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Planning Magazine Issue date 29.06.12, Test Magazine for digital magazine trial.TRANSCRIPT
The Journal of the Royal Town Planning Institute
www.planningresource.co.uk issue1937 29june2012 £2.70
05 Duty to cooperate halts joint waste strategy Inspector tells
London local authorities that their strategy must meet new duty
06 Council ditches supermarket levy Dorset council drops plan for
differential CIL charge on retail development after Sainsbury’s objects
08 Planners urged to boost economic knowledge Better grasp of
development economics needed to assess plan viability, says report
2012-13 Planning Lawyers GuideSUPPLEMENT We name the most
highly rated barristers and
solicitors in the sector. Plus our
directory of planning law services
Games plannersThe Olympic Delivery Authority’s
Vivienne Ramsey and Steve Shaw on how
the Stratford venue was approved 20
Entry deadline extendedThere’s still time to submit your entry for theRegeneration & Renewal Awards 2012.The extended deadline is: Thursday 12 July.
This most prestigious awards programme will thisyear feature 14 categories designed to celebrateevery aspect of the regeneration sector – fromhousing design to boosting economic growth.
For more information visit: www.regenawards.comor contact [email protected] I020 8267 8188
In association withSponsored byEndorsed by
29june2012 03
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English planning authorities are accustomed to having to gauge the impact of some
of their policies on development viability. But, as a guidance document from Sir
John Harman’s cross-industry group noted last week (see News Analysis, p8), their
responsibility in this area has just grown a lot bigger.
The National Planning Policy Framework requires councils to assess the impact of their
standards and policy requirements on the viability of the development needed to meet the
objectives of their local plans. Understandably, ministers want to ensure that, when local
authorities pick sites to supply the housing or jobs that their area will need in the future,
they have first checked that they are realistic commercial options.
But, as Harman’s report makes clear, the task of assessing the viability impact of a plan
over its full period is enormous. Estimating the costs imposed on developers by coun-
cils’ various standards and policies will be contentious enough in itself, but, to come to
an overall verdict, authorities will
also have to forecast notoriously
difficult variables such as long-
term changes in house prices.
The report acknowledges that the
precision of the ensuing reports
will inevitably be limited by scant
town hall resources, yet planners
will know that sketchy assess-
ments will make their local plans
vulnerable to challenge by devel-
opers. This week we have seen the
Borough of Poole drop plans to
charge a higher Community Infra-
structure Levy rate on superstores than other shops (see News Analysis, p6), after a chal-
lenge from Sainsbury’s that included criticisms of the impact of the levy on development
viability. It seems safe to assume that major developers will be equally quick to protect
their interests from local plan policies that they believe damage development prospects.
Rigorous but proportionate viability assessment could increase certainty for investors,
and improve the supply of new development. But, as Harman says, resources will have to
be injected into planning departments to give them the skills and personnel to deliver it.
Harman’s document, which sets out a proposed method for assessing viability, will in it-
self provide much helpful material. But the status it should be accorded seems slightly un-
clear, as it is an example of the new breed of sector-led (rather than government-produced)
guidance that ministers are encouraging. It has broad public and private sector backing,
but does it have the authority of a document that has had a full government consultation?
Environmental groups may pursue that question, particularly as Harman’s guidance at
some points seems particularly concerned to ward off the threat that environmental con-
siderations might pose to projects’ viability. It says that “the planning authority will need
to strike a balance between the policy requirements that it deems necessary in order to
provide for sustainable development and the realities of economic viability”. The message
seems to be that meeting objectively assessed development needs in a sustainable way is
for most planning authorities commercially unrealistic – not a view that many planners
will want to see enshrined in any guidance that is likely to become widely-used.
Richard Garlick, editor, Planning // [email protected]
Viability duties pose challenge to councils
“thetaskofassessingtheviabilityofaplanoveritsfullperiodisenormous”
Opinion Is it common sense to have privatised space?
Tim Stansfeld reflects on Pulp, privatised spaces and King’s
Cross Central PlanningResource.co.uk/go/blogs
News CIL Watch: Who’s charging what?
Updated: our table includes the latest details of councils’
levy plans http://cilwatch.planningresource.co.uk
Opinion Regional strategy revocation: frontline voices
Michael Donnelly looks at research that gathered reactions to
the strategies’ abolition PlanningResource.co.uk/go/blogs
Most read This fortnight’s most popular online stories
Pickles issues first post-NPPF call-in decisions // Councils hit
core strategy trouble // Cheltenham green belt homes fail
presumption test PlanningResource.co.uk/go/mostread
News Analysis
05 General
10
The devolved nations
Welsh council seeks
local development plan
examination break to fix
housing site shortfall
11 Business & Management
12 Online news round-up
Opinion
14 Analysis
16 Alexandra Jones
16 Letters
17 Tony Fyson
Interview
18 Malcolm Sharp, POS
Features
20
Olympics Meet the
planners who made the
Games happen
26 Casebook
30 RTPI News
Back page
40 Diary & Sir Peter Hall
topjob City of Busselton, Western Australia, manager
development services — £90,000 + relocation costs p37
appointments
04 29 JUNE 2012
29june2012 05
newsanalysis
planningstats
Waste strategy must abide with duty to cooperate
// Hearing on joint strategy adjourned // Inspector wants time to assess scope of consultation
By John Geoghegan
A planning inspector has ruled that
a 15-year waste strategy drawn up
by seven London local authorities
should comply with the Localism
Act’s new duty to cooperate.
A public hearing on the validity
of the North London Waste Plan
(NLWP) was adjourned earlier this
month when the inspector said he
wanted to consider legal objections
from two regional waste bodies that
said they had not been consulted.
At the time, those behind the plan
feared the move could mean the
strategy would have to be redrawn.
The Localism Act 2011 requires
councils to consult with neighbours
when preparing local plans.
This week, inspector Andrew Mead
issued a note saying that he did not
consider that the London councils
were “absolved from the duty” and
he would now consider whether
cooperation has been carried out.
Mead has asked the seven boroughs
to submit information about how
they have cooperated with other
authorities in drawing up the plan.
The NLWP has been drawn up by
the London Boroughs of Enfield,
Barnet, Haringey, Islington, Camden,
Hackney and Waltham Forest. A
spokesman for the councils, who
submitted the plan for inspection
in February, said: “We are actively
considering the full text of the
inspector’s initial findings.”
Archie Onslow, the NLWP’s
Waste: the councils are assessing the inspector’s initial findings on their strategy
0.6%Increase in bus passenger
journeys in England between
2010/11 and 2011/12,
according to Department for
Transport statistics
£220Maximum charge per
square metre for residential
development under Bracknell
Forest Council’s proposed
Community Infrastructure Levy
Investment in Greenwich peninsula announced by
Knight Dragon, an investment vehicle owned by Hong
Kong businessman Dr Henry Cheng
50,430Number of households
in England in temporary
accommodation on 31 March,
up five per cent on last year,
according to official statisticsal
am
y
wasteprocessing
£300m
Camden-based programme manager,
said the councils had argued that
the duty did not apply to the waste
plan because no new developments
were planned outside the seven
boroughs, so there would be no
“significant impact” on other areas.
The boroughs also argue that, in any
case, they did cooperate.
But the inspector felt it would
cause a “significant impact”
elsewhere because waste would still
be carried outside north London.
