News Round-up - 19 December 2007
Flood inquiry moots curbs on impermeable surfaces
Calls to curb the right of householders and businesses to lay impermeable surfaces like car parks wherever they wish and proposals requiring that all new homes in flood risk areas are flood proof have been highlighted by Sir Michael Pitt in his initial report into the floods earlier this year in England.
The Government has promised urgent action to respond to these recommendations, which include proposals for more detailed surface water and flood risk mapping by the Environment Agency (EA).
Secretary of State for the Environment Hilary Benn, accepted the urgent recommendations put forward in the interim report. Mr Benn pledged to work with all of the organisations involved in responding to the summer floods, in order to take forward the report’s proposals.
Welcoming the report, he said: "Earlier this year I announced a significant increase in funding for flood and coastal erosion risk management. This will rise from its current level of £600m, to £650m in 2008-09, £700m in 2009-10 and £800 million in 2010-11.
"These record levels of investment will be supported by the establishment of new outcome measures to secure best value for investment, through the Environment Agency, and considering whether a Long Term Investment Strategy for the next twenty years is appropriate for this policy area."
Meanwhile MPs on the Commons Public Accounts Committee have voiced criticism of the EA’s work on flood defences and progress in respect of catchment flood management plans.
The MPs urged the EA to take the lead in the preparation and agreement of local drainage plans with possibly new powers to require agreement on responsibility for future maintenance.
In a related development environment minister Phil Woolas has set out in more detail how the EA will assume responsibility for ensuring the consistent production of shoreline management plans and coastal plans which clarify current responsibilities for coastal flooding and erosion.
Read the Environment Agency press release
Taylor review calls for evidence
The Matthew Taylor review on how land use and planning can better support rural business and deliver affordable housing has issued a call for evidence.
Taylor, MP for Truro and St Austell, is seeking views on this work from a wide range of people and organisations, such as regional and local government, parish councils, housing and planning professionals, social and private housing developers, land owners, rural businesses, rural communities and others with an interest in this work.
Read more about the review, the call for evidence and contact details
Oxford boatyard battle joined
Oxford city councillors have unanimously rejected proposals for a mainly residential development at the Castle Mill boatyard in the city's Jericho area. The scheme by Spring Residential was recommended for refusal by officials and opposed by local residents.
These included award-winning author Philip Pullman who featured the boatyard in the first book of his trilogy His Dark Materials. In Northern Lights the boatyard was home to the Gyptians, a group of boat people who befriend heroine Lyra Belacqua.
Illegal shed attracts £1,000 fine
A man who built an agricultural shed without planning permission has been fined £1,000 plus £85 costs at Strabane Magistrates Court for failing to comply with an enforcement notice served by Northern Ireland's Planning Service to remove the unauthorised shed from land at Ligford Road, Strabane.
Read the Northern Ireland Planning Service news release
Red card for football complex
Controversial plans to build a football complex in London's Regent's Park have been thrown out by Westminster City Council.
The Royal Parks agency applied to demolish the golf and tennis club on the north side of the park to make way for nine floodlit pitches on synthetic grass near London Zoo.
The proposals sparked a record number of objections to the council including 670 letters, 10 petitions with almost 2,300 signatures and 1,465 signed postcards.
Protesters included BBC broadcaster Sue Macgregor, columnist Sir Simon Jenkins, Lloyd's chairman Lord Levene, academic Lord Moser and horse racing pundit John McCririck.
Westminster's planning committee said the pitches would damage the habitats of plants and animals, especially bats and tawny owls, and mean the loss of 68 trees.
Read the Westminster City Council press release
Surf's up
The Marine and Fisheries Agency has granted Bournemouth Borough Council a special environment licence to begin construction of Europe's first artificial surf reef.
The council is on course to start construction in spring 2008, with the reef anticipated to be completed in time for the October 2008 swell.
The council had earlier approved the reef in its statutory capacity as the coastal protection authority.
Specialist construction material for the reef will be ordered including ecologically sound geo-textile bags from Australia and a webbing base from New Zealand.
Read the Bournemouth Borough Council press release
Airport noise maps published
A series of maps showing environmental noise levels around 18 major airports in England has been published by the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. The mapping gives details of daytime and night time noise levels at each airport as well as noise levels around each site on an average day in 2006.
