Sharma refuses extension to Thanet offshore wind farm
Energy secretary Alok Sharma has turned down an application for a development consent order (DCO) by Vattenfall Wind Power Ltd to extend Thanet offshore wind farm.
Laura Edgar, The Planner
Applications submitted for Cambridgeshire new town
Two outline planning applications have been lodged with South Cambridgeshire District Council for the final phases of Northstowe New Town.
Laura Edgar, The Planner
Emergency Covid-19 grants to help heritage projects unveiled
Historic England has announced that 70 projects will receive a share of £1.8 million to help to tackle the impact of coronavirus (Covid-19) on the heritage sector.
Laura Edgar, The Planner
Last month we posted the first of our Planning Market Insight Reports, sharing application data and the drastic effects that COVID-19 has had on submissions, as the global pandemic puts a huge strain not just on the building and construction industries, but on the economy as a whole.
We hope that the first report was helpful and gave some valuable insight as we saw a noticeable downturn in applications, with almost a 20 per cent decrease in submissions for April this year compared to April 2019. The application numbers may be indicative of economic confidence overall, with many businesses halted by the pandemic, leading to applicants choosing to wait to start projects, or potentially abandoning them altogether. However, with the reopening of the construction sites over the last month, supported by merchants and suppliers, there has been a positive impact on application numbers, with an upward trajectory recorded across May. As workers return to building sites, and schools and other businesses begin to reopen, a heightened confidence in the economy appears to be taking place and project planning is being undertaken. Whilst the application numbers for May this year are still lower than May 2019, the rise from April can still be perceived as positive sign.
England needs a design quality unit, consortium insists
The government should set up a dedicated Design Quality Unit for England to build on the work of the Building Better, Building Beautiful Commission (BBBBC).
Laura Edgar, The Planner
Khan backs housing developer with £50 million loan
London mayor Sadiq Khan has approved a £50 million for Mount Anvil to help the housing developer to accelerate the purchase of new sites and deliver an increased number of new homes.
Huw Morris, The Planner
Sizewell C application submitted after two-month COVID-19 delay
EDF Energy has applied for a development consent order (DCO) to build the Sizewell C nuclear power station in Suffolk after a two-month delay owing to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Huw Morris, The Planner
COVID-19: Application submissions fall in England and Wales
Data shows that planning applications of all types fell on average by 3.5 per cent in March and 18.5 per cent in April in England and Wales.
Laura Edgar, The Planner
COVID-19: Jenrick updates the country on construction and planning
Giving the daily government briefing on Covid-19 on 13 May, housing secretary Robert Jenrick spoke about the measures the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has put in place to get the construction industry back on site and enable the planning system to continue functioning in England.
Laura Edgar, The Planner
MHCLG updates COVID-19 guidance for planning in England
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has issued updated guidance to ensure that the planning system in England can ‘play its full part’ in the national and local economic recovery to come after the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.
Laura Edgar, The Planner
We’re making some important changes to our planning application service on Friday night, as part of an ongoing programme of investment and improvement. This means that the service will be unavailable from 17:30 to midnight on 22 May while we release the change. From Saturday morning (23 May) you will see some changes to forms, but there are also some important changes going on behind the scenes. Read more…
COVID-19: England to get pop-up cycle lanes ‘within weeks’
Transport secretary Grant Shapps has announced that £250 million is to be invested in creating pop-up cycle lanes, wider pavements, safer junctions and bus-only corridors in England.
Laura Edgar, The Planner
Cardiff gasworks site bought for major housing scheme
Cardiff City Council has acquired the 12-hectare former gasworks site in Grangetown, earmarked for a major residential development that will see its iconic listed gasholder incorporated in the scheme.
Roger Milne, The Planner
Transport secretary approves Midlands freight terminal
Four Ashes Limited’s application for a development consent order (DCO) to deliver an intermodal freight terminal in the West Midlands has been granted.
Laura Edgar, The Planner
The UK had lifestyle and business operating restrictions imposed on 23 March 2020 in a drastic but needed step to limit the spread of the COVID-19 virus. As it has in every aspect of life, the limitations have had a significant impact on the planning and construction industries.
Construction has long been a central tenet of government’s economic growth strategy but this was brought to a halt by the national lock-down. In the planning arena specifically, many businesses have furloughed staff and some have found creative solutions to manage work remotely. Now, as construction sites start to reopen, we are sharing what all of this has meant for the nature and volume of planning applications submitted in the first of our Planning Market Insight Reports.
Obtaining market data to inform business planning has never been more critical than it is today and we are therefore delighted to be able to release this data publicly and comprehensively for the first time. We hope you find the report interesting and welcome feedback on what else you may find useful to add into future reports.
Fund set up to help heritage sector through Covid-19
Historic England has launched a fund of up to £2 million to tackle the impact of coronavirus (Covid-19) on the heritage sector.
Laura Edgar, The Planner
Consultancy launches Covid-19 tracker
Planning consultancy Lichfields has created an online resource to assist planning professionals with navigating the planning environment during the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.
Laura Edgar, The Planner
New regulations for Welsh local authority meetings should help planning
Regulations came into force in Wales this week that should make it easier for the planning system to carry on functioning.
Roger Milne, The Planner
The Planning Portal has been around now for almost 18 years – and some of the original team are still here! Just this week I’ve been reminded of my 11th anniversary and I still occasionally feel like the new girl, surrounded by a depth of skills and knowledge which is invaluable.
Over those 18 years, the team are proud to have led the transformation of the planning and building process; driving forward e-planning in the early 2000s, supporting change to ‘digital by default’ services through the 2010s and more latterly engaging in the world of PropTech. But as the work of digital transformation has evolved, we’ve always been clear on our focus to deliver the best possible service for our customers and partners. This was true for us as a government body and is equally true today.
Lawyers suggest measures to address permission expiry deadlines
The legal profession in England and Wales has outlined a number of planning measures to help to manage the impact of coronavirus (COVID-19) – including amending primary legislation to extend the time limit on planning permissions.
Laura Edgar, The Planner
Sharma approves London energy park
Energy secretary Alok Sharma has granted a development consent order (DCO) for the construction of an onshore electricity generating station in the London Borough of Bexley.
Laura Edgar, The Planner
Homes approved on former green belt land in Nottinghamshire
Rushcliffe Borough Council has granted outline planning permission for 85 homes on land allocated in the local plan for development.
Laura Edgar, The Planner
Planning Portal Blog 