Onslow said: “These are early days
for the duty to cooperate. There are
no transitional arrangements, so we
are all struggling to find out what it
actually means, in terms of what it
covers and how far the cooperation
has to extend.”
The objections were raised by
regional waste planning bodies the
South East Waste Planning Advisory
Group and the East of England Waste
Technical Advisory Body.
EXCLUSIVE
By John Geoghegan
More than 40 per cent of local
authority planning teams rarely or
never consult economic development
officers when determining
applications, a new survey shows.
The study, by planning consultancy
Nathaniel Lichfield & Partners
(NLP), also found that two-thirds of
councils surveyed said they lacked
sufficient resources to “adequately
address economic development
issues in their area”.
NLP carried out its survey to see
how much consideration council
planning teams give to economic
growth when determining
applications in the wake of the
National Planning Policy Framework
(NPPF).
The NPPF, published in March,
states that significant weight
should be attached to economic
growth. But NLP’s study found
that 43 per cent of local authorities
rarely or never consult economic
development officers on planning
applications.
NLP director Matthew Spry, who
led the work, said this was one of
the “key” findings. He added: “At a
time when the NPPF is saying that
significant weight should be attached
to economic growth, 64 per cent of
authorities saying they do not have
adequate resources to address that
issue is a concern.”
The report, which was launched at
the RTPI Convention this week, can
be viewed via PlanningResource.
co.uk/go/referencesection
Poll: few council growth checks
1.38m tonnes
Weight of waste existing facilities in north London can process each year, according to the North London Waste Plan
1.9m tonnes
Waste processing capacity that needs to be found by 2027 to meet London Plan projections
06 29 june 2012
newsanalysis
stoppress
Council forced to drop levy on superstores// Borough of Poole proposed to charge CIL on new supermarkets but not smaller stores // But plan axed after retailer objected
By Jamie Carpenter
Supermarket giant Sainsbury’s has
forced a local authority in Dorset
to scrap its plans to ask superstore
developments to pay a new
infrastructure levy, while exempting
smaller retail schemes from the tariff.
The examination of the Borough
of Poole’s proposed Community
Infrastructure Levy (CIL) began
earlier this month.
The council’s draft charging
schedule, which set out its proposed
CIL rates, outlined a charge of £200
per square metre for superstores
with more than 3,000 square metres
of floorspace. It proposed that all
other retail developments should be
exempt from the levy.
But in its representation to the
examination, Sainsbury’s objected to
this approach, prompting examiner
Sue Turner to adjourn the hearing
earlier this month to “allow the
council to review its approach in
relation to retail development/
superstores”.
In a statement this week, the
council revealed that it had accepted
Sainsbury’s: argued against differentiation in Community Infrastructure Levy rates
Sainsbury’s position that there
should be no differentiation within
a particular type of use and that the
same CIL rate must apply across
all retail development. A zero rate
is now likely to apply for all retail
schemes across the borough.
Sainsbury’s representation said
that, while the CIL regulations
allow charging authorities to set
differential rates for different
geographical zones or for different
uses of development, they do not
permit differential rates within the
same intended use of development.
The representation said:
“A differential rate for retail
development is not justified and falls
outside the scope of the regulations.”
It added that the council’s evidence
was “insufficient” to justify a 3,000
square metre threshold.
£200Charge per square metre for
superstore schemes – dropped by
Borough of Poole after objection
The case will be watched closely
by other councils preparing CIL
charging schedules. A number of
these – including Plymouth, Mid
Sussex, Mid Devon and Hillingdon
– have proposed differential rates for
retail development.
Council spending on planning and
development services is set to drop
by more than 90 per cent by 2020,
according to a Local Government
Association report. It says that falling
funding from 2010/11 to 2019/20
means that, after social care,
waste, concessionary travel and
capital financing costs, there will be
“practically” nothing for other services.
Plans for a landmark 31-storey student
accommodation tower in Southwark
have won the backing of the Court
of Appeal. Lord Justice Pill refused
neighbouring landowners permission
to appeal against a High Court ruling
backing the London Borough of
Southwark’s grant of full planning
permission for the “Quill” tower.
A regeneration plan including
proposals for 1,700 homes to the north
of Birmingham’s city centre has been
approved by the council’s cabinet. The
15-year Aston, Newtown and Lozells
area action plan was backed at a
meeting earlier this week. It comes
after a planning inspector found the
plan to be sound in March.
The deadline for entering an awards
scheme that aims to recognise
and reward regeneration projects
of high merit across the UK has
been extended. Previously due on
5 July, the deadline for this year’s
Regeneration & Renewal Awards has
been pushed back by a week to 12 July
due to demand. To enter, visit www.
regenawards.com
By Susanna Millar
A strategic planning document
jointly prepared by three Lancashire
authorities has become the first core
strategy to be backed by an examiner
following the publication of the
government’s planning reforms.
The core strategy, prepared by the
Central Lancashire authorities of
Preston, South Ribble and Chorley,
is the first to be deemed as sound
under the National Planning Policy
Framework (NPPF).
The 15-year plan was backed by
inspector Richard Hollox subject to
two modifications: adopting RSS
annual housing requirements and
adding the Planning Inspectorate’s
so-called “model policy” on the
NPPF’s presumption in favour of
sustainable development.
Mike Molyneux, planning policy
manager at Preston City Council,
said the ability to pool staff resources
to focus on issues such as housing
provision was critical to getting the
strategy through the examination,
as was accepting the higher housing
figures set out in the RSS.
“In the absence of any other
objective evidence, it was sensible to
go back to those numbers,” he said.
“If councils are looking to go below
RSS figures they will need robust
objective evidence, otherwise they
will be challenged in the same way.”
Michael Wellock, a director at
Lancs strategy first to be rated sound
Stephen Ashworth, a consultant
at law firm SNR Denton, who co-
authored Sainsbury’s representation
to the Poole examination with
consultancy White Young Green, said
that the council’s decision to drop its
superstore charge is “good news and
29 june 2012 07
Council forced to drop levy on superstores Kingston named as top QC in Planning survey
thelatestcilnews
Plymouth City Council has published
revised CIL plans, including a new
city centre zone where residential and
purpose-built student accommodation
would not face a charge. Plans for
differential rates for high-rise and
non-high-rise schemes have been
dropped.
The London Borough of Croydon has
submitted its CIL charging schedule for
examination. Hearings are expected to
start in September 2012.
Bracknell Forest Council has
published a preliminary draft charging
schedule for consultation, which
includes four charging zones for
residential developments. Residential
charges range from £0 to £220 per
square metre.
By Bryan Johnston
Martin Kingston QC has topped
Planning’s annual poll of the most
respected barristers in the planning
and environment field.
No5 Chambers barrister Kingston
attracted the most nominations
for Queen’s Counsel whose work
“exemplifies best
practice in planning
law” in Planning’s survey
that received responses
from 225 solicitors,
barristers and planning
practitioners. He is
advising on nuclear
developments at
Hinkley Point, Wylfa
and Sellafield, energy-
from-waste plants in
Manchester and Derby, and urban
extensions in Bedfordshire and
Buckinghamshire.
Landmark Chambers’ Christopher
Katkowski QC, who has topped the
poll six times since 2002, dropped
into second place, while Ian Dove
QC of No5 Chambers, Morag Ellis
QC of Cornerstone Barristers and
Landmark’s David Elvin QC made
their debuts in the top five.
