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News - 2012

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News
News title and description Reset	Date of publication Year of publication
Streamlined rights of way regime proposed The Government has published plans to make the process of recording, diverting and extinguishing public rights of way more efficient...	17 May 2012
Councils fail in High Court phone mast action Two local planning authorities who joined forces in a High Court challenge involving their efforts to remove mobile phone masts have lost the legal battle...	17 May 2012
Council wins court case over office demolition A local authority has successfully fought off a property company’s bid in the Court of Appeal to block the demolition of chemical giant ICI’s former headquarters...	17 May 2012
Hain quits shadow Cabinet to lobby for a Severn Barrage Shadow Welsh Secretary Peter Hain, a former Secretary of State for Wales and Northern Ireland, has quit Labour’s shadow Cabinet to spearhead a campaign for a Severn Barrage...	17 May 2012
Council challenged by Ombudsman over compensation refusal Essex County Council is in dispute with the Local Government Ombudsman (LGO) after refusing to pay compensation to a couple who have suffered noise nuisance from a nearby waste transfer station...	17 May 2012
News round-up 17 May 2012 An overview of the other planning stories of this week...	17 May 2012
Boost for surplus public land housing target The Government is on course to release enough previously-used public land and buildings to provide sites for over 100,000 new homes by 2015...	10 May 2012
Study highlights benefits of green infrastructure Putting green infrastructure such as parks, gardens and trees at the heart of neighbourhoods can bring significant economic benefits, according to a Natural England study...	10 May 2012
Green light for huge Welsh turbine scheme Swedish energy company Vattenfall has been given the go-ahead to build a huge wind farm in Wales by UK Energy Secretary Charles Hendry...	10 May 2012
Chelsea eyes up Battersea Power Station for new stadium Chelsea Football Club has announced it has submitted an offer with its property development partner Almacantar to acquire the 39-acre site which includes Battersea Power Station...	10 May 2012
Council criticised over extension plans Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council has been criticised by the Local Government Ombudsman over the granting of planning permission for extensions to two terraced houses in breach of its own planning policies...	10 May 2012
News round-up 10 May 2012 An overview of the other planning stories of this week...	10 May 2012
'Beds in sheds' move Ministers have unveiled plans for a national taskforce to tackle the issue of "beds in sheds"...	3 May 2012
Brussels raises gas terminal safety assessments issue The European Commission has started formal proceedings against the UK Government over the safety assessment of tankers berthing at the two liquefied natural gas terminals located at Milford Haven in West Wales...	3 May 2012
Green groups split over onshore wind farms Countryside campaigners have clashed with other environmental groups and power companies over onshore wind farm development which the Campaign to Protect Rural England claimed was damaging valued landscapes...	3 May 2012
Reservoir projects make progress Anglian Water is set to build a new £44m reservoir and water treatment works near Newton-on-Trent after getting the go-ahead from West Lindsey District Council...	3 May 2012
Huge offshore wind farm proposed for Moray Firth A planning application to develop what would be one of the world’s largest offshore wind farms in an area off Scotland’s east coast has been lodged with Marine Scotland...	3 May 2012
News round-up 3 May 2012 An overview of the other planning stories of this week...	3 May 2012
Clark says he will check Inspectorate’s decisions echo NPPF’s localism agenda Communities Minister Greg Clark has announced that he expects to see a sample of decisions by planning inspectors to ensure they meet the Government’s intention that the NPPF should be driven by the Coalition’s localism agenda...	26 April 2012
Council criticised over lax airfield controls Hambleton District Council has been criticised by the Local Government Ombudsman for failing to exercise proper control over the use of Bagby Airfield...	26 April 2012
Legal challenge over wind farm approval near heritage site The National Trust, English Heritage and East Northamptonshire Council have decided to mount a joint High Court challenge against the planning permission granted on appeal for a wind farm...	26 April 2012
Master plan approved for major urban extension near Edinburgh The master plan for one of the UK’s single largest residential and mixed use developments has been approved by West Lothian Council for a location some eight miles from Edinburgh, the Scottish capital...	26 April 2012
Forest of Dean plans face High Court battle A local Friends of the Earth group in Gloucestershire has launched a legal challenge against the decision by the Forest of Dean District Council to approve its Core Strategy and the Cinderford Area Action Plan...	26 April 2012
