Planning
Alerts

Back in March 2018 we channelled our inner Mystic Meg and suggested that the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, was likely to see significant resistance from the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government over his plans to radically reform the spatial development strategy for London. On 27 July 2018, James Brokenshire MP (then Secretary of State) fired a warning shot, suggesting our premonitions might be right. On Friday 13 March 2020, following an extensive examination, Robert Jenrick MP (the current Secretary of State) duly followed through. Unlucky for Khan…

It’s an exciting time for Milton Keynes. Plans for a new university, incoming significant investment , positive steps in the regeneration of the Lakes Estate and Fullers Slade and -arguably most importantly, the publication of the MK Futures Growth Strategy by Milton Keynes Council (MKC). Mark Harris explains what's next for the growth of Milton Keynes.

The Government has published its policy paper ‘Planning for the Future’. This precedes the Planning White Paper expected in the spring and sets the direction of travel for the current government’s policies on planning and housing. Juliet Clark, Planning Associate, highlights the key points to come out of the policy paper and her predictions for the upcoming white paper, in our latest planning alert.

Historic England has issued a draft updated advice note on tall buildings. Interestingly, this guidance highlights that the evolution of skylines is inherent to all towns and cities, and that some of the most important historic buildings were once the tallest within their built environment.

The Building Better, Building Beautiful Commission's (BBBBC) report ‘Living with Beauty: Promoting Health, Wellbeing and Sustainable Growth’ was published last month and advocates a proposed overhaul of the current planning system, to be replaced by a new development and planning framework.

The Greater Cambridge Sustainable Design and Construction Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) has been recently adopted by both South Cambridgeshire District Council and Cambridge City Council (Greater Cambridge Planning Services). The SPD has been prepared to provide additional technical guidance on the implementation of Local Plan policies, elaborating on the information that should be submitted with planning applications.

Planning Inspectors have dealt a blow to St Albans City and District Council (SACDC) by cancelling the remaining Local Plan examination hearings after just one week of initial discussions. Inspectors wrote to the Council to notify them of “some serious concerns in relation to legal compliance and soundness.”

In October 2019, Historic England (HE) published an advice note, which provides guidance on the assessment of heritage assets. In Bidwells' latest planning alert, Chris Surfleet and Steven Handforth sets out the advice note's key points and how this affects the decision-making process relating to heritage assets.

On 1 October 2019 Robert Jenrick, the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, launched a new National Design Guide, forming part of the government’s collection of Planning Practice Guidance. Lucy Fathers sets out the important updates and how this can effect design quality in Bidwells’ latest Planning Alert.