Francis Taylor Building barrister
James Pereira led the listing for
junior barristers. Melissa Murphy
of Cornerstone attracted most
nominations for the highest-rated
barrister aged under 35.
Berwin Leighton
Paisner (BLP) was the
highest-rated law firm
for a 15th successive
year with a client list
that includes schemes
such as the London 2012
Olympic Park, the Shard
and Westfield London.
SJ Berwin planning
partner Simon Ricketts
retained his place as
top-rated individual solicitor, ahead
of BLP partner Tim Smith and
Hogan Lovells International head of
planning Michael Gallimore.
The results are published in The
Guide to Planning Lawyers 2012-13,
sponsored by Bircham Dyson Bell,
circulated with this week’s Planning
Global investment in all the forms of renewable energy
reached $257 billion in 2011, up 17 per cent from the
previous year, according to a study published earlier
this month.
But the study, commissioned by the United Nations
Environment Programme and international green power
forum the Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st
Century, shows that the rate of year-on-year growth has
fallen. Last year’s increase did not match the 37 per cent
rise in investment between 2009 and 2010, it found.
According to the study, global investment in solar
power jumped 52 per cent to reach $147 billion in 2011 – a
figure almost twice as high as investment in wind energy,
which was down 12 per cent at $84 billion.
The study can be viewed via PlanningResource.co.uk/
go/referencesection
datacheck
Global investment in renewable energy Source: FrankFurt School oF Finance and ManageMent ggMbh 2012
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
$39bn $61bn $97bn $133bn $167bn $161bn $220bn $257bn
Lancs strategy first to be rated sound
exactly the right approach”. He said:
“I hope that other councils around
the country take heed.”
Nigel Hewitson, partner at law
firm Norton Rose, said: “My reading
of the regulations – they are pretty
clear – is that you can’t charge a
differential rate within the same use.
I’m not surprised that the council has
backed down.”
In a statement, Nigel Jacobs,
planning policy and implementation
manager at Borough of Poole, said:
“The council believes there is a
certain amount of ambiguity around
whether differential rates can be
applied within broad classes of use,
making it difficult to determine
whether it can or cannot pursue a
CIL solely for superstores.
“Until this is resolved by
government or the courts, the
council will not pursue its original
intended CIL rate on superstores.”
Jacobs said that Poole is “well
served” by superstores and that
the decision “will not adversely
affect CIL income or the delivery
of infrastructure within the
borough”.
consultancy Kirkwells, said the
approval was due to the councils’
shared growth agenda and strong
partnership working, including
creating a joint planning team.
He admitted that this approach
might be less successful in places
with large political differences. “But
financial necessity will provoke
more councils to share services and
inevitably this will result in joint
planning,” he added.
But Wellock questioned the value
of adding the model policy to every
core strategy. “If it is repeated across
all 354 councils in England, what has
that got to do with localism, and if
it’s to be universal, then can’t it just
be kept within the NPPF?” he said.
Our regular blog looks at the progress being made by councils in setting up levy charges. cilwatch.planningresource.co.uk
08 29 june 2012
newsanalysis
Planners urged to be business savvy// Development economics key to assessing local plans, says cross-industry group // Guidance provides advice on viability
By Susanna Millar
Planners will need to have a better
understanding of development
economics to meet new obligations
to assess the viability of local plans,
according to planning guidance from
a high-level cross-industry group.
The report, launched last week by
the Local Housing Delivery Group, is
the first piece of sector-led guidance
produced following the government’s
publication of its revised National
Planning Policy Framework (NPPF).
The NPPF says that councils must
ensure that their plans are deliverable
and pay “careful attention” to
viability and costs in plan-making
and in decisions.
Housing minister Grant Shapps
commissioned the group, which
includes the Homes Builders
Federation (HBF) and the Local
Government Association (LGA), to
offer councils advice on the best way
to conduct plan level viability studies.
The guidance aims to provide
step-by-step advice on how to test
the viability of local plans. It says that
local authorities need to consider
the cumulative impact of plan
requirements in striking a balance
between economic viability and high-
quality sustainable development.
But the demand in the NPPF to
test whole plans’ viability will put a
new onus on planners, according to
Mike Holmes, the Planning Officers
Society’s immediate past president,
Consultancy to test Lincs local plan viability
Financial calculations: guidance document says that local authorities must recognise core aspects of development economics
who was part of the group.
Sir John Harman, who chaired
the group, said that successful
implementation of the NPPF will
depend on developing skills that few
planning departments possess.
He told Planning: “Some large
metropolitan councils have enough
understanding of development
economics in their areas to take this
in their stride. But there will be a lot
of learning by experience and there
Two Lincolnshire authorities are set to
commission consultancy Roger Tym &
Partners to carry out a viability study
for their emerging joint local plan.
South Holland District and Boston
Borough Councils are working
together to prepare a local plan to
cover their areas.
The South East Lincolnshire joint
policy unit, which the councils formed
to draw up the plan, has asked Roger
Tym & Partners to test development
viability and deliverability to inform
its emerging policies.
Partner John Parmiter said he
thought this was one of the first cases
of authorities asking a consultancy to
test a local plan’s viability.
The study will also look at the
viability of affordable housing and a
Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL)
development tax, which the joint
policy unit is currently exploring as
part of its local plan work.
Subject to finalising procurement
procedures, the consultancy, which is
part of Peter Brett Associates, is due
to start the work in July.
Parmiter said he expects to see
more councils requesting help from
consultants on combined CIL and
whole plan viability matters under the
National Planning Policy Framework. se
Cr
et
Lo
nd
on
; Im
ag
es
of
mo
ne
y
needs to be professional training and
career development that pools this.”
Councils may not need to retain all
the specialist resources required to
develop a viable plan in-house, but
they must “at the very least be highly
intelligent clients”, recognising key
aspects of development economics,
the guidance says.
John Parmiter, partner at
consultancy Roger Tym & Partners,
said the new advice will help, but
that many councils will still need
expert assistance. “It doesn’t have to
be in the form of a report or study. A
collaboration with someone with the
right skills, like a senior professional
from a consultancy, is most likely to
be cheaper and better at transferring
skills,” he said.
The Planning Advisory Service
appointed Roger Tym & Partners in
2010 to help run viability courses for
council planners, but there are no
plans to schedule any further ones.
The Royal Town Planning Institute
also offers courses in development
economics. Head of policy and
practice Richard Blyth said: “We are
definitely thinking whether there is a
need to add to that.”
But he added that ministers should
endorse the new guidance so that
its use by councils is not open to
question at local plan examinations.
Communities minister Andrew
Stunell said it was “a very valuable
resource” for local authorities and
that the government was looking at
how the work can be taken forward.
29 june 2012 09
Planners urged to be business savvy Government simplifies questions for neighbourhood referendums
The Planning Inspectorate, which
was part of the delivery group, said
the advice will help councils meet
their NPPF obligations.
But Roy Pinnock, senior associate
at law firm SNR Denton, urged the
government to explain some NPPF
requirements such as the need to
“ensure viability throughout the
economic cycle”.
The report can be viewed via
PlanningResource.co.uk/go/
referencesection
Rapid rail boss to speak at eventThe boss of the firm responsible
for developing and promoting
the proposed high-speed rail link
between London and the north of
England will explain what the project
will mean for regeneration in the
north at a summit later this year.
