News
Grey Area: What is the New Grey Belt?
If you’ve never encountered the phrase Grey Belt before, we attempt to explain it – along with other definitions of land designation such as Green Belt, Greenfield and Brownfield… The Newly Assigned Grey Belt If you read last month’s blog, you might be wondering where the term ‘Grey Belt’ came from. If you’ve not encountered…
Read MoreNew Government Sets Targets for Home Provision
Local authorities will be expected to plan for 370,000 homes a year under new proposals from Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Angela Rayner… The new Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner has announced a number of planning system reforms, among them a recalculation of the required number of…
Read MoreThe Benefits of Marketing and Viability Studies in the Planning Arena
Proving viability when submitting a planning application can be key to getting to that all-important approval. Our latest blog explores the benefits of marketing and viability assessments within the context of planning applications… Marketing and carrying out a viability exercise are important parts of the preparation when submitting a planning application – especially when one…
Read MoreLegal Case throws Pre-application Confidentiality into Question
Seeking pre-application advice is common in planning, but a claim by a campaigner has shown that developers should not assume correspondence will be kept private… It’s not unusual – in fact it is par for the course – that developers seek informal advice from the local planning authority before submitting planning applications. This can save…
Read MoreFour Year Planning Enforcement Becomes Ten
A change in the length of time, from 4 to 10 years, that it takes for unauthorised developments to become lawful, could see an increase in enforcement action… New Rules could Catch-Out Unlawful Developments Historically, operational development (for example building an extension, or building a house and occupying it without planning permission) could take place…
Read MorePlanning for Health – How Did we Do?
A report 10 years ago stated that including green spaces in planning proposals could have a positive impact on public health…so what changes have been made? RIBA City Health Check No one has told the weather yet, but spring has officially arrived, and as the days get longer, and the sun – hopefully – comes…
Read MoreCould New Proposals give More New Homes the Green Light?
The government plans to further ease restriction of planning for office-to residential conversions and brownfield development… Deregulation of Permitted Development Changes to the national planning policy have been brought into effect by the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, Michael Gove, which will see more deregulation of the permitted development rules for…
Read MoreConcerns over Biodiversity Net Gain
As rules requiring provisions on major developments for environmental enhancement come into place (with requirements for minor developments due to come into force in April 2024), industry experts have expressed doubts over how achievable they really are… Biodiversity Net Gain Concerns Rules that require major housing developments to deliver at least 10% biodiversity net gain…
Read MoreSaving Energy in Older Properties
Adhering to modern regulations in historic buildings is not easy, but the government proposes to help boost energy efficiency for owners of older properties… Improving Energy Efficiency in Older Homes Living in a Listed property or Conservation Area may be a dream for many, but with the rising cost of energy bills, trying to keep…
Read MoreCash Injection to Speed up Planning and Housing Delivery
In his Autumn Statement, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced a cash boost to clear planning backlogs and deliver new homes. It looks like good news for the UK planning sector… Cash Injection for Planning A recent announcement by the Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt would, he said ‘’lead to many thousands of additional…
Read More