High Court spurns bid to continue virtual planning meetings
A High Court judge has dismissed a legal challenge that sought to continue local authority remote meetings beyond 6 May.
Laura Edgar, The Planner
Guide: Biodiversity must be studied early in planning process
Biodiversity should be considered at the earliest stages of planning for residential development in order to encourage wildlife to live there and help to reverse habitat decline, according to a guide published 27 April.
Laura Edgar, The Planner
Deal required for net-zero homes, says report
The government has been urged to commit to making every social home in the UK as energy-efficient as possible by 2030.
Laura Edgar, The Planner
Task force launched for digital planning
An independent panel has been launched with the intention to promote an integrated digitally informed approach of town and country planning.
Laura Edgar, The Planner
Government funding to help people build their own homes
Housing secretary Robert Jenrick has announced £150 million in government funding to make it easier and more affordable for people to build their own homes.
Laura Edgar, The Planner
Peatlands and native woodlands are best for carbon storage
Peatlands and native UK woodlands have the greatest capacity to store carbon, according to research by Natural England.
Laura Edgar, The Planner
As the world begins to return to normality, we bring together thought leaders, keynote speakers and exhibitors from across the planning industry together for discussions, learning and networking at our four-day virtual conference.
Read more…UK’s native woodlands in ‘poor’ ecological condition
Native woodlands in the UK are ‘isolated and in poor ecological condition’, with just 7 per cent in good ecological condition, according to a report by the Woodland Trust.
Laura Edgar, The Planner
Ease of access for SMEs would diversify housing supply
A think tank has suggested that changing permissions to delivery contracts could help to deliver more homes and improve access to the open market for small and medium-sized (SME) companies in England to diversify housing supply.
Laura Edgar, The Planner
Developer withdraws legal action against Norwich regeneration scheme
Developer Weston Homes and site owners Columbia Threadneedle have withdrawn a High Court challenge against the housing secretary’s decision to reject plans to redevelop Anglia Square in the centre of Norwich.
Laura Edgar, The Planner
Government announces a Towns Fund Deal for Truro
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has set out a £23.6 million deal for Truro, Cornwall, that is intended to boost the local economy, create jobs and improve skills in the area.
Laura Edgar, The Planner
Permission sought to redevelop former Kent power station
Energy company Uniper has submitted an outline planning application to Medway Council for a mixed-use development on the site of the former Kingsnorth power station.
Laura Edgar, The Planner
Government agency seeks affordable housing partners
Homes England is seeking ambitious strategic partners that can deliver affordable housing at scale.
Laura Edgar, The Planner
Does the disparity between Planning Portal and MHCLG’s statistics highlight the increasing pressure local authorities are under?
On 25 March 2021, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) published their latest statistics regarding planning application submissions between October and December 2020. Their data showed that planning authorities in England received 111,700 applications for planning permission, up 11 per cent on the corresponding quarter of 2019. While the trends with this data mimic the data patterns the Planning Portal have been seeing over the last few months, the actual numbers differ greatly.
Read more…Chief planner outlines policy changes
England’s chief planner Joanna Averley has written to local authority planners about the changes to the planning system and temporary measures that will remain to ease the path out of lockdown and aid economic recovery.
Laura Edgar, The Planner
London council consults on second licence for HMOs
The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea Council has published a consultation on draft plans that seek to improve housing standards and take action against landlords that don’t provide safe accommodation for tenants in houses in multiple occupation (HMOs).
Laura Edgar, The Planner
Regeneration plans approved in Southend
Southend-on-Sea Borough Council’s development control committee has granted planning permissions for the Better Queensway regeneration project, which includes more than 1,700 new homes.
Laura Edgar, The Planner
Government announces extra funding for green homes
The much-trumpeted Green Homes Grant scheme to insulate houses – launched by the government just last September – has been axed with the money allocated to a separate insulation fund run by councils.
Prithvi Pandya, The Planner
11 per cent increase in applications submitted for planning in Q3
District councils in England received 111,700 applications for planning permission between October and December 2020 (Q3), according to a statistical release by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG).
Laura Edgar, The Planner
Berkshire film studio approved
Wokingham Borough Council’s planning committee has granted planning approval for a temporary film studio in Shinfield, which is the first phase of a larger studio proposed for the site.
Laura Edgar, The Planner
Local government in Northamptonshire is facing its biggest change in over 40 years.
The eight existing councils will be replaced with two brand new unitary councils on 1 April 2021.
The new West Northamptonshire unitary council will serve the areas of Daventry District, Northampton and South Northants, and the new North Northamptonshire unitary authority will serve Wellingborough, Kettering, Corby and East Northants.
Read more…Legislative updates relevant to prior approval applications for new dwellinghouses (including through change of use) are coming into force from 6 April 2021 and apply to any such application submitted from that point onwards.
Permitted development legislation has been amended in relation to space standards, and specifies that any new dwellinghouse will only be eligible for permitted development rights if it has a gross internal floor area of at least 37 square metres, and complies with the nationally described space standard.
From 6 April 2021, our content within the application system and our fillable PDF forms will be updated to reflect the amended legislation.