News round-up 26 April 2012 An overview of the other planning stories of this week...	26 April 2012
First neighbourhood plan set for examination The neighbourhood planning regime is due to pass an important milestone next week when the first of this new type of plan - for Dawlish in south Devon - reaches its examination stage...	19 April 2012
Move to allow alternatives as part of infrastructure applications Developers of nationally significant infrastructure projects (NSIPs) will be able to include alternatives in an application for a Development Consent Order (DCO), ministers have proposed...	19 April 2012
English Enterprise Zones go live The latest generation of English Enterprise Zones - a total of twenty four have been designated - are now operational and can offer immediate tax breaks for companies setting up shop...	19 April 2012
'Clustering' campaign gathers momentum Local authorities have intensified their campaign for changes to the Article 4 direction regime in a bid for more control over the clustering of particular uses in town centres such as strip clubs and bookmakers...	19 April 2012
Wind farms not as big a risk to birds as feared, study finds Many bird species are unaffected by wind farms, according to the most comprehensive study of its kind carried out by researchers working for UK bird charities...	19 April 2012
News round-up 19 April 2012 An overview of the other planning stories of this week...	19 April 2012
NPPF has immediate effect on planning decisions Communities Secretary Eric Pickles has cited the need to consider the implications of the recently published National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) in his imminent decision on a controversial project...	11 April 2012
New flood risk advice published New guidance for local authorities on planning in flood risk areas has been published by the Association of British Insurers (ABI) and the National Flood Forum...	11 April 2012
Localism Act measures come into effect Localism Act measures come into effect	11 April 2012
Rochdale readies itself to rework its core strategy Rochdale Council is poised to formally withdraw its core strategy and produce a revised version which could be ready for submission to the Government by October 2012...	11 April 2012
UK's largest onshore wind farm gets green light Scottish energy minister Fergus Ewing has granted consent for the Viking wind farm on Shetland, the largest onshore wind farm approved this year in the UK...	11 April 2012
News round-up 11 April 2012 An overview of the other planning stories of this week...	11 April 2012
Government's 'Portas Plus' response to High Street proposals The Coalition has accepted virtually all the recommendations put forward by Mary Portas last December from her High Street Review and put in place a new support package to further boost the High Street.	4 April 2012
National Planning Policy Framework strikes the balance The final version of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) for England, now in force, has received a good response.	4 April 2012
Revised tree preservation regime finalised The new Tree Preservation Order (TPO) regime for England involves two key changes from the proposals for more streamlined and consolidated arrangements consulted on two years ago, the Department for Communities and Local Government has announced.	4 April 2012
Scottish proposal to link planning fees to performance Scotland’s Planning Minister Derek Mackay has unveiled proposals to improve efficiency and streamline the planning system north of the Border, including linking increases in fees to improved performance by planning authorities.	4 April 2012
National Heat Map to help planners The Government has published a new interactive National Heat Map, an online resource aimed at helping planners to identify potential areas for district heating networks.	4 April 2012
News round-up 4 April 2012 An overview of the other planning stories of this week...	4 April 2012
National Planning Policy Framework unveiled English planning authorities with approved local plans in place will have 12 months to ensure their strategies conform to the Government's National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) now published and in force.	28 March 2012
Three major housing schemes rejected Communities Secretary Eric Pickles has refused planning permission for three major housing-led developments which together made provision for around 3,000 homes.	28 March 2012
New traveller site policy published Revised planning policy on traveller sites which confirms they constitute "inappropriate development" in Green Belt locations has been published by the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG).	28 March 2012
Green light for residential development Four major housing schemes, one on land in current Green Belt, have been allowed by Communities Secretary Eric Pickles. Residential development of nearly 1,600 new homes was involved.	28 March 2012
'Map for England' project launched The Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) has launched a debate on the benefits of having a 'Map for England' to plan infrastructure and services and to enable decision makers at the local level to make more informed policy choices.	28 March 2012