Alison Munro, chief executive of
High Speed 2 Ltd, will discuss the
project’s implications on northern
Fivestepstotestinga
localplan’sviability
1 Review existing evidence,
especially the strategic housing
land availability assessment, and
consider the scope for aligning
future assessments such as those for
Community Infrastructure Levy charges
2Agree the methodology and
assumptions to be used with
stakeholders. Use current costs and
values to assess the plan’s first five
years. For years six to 15, look at likely
future costs and values
3Gather information on land values,
development costs and returns,
and the costs of policy requirements,
such as those related to housing
standards and infrastructure
4 Use this information to build up
a viability profile for different
geographical areas or types of site.
Test more detailed examples of actual
sites as case studies and consider how
local policy may affect specific types of
development or areas
5Discuss viability findings with
partners and council members and
make any changes needed to balance
community aspirations and viability. If
there are significant risks to delivery,
review policy requirements and keep
those critical to development.
sourCe: LoCaL HousIng deLIvery group
By Sophie Hudson
The government has simplified
questions to be used on ballot
papers for neighbourhood plan
referendums, after the Electoral
Commission said the original ones
were “difficult to understand”.
Under reforms in the Localism
Act 2011, local referendums must be
held before statutory neighbourhood
plans, neighbourhood development
orders or community right to build
orders can come into force.
In a report published in April, the
Electoral Commission examined the
referendum questions proposed by
the Department for Communities
and Local Government (DCLG). It
found that all three proposed
questions were “too long, used
technical language and were difficult
for voters to understand”, and that
they could mislead voters (Planning,
4 May, p8).
Earlier this month, the government
laid its draft Neighbourhood
Planning (Referendums) Regulations
2012 before Parliament, in which the
three questions have been simplified.
According to the draft regulations,
when conducting a referendum
for a neighbourhood plan, a local
authority must ask: “Do you want
[name of local planning authority]
to use the neighbourhood plan for
[name of neighbourhood area] to
help it decide planning applications
in the neighbourhood area?”
They say that for a neighbourhood
development order, the question “Do
you want the type of development
in the neighbourhood development
order for [name of neighbourhood
area] to have planning permission?”
must be used, while for a community
right to build order, the words “Do
you want the development in the
community right to build order for
[name of neighbourhood area] to
have planning permission?” must be
asked on polling day.
Katy Bere, policy manager at the
Electoral Commission, said the
organisation was pleased that the
government had taken on board all
of its recommendations.
“Our priority is always that voters
understand and know what they are
voting for in a referendum,” she said.
The draft regulations can be viewed
via PlanningResource.co.uk/go/
referencesection
Voting: ballot questions simplified
economic development and
regeneration at the Northern Growth
Summit in Leeds on 23 October.
Munro will be joined at the
summit, organised by Regeneration
& Renewal, by Pat Ritchie,
chief executive of housing and
regeneration quango the Homes
& Communities Agency, who will
deliver a place-shaping workshop.
legalcomment
Duncan FielD
Partner, planning and
regeneration team,
Wragge & co
The regulations contain extensive
rules for conducting referendums,
similar to those for other referendums
and elections. This will make it easier
for referendums and elections to be
combined on the same polling day.
The government prescribes the
wording for the referendum questions
that is put to voters. This is plain
and concise, reflecting Electoral
Commission advice, and it may help to
avoid confusion at the point of voting.
However, to understand what they
are voting for, the public will need to
read the information statement and
documents that the local authority has
to publish at least 28 days before the
referendum.
For example, the question for a
neighbourhood plan referendum does
not convey the fact that this plan will
form part of the development plan,
and that this will be the starting point
for determining future applications.
There are more rules to come: the
current regulations do not deal with
the situation where the neighbourhood
is a “business area” and an additional
referendum of non-domestic
ratepayers needs to be held.
Also at the event, Philip Cox,
director of local economies,
regeneration and European
programmes at the Department
for Communities and Local
Government, will provide an update
on the government’s enterprise
zones policy.
For further details, visit www.
northernregenerationsummit.com
10 29 june 2012
newsanalysis
thedevolvednations
inbrief
progressonlocaldevelopmentplans
Authorities with
adopted plans
1 Pembrokeshire
Coast National
Park 2010
2 Caerphilly 2010
3 Rhondda Cynon Taf
2011
4 Merthyr Tydfil 2011
5 Snowdonia
National Park 2011
Authorities with
plans submitted for
examination
1 Blaenau Gwent
2 Brecon Beacons
National Park
3 Ceredigion
4 Denbighshire
5 Pembrokeshire
6 Torfaen
Authorities due
to submit plans
this year
1 Bridgend
2 Conwy
3 Monmouthshire
4 Newport
5 Vale of Glamorgan
Authorities still
preparing plans
1 Isle of Anglesey/
Gwynnedd
2 Carmarthenshire
3 Cardiff
4 Flintshire
5 Neath Port Talbot
6 Powys
7 Swansea
8 Wrexham
Scotland
waleS
northern ireland
Further Welsh housing hitch// Inspector says Denbighshire Council needs more housing sites // Authority is third whose local plan has hit trouble
By Susanna Millar
Denbighshire County Council is
seeking a six-month suspension of
its local development plan (LDP)
examination to identify further sites
to meet a shortfall in homes.
Its draft LDP includes a target to
provide 7,500 homes by 2021. But
inspector Anthony Thickett has said
that the council needs to allocate
additional sites for more than 1,000
extra homes to meet this goal.
He said that his analysis of the
council’s evidence for its housing
numbers shows that the LDP is likely
to provide only around 6,450 homes.
His initial findings paper says:
“Unless provision is made for the
allocation of at least 1,000 additional
houses, the LDP will fail to meet the
To read full versions of these
articles, visit PlanningResource.
co.uk/go/inthenews/
The Scottish
government has refused permission
for a 30-turbine wind farm in the
Highlands. Developer Spittal Hill
Windfarm submitted an application
for a 77.5MW, 30-turbine wind farm
on a hill about a mile north-east
of Spittal Village, Caithness. But
Scotland’s energy minister Fergus
Ewing found that the impact of
the proposed wind farm on the
occupants of nearby properties
would be too high.
Umbrella body Heads of Planning
Scotland has appointed Fraser
Carlin, the head of planning at
Renfrewshire Council, as its new
chair. Carlin replaces Alistair
MacDonald, head of planning at
Glasgow City Council.
Wrexham County
Borough Council’s planning
committee has approved planning
guidance that will see a buffer
zone created around the historic
Pontcysyllte Aqueduct to protect
it from inappropriate development.
The viaduct, which was awarded
world heritage site status in 2009
by UNESCO, was completed in
1805. On awarding the status,
UNESCO recommended the creation
of planning guidance specific to
development in the area around the
structure.
The
National Trust has said that it is
taking legal action against the
Northern Ireland executive for
granting planning permission for a
major golf resort near the Giant’s
Causeway. The application for the
18-hole golf course, hotel and guest
suites at Runkerry, was approved by
Northern Ireland’s Department of
the Environment in February.
Sign up for Planning’s devolved
nations email news bulletins at
PlanningResource.co.uk/go/
email_bulletins
Second Scottish strategic plan given green lightBy John Geoghegan
The Scottish government has
approved an award-winning
plan that sets out a long-term
development strategy for one of the
country’s city-regions, making it the
second such plan to come into force.
