News round-up 31 July 2008
New forest plan unveiled
Ambitious plans for what would be England's largest continuous new native forest have been announced by the Woodland Trust for a location covering 850 acres near St Albans, Hertfordshire.
The Trust announced proposals to plant more than 600,000 native trees on land it has earmarked to buy near Sandridge, between St Albans and Harpenden. The proposed forest would be bigger than London's 770-acre post-2012 Olympic 'Urban Park'. It will also be the single largest native woodland site owned in England by the trust. The land, currently farmland, has pockets of ancient woodland providing wildlife habitat.
Read the Woodland Trust web page.
Coventry airport judgement reserved until autumn
The judgement following the legal challenge by the owners of Coventry Airport over the Government's decision to block their bid for a new passenger terminal, increased car-parking, and a bigger aircraft apron, is now expected in September.
The High Court hearing ended earlier this month.
Felling fears surface
Environmental campaigners have voiced concern over proposed new tree safety guidelines drawn up by the British Standards Institute (BSI). The Campaign to Protect Rural England has warned that the BSI proposals for regular inspections of trees could generate anxiety and confusion among the general public and prompt home owners to fell trees near public rights of way, pavements or other houses.
Tom Oliver, head of rural policy at CPRE, voiced concern that those tree-owners "may be encouraged to take unnecessary pre-emptive action and fell trees to avoid inspection costs and liabilities".
Decision on busier London City Airport deferred
Newham Council's development control committee has deferred a decision to allow a 50 per cent increase in flights from London's City Airport in Docklands.
The delay followed an eleventh-hour request from London Mayor Boris Johnson who wanted the council to hold off a decision until after a study by the National Air Traffic Services (Nats) is published.
This study is looking at how the proposed expansion could impact on the case for a Thames Gateway Bridge.
Read the Newham council press release.
Flood risk aid scheme
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has proposed a new scheme designed to offer help to households in England who face a high risk of flooding but which are not protected by traditional community defences.
On the agenda are free home flood surveys and the possibility of grants towards flood-proofing measures as part of a 5m GBP package of assistance. Recently the Association of British Insurers and the Government reached agreement that flood insurance would remain widely available now and in the longer term.
Floods recovery minister John Healey said: "While councils and insurers continue working to get people back home as quickly as possible, and 133m GBP Government funding has been made available to communities to help them get back on their feet, the floods showed that individuals can also do their bit to minimise flooding risk and damage.
"Even small practical steps can make a big difference when floods hit. So I welcome the extra 5m GBP that will be made available to help homeowners take the most effective steps to protect their properties."
Mayor intervenes over mixed-use scheme
London Mayor Boris Johnson has objected to a major development in the capital and instructed Tower Hamlets council to block plans by Reit Asset Management and Apollo Real Estate to develop part of St Katharine’s Dock to provide more than 280,000 sq ft of office space and additional retail and restaurant space.
The Mayor wants the project redesigned to include off-site housing provision in line with London Plan policies on mixed-use development.
Shortlist for transport infrastructure schemes
The Government has announced the shortlist of schemes vying for a share of a 200m GBP transport infrastructure fund for new housing developments. The funding will support schemes in Growth Areas and Growth Points across England.
In the final cut are such schemes as the west of Worcester rapid transit corridor, the pedestrian and cycle bridge project at Swindon, and the Regiment Way park-and-ride project in Colchester.
Housing minister Caroline Flint said: "One of the main priorities this Government faces is building the new homes that families and first-time buyers, in particular, so badly need. These places are already stepping up to the mark to deliver more housing, so now we are looking to support that development by getting the right infrastructure in place.
"The schemes shortlisted today for the next stage in bidding for 200m GBP of funding have shown that they can help unlock potential in proposed new developments, as well as provide the transport infrastructure to support growing communities and improve access to town centres and jobs."
Read the Communities and Local Government news release.
Retail competition moves
The Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform has published its response to the Competition Commission's inquiry into UK groceries retailing. Ministers will consult later this year on taking action to prevent restrictive land agreements.
They also confirmed that the administration will reflect further on the recommendation for a competition test pending the outcome of Tesco's legal challenge and the consultation on revisions to town centre planning policy recently announced by Communities and Local Government.
Scottish housing strategy guidance published
New planning policy guidance to ensure housing supply in Scotland reaches 35,000 dwellings a year by the middle of the next decade has been published by the Scottish Government. As well as launching Scottish Planning Policy 3, the administration has issued local housing strategy guidance and housing need and demand assessment guidance.
Read the Scottish Government press release and access Scottish Planning Policy 3.
Financial aid for Welsh planning and site clean-ups
A 6m GBP package to help bring contaminated land in Wales back into use has been announced by the Welsh Assembly Government. The funding - 2m GBP annually over the next three years – will go to local authorities and the Environment Agency.
In a separate development the administration is making 250,000 GBP available to improve the delivery of planning services. Some of the money will be used for further development of the Planning Portal in Wales.
Read the Welsh Assembly Government press release on brownfield site funding.
Read the Welsh Assembly Government press release on planning funding.
Roger Milne
31 July 2008
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