News round-up 9 October 2008
Stansted expansion gets go-ahead
Plans to expand Stansted Airport have been approved by ministers.
The decision relates to an appeal by BAA plc and Stansted Airport Ltd following the refusal of planning permission by Uttlesford District Council in November 2006.
The Transport secretary and Communities and Local Government secretary granted planning permission to change two planning conditions attached to the Stansted Airport 2003 permission.
The decision allows for an increase in the number of flights to and from the airport in a year from 241,000 to 264,000 air traffic movements and an increase in the maximum number of passengers using the airport from 25 million to 35 million per annum.
Future of uplands under review
Dr Stuart Burgess, the Government's Rural Advocate and chairman of the Commission for Rural Communities (CRC) is launching a wide-ranging inquiry into the future for England's upland communities.
England's uplands correspond to 'less favoured areas' and can be found in the north and south west and in areas along the Welsh border. The English uplands occupy 18 per cent of the country's land area and have special significance, not just for their contribution to rural economies, but also their key role nationally in landscape conservation, recreational activities, biodiversity, and heritage and water management.
Read the Commission for Rural Communities news release.
Rural affordable housing initiatives
New powers to help keep homes affordable for communities in rural areas have been unveiled by junior housing minister Iain Wright as he launched two consultations.
Under the proposed new powers, rural communities with severe housing shortages could be designated as protected areas ensuring affordable housing is retained for local families.
The new proposals would also enable all affordable housing providers in these protected areas to retain a share in new shared ownership homes, or have the first option to buy back such properties, ensuring they remain available for future families in the local community.
In a further step, first-time buyers in rural areas could own a home for as little as £60,000 through a consultation to expand Community Land Trusts.
Iain Wright said: "In rural areas where affordable housing is scarce and hard to replace, we need to make sure those homes are protected for future generations. And today, we're unveiling new proposals on community land trusts and preserving affordable housing which will help achieve that goal.
"We're providing all the tools so local communities can find a solution that's right for them."
House starts slump and council budget fears
New private house starts are at a 50-year low after orders in the three months to August 2008 fell 33 per cent compared with the previous three months, and 48 per cent year-on-year, according to figures from the Office for National Statistics.
Public housing and housing association orders in the three months to August 2008 rose by 13 per cent compared with the previous three months, and increased 10 per cent in year-on-year figures.
Meanwhile, the Local Government Association has warned that councils face having to cut jobs and services over the next few months as they try to recoup some of a £1bn deficit caused by inflation and increasing food and fuel prices.
Registration of appeals in England back on track
The Planning Inspectorate has revealed that the registration of planning appeals is now back on track after a backlog developed following steadily rising levels of appeals since mid 2007. Typically new appeals are now being registered within three days of them being received.
However, the Inspectorate has voiced concern over the submission of accompanying plans and drawings which are often photocopies or print-outs of local authority website pages not printed to scale on the correct-sized paper or lacking in key detail.
TPO reforms shelved
Communities and Local Government has decided not to press ahead immediately with proposals to streamline certain procedures associated with Tree Preservation Orders (TPOs) following an inconclusive consultation exercise on the most appropriate way of reducing the administrative burden.
The options will be reconsidered next year when ministers plan to propose further changes to the TPO regime, which will be subject to consultation.
New greenhouse gas reduction target urged
As expected the independent Committee on Climate Change has advised ministers to adopt a new target to reduce the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions by at least 80 per cent by 2050.
The newly set up committee chaired by Lord Adair Turner has highlighted the need for a major drive on energy efficiency in domestic and commercial buildings and increased use of biomass in boilers and combined heat and power schemes.
In a related development the Scottish Government has announced plans to increase the country's use of renewable heat tenfold. According to an action plan just published there could be extra financial support for biomass heating schemes and the promise of an easier and faster planning regime for such projects.
Embassy on the move
The United States has confirmed it wants to move its embassy from Grosvenor Square in central London to a site at Nine Elms, Battersea, between the power station and New Covent Garden Market. It plans to submit an application for a replacement embassy and a high-density mixed-use scheme to Wandsworth Council.
Ambassador Robert Tuttle said: "This has been a long and careful process. We looked to all our options, including renovation of our current building in Grosvenor Square. We realised that the goal of a modern, secure and environmentally sustainable embassy could best be met by constructing a facility."
Changes to Crawley town centre redevelopment mooted
Crawley Borough Council has published revised proposals for the £750m redevelopment of Crawley town centre which include plans to rebuild the area around The Boulevard centre and relocate the town hall, freeing up its site for a new John Lewis store and around 600 flats. Plans for more office floor space and a hotel are also planned as part of the council’s Town Centre North supplementary planning document.
Read the Crawley Borough Council press release.
Opencast coal mine approved
Northumberland County Council has approved plans from UK Coal to develop an opencast coal mine near the former pit village of Ashington. Some two million tonnes of coal will be extracted over a six-year period. The scheme was recommended for consent by county council mineral planners.
Hospital redevelopment scheme proposed
South West London and St George's Mental Health Trust has submitted plans for the redevelopment of Springfield University hospital at Tooting in South West London with a housing-led, mixed-use scheme involving 1,200 new homes, shops, a primary school and more than 50,000 sq ft of offices. Urban Strategies has prepared the master plan for the project.
Airport expansion legal challenge fails
The owners and operators of Coventry Airport have lost their High Court challenge over the Government's rejection of proposals to expand the airport with a new terminal, additional car parking and extra runway provision.
National Trust calls for better water management
The National Trust has called for better ways of managing the UK's water resources after publishing a report highlighting the fact that five per cent of its land holdings and nearly 2,000 of its properties are at high risk of flooding.
Read the National Trust news release.
Trusts argue for 'wildlife corridors'
The UK's Wildlife Trusts have urged planning policies which would encourage councils to establish a national network of “wildlife corridors” linking safeguarded areas.
Read the Wildlife Trusts’ news story.
Parks advice published
The Mayor of London and the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE) has published for consultation new planning guidance to local authorities in the capital encouraging them to make best use of parks and public open spaces.
Read the Mayor of London press release.
Best practice guide to heritage development
English Heritage has highlighted the country's 20 best heritage-led developments in a book designed to provide a best-practice guide to modem conservation practice.
Among the schemes detailed in the book, Constructive Conservation, is Park Hill in Sheffield, Kings Cross Centralin London and The Bluecoat in Liverpool.
Read the English Heritage news release.
RTPI's first MD named
Sara Drake has been named as the first managing director of the Royal Town Planning Institute. She will join the institute from the Home Builders Federation where she has been MD since 2005.
Roger Milne and Planning Portal
9 October 2008
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