After Scottish planning minister
Derek Mackay approved the TAYplan
strategic development plan (SDP) on
8 June, it was published last week,
beginning a six-week period during
needs of Denbighshire to 2021.”
His final report was due to go to
the council on 6 July, but it will now
be delayed.
Denbighshire Council has already
had to complete extra work to justify
its housing target, which is below
the 8,400 homes for the area set out
in the Welsh government’s 2008
household projections. Councils
must provide a good reason for
deviating from these projections.
The Welsh government said that,
due to the council’s further evidence,
it supported the LDP’s provision for
“at least” 7,500 homes, but no less as
that would have “severe implications
for the delivery of affordable housing,
economic activity, infrastructure
provision and regeneration”.
Angela Loftus, the council’s
policy research and information
manager for planning, regeneration
and regulatory services, said: “The
council will be seeking a six-month
suspension to carry out further work
on additional housing sites and aims
to provide a full response to the
inspector in November.”
She added: “We would anticipate
that the hearing session could
resume following this.”
Denbighshire is the latest Welsh
authority to run into difficulties over
LDP housing targets. Earlier this
year, Wrexham County Borough
Council had to withdraw its plan
from the examination process,
while Brecon Beacons National Park
Authority was told to do extra work
on the housing figures in its plan.
Gareth Williams, director of
which it is open to legal challenge.
Ministers approved the first SDP,
which covers Glasgow and Clyde
Valley, at the end of last month.
Earlier this year, both SDPs were
backed by Scottish government
reporters who recommended
only minor changes after their
examinations.
The SDPs set out 20-year
development strategies for Scotland’s
four largest city-regions.
Pamela Ewen, manager of the
TAYplan strategic development
planning authority, which represents
Dundee City, Perth & Kinross,
Angus and Fife Councils, said
that the TAYplan focuses on “very
sustainable” development in Dundee
and Perth.
She described the plan, which
identifies sites needed to build
about 2,170 homes a year across the
city-region, as having “an ambitious
growth strategy”.
In February, TAYplan won the
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29 june 2012 11
newsanalysis
business&management
contracts moves
Find more moves online at
PlanningResource.co.uk/go/moves
Section editor: [email protected] // twitter.com/J_J_Carpenter
fw
190
a8
Chartered surveying firm Henry
Adams has purchased property
consultancy Cluttons’ southern
counties planning business.
Cluttons’ southern counties
planning arm, which employs two
chartered town planners in the firm’s
Chichester office, has been sold to
Henry Adams along with Cluttons’
Tod Miller commercial arm.
The Cluttons southern counties
planning team works in a range of
sectors including agriculture, which
is one of Henry Adams’ specialities.
The new business will trade as
Henry Adams and will be based in
the existing Cluttons and Henry
Adams’ offices in Chichester.
Henry Adams currently offers
planning and other property-related
services from its offices in Surrey,
Sussex and Hampshire. Prior to the
acquisition, the firm employed two
chartered town planners.
Senior partner Richard Williscroft
said: “It’s a perfect opportunity for
two teams of dedicated professionals,
which include chartered surveyors
and town planners, to work together
to offer an unrivalled service across
the region.”
Further Welsh housing hitch// Inspector says Denbighshire Council needs more housing sites // Authority is third whose local plan has hit trouble
Denbighshire: housing target concerns
Second Scottish strategic plan given green light
Study highlights fears over development levy
consultancy Nathaniel Lichfield &
Partners’ Cardiff office, called for
the Welsh government to consider a
system of sub-regional planning. “A
lot of the problems with LDPs relate
to politics rather than the quality
of evidence-based work. Something
needs to change,” he said.
The Welsh government said it is
carrying out a “refinement” of the
LDP process and conclusions are
due to be considered by planning
minister John Griffiths towards the
end of this year.
“The onus is on improving
the existing process, not adding
complexity or additional stages.
Local planning authorities will still
have to follow an evidence-based
approach,” a spokeswoman said.
By Susanna Millar
Some councils fear that the new
development levy to raise money
for local infrastructure will be
complicated for them to develop,
implement and collect despite being
introduced to simplify the planning
system, according to research.
The study, published by the Royal
Institution of Chartered Surveyors,
found that, although councils
broadly welcome the introduction of
the Community Infrastructure Levy
(CIL), much uncertainty remains
about how it will work.
Many councils are drawing up
levy charges, with CIL already in
operation in five local authority
areas.
However, the report highlights
councils’ concerns over how to
develop the evidence base needed
to justify their charges, how to
determine appropriate charging
levels, how to use section 106
alongside the CIL and how to collect
the levy.
Another key concern is around
the levy’s impact on the economic
viability of development, it says.
The survey also found that 62 per
cent of the councils surveyed plan
to introduce a CIL within the next
three years and are looking to the
government’s CIL frontrunners for
guidance on how to develop rates.
Sarah Monk, deputy director of the
University of Cambridge’s centre for
housing and planning research, who
led the research, said it was tricky for
local authorities to know the level at
which to charge CIL.
If set too high, it would choke off
development, but councils would
lose out on vital infrastructure
funding if it were too low, she said.
Capturing Planning Gain can be
viewed via PlanningResource.co.uk/
go/referencesection
Silver Jubilee Cup at this year’s Royal
Town Planning Institute awards.
The Scottish government brought
in SDPs in February 2009 to replace
the structure plans as overarching
guides to long-term development.
Mackay congratulated the TAYplan
team for their “superb work”, adding
that the strategic plan will ensure “a
generous supply of housing land and
supports the government’s central
purpose of increasing sustainable
economic growth”.
62%Proportion of councils planning to
introduce CIL in the next three years
(Source: RICS)
// Town planning and urban design
firm David Lock Associates has been
appointed by Norwich City Council and
housing and regeneration quango the
Homes & Community Agency to devise
a vision and investment plan for the
south part of the city centre. The aim is
to identify development opportunities
to help regeneration and encourage
investment in the area.
// Real estate firm DTZ and
multidisciplinary consultancy Arup
have been selected by Bradford City
Council to advise it on the preparation
of a Community Infrastructure Levy.
The work will involve preparing
viability evidence.
// Consultancy Nathaniel Lichfield
& Partners has been appointed to
support the Planning Advisory Service
on its programme of seminars for
local authorities on implementing the
National Planning Policy Framework.
// Transport consultancy JMP has
been selected by City of York Council
to run a personalised travel planning
programme in the city with the goal
of increasing people’s travel choices
and reducing the number of short car
trips. The i-Travel York programme
will include personal, business and
school travel planning, combined with
targeted infrastructure and service
enhancements.
Please send your planning contracts
Miles Butler has become the 122nd
president of the Association of
Directors of Environment, Economy,
Planning and Transport… Consultancy
Signet Planning has hired John
Dickinson as director of environmental
planning… Alexandra Rook has joined
consultancy Dominic Lawson Bespoke
Planning as associate director… Ardent
Consulting Engineers has appointed
Brian Cafferkey as technical director
in its flood risk management team…
Assael Architecture has promoted
John Badman to director… Atmos
Consulting has recruited Jonathan
Renton as a principal landscape
architect.
Surveyor buys planning team
12 29 june 2012
newsanalysis
onlineround-up
housing®eneration
energy&environment
First call-in decisions made since NPPF
Green belt status ruled to give NPPF immunity
Put Liverpool site on at risk list, say UN officials
Kensington group seals neighbourhood forum
Hackney set to object to 2012 legacy masterplan
Energy firms accused of ignoring guidelines
PINS urged to help wind sector more
The communities secretary has
issued his first three call-in decisions
since the publication of the National
Planning Policy Framework (NPPF).
