News Round-up - 15 December 2006
Law Lords back European Court of Justice ruling on EIA
The Law Lords have ruled that a planning authority – the London Borough of Bromley - which failed to carry out an environmental impact assessment before granting outline planning permission for a multiplex cinema and decided not to require an environmental impact assessment (EIA) at the reserved matters stage had misdirected itself.
The Lords judgement is in line with the stance taken earlier this year by the European Court of Justice (PP news 11 May). It had argued that the way the EIA regulations had been implemented in the UK was flawed.
Find out more about the Lords judgement on the Incorporated Council of Law Reporting website
Bill to give mayor greater planning powers makes progress
New legislation which will give London Mayor greater planning powers has completed its second reading in the Commons and will now go for detailed scrutiny by a committee of MPs.
During the bill's consideration in the lower chamber, opposition MPs as well as some Labour parliamentarians, voiced concern over the impact of the proposals and the likelihood of increased intervention by the mayor which could slow down planning progress in the capital.
Planning Minister, Yvette Cooper, insisted that it was right to give the mayor more planning powers but agreed that these should be exercised later in the planning process and promised that any interventions would only be on major strategic applications "that go to the heart of the London plan".
She promised secondary legislation which would set out this policy in more detail and which would define the thresholds for what would constitute a "strategic" application.
Read the full Hansard text of the Commons debate
Find out more about the Mayor of London
Design champions urged to rise to the challenge
Culture secretary, Tessa Jowell, has launched the latest edition of the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE) publication, Better Public Building. She used the launch to urge the 136 local authorities without a design champion to redress the deficiency.
Read the full text of Tessa Jowell's speech
Find out more about CABE's Better Public Building
Draft planning guidance out for consultation
The Welsh Assembly government has published new draft planning guidance on the location of Gypsy and Traveller sites. The draft circular is now out for consultation.
Coal and property firms team up for brownfield project
UK Coal has set up its first joint venture with a commercial property firm as part of its promised part-transformation into a brownfield development specialist. It will team up with Grazeley to develop large commercial/industrial units on a former coal haulage site at Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Leicestershire.
Savills moves into the lead with new acquisition
Planning and property consultancy Savills has bought national planning and regeneration firm, Hepher Dixon, in a move which will consolidate its position as one of the UK's leading planning consultancies.
Market town retail park turned down
Monmouthshire Council's planning committee has rejected proposals to redevelop part of Abergavenny's town centre as a retail park. The scheme, by developers Henry Boot, would have involved a new Asda store, retail floorspace, a cinema, car park and library on the old cattle market. Wales' Design Commission had criticised the scheme as "unacceptable" in architectural terms and urged a rethink.
Find out more about Monmouthshire Council planning committee's decision
More information about the Design Commission for Wales
Wind development plans move forward
The UK's largest-ever offshore wind farm is now under construction in the Solway Firth. Meanwhile the company behind plans for the UK's largest onshore wind farm – planned for the Hebridean Island of Lewis – has announced proposals to reduce the number of turbines, down from an original 234 turbines to 181.
New 'cleaner' coal station proposal
Plans for the UK's first new coal-fired power station for more than two decades have been submitted by Eon UK. It wants to replace an old-fashioned conventional coal station at Kingsnorth, Kent with a plant employing "supercritical" technology and capable of being retrofitted with carbon capture systems.
Infrastructure tariff met for the first time
The first ever infrastructure tariff payment has been made by Gazeley UK Ltd and Land Securities which paid up more than £900,000 to Milton Keynes Partnership, who are coordinating the funding and planning of the city's growth proposals. The tariff was activated by initial construction work of a distribution centre for John Lewis at the Magna Park venture.
Visit the Milton Keynes Partnership website
Find out more about Gazely UK Ltd and Land Securities
Major hazard consultation due next year
The Health and Safety Executive has promised to consult early in 2007 on guidance about development around hazard sites. This initiative follows the explosion and fire at the Buncefield oil depot 12 months ago.
Visit the Health and Safety Executive website
Scotland considers changes to permitted development
Researchers north of the Border have found that nearly 40 per cent of routine applications by people to extend or alter their homes could be taken out of the planning system without posing any significant problems for the land use planning regime. The work was commissioned by the Scottish Executive which plans to consult on changes to householder permitted rights in 2007.
Visit the Scottish Executive website
Experiences shared to promote positive change
The Planning Advisory Service (PAS) has released a new case study which draws on emerging practices in some local authorities to identify how effective use of the planning process can increase the number of authorised pitches available for Gypsies and Travellers in line with new government planning guidance.
View Spaces and places for Gypsies and Travellers: how planning can help
Roger Milne
15 December 2006
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