has arguably never been more urgent. At a time of increasing...

RTPI Bulletin Board.
October 7, 2005... RTPI Elections Nominations opened on 16 September for elections for the junior vice-president 2006, the executive board 2006 and the general assembly 2006. Nominations close on 14 October. The elections for candidates will take place by...

Planning Matters to Atkins Planning.(Column)
October 7, 2005... The primary objective of Planning Matters is to improve the performance of individuals, maintains Carson Warnes. Atkins Planning is one of the leading multidisciplinary planning consultancies in the UK, with clients in both the public and...

RTPI highlights the need to look at climate change more positively.
October 7, 2005... The institute welcomes this consultation, which invites all those involved in the development process to consider the impacts of climate change. Planning policy manager David Barraclough says that the RTPI welcomes the consultation paper...

Casebook: Amenity concerns frustrate conversion of manor house.(Brief Article)
October 7, 2005... The change of use of a manor house in the Surrey countryside to allow the accommodation to be used as a hotel and entertainment venue has been rejected after an inspector decided that it would harm nearby residents' amenity. The building,...

Casebook: Appeal case - Commercial and Industrial - Military vehicle store rejected in top landscape.(Brief Article)
October 7, 2005... Two enforcement notices directed against the use of a field in the North Wessex Downs area of outstanding natural beauty (AONB) for storing former military vehicles have been upheld after an inspector agreed that the development undermined the...

Casebook: Appeal case - Commercial and Industrial - Caravan storage found irregular and unlawful.(Brief Article)
October 7, 2005... An enforcement notice directed against the siting of a caravan on land in Wiltshire has been upheld after an inspector agreed that it had not acquired immunity from enforcement. The overgrown site contained a disused swimming pool and two...

Casebook: Appeal case - Commercial and Industrial - Shed judged to impair conservation area.(Brief Article)
October 7, 2005... The demolition of a single-storey brick outbuilding in the curtilage of commercial premises in south-east London has been approved after an inspector agreed that it severely detracted from a conservation area's character. The structure had...

Casebook: Appeal case - Community Facilities - Care home fails to substantiate residential use.(Brief Article)
October 7, 2005... A lawful development certificate has been refused for the occupation of a house in Bath by five people needing high levels of care after an inspector determined that it involved a material change of use. The appellants stated that the late...

Casebook: Appeal case - Food and Drink uses - Catering outlet deemed no threat to wider plans.(Brief Article)
October 7, 2005... A food and drink use has been allowed at a commercial site in Bristol following a ruling that it would not prejudice comprehensive development or contravene national and local policies to boost sustainable transport choices. The site...

Casebook: Appeal case - Food and Drink uses - Precedent concern undermines extended hours.(Brief Article)
October 7, 2005... A proposal to extend opening hours at a cafe and bar in Bristol has been rejected after an inspector decided that it would set an undesirable precedent. Permission had been granted for the change of use of the premises from a casino and...

Casebook: Appeal case - Energy Development - Biomass station rejected as harmful to landscape.(Brief Article)
October 7, 2005... Plans for a power station fuelled by waste wood on the edge of a Somerset town have been rejected due to concerns that it would significantly harm the landscape. The plant was intended to produce both heat and power using wood as its...

Casebook: Appeal case - Housing: New Build - Council view prevails on affordable options.
October 7, 2005... An inspector has refused planning permission for 12 affordable dwellings next to a village in Essex after deciding that an alternative site was preferable. The appeal proposal included eight rented homes and four shared equity units to...

Casebook: Appeal case - Housing: New Build - Scheme judged to overstep design boundary.
October 7, 2005... A proposal to demolish a pub and build 70 apartments and 21 affordable dwellings at a site in Surrey has been rejected after an inspector decided that its design was unsympathetic to the area's character. The appeal site lay close to the...

Casebook: Appeal case - Housing: New Build - Inspector keeps coach station options open.
October 7, 2005... A residential development adjacent to coach station in the West Midlands has been rejected following a ruling that it could potentially prejudice the comprehensive redevelopment of the wider area. Supplementary planning guidance produced by...

Casebook: Appeal case - Housing: Conversion - Tenants lose claim for household status.
October 7, 2005... A lawful use certificate has been denied for the residential use of two properties in Cheshire after an inspector decided that neither was occupied by a single household. The buildings were on opposite sides of the same street in a...

Casebook: Appeal case - Householder Development - Owners secure concession on plastic colour.
October 7, 2005... A condition requiring prior approval of a coloured sample of UPVC to be used in the construction of a conservatory at a house in the Cheshire green belt has been deleted after an inspector agreed that it was unnecessary. The appeal...

Casebook: Appeal case - Householder Development - Modernist extension agreed in national park.
October 7, 2005... The partial demolition and extension of a cottage in the Cairngorms national park has won approval from a reporter despite its blatantly modernist design. The scheme involved demolishing a rear extension, front porch and garage to enable...