In the first, Eric Pickles said he is
minded to approve proposals for a
stadium and business park on the
outskirts of Wakefield.
He had postponed making a decision on the scheme to give parties time
to deal with the implications of the
NPPF, published in March.
In his second post-NPPF decision,
Pickles has agreed with a planning
inspector and approved outline
plans to redevelop the Springfield
University Hospital site, including
A public inquiry decision from
Gloucestershire has clarified how
housing proposals in green belt areas
will be treated under the National
Planning Policy Framework (NPPF).
Inspector Lloyd Rodgers refused
outline planning permission for
Galliards Developments’ proposal
for up to 135 homes at Hunting Butts
Farm, near Cheltenham Racecourse,
holding that the green belt location
meant that the NPPF’s presumption
in favour of sustainable development
did not apply to the scheme.
The London Borough of Hackney is
to object to plans to build five new
neighbourhoods in the Olympic Park
because of a lack of green space.
It is understood that members of
the council’s planning committee
will go against their officers’ advice
to lodge an official objection to the
legacy masterplan on environmental
grounds.
The Olympic Delivery Authority’s
planning committee was due to
make a decision on the masterplan as
Planning went to press.
United Nations officials have
recommended that Liverpool
waterfront be added to its list of
world heritage sites that are in
danger.
The move follows the city council’s
decision to grant permission for
the proposed Liverpool Waters
regeneration scheme.
A conservation society in west
London has been designated as a
neighbourhood forum under new
powers in the Localism Act.
The Norland Conservation Society
has been approved by the Royal
Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
as a neighbourhood forum and
neighbourhood area.
The leader of Fife Council has
accused energy developers
of ignoring the authority’s
supplementary planning guidelines
on the siting of wind turbines.
Alex Rowley said the council wants
the Scottish government to back a
moratorium on wind applications in
Fife while it consults communities.
The Planning Inspectorate should do more to help offshore
wind operators steer proposals through the consent process, an
industry-led task force has concluded.
This is one of several planning-related recommendations in
a report published by the Offshore Wind Cost Reduction Task
Force on how the industry can reduce the cost of offshore wind
generation.
The report says: “The industry urgently needs the Planning
Inspectorate to provide greater facilitation in the pre-application
phase, including advice on the merits of issues, to ensure this
stage is streamlined.”
Pickles: decision on Wakefield scheme
Turbine: siting concerns
the demolition of listed buildings,
which the London Borough of
Wandsworth blocked in early 2011.
Pickles also granted approval for
1,150 homes at Lytham St Annes in
Lancashire.
29 june 2012 13
economicdevelopment
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aG
e O
ne
Call in for contentious York scheme ruled out
Office plans submitted for Crossrail station
London mayor told to drop airport proposals
Olympic legacy chiefs refute demolition claims
Minister unveils three areas shortlisted to be made Northern Ireland’s first national parks
Call for national spur to local climate action
Councils aim to revive turbine factory plans 400
More than this number of businesses
have submitted bids worth more
than £2.5 billion in the third round
of the government’s Regional Growth
Fund (RGF). The Department for
Business, Innovation and Skills has
revealed the level of interest in the
latest £1 billion round of the RGF,
after the deadline for bids closed.
Communities secretary Eric
Pickles has said he will not call in
controversial proposals for an out-of-
town retail scheme that City of York
Council approved last month.
In May, the council approved
developer Oakgate’s Monks Cross
Vangarde scheme at Huntington,
which is intended to create a 6,000-
seat stadium and three large retail
units on the city’s north-east edge.
The council then requested to
withdraw its key core strategy
planning document from the
examination process to allow it to
amend the document due to the
“strategic significance” of the scheme,
Plans have been submitted for a
six-storey office development above
Farringdon Station in central London
as part of the Crossrail project.
Delivery company Crossrail Ltd
and development partner Cardinal
Lysander have submitted a detailed
planning application to the London
Borough of Islington and the City
of London Corporation for the site,
which is above the western entrance
of Farringdon’s planned new
Crossrail station. The plans include
street-level shops.
Legacy chiefs have played down fears
over the future of the Olympic Park’s
broadcasting and press centres after
it was revealed that an option to
demolish them after the Games was
being examined.
The Financial Times revealed that
the London Legacy Development
Corporation is considering the cost
of tearing down the two buildings.
But an LLDC spokesman said
this was a formality only and that
the buildings were unlikely to be
demolished.
London mayor Boris Johnson must
stop promoting a new airport in the
Thames estuary, members of the
London Assembly have urged.
The assembly has passed a motion
calling for Johnson to abandon plans
that it warned would devastate the
west London economy if Heathrow
Airport is forced to close.
More government support is
needed to help councils tackle
climate change, according to a
pamphlet released by think-tank
Green Alliance.
It says that the localism agenda
can boost action on the issue, but
adds that this must be matched by
national incentives for action.
Kent council chiefs have vowed
to get an offshore wind turbine
manufacturing plant at Sheerness
back on track after Danish energy
firm Vestas pulled out of the project.
Swale Council said it “will work
with Peel Ports to attract another
operator who can build on the
groundwork we have already done”.
Northern Ireland’s environment
minister has not ruled out the
possibility of further national park
designations after announcing his
preferred shortlist.
Alex Attwood said that the
Mourne Mountains, the Fermanagh
Lakelands, and the Causeway
Coast and Glens of Antrim are
the “three most likely candidate
areas” for designation following an
independent assessment.
“While this is my shortlist, if an
Monks Cross Vangarde: mixed-use plan
Mourne Mountains: on shortlist
To read full versions of these stories, visit PlanningResource.co.uk/go/inthenews/
on which How Planning acted as
planning consultant.
The developers behind plans to
redevelop the city centre Castle
Piccadilly site, Lasalle UK Ventures
Property and Centros, said the
scheme would hit city centre trade.
TV architect Kevin McCloud’s Swindon housing
project, The Triangle, and the 2012 Olympic
stadium are among 50 UK developments
recognised in this year’s Royal Institute of
British Architects (RIBA) Awards.
Other winners of the RIBA Awards for
architectural excellence include the Turner
Contemporary art gallery in Margate, Kent,
and the Scottish National Portrait Gallery
in Edinburgh.
The awards were also presented to nine
buildings elsewhere in the European Union.
The shortlist for the RIBA Stirling Prize for the
building of the year will be drawn from the 59
RIBA Award winners.
According to RIBA, the main theme among
this year’s winners was major public arts
buildings, ten of which were awarded prizes.
Many are the result of pre-recession arts
lottery funding, RIBA said.
mccloudnine TV star’s
project wins architecture award
exceptional argument is made [for
a site] elsewhere, I will still listen,”
the minister said.
14 29 june 2012
opinion
analysis
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Parties are plotting a new wave of reforms
From most parts of the politi-
cal spectrum, there appears
to be a focusing of interest
on two particular issues in
the planning system.
One, driven by a desire for better
local infrastructure and more subsi-
dised housing, is planning gain. How
might a larger share of the rise in land
value that is conferred by the grant of
planning permission be captured by
local or national government to pay
for things that communities desire?
