News round-up 4 February 2010

Eco-town guidance

Leading housing and planning charity the Town and Country Planning Association has published the eleventh and final worksheet in its Eco-Town worksheet series. These documents are sponsored by Communities and Local Government. The final worksheet deals with the effective delivery of eco-towns.

Read the TCPA press release


Scottish planning simplified

The Scottish Government has launched a document which sets out planning policy on topics such as housing, wind farms, flooding and the natural and built environment.

It replaces 17 separate policies with one single document which should be easier for communities and developers to understand and interpret.

Also published by the administration has been a circular updating guidance on the criteria and processes when developers are required to make a contribution to the provision of local infrastructure, where a development would create additional infrastructure demands.

Read the Scottish Government press release

HMO reforms warning

The London Forum of Amenity and Civic Societies has criticised Government proposals to change the planning regime for Homes in Multiple Occupation (HMOs).

 Planner Michael Bach, who chairs the forum’s planning and transport committee, said the proposals would require flat-sharing involving more than two people to be classified as an HMO and need consent.

He said: “In a London context this is totally ridiculous – flat sharing is an accepted way of life and is essential to London’s competitiveness as young people at the beginning of their career have no other choice. This could also destabilise the London housing market. The unintended effects of this proposal could be disastrous.

“In addition, the Government proposes to make change of use from HMOs to a house permitted development. This would have disastrous consequences for single, low-income workers in the catering industry and public services who occupy bedsitters. Bedsitters provide a vital contribution to supply of affordable housing in the capital.”

Planning minister John Healey has stressed that the new powers will help tackle pockets of unsafe and substandard accommodation run by bad landlords.

He said: "Everyone deserves a decent and safe place to live and these measures aim to improve standards of the private rented sector at a time when more people look to rent as their first option in the housing market."

The CLG consultation, Houses in multiple occupation and possible planning responses,closed in August 2009 and drew over 900 responses. It can be accessed here

Court alternative

The Environment Agency and Natural England have become the first regulators to be given new civil powers that will give them greater flexibility to enforce environmental law.

The range of new civil powers given under the Regulatory Enforcement and Sanctions Act 2008 will increase the options available to regulators and include fixed and variable monetary penalties and compliance notices. The sanctions will provide an alternative to criminal prosecutions for regulators.

Read the Defra press release

 

Councils’ concern over new London Plan

 London mayor Boris Johnson’s new strategic vision for the future development of the city must be underpinned by a consistent approach to tackling climate change and building more affordable homes, London Councils has warned.

The organisation, which represents London local authorities, voiced its concern in the response to the mayor’s proposals for the replacement London Plan, the capital’s spatial strategy.

The councils have called for greater clarity over how individual boroughs will meet London-wide targets for affordable housing provision. Under the mayor’s proposals for increasing the number of affordable homes, boroughs have the freedom to choose how they deliver their agreed targets - either to provide a specific number of affordable homes (a numerical target) or to ensure a certain proportion of new homes are affordable (a percentage target).

London Councils has published its Manifesto for Londoners. Read the press release


New 3D mapping service

A new 3D city mapping service called Skape, designed for architects, planners, local authorities and surveyors, is now available from Infoterra, a  provider of geographic information products and services. Skape enables users to manipulate urban landscapes online by combining high resolution 3D textured city models with 2D mapping and terrain data which the company claims is a technological first.

Skape launches with coverage of major UK cities including London (centre), Birmingham, Leicester, Nottingham, Southampton, Brighton, Bournemouth, Glasgow, Manchester and Newcastle. By the end of 2010 Leeds, Liverpool, Sheffield, Cardiff, Edinburgh and additional London coverage will be added to Skape’s city coverage.

Read the Infoterra press release

 

Roger Milne
4 February 2010