Seamless transfer for Infrastructure Planning Commission (IPC) The IPC will cease to exist on 1 April and its work will be taken over by a restructured Planning Inspectorate.	28 March 2012
News round-up 28 March 2012 An overview of the other planning stories of this week...	28 March 2012
'Red tape' targeted by Chancellor The final version of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) will be published on 27 March and will take effect from that date, Chancellor George Osborne announced in his Budget Statement on 21 March.	21 March 2012
Environmental regulations to be streamlined The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has announced moves to make environmental regulations more streamlined and more aligned with the planning regime.	21 March 2012
Waste water NPS makes waves The House of Commons has approved the National Policy Statement for Waste Water which identified two projects, both in London, as nationally significant.	21 March 2012
Listed buildings become a crime scene The first comprehensive survey on the effect of crime on England's historic buildings and sites, commissioned by English Heritage, indicated that some 70,000 listed buildings were physically harmed by crime last year.	21 March 2012
Welsh Government calls for wider energy planning powers The Welsh Government wants greater responsibility for energy planning and policy and is determined to press the case for more devolution in this area, Welsh First Minister Carwyn Jones has stressed.	21 March 2012
News round-up 21 March 2012 An overview of the other planning stories of this week...	21 March 2012
CBI urges infrastructure planning change Further reforms need to be made to major infrastructure planning in the UK to help accelerate investment and speed up decision-making, the CBI has argued.	14 March 2012
Appeal Court rules on village green cases Campaigners making use of the village and town green safeguarding regime have had mixed fortunes in the Court of Appeal.	14 March 2012
Major new wildlife habitat area designated Sedgemoor District Council has given the green light to the Environment Agency for proposals to transform part of the Steart peninsula, Somerset, into one of the UK’s largest areas of new wildlife habitat.	14 March 2012
Council objects to two mid Wales wind farms Powys County Council has formally objected to two large onshore wind farm schemes currently the subject of s36 applications to the Department of Energy and Climate Change.	14 March 2012
New guidance for London World Heritage Sites London Mayor Boris Johnson has published new guidance designed to conserve the settings of the capital’s World Heritage Sites.	14 March 2012
News round-up 14 March 2012 An overview of the other planning stories of this week...	14 March 2012
Planners under fire from Ombudsman Council officers have been accused of "incompetence and neglect" by the Local Government Ombudsman after wrongly granting planning permission three times for cattle-rearing buildings in a County Durham village.	7 March 2012
Major Liverpool waterfront scheme approved An ambitious multi-billion scheme to regenerate 60 hectares of dockland in Liverpool has been approved by the city council's planning committee, subject to a legal agreement.	7 March 2012
Urban extension rejected by minister A proposal for a major urban extension at Grantham, Lincolnshire, has been turned down by Communities Secretary Eric Pickles following a recovered appeal hearing.	7 March 2012
Green light for pioneering Enterprise Zone local orders Local Development Orders associated with the Tees Valley Enterprise Zone have been given the green light by the Government - the first simplified planning regimes to get the go ahead from Communities Secretary Eric Pickles.	7 March 2012
Minister turns down Gypsy site appeals Communities Secretary Eric Pickles has dismissed two separate appeals involving plans for Gypsy and Traveller sites. In one case he went against the recommendation of the planning inspector.	7 March 2012
News round-up 7 March 2012 An overview of the other planning stories of this week...	7 March 2012
New nature zones named New nature zones covering hundreds of thousands of hectares are to be set up across England, Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman has announced.	1 March 2012
Milestone for major new town A revised master plan for Northstowe, the major new town planned for the north west of Cambridge, has been prepared and submitted to South Cambridgeshire District Council alongside the planning application for the first phase of the scheme.	1 March 2012
Minister offers cash boost to bring empty homes into use Communities Minister Andrew Stunell has promised 50 million pounds under a new scheme aimed at bringing back into use clusters of empty homes that can often attract anti-social behaviour, vandalism and fly tipping.	1 March 2012
Call for 'clustering' action More than two-thirds of local people (68 per cent) are against existing regulations that allow betting shops to take over banks and building societies' premises without planning permission, according to a new opinion poll.	1 March 2012