Casebook: Appeal case - Listed Buildings - Water reed thatch held harmful to listed chapel.
October 7, 2005... Listed building consent has been denied for rethatching a listed Baptist chapel in Somerset after an inspector ruled that the use of water reed would harm its character. The roof was covered with combed wheat reed. The appellants held that...

Casebook: Appeal case - Retail Development - Store design accepted in mixed development.(Aldi Stores Ltd )(Brief Article)
October 7, 2005... Aldi Stores Ltd has secured permission for a supermarket in a Warwickshire town centre conservation area, with an inspector finding in the company's favour despite council concerns about its design and the implications for a comprehensive...

Casebook: Appeal case - Retail Development - Retail warehouse permitted on employment land.
October 7, 2005... The deputy prime minister has granted planning permission for a large B&Q store in Somerset despite some reservations about whether sequentially preferable sites had been thoroughly examined. The 3.6ha site formed part of a larger area...

Casebook: Appeal case - Transport Development - Motorway services area justified by pressing need.
October 7, 2005... The deputy prime minister has granted permission for a motorway service area on the A1(M) at Kirk Deighton in North Yorkshire but turned down four other schemes on alternative sites in the M1 and A1(M) corridor. He endorsed a pressing need...

Casebook: Court case - Owners of protected tree face prosecution threat.(Brief Article)
October 7, 2005... The owners of a protected oak tree will face prosecution following an unsuccessful High Court attempt to prevent St Edmundsbury Borough Council from taking action against them. The council accused the owners of felling the tree without...

Casebook: Appeal case - Commercial and Industrial - Petrol station proposals found visually harmful.
October 7, 2005... The redevelopment of a petrol filling station in Liverpool has been rejected after an inspector decided that it would have an unacceptable impact on adjoining residents. The site contained a six-island service station and shop on a busy...

Casebook: Appeal case - Community Facilities - Control over student housing judged adequate.
October 7, 2005... An inspector has agreed to vary the terms of a condition imposed on student accommodation in Oxford after deciding that adequate control over the running of the establishment would be maintained. The condition stated that the accommodation...

Casebook: Appeal case - Food and Drink uses - Bar scheme approved despite crime concerns.(Brief Article)
October 7, 2005... The change of use and extension of premises in a Worcestershire town centre to a drinking establishment has been allowed despite concerns raised by the local planning authority that it would increase the risk of crime and disorder. The...

Casebook: Appeal case - Housing: New Build - Windfall release refused due to supply impact.
October 7, 2005... The redevelopment of a pig-breeding business in the Yorkshire countryside for housing has been rejected on the grounds that it would undermine the local planning authority's ability to manage the release of sites in an orderly manner. The...

Casebook: Appeal case - Development Control Casebook Forum.
October 7, 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...

Barriers foil tram progress.
October 7, 2005... Delays in delivering the next wave of light rail projects raise question marks over procurement, suggests Chris Baker. This is a testing time for trams. Light rail schemes across the country are coming under threat from funding rows, public...

Sector benefits from ideals.(consulting services benefited because of the need for planners)
October 7, 2005... Latest efforts to promote more sustainable travel are fuelling the growth of transport consultancies, reports Catherine Early. Transport planners often refer to their subject area as a political football or a bit of a Cinderella. But with...

Analytical architect.(Tim Stonor )
October 7, 2005... Space Syntax boss Tim Stonor has converted an experimental academic concept into a thriving commercial venture that produces results, reports Nancy Wainscoat. London-based architect Tim Stonor knows a good deal more about planning than...

Fyson on ... multiple benefits of the planning delivery grant.
October 7, 2005... Research confirming that the planning delivery grant continues to stimulate a better and quicker local planning service was published by the ODPM last week. It will not surprise planners that giving authorities funds to recruit more staff...

Politicians struggle to relinquish control.
October 7, 2005... Management theory tells leaders that if they want more power they should delegate it. While the major political parties talk a lot about devolving power, they all struggle to give it up in practice. Control is the key factor. When it comes...

Agency hits back after traffic blocking claims.
October 7, 2005... Highways executives have been stung by criticism over growth area road capacity, says Catherine Early. Road capacity in the UK's growth areas is a thorny problem. The Highways Agency, blamed in some quarters for delaying schemes, is urging...

Halman on ... why conditions should not stifle crucial schemes.
October 7, 2005... The road to securing a planning permission is littered with many obstacles, but the result is worth the effort when the decision notice drops on the desk. However, not all the endings are happy ones, even when approval is granted. Too...

Blair fuels nuclear reaction.
October 7, 2005... The re-emergence of the nuclear energy option has generated a heated response, reports Chris Baker. The spectre of nuclear power has reared its head again following last week's Labour Party conference, where prime minister Tony Blair...

