News round-up 28 August 2008

Gateway super-port makes waves

Proposals for a £1.5bn super-port and business park in the Thames Gateway have begun to move off the drawing board now the companies that will construct the facility have been named. The project is expected to create up to 12,000 jobs in south Essex.

The contract, a joint venture involving Laing O'Rourke and Dredging International, will see Dubai Ports (DP) World build the UK's first deep-water port for more than 20 years at the former Shellhaven oil refinery on the River Thames.
 
The project, on a 1,500-acre brownfield site, also involves a business and logistics park. The scheme was given the initial green light by ministers last year.

Read the DP World press release.

Community strategy progress report

The preparation of local authority community strategies has shown a marked improvement since a preliminary assessment carried out in 2005, new research published by Communities and Local Government has found.

Author Janie Percy-Smith, from Leeds Metropolitan University, reported that the strategies were becoming more coherent with priorities being pursued through specific actions and measured through appropriate indicators.

However, she also highlighted "a tendency in many areas to have far too many actions, targets and priorities". She also found that some strategies were "little more than a list of things that partners were doing anyway".

Percy-Smith said areas which remained weak in many strategies included: delivery costs, resources, facilitators and barriers of delivery, performance monitoring, involvement of partners and community involvement in reviewing the strategy.

Listing poser for London landmarks

Two London landmarks could become Grade ll listed buildings, a move which could significantly affect plans for their redevelopment and reuse.

English Heritage is considering recommending that the American embassy in Grosvenor Square, London, should be so designated and has recommended similar treatment for Waterloo Station, London's largest rail terminus.

Planning fails gender test - report

Local authorities are failing to consider women's needs in their planning schemes, more than a year after legislation designed to stop the problem was introduced, a Cambridge University report has revealed.

The study, presented to the Royal Geographical Society's annual conference, claimed that the Gender Equality Duty, introduced in 2007, is largely being ignored by the majority of planners.

Although researchers found cases – in London, Nottinghamshire and South Yorkshire – where gender was being taken into account, the report insisted these were the exceptions which proved the rule.

A Communities and Local Government spokesperson said: "The Gender Equality Duty is a statutory duty that came into force in April 2006 requiring all public authorities, including local planning departments, to take the appropriate steps to eliminate discrimination.

"In addition, in 2005, we introduced best practice guidance for council planners and our PPS12 local planning guidance specifically requires councils to consider the gender equality duty."

Green light for key Edinburgh developments

Edinburgh City Council has given planning approval for a number of major new schemes including the controversial Caltongate development just off the Royal Mile; the high-rise Haymarket Hotel project and a series of new villages along the waterfront at Leith which could involve up to 15,000 new homes as part of a regeneration proposal which prompted the biggest planning application ever dealt with by the planning authority.

• John Bury, a senior council planner from Glasgow, has been appointed to replace Alan Henderson as Edinburgh City Council's head of planning. A graduate of Heriot-Watt University, Bury has worked for Glasgow City Council since 1978. He has held various posts, including chief planning officer, head of strategy, head of policy and head of planning for the city centre and Clyde. He is currently head of planning services at Glasgow.

Green light for two more student schemes

UNITE Group, the UK’s largest manager of branded student accommodation has obtained planning approval for two more projects in the capital.

The projects, one in Islington north London and the other at London's South Bank, will provide a total of 355 bedrooms, bike storage, as well as commercial floor space and green heating schemes.

Read the UNITE Group press release.

Remembering slavery

Culture minister Margaret Hodge has announced new protection for four historic buildings and monuments linked to the slave trade and upgrades and amendments for 21 others.

Read the Department for Culture, Media and Sport press release.

Airport hearing date

The inquiry into a proposed second runway at Stansted Airport has been timetabled to start on 15 April 2009.

Combined heat and power scheme gets thumbs up

Energy Minister Malcolm Wicks has given the go-ahead to Thor Cogeneration Ltd to construct a 1,020MW gas-fired combined heat and power station at Seal sands, Teesside. He has also given deemed planning permission for the development having agreed planning conditions with Stockton on Tees Borough Council.

Roger Milne

28 August 2008