Changes to planning policies could speed up housing delivery

19th October 2017

Two recent Government announcements could help developers get homes built with fewer delays… There have been a couple of major developments in the planning world recently. Statement of Common Ground The first is the requirement for councils to produce a Statement of Common Ground with neighbouring authorities. This initiative is one of several consultation proposals…

Housing crisis – is it the developers fault?

25th September 2017

Are greedy developers at fault for the lack of land for housing, or are there other factors contributing to the UK’s housing crisis? An article in The Guardian earlier this year claims that the housing crisis is being worsened by greedy developers, who are hoarding land in a bid to sell it on at a…

How technology is changing the face of house design

22nd August 2017

Holographic, virtual designs are set to change the way architects and developers work and interact with planning authorities and potential buyers… The advance of technology is changing the way we live and work on an almost-daily basis – just look at how smartphones have become such a staple of everyday life. And the architectural industry…

Post Election Update

17th July 2017

After the dust has settled… the planning and construction industries after the election: Some things have certainly changed since the snap General Election on June 8. One of the major factors for the planning industry was the fact that Housing and Planning Minister Gavin Barwell lost his seat, as we predicted. In his place is…

What will the General Election mean for planning?

7th June 2017

We take a look at the planning-related policies in each party’s manifesto… The prelude to the General Election has been notable for its relative silence on the matter of planning and housing development. It is possible that this was, in part, due to the protracted and extensive discussions that happened before Parliament was dissolved, which…

Building to Rent

23rd May 2017

Traditionally, developers have built homes to buy, but the trend looks set to change… In the past, builders constructed homes to sell to home-buyers – or they built social housing under the remit of a local housing authority. Of course, developments now usually have to provide a certain proportion of ‘affordable’ housing as well –…

The Problems with Retirement Housing

21st April 2017

As more of us retire earlier, and with more than just a government pension to sustain us, the call for housing for the retired will grow, but will there be enough to go around? Ageing Population We are an ageing population – there are more people over 60 than there are under the age of…

The Midlands Land of Opportunity

22nd March 2017

The Midlands looks set to benefit from more housing development, according to both the recent Housing White Paper and the Midlands Engine Strategy. The Midlands Engine Strategy was published this month, and refers to the recent Housing White Paper and its commitment to build more housing in the Midlands. The Strategy draws attention to the…

Fixing the Broken Housing Market

24th February 2017

A recent White Paper details how the government plans to get the right new homes built in the right places and help people onto the housing ladder. February 2017 saw the release of the White Paper ‘Fixing our broken housing market’, which details a number of broad reforms aimed at improving the housing market and…

A Change of Ministerial Plan

24th January 2017

A Written Ministerial Statement (WMS) has resulted in major changes to the weight that is attached to Neighbourhood Plans, the question of housing supply and what developers must now take into account when preparing a planning application and any potential challenge to one for housing that has been refused planning permission. While most people were…

Archives

Apex Planning Consultants Limited t /a Apex Planning Consultants. Company number: 8091611. Registered in England & Wales.

Registered office: 1 Hillbeck Grove, Middleton, Milton Keynes, MK10 9JJ. VAT Registration Number 210735054.