News round-up 11 September 2008

More protection for World Heritage Sites

The Government has formally published the revised planning regulations which will give all 17 World Heritage Sites in England increased protection. For the first time these sites - which include the Tower of London, Hadrian's Wall, Westminster Place, Maritime Greenwich and Durham Castle, will be safeguarded against potentially damaging development.

In the future all these sites will enjoy the same protection levels as conservation areas, national parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

This move should placate concern from UNESCO, the UN’s cultural agency, that the UK is not doing enough to protect its world heritage sites.

Housing and Planning Minister Caroline Flint said: "All English World Heritage Sites will now have conservation status protection from potentially damaging development that could threaten their iconic status, character and authenticity."

Read the Communities and Local Government news release.

Support for Chelsea barracks redevelopment

Westminster City Council's planning and development committee has signalled support in general for the redevelopment of Chelsea Barracks with a mix of luxury flats, affordable homes and community facilities including a health centre, a sports centre and a youth club, but has reservations about the amount of public open space and the massing and height of some of the proposed buildings.

Read the Westminster City Council press release.

Tesco plans refused on appeal in Norfolk

North Norfolk District Council has welcomed the decision of a planning inspector to reject Tesco’s appeal against its refusal of planning permission for a supermarket on Cromer Road, Sheringham.

The inspector said the proposed superstore would harm "the vitality, viability and retail function of the town centre".

Council leader Virginia Gay said the decision vindicated the council’s stance that the proposal was inappropriate.

Read the North Norfolk District Council news release.

Eco-village plan grounded

Pembrokeshire County Council's planning committee has rejected a second application for an eco-village on land near Glandwr.

The scheme was for nine dwellings made from straw, turf and timber on 76 acres of woodland. Lammas, the group behind the scheme, said they will appeal.

Read the Pembrokeshire County Council news release.

Brought to book

Oxford University has lost its appeal over its proposed £29m book depository at Osney Mead where it wanted to house some eight million books from its Bodleian Library. Meanwhile, Oxford City Council has published its Core Strategy for its final round of consultation before submission to the Government in November.

Business rate assurances on microgeneration
 
The Government has acted to block automatic business rate revaluations when companies invest in microgeneration. The prospect of paying higher business rates was acting as a brake on the deployment of wind turbines, ground source heat pumps and solar panels on offices and factories.

Former Playboy club to become hotel

Westminster City Council has approved ambitious plans to restore the former Playboy club and casino in Mayfair.

The site at 45 Park Lane - opposite Hyde Park - has been vacant for 13 years but will be transformed into a luxury hotel in one of the capital's most up-market neighborhoods.

Under the new plans submitted by developers The Dorchester Collection, the 48-room venue will provide displays of public art on its balconies and an art deco-inspired interior and exterior design scheme.

The outside of the grey concrete-clad building will be redesigned to make it more harmonious with the mixture of neo-Georgian blocks and 18th Century buildings which line Park Lane and surrounding streets.

Read the Westminster City Council press release.

Plans to restore landscape garden 'gem'

English Heritage has unveiled plans to restore Wrest Park in Bedfordshire, one of Britain’s finest landscape gardens.

Read the English Heritage news release.

'Shell house' listed

Culture minister Margaret Hodge has listed the 18th Century Shell House, now in the grounds of Sherborne School, as a Grade l building.

Read the Department for Culture, Media and Sport press release.

Cranleigh master plan under fire

The Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment has criticised the master plan for a new settlement at Dunsfold Park, Cranleigh in Surrey. The Government's design advisers have complained that the blueprint for a proposed scheme of 2,600 new homes and community facilities exhibited "a conservative image of pre-war housing" rather than a 21st century model of sustainable development.

Slough redevelopment submitted

English Partnerships has submitted its outline planning application for a £400m town centre project at Slough which would involve the remodelling of the A4 and the demolition of the car park and bus station which were featured in the opening credits of the television series The Office.

Read the English Partnerships news release.

'Action needed to green Wales'

Councils in Wales need to give the energy efficiency agenda a higher priority and the Welsh Assembly Government needs to focus its strategy more on influencing consumer behaviour in the privately-owned sector if Wales is to meet its carbon reduction targets, the Welsh Assembly’s Audit Committee has reported.

Castle proposal

English Heritage has submitted a planning application to Dover District Council for a new visitor admissions building at Dover Castle.

Planners hit small screen

The first programme in an eight-week series about planning on BBC1 was due to be screened on Thursday 11 September at 8pm. The series is called 'The Planners are Coming'.

Planning job move

Graeme Bell, formerly Lancashire County Council's county planner, has been appointed as Devon County Council's director of planning, infrastructure and economy on an interim basis.

Roger Milne

11 September 2008