Heathrow homes row
Hillingdon MP John McDonnell has claimed in Parliament that up to 4,000 homes will have to be demolished or will be rendered unlivable if current proposals for a sixth terminal and a third runway at Heathrow go ahead.
The backbench Labour MP's claim came during a Commons debate on Heathrow expansion held in the Commons during which MPs questioned the impact of the proposals which airport operator BAA and the Government say will affect 700 homes. MPs argued both for and against the expansion plans, currently the subject of a consultation exercise.
Read the debate in Commons Hansard (12 December, columns 105- 129WH)
Portsmouth CPO granted
Communities secretary Hazel Blears has confirmed the compulsory purchase order sought by Portsmouth City Council which underpins ambitious proposals known as the Northern Quarter development which are key to the redevelopment of the city centre.
First head for Homes and Communities Agency named
Sir Bob Kerslake has been named as the first chief executive of the Government's proposed Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) which will be created by combining the work and functions of the existing Housing Corporation and English Partnerships. The agency is due to come into being in 2009. Sir Bob, currently chief executive of Sheffield City Council, takes on his new role in March 2008.
Read the Communities and Local Government news release
Green light for Aviemore scheme
The Cairngorms National Park Authority has approved a £80m redevelopment at Aviemore which includes proposals for up to 160 homes and two supermarkets. Architecture and Design Scotland has voiced concern over the proposals which it said failed to make a positive contribution the area's townscape and landscape.
Read the Cairngorms National Park Authority news release
Casino project unveiled
Designs for a £35m casino, hotel and leisure complex proposed for a derelict former caravan holiday park south of Great Yarmouth's Pleasure Beach have been unveiled by developers Pleasure and Leisure Corporation.
CABE criticises Victoria Station redevelopment designs
The Government's design adviser has criticized Land Securities proposals for major redevelopment at Victoria Station, London. The Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE) has called for a major rethink of the design of the master plan. "Both the quantum of development proposed and its distribution over the site are problematic," CABE argued.
Gypsy site advice published
New guidance has been published by the Welsh Assembly Government to help local authorities identify suitable Gypsy and Traveller sites and how they should deal with the issues involved in their new-look local development plans.
Cheshire planning to be slimmed down
Local government minister John Healey has announced that the number of planning authorities in Cheshire will be cut to two under plans to create two new unitary authorities for the area.
Read the Communities and Local Government news release
Legal challenge threat over habitats
Environmentalists have warned the Government that the administration could face a legal challenge over the regional spatial plan for the East of England. That's the view of Friends of the Earth who have taken legal advice and told ministers that unless key wildlife sites are properly protected ministers could face prosecution on the grounds that the development pressures in the strategy contravene European Union laws on habitat protection.
Read the Friends of the Earth press release
Wales Access Statements
In Wales from 30 June 2007 it became a statutory requirement for Access Statements to accompany applications for planning permission and listed buildings consent (with some exclusions).
Legislation can be viewed at www.opsi.gov.uk : Article 4D to the Town and Country Planning (General Development Procedure) Order 1995, and Regulation 3B to the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Regulations 1990.
National Guidance on 'Planning for Inclusive Design (Access Statements)', Welsh Assembly Government, 2007, can be viewed here.
(available in English only until incorporated into TAN12: Design)
Planning professionals: help us help you
Registered Planning Professional users of the Planning Portal are invited to attend a workshop to help us understand the needs and motivations of Portal users. This is a chance for you to have your say about your experiences of using the Planning Portal and the services it offers as well as shape our future service developments.
The research will be conducted by the Central Office of Information (COI) through a discussion on the following topics.
- How you found out about the Planning Portal and experiences to date
- Reasons/benefits of using the Planning Portal - including how it could be improved
- Navigation issues
- Barriers to using the Planning Portal
- How you currently go about finding out information/making applications - how does the Planning Portal fit in with other routes or options
- Best ways of communicating with yourselves or potential users
The workshops will be held in Bristol on 8 January 2008 at the Planning Portal office and London at Guoman Hotel, Charing Cross, (formally Thistle Charing Cross) on 9 January 2008. There will be two sessions 10am and 2pm each lasting approximately two hours. Refreshments will be provided.
If you would like to register to attend, please click here.
Please note this workshop is only for Planning Professionals, we will be hosting further user groups for LPA staff members.
Roger Milne and Planning Portal
19 December 2007
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