Highland sets out wind farm details.
October 7, 2005... Major wind farm developments could be channelled into 11 Highland areas under Scotland's first draft renewable energy strategy, it emerged last week. The document, considered by Highland Council last week, designates sites in Inverness,...

Edinburgh aims for pedestrian streets.(Brief Article)
October 7, 2005... Edinburgh councillors are vowing to press ahead with plans to remove traffic from city centre streets following a fact-finding mission to Denmark. They believe that creating more pedestrianised zones, pavement cafes and continental-style...

Canal network secures extra upgrade cash.(Caledonian Canal, Crinan Canal and the Union Canal in Falkirk, Scotland)(Brief Article)
October 7, 2005... An additional pounds 3 million has been released by the Scottish Executive to drive forward canal improvements, it was announced last week. Projects to benefit from the funding include improvements to locks on the Caledonian Canal, the...

More research to be carried out by University of Sheffield.(Brief Article)
October 7, 2005... More research to identify the value of planning obligations in England will be carried out by the University of Sheffield and Halcrow Group following a scoping study in May. The ODPM commission aims to improve available evidence on the...

Terence O'Rourke hired by Gloucester Heritage URC.
October 7, 2005... A regeneration framework and blueprint for a pounds 1 billion ten-year investment programme for Gloucester is to be drawn up by Terence O'Rourke. The firm has been appointed by Gloucester Heritage Urban Regeneration Company (URC). It will work...

Turnover at White Young Green rises.(Brief Article)
October 7, 2005... Turnover at White Young Green has risen by 60 per cent in the past year, the company reported last week. Its preliminary results for the year ended 30 June revealed a turnover of pounds 143.9 million, compared to pounds 89.9 million in 2004....

Study of Windsor and Maidenhead to be carried out.(by GL Hearn)(Brief Article)
October 7, 2005... A retail and leisure study of Windsor and Maidenhead is to be carried out by GL Hearn. The firm will assess the potential for retail growth in the borough between 2006 and 2016. It will also look at the likely demand for commercial leisure...

Pitmans to provide advice on land in Hackney.(Brief Article)
October 7, 2005... Thames Valley law firm Pitmans is to provide advice on a 6ha parcel of land in Hackney, east London, for a consortium of landowners. The collective is working with the London Borough of Hackney on a masterplan for Dalston town centre,...

Review completed by WSP Civils.(Washington State Patrol)(Brief Article)
October 7, 2005... An 18-month review of traffic regulation orders has been completed by WSP Civils for Lancashire County Council. The project aimed to deal with the increasing problem of illegal and inconsiderate parking throughout the county. WSP audited...

Road scheme launched in St Austell.
October 7, 2005... A road scheme has been launched to ease congestion and reduce delays in and around St Austell. Mouchel Parkman is working with Mowlem and Cornwall Country Council on the design and construction of plans to upgrade the A391 link road between St...

JMP Consulting develops method.
October 7, 2005... A method to rank major North East transport schemes is being developed by JMP Consulting. The project for the Government Office for the North East aims to develop ways to prioritise potential transport schemes to help decision-makers create a...

Developer reveals airport link cost hike.
October 7, 2005... The cost of a rail link between central Glasgow and the city's airport has risen from pounds 140 million to pounds 160 million, its promoter has admitted. Strathclyde Passenger Transport (SPT) will decide this week whether to submit its...

Charge extension plans incense business lobby.(Brief Article)
October 7, 2005... Business groups in London have condemned plans to extend the congestion charge. Last week mayor Ken Livingstone announced that the pounds 8 weekday charge will be extended westwards to Kensington and Chelsea from February 2007. Residents'...

Authorities apply for road pricing funds.
October 7, 2005... West Midlands councils are set to bid for government money to investigate road pricing in the region, it emerged this week. The seven local authorities in the conurbation will apply for pounds 1.2 million from the transport innovation fund....

Tories lament poor state of street design.
October 7, 2005... Fear of legal action is forcing transport planners to create clutter-ridden streets, Tory shadow transport secretary Alan Duncan warned this week. Speaking at the Conservative Party conference, Duncan complained that streets are full of...

Borough calls for guarantee of repair cash.(Brief Article)
October 7, 2005... A guarantee of funding to repair and reopen Battersea Bridge has been demanded from mayor Ken Livingstone by the leader of the London Borough of Wandsworth. The bridge, which was hit by a barge last month, is closed while Transport for...

Developer revises King's Cross offer.
October 7, 2005... Revised plans to redevelop London's King's Cross area were submitted by developer Argent last week. A batch of 11 outline applications for the 27ha brownfield site between and behind King's Cross and St Pancras stations was submitted in...