Wrexham goes back to the drawing board as local plan withdrawn Wrexham County Borough Council has agreed to withdraw its Local Development Plan (LDP) after a planning inspector raised concerns about the document during its examination in public.	1 March 2012
News round-up 1 March 2012 An overview of the other planning stories of this week...	1 March 2012
Planning Portal hits million application milestone The one millionth planning application has been processed by the Planning Portal, which has now delivered savings of approximately 285 million pounds to applicants and councils, Planning Minister Bob Neill announced.	23 February 2012
Green light for golf resort near Giant's Causeway Northern Ireland Environment Minister Alex Attwood has approved a golf resort and spa close to the Giant's Causeway.	23 February 2012
Revised guidance for ministers on planning propriety Government chief planner Steve Quartermain has published revised guidance to ministers on propriety when they deal with planning cases.	23 February 2012
Government to consult on farming change of use The Government has confirmed plans to consult on allowing greater flexibility for changes of use of existing agricultural buildings for other business purposes, for example offices, leisure and retail space.	23 February 2012
Boost for London regeneration zone Wandsworth Council in south west London has approved plans for a major 15-acre mixed-use development in the Nine Elms regeneration zone designed to provide nearly 2,000 flats.	23 February 2012
News round-up 23 February 2012 An overview of the other planning stories of this week...	23 February 2012
Pickles blocks Bedford energy-from-waste project Communities Secretary Eric Pickles has rejected the advice of a planning inspector who recommended the green light for an energy recovery facility planned for a business park near Milton Ernest, Bedfordshire...	16 February 2012
Flood defence schemes approved for 25,000 homes Over 25,000 homes will be better protected from flooding as a result of new defence schemes to start construction in the next financial year..	16 February 2012
National Planning Casework Unit’s remit widened DCLG has decided to widen the remit of the National Planning Casework Unit (NPCU). The NCPU was set up over 18 months ago to handle some of the casework previously dealt with by the Government Office Network...	16 February 2012
Dispute over nuclear plant scrutiny funding delays council tax decision Sedgemoor District Council has delayed setting its annual council tax following a dispute over how much EDF Energy will contribute to the council's scrutiny of the firm's application for a new nuclear power station at Hinkley Point...	16 February 2012
Waste water policy statement published The Government has published the final version of the National Policy Statement on Waste Water...	16 February 2012
News round-up 16 February 2012 An overview of the other planning stories of this week...	16 February 2012
New guidance on development on contaminated land Long-awaited revised regulations and guidance over the development of contaminated land have been laid in Parliament by the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs...	9 February 2012
Moves to help ailing High Streets Retail guru Mary Portas and Local Government and Housing Minister Grant Shapps have launched a competition to help turn round ailing high streets and town centres...	9 February 2012
Liverpool goes for elected mayor with key economic powers Councillors have voted to change Liverpool City Council’s constitution and elect a mayor for the city...	9 February 2012
MPs urge more local control over wind farms More than 100 backbench MPs, mainly Conservatives, have urged the Prime Minister to make it easier for local communities to block onshore wind farms...	9 February 2012
Corruption probe over planning permission The Greater Manchester Police has confirmed that five men held as part of an investigation into alleged corruption involving a residential planning permission in Bury have been bailed pending further inquiries...	9 February 2012
News round-up 9 February 2012 An overview of the other planning stories of this week...	9 February 2012
Progress on finding surplus land for housing Housing Minister Grant Shapps has confirmed that the Coalition has identified surplus public land with enough capacity for over 80,000 new homes...	2 February 2012
Dog-breeding centre plans turned down Proposals to extend a centre in East Yorkshire which breeds dogs for scientific research have been rejected by Communities Secretary Eric Pickles...	2 February 2012
Report fuels call for power line undergrounding Countryside campaigners are calling for current plans to build nearly 300 miles of new overhead power lines to be rethought following publication...	2 February 2012
Two more Welsh enterprise zones Welsh Business Minister Edwina Hart has announced plans for two new enterprise zones...	2 February 2012
News round-up 2 February 2012 An overview of the other planning stories of this week...	2 February 2012
Minister allows housing appeals Two significant residential-led schemes have been allowed on appeal by Communities Secretary Eric Pickles...	26 January 2012
