Is buying land a good investment?

Apex Buying land

Finding the ideal plot and building your own home can be worthwhile, but make sure you understand the planning implications before you go ahead Buying land to build a home Buying land can seem the answer to finding the ideal place to live. Land can sometimes be bought for a very reasonable price, and you…

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Planning for a sustainable home

Apex Sustainable home

Looking at making your existing or future home sustainable and eco-friendly? There are some planning issues you will need to consider… Developing with sustainability in mind Last month we looked at whether the latest planning guidelines – outlined in the latest white paper ‘Planning for the Future’ – really did enough to encourage a sustainable…

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Looking good – a new national design code

National Design Code

Beauty and placemaking are the focus of proposed changes to the NPPF and a draft national design code Tree-lined streets are just one of the changes we can expect to see on new developments in the future if the government’s draft proposals pan out. Following the publication of the Planning White Paper Planning for the…

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Looking good – planning White Paper focuses on beautiful developments

Apex Planning white paper beautiful developments

This month we focus on Pillar Two of the government’s planning White Paper, which looks at creating communities and sustainable homes… If you’re keeping up with our monthly blog, you’ll know that in August we explored the bones of the government’s lengthy White Paper entitled Planning for the Future. However, there’s a lot more to…

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Planning for the future

The UK government’s plans for planning and building place ‘beautiful homes with communities’ is at the core of the new system… This month (August) sees the government consulting on its ‘Planning for the Future’ White Paper, which as we reported last month, aims to overhaul what is an outdated planning system. It sets out 24…

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The impact of COVID-19 on planning

Apex COVID-19 impact on planning

The current crisis continues to affect the planning arena and concerns have been raised about digital inquiries and reviews… As time goes on, and lockdown continues, there’s a number of vital areas that need to be addressed if the planning process is to continue and local authorities are not to be left with vast backlogs…

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Planning and the Coronavirus

Civil engineer planning a dam

New laws have been brought into effect in a bid to stop the planning process grinding to a halt while the country is in lockdown. Apex Planning Consultants examines how these latest developments will work in practice… The Coronavirus Act 2020 came into effect on 26 March 2020, bringing with it many measures that we…

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What’s in store for planning post-Brexit?

Apex Planning post Brexit

For months (and years) we have been wondering what will happen if and when Brexit happened – then there was a General Election to contend with. Now we know (more or less) where we stand, what progress and changes are we likely to see for the planning industry? It certainly looks like the end of…

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Planning terms made easy

Apex Ancient Woodland

Do you know your brownfield from your greenfield and why a building is listed? Follow our simple guide to some of the key planning terms and all will become clear! Affordable housing These homes include social rented, affordable rented, intermediate and shared ownership housing that can be available for either sale or rent, and offer…

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Let’s talk about planning – Conservative Party Conference

Planning

It’s conference season and, aside from the obvious, planning was a hot topic at the Conservative Party Conference. Let’s see what was on the agenda… Party conferences are rich fodder for anyone interested in what might be on the horizon for the planning arena. For a start, it’s worth taking a look to see what…

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