Defra launches natural capital tool
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has launched an online resource to guarantee ‘better’ environmental decision-making by valuing natural capital.
Laura Edgar, The Planner
WMCA launches design charter
The West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) launched the West Midlands Design Charter at Birmingham’s Mailbox complex last week.
Prithvi Pandya, The Planner
1,000-home plan submitted for Shropshire power station site
Plans to redevelop the Ironbridge power station site in Telford by building up to 1,000 homes and a retirement village have been submitted to Shropshire Council.
Laura Edgar, The Planner
Updated 25 February 2020
Further to the update featured in last month’s blog post, we are pleased to announce that phase two of our three-part project to overhaul the current application system is scheduled to be implemented on the evening of 20 March. You can expect 1App to be unavailable from late on the Friday afternoon until Saturday morning. The exact times of this downtime will be signposted on the Planning Portal in the coming weeks.
In case you missed it, here’s the details of the project and what you can expect to see…
Five members of the Planning Portal team will be cycling a gruelling 69-mile route over Cheddar Gorge, to raise money for charity.
Ben Price, Graeme Kirk, Ian Foster, Neil Davies and Scott Alford from the team in Bristol will be taking on the challenge in April. To get everyone involved we would like to invite you to suggest a worthy cause they should cycle in aid of.
You can suggest a charity by completing this online form:
McVey promises cash for garden communities
Housing minister Esther McVey has announced £8 million in funding to help deliver ‘new, better-designed’ homes for communities across England.
Laura Edgar, The Planner
Nottingham approves plan for where homes can be built
Nottingham City Council’s full council has given the go-ahead for the adoption of a document that identifies potential sites for development and their uses.
Laura Edgar, The Planner
Office conversions cost communities thousands of affordable homes in four years, say LGA
Research by the Local Government Association (LGA) suggests that communities have potentially lost out on 13,500 affordable homes in the past four years as a result of permitted development rules.
Laura Edgar, The Planner
Mace submits plans to regenerate Stevenage
Proposals for the regeneration of Stevenage town centre have been lodged with the borough council.
Laura Edgar, The Planner
National Trust to use trees to lock up 300k tonnes of carbon
The National Trust has announced plans to establish 18,000 hectares of woodland (20 million trees) as part of its ambition to become carbon net zero by 2030.
Laura Edgar, The Planner
14 areas to receive funding for high streets
The government has announced the first 14 of 20 pilot areas in England that will receive funding and tailored advice that aims to ‘rejuvenate’ town centres.
Laura Edgar, The Planner
Decline in planning applications received from July to September
District-level planning authorities received 106,500 planning applications between July and September 2019 – 4 per cent fewer than in the same quarter of 2018.
Laura Edgar, The Planner
Wealden local plan halted on duty to cooperate
The Planning Inspectorate has advised Wealden District Council that it cannot proceed with its local plan as it has ‘failed in its legal duty’ to comply with the duty to cooperate.
Laura Edgar, The Planner
Runway at Southampton Airport could be extended
Southampton Airport has submitted an application to Eastleigh Borough Council for the extension of its runway by 164 metres.
Laura Edgar, The Planner
Sevenoaks successful in hostel enforcement trial
Woolwich Crown Court has fined the owners of a hostel in Swanley £14,000 for failing to comply with two planning enforcement notices.
Laura Edgar, The Planner
We’ve had a busy and productive 2019; working hard to improve our services by implementing a wide range of updates and hosting our very first annual conference. With the year drawing to a close, we wanted to take a look back at what’s been accomplished this year and to look forward to some of the work in store for 2020.
The last Planning Portal newsletter of 2019 will be sent on 19 December.
The weekly news will return in the New Year.
Rise in energy storage projects, research suggests
The number of planning applications for battery storage projects in the UK continues to increase ‘rapidly’, according to recent research.
Laura Edgar, The Planner
Welsh climate change strategy outlines flood-risk planning measures
The latest Welsh climate crisis mitigation strategy, just published, commits ministers to strengthening planning policy to prevent housebuilders from building properties on medium and high-risk floodplains in Wales.
Roger Milne, The Planner
Guide published for heritage in neighbourhood plans
New guidance has been published to show local communities how heritage can be incorporated into neighbourhood plans.
Laura Edgar, The Planner
Communities should have a say throughout planning process
A national charity for the civic movement has urged all political parties to commit to giving communities a ‘meaningful voice’ at every stage of the planning system.
Laura Edgar, The Planner
Application submitted for Salford quay development
Plans that include up to 1,495 homes at Salford’s Cotton Quay have been lodged with the city council.
Laura Edgar, The Planner
Planning Portal Blog 