Four Scottish Enterprise Areas announced Four enterprise areas encompassing 14 sites are to be created in Scotland, finance secretary John Swinney has confirmed...	26 January 2012
Report says scheme threatens Liverpool World Heritage site A UNESCO team of inspectors has told Liverpool City Council that without further changes to Peel Holding’s ambitious redevelopment proposals for the waterfront area of the city, Liverpool’s World Heritage site status will be compromised...	26 January 2012
Pinewood plans on cutting room floor Proposals for a £200m mixed-use development at Pinewood Studios, centred on plans for a working and living community for the creative industries, have been rejected by Communities Secretary Eric Pickles...	26 January 2012
Court ruling frees up Stradey Park development A housing development on the site of Llanelli’s former Stradey Park rugby ground is now free to go ahead following a High Court ruling...	26 January 2012
News round-up 26 January 2012 An overview of the other planning stories of this week...	26 January 2012
Enterprise Zone master plans take flight Chancellor George Osborne has unveiled plans for a £659m ‘Airport City’ – the first of its kind in the UK – at the heart of the Manchester Airport Enterprise Zone, designated last year...	19 January 2012
Chelmsford urban extension revised Countryside Properties and their development partner have revised their outline planning application to Chelmsford Borough Council for the development of a major urban extension in North East Chelmsford	19 January 2012
Wind farm opposition make waves Onshore planning headaches have posed further problems for Warwick Energy’s Dudgeon offshore wind farm, to be built off the Norfolk coast...	19 January 2012
Welsh planning authorities warned over local plan delays Welsh planning authorities have been warned that delays in producing local development plans were holding back local economies and the wider Welsh economy...	19 January 2012
Ministers signal support for tighter controls over betting shops Both Prime Minister David Cameron and Communities and Local Government Minister Grant Shapps have hinted at Government support for moves to tighten planning controls over the proliferation of betting shops...	19 January 2012
News round-up 19 January 2012 An overview of the other planning stories of this week...	19 January 2012
High speed rail project gets go-ahead Ministers have given the green light for a new national high speed rail network, called HS2, which has a price tag of £32.7bn and will be built in two phases by 2033...	12 January 2012
Authority makes case for new runway capacity in SE England The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has urged ministers to commit to a long-term aviation policy framework that focuses on consumers and allows airport capacity to develop sustainably, specifically in south east England...	12 January 2012
Welsh Government commissions Hyder to review green energy planning The Welsh Government has confirmed that the Hyder Consultancy has been commissioned to carry out research into the regime for deciding renewable energy planning applications.	12 January 2012
Flag flying regulations set to change Proposals to make it easier for people to fly flags of their choice without facing costly restrictions and red tape have been announced by the Department for Communities and Local Government...	12 January 2012
Scottish Government proposes ‘costs capping’ for some planning cases Proposals for a costs capping scheme in cases challenging decisions by public authorities which impact on the environment have been published by the Scottish Government...	12 January 2012
News round-up 12 January 2012 An overview of the other planning stories of this week...	12 January 2012
Minister welcomes report on planning framework Decentralisation Minister Greg Clark has welcomed a Parliamentary report which acknowledged support for the Government’s aspirations for a streamlined planning system...	5 January 2012
Minister allows Gypsy caravan site appeal Communities Secretary Eric Pickles has allowed an appeal over the refusal by St Albans City and District Council over a proposal for the retention of a gypsy caravan site in a Green Belt location...	5 January 2012
Councils urge changes to village green regime Campaigners exploiting planning rules by claiming beach huts and car parks are 'village greens' to halt developments are costing taxpayers millions of pounds, council leaders have warned...	5 January 2012
High Court ruling quashes parts of action plan A High Court ruling which allowed a challenge by a developer over his development site has resulted in the quashing of parts of the London Borough of Bromley’s Town Centre Area Action Plan (AAP)...	5 January 2012
Re-think over major west London scheme A London council is reviewing its plans to redevelop its town hall site and build nearly 300 homes after concern from local residents and the Mayor of London over the height of the scheme and the lack of affordable housing...	5 January 2012
News round-up 5 January 2012 An overview of the other planning stories of this week...	5 January 2012

News - 2012

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