The first large-scale system for
achieving this objective – the collec-
tion of “betterment” – was embedded
in the Town and Country Planning
Act 1947, but was torpedoed by the
next Tory government on gut politi-
cal grounds. A later attempt was the
Community Land Scheme, which was
scuppered by excessive bureaucratic
procedures, with a hailstorm of circu-
lars of increasing length and complex-
ity confusing even experts.
The current attempt is the Commu-
nity Infrastructure Levy, but the way
it is being calculated locally seems
highly variable and potentially con-
tentious. In any case, most councils
have focused on how to collect the
levy but not on how to spend it, which
is far harder yet just as important.
Experiments such as the Milton
Keynes Tariff, which was a sort of
horse deal between a small group of
favoured developers and landowners
and former government regeneration
agency English Partnerships to fund
local infrastructure, have not taken
root nationally or been subject to
public examination.
But the overarching desire to collect
more of the “unearned increment” in
land value that comes with the grant
of permission remains strong.
The second major issue is that of
“stuck” housing sites: properly allo-
cated reserves of development land
that lie undeveloped. This irri tates
and embarrasses politicians, as they
try to account for the lowest house-
building levels for more than a hun-
dred years, and annoys planning
authorities, which have often had to
overcome local opposition to allocate
land only to see it lying idle while
other unallocated sites are granted
permission on appeal because of the
underperformance on the stuck sites.
Some say that sites get stuck be-
cause the landowner or developer is
land banking, as scarcity of planning
allocations drives up the value of sites
even if a brick is never laid. While this
has not generally been proved, it is ob-
vious that there is no need for devel-
opers to rush to build on some sites.
Some say that sites are stuck be-
cause the planning gain deals that
were struck in stronger economic
times are now unaffordable, and it is
true that many are being renegoti-
ated. Others say it is a question of vi-
ability: that the developer promised
to pay too much to the landowner; or
there isn’t enough mortgage finance;
or the site is owned by one of the
new “bad banks”, comprising worth-
less investments or debt-ridden assets
split off from bailed-out banks, where
managers have no incentive to get the
development going as it would mean
lending even more.
So, how might future governments
of whatever political colour deal with
theses issues?
If we find ourselves moving nation-
ally into a relatively left-wing or even
socialist political environment – not
such a batty idea if you cast an eye
around the Eurozone – we could see
moves to compulsorily acquire allo-
cated development land as a matter
of course. In addition, such a set-up
could be accompanied by a change
to the law of compensation, wiping
out the accumulation of case law that
established the principle of “hope
value” – the rise in value that a site
might have been expected to get over
time, for example through it being en-
gulfed by an expanding settlement –
makes so much development land too
expensive to compulsorily acquire.
Compulsory acquisition based at the
value of its existing use would be the
predictable socialistic destiny.
However, if our political culture
becomes more right wing, it is possi-
ble to foresee a radical reform under
which a local planning authority
would state how much development
land it needed, set down locational
criteria and invite bids from develop-
ers. After a beauty parade, the choice
would be made. The result would be
less work for the council and the ex-
citement of the red-blooded market
to serve us with our basic needs: an
“auction” of the right to develop.
If we carry on down the political
middle way, the solution to plan-
ning gain and stuck sites already
lies before us. For some years, John
Walker, former chief executive of the
Politicians of all colours are contemplating more radical planning changes if they win power at the next general election, reports David Lock
Derelict site: properly allocated reserves of development land can lie undeveloped for a variety of reasons, causing irritation to both politicians and planning authorities
“ifwefindourselvesmovingintoarelativelyleft-wingpoliticalenvironment,wecouldseemovestocompulsorilyacquireallocateddevelopmentland”
29 june 2012 15
Parties are plotting a new wave of reforms
The new slimline National
Planning Policy Frame-
work (NPPF) has created
an intense wave of inter-
est about the outcome of local plan
inquiries and appeal decisions, and
hence the interpretation of the ad-
vice by the Planning Inspectorate
and government. Lawyers search for
early pointers from the latest deci-
sions, consultants strive to be up-to-
the-minute in advising their clients,
while developers look for potential
opportunities, and hopefully some
certainty, emerging from the new
guidance.
For local authority planners, the
outcome is equally crucial. Against
the background of further changes
to the planning system, they have to
balance their members’, sometimes
idealistic, perceptions of localism,
while delivering objectively evi-
dence-based local plans that can be
deemed “sound” – and all to a very
tight timescale.
Most local plans now coming to
fruition will have probably been
drafted in the early days of the gov-
ernment, when the localist senti-
ments were much bolder and more
uncompromising. In drawing up
their housing policies, many authori-
ties were initially content to rely on
the tried and tested regional strategy
figures. But others, having broken
free from regional influences, chose
to adopt their own – usually lower
– housing aspirations, often using
their own locally derived evidence
base to justify these new targets. It is
these plans that are now facing much
closer scrutiny.
Without setting a national hous-
ing target or any specific local nu-
merical steer, the NPPF imposes two
extremely tough hurdles: “to boost
significantly the supply of housing”
and “to meet the full objectively as-
sessed needs for market and afford-
able housing in the housing market
area”. Furthermore, under the statu-
tory “duty to cooperate”, local au-
thorities are now expected to think
strategically, working with others
to meet development requirements
that cannot wholly be met within
their own areas.
Charged with this new policy em-
phasis, a variety of strategies have
been used to avoid making the un-
popular and counterproductive deci-
sion of finding local plans “unsound”.
At Wigan, the plan was suspended, at
Central Lancashire, amendments to
the plan were recommended follow-
ing advice from the inspector, and
at Hull, the council has tried to ad-
dress the inspector’s concerns about
undersupply by pointing to the role
that market weakness has played
in underdelivery. Whatever the op-
tion, it must be preferable to forcing
local authorities to start again from
scratch.
Clearly housing needs don’t disap-
pear in a recession, they are simply
repressed, only to ultimately reap-
pear when economic fortunes im-
prove and the housing market recov-
ers. In these testing times, councils
may come to rue the day when re-
gional planning was abolished. In
the past, the difficult decisions were
usually made at a strategic level
and, as a consequence, the jigsaw of
housing numbers theoretically fitted
neatly together. Now the danger is
that housing needs effectively disap-
pear down a black hole. Politicians
may one day realise that it is sensible
to integrate planning across admin-
istrative boundaries and strategic
planning may be reinvented.
See Letters, p16
Testing times for councils on housing land supply issue
Commission for the New Towns, has
been describing his vision for coun-
cils and landowners or developers to
form strategic land and infrastructure
companies. These SLICs would bring
forward sites on a joint venture basis,
with both sides sharing the risk – and
the reward. One would contribute the
certainty of planning permissions and
the other would provide the money
and the development expertise.
We can be sure that politicians’
desire to take more of the unearned
profit from development land, and
the need to stop major housing sites
from becoming stuck, are becoming
more and more vital to all the major
parties – and to people wanting a
home.
Clever landowners and developers
will see this coming and get ready to
learn new ways of working with pub-
lic bodies to head the other scenarios
off at the pass.
Politicians of all colours are contemplating more radical planning changes if they win power at the next general election, reports David Lock Meeting national policy on housing supply is causing councils problems, says John Acres
Derelict site: properly allocated reserves of development land can lie undeveloped for a variety of reasons, causing irritation to both politicians and planning authorities
DaviD Lock
chairman, David Lock
associates
John acreS
Director of residential
business, Turley
associates
HowinspectorsareenforcingtHenppf’sHousinglandsupplyrequirements
hull
The inspector of Hull City Council’s
core strategy has questioned whether
it displays adequate evidence that the
local authority will be able to meet the
identified need for housing between
2012 and 2028, plus an additional 20
per cent buffer in its five-year land
supply required because of previous
underdelivery.
Wigan
Last month, the examination of Wigan
Metropolitan Borough Council’s core
strategy was suspended for six months
by its inspector, who said that he had
significant doubts about the council’s
attempt to demonstrate an adequate
supply of deliverable housing land.
central Lancashire
Earlier this month, the Central
Lancashire core strategy became the
first to be approved since the National
Planning Policy Framework was
finalised. But approval was subject
to modifications to increase housing
provision, in line with the adopted
North West regional strategy, to set
that as a minimum target and to
make sure that the plan is positively
prepared in line with the NPPF.
16 29 june 2012
opinion
comment&letters
commentaryteam Graeme Bell // Alexandra Jones // Chris Shepley // John Gummer // Jon Rouse // Alex Morton
getintouch
Post The Editor, Planning,
174 Hammersmith Road,
London W6 7JP
Email [email protected]
Phone 020 8267 4381
Please note that emails and letters cannot be published unless you supply your name, full postal address and a daytime telephone number. Planning reserves the right to shorten or edit letters u
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letters
Urbanpolicy:dealornodeal?
Newgardencitieswouldharmtheenvironment
Following their inclusion in the
National Planning Policy Framework,
garden cities are clearly the subject of
renewed interest (Planning, 15 June,
p19). But do they genuinely offer a
sustainable approach?
Sustainable development may echo
some aspects of Ebenezer Howard’s
visionary thinking, but global warming
and the shift to low carbon are new
imperatives with major implications
for planning. More land is required for
biomass and biofuel crops, while the
need to decarbonise agriculture and
cut food miles also suggests the need
to conserve farmland, especially as sea
levels rise. In this context, is it sensible
to develop at relatively low density
away from existing settlements?
On transport, another key sector
for carbon reduction, the experience
of new settlements has been that
significant self-containment is hard to
achieve, even with concerted efforts
to encourage local employment and
high-quality public transport. Garden
cities are therefore likely to boost
commuting and car traffic, particularly
if low densities discourage walkability
and local service provision.
The social and economic impacts of
garden cities on existing urban centres
reinforcing the social segregation and
disparity that blights the UK.
Commentators may have got bored
with the urban agenda, but that
doesn’t mean it is no longer valid.
Sustainable development requires
planning approaches that respect
environmental capacities and are
socially and economically beneficial.
Renewing and integrating existing
raise further questions. The post-war
new towns were heavily implicated
in, if not solely responsible for, the
depopulation of Britain’s city centres
and the emergence of the inner city
problem in the 1970s. While urban
renaissance has had some success
in reversing this decline, the cultural
drivers for dispersal remain strong. A
new generation of garden cities risks
settlements to meet this ecological
understanding is surely planning’s
central role in the 21st century.
JonFox,Lincoln
Riskofdiscontentfromneighbourhoodplanwork
Although the Dawlish neighbourhood
plan (Planning, 15 June, p8) may be
a rogue one-off, it still offers some
warnings, not least the fact that many
residents are now disillusioned with
planning, having presumably been led
to expect one thing but instead getting
a poke in the eye.
The capacity for disillusionment
seems high as neighbourhood planning
legislation is poorly thought through
and the guidance so weak. There are
fundamental problems that mean that,
without extreme goodwill on both
sides, the process will end in tears.
The key will be the integration
between local and neighbourhood
plans. But how many planners have
come to terms with neighbourhood
plans being part of development plans?
What’s more, neither the Localism
Act nor the National Planning Policy
Framework, and certainly not the
plethora of “advice” offered by a
motley collection of bodies, is clear
about the boundary between the two.
Communities were led to expect
that they would be able to control
both the nature and the location of
A couple of years ago, I asked
one of the new ministers:
“What’s this government’s
urban policy?” The answer was to the
point: “We don’t have one. Localism is
for everywhere.”
A year later, with the announcement
of a minister for cities last July, it
seemed the government had changed
its mind. So, a year later still, what’s
on offer for cities: urban policy, local-
ism or something in-between?
Overall, it’s more localism than
urban policy. There were a couple
of city-specific policies in the last
Budget, and elected mayors were
a flagship policy until nine out of
ten cities voted against introducing
them. Yet much of what affects cities
continues to be localism: policies with
no explicit city focus but a big urban
impact, such as the National Planning
Policy Framework.
The big exception to this is City
Deals, a flagship urban policy on
which progress is being made. Both
the Manchester and Liverpool deals
published so far suggest how the rela-
tionship between central government
and cities might evolve.
The emphasis is on tangible trans-
actions, rather than abstract partner-
ships. Cities are being asked to set out
how devolution of powers and fund-
ing will improve outcomes, efficiency
or preferably both. The Manchester
deal, where the city can “earn back”
the benefits of economic growth and
invest the proceeds in local projects,
is an interesting way of delivering this
that other cities may wish to emulate.
So what next for urban policy and
City Deals? The remaining six deals
are due to be announced before the
summer. At the same time, I’d ex-
pect government to announce more
details on the second round of City
Deals, trailed in January this year.
As the government regards City
Deals as “licensed exceptions”, it
seems unlikely that the second round
will be open to all cities. But for cities
seeking to deliver jobs and growth, it’s
vital to remember that urban policy
does not have to be restricted to the
formal City Deals mechanism. Yes,
City Deals are the high-profile policy,
and we would like to see mid-sized
and fast-growing cities in the second
round. But for many cities, much can
be achieved by working more effec-
tively with local partners and busi-
nesses.
Other cities may consider working
Letchworth Garden City: could a new generation of such towns be low carbon?
29 june 2012 17
tonyfyson
It looks as though the pessimistic predictions for the international sum-
mit on sustainable development that ended in Rio de Janeiro last week
have turned out to be right. As anticipated, the environment seemed to
attract reduced consideration at a time of international economic recession
and widespread austerity. Nevertheless, more than 100 world leaders turned
up in Brazil to sign off a 50-page declaration titled The Future We Want.
Unfortunately, this 50-page document turned out to be as inconsequential
a declaration of worthy sentiments as has ever emerged from a United Na-
tions conference intended to contribute to global salvation.
These events have proliferated in the
40 years since the first one in Stock-
holm and, while it was by no means
inevitable that high rhetoric would
always lead to coherent resolutions
and concerted actions, at least they
used to give an urgent cause the oxy-
gen of publicity. Not so this time, with
media attention scaled down and only
activist doubts prominently reported.
Some major world leaders, including
Obama, Merkel and Cameron, chose
to stay away, having attended the G20
economic meeting in Mexico instead.
In the British Prime Minister’s case,
the choice was symbolic, as in a 2008
speech launching “green Conserva-
tism” he had rejected the argument
that environmentalism is just for
good economic times. “We are not
going to drop the environmental
agenda in an economic downturn,”
he declared. “We cannot afford not to go green.” According to chancellor
George Osborne, however, there is no question of setting an example to
other nations by introducing tough new environmental standards unless
our competitors do the same.
All the more reason to grasp any opportunity to create coordinated inter-
national action plans. But