Draft targets Walsall revival.(Walsall Regeneration Company plans for many redevelopment projects)(Brief Article)
October 7, 2005... A pounds 600 million blueprint to transform Walsall into a town for enterprise was unveiled last week. The Walsall Regeneration Company (WRC) framework outlines plans for eight major projects in the Black Country borough, including a...

Masterplan to be drawn up for WWII air force base in Surrey.(by Pollard Thomas and Edwards)(Brief Article)
October 7, 2005... A masterplan to redevelop a Second World War air force base in Surrey is to be drawn up by architects Pollard Thomas Edwards. It will set out a vision for a 250ha mixed-use development at Dunsfold Park near Guildford. Dunsfold Park Ltd, a joint...

Westbury Homes selected for housing renewal scheme.
October 7, 2005... Westbury Homes has been selected as preferred developer for a multi-million pound housing renewal scheme at Woodside in Telford, Shropshire. The company has been chosen by English Partnerships to redevelop the 6.82ha brownfield site following...

Plans submitted for mixed-use scheme at Liverpool Central station.(Brief Article)
October 7, 2005... Plans for a mixed-use scheme at Liverpool Central station have been submitted to the city council. The pounds 160 million development by Liverpool Central Regeneration Ltd, a joint venture between Merepark and Ballymore, envisages a 38-storey...

Plans for central Bolton redevelopment given go-ahead.(Brief Article)
October 7, 2005... Plans for a pounds 100 million redevelopment of central Bolton were given the go-ahead last week. The Central Street area scheme includes an anchor store, smaller shops and 150 flats and will double car parking facilities. The development aims...

Local MP opens business village in Stafford.
October 7, 2005... A pounds 1.5 million business village in Stafford was opened by local MP David Kidney last Friday. The purpose-built facility connects Staffordshire University's Beaconside campus with the Staffordshire Technology Park to provide a range of...

Heritage Lottery grant secured for Wakefield.(for construction of art gallery)(Brief Article)
October 7, 2005... A pounds 4.9 million Heritage Lottery grant has been secured to kick-start the construction of a state-of-the-art gallery in Wakefield. Proposed for Wakefield's waterfront conservation area, the Hepworth Gallery will house the city's collection...

Peterborough URC to operate under Opportunity Peterborough name.(urban regeneration company)(Brief Article)
October 7, 2005... Peterborough's urban regeneration company (URC) will operate under the name Opportunity Peterborough, it was announced this week. The organisation was set up in March and will adopt a logo based on three interlocking rings - representing the...

Operators disclose racecourse revamp.(Newbury Racecourse )(Brief Article)
October 7, 2005... Plans to revamp Newbury Racecourse into an international sports and leisure venue are under preparation, its operators announced last week. A masterplan to redevelop the Berkshire racecourse over the next five years is being drawn up by...

Rival site proposals bid for Sunderland backing.
October 7, 2005... A battle to redevelop a former brewery site in Sunderland is moving forward after city council planners said last week that they are minded to approve a scheme by the area's renewal company. Sunderland Arc hopes to develop the 6.5ha Vaux...

Figures show drop in application total.(Brief Article)
October 7, 2005... The number of planning applications received by local authorities has dropped by almost ten per cent in the past year, according to latest government statistics. ODPM figures published this week show that the number of applications fell...

Dome scheme wins approval of committee.(Millennium Dome)(Brief Article)
October 7, 2005... Plans to redevelop London's Millennium Dome are advancing after planners approved the first phase of a detailed scheme last week. The London Borough of Greenwich's planning committee unanimously agreed to give the go-ahead to proposals for...

Asda secures import facility for North East.
October 7, 2005... A deal to develop a pounds 20 million import centre at Teesport has been struck between site owner PD Ports and Asda, it emerged this week. The 47,380m2 port facility, which will be built for Asda by developer Gazeley, will provide the...

Landmark tower to grace Bournemouth skyline.(Brief Article)
October 7, 2005... A landmark zinc and glass tower is set to grace Bournemouth's skyline under plans submitted by Redrow. The proposals for the Terrace Mount car park include 225 flats, 800m2 of retail space and a 450-space public car park. Project architect Cube...

Thameside hit by chief's departure.(Kent Thameside)(Ian Lindsay)(Jackie Sadek)(Brief Article)
October 7, 2005... The body tasked with driving the regeneration of a key part of the Thames Gateway has suffered the second resignation of a chief officer in fewer than six months. Ian Lindsay, who was acting chief executive at Kent Thameside following the...

Consortium to deliver Lawley urban scheme.
October 7, 2005... The developers of England's largest new community at Lawley in Telford were unveiled by English Partnerships this week. George Wimpey UK, Persimmon Homes and Barratt Homes have been appointed after making a joint bid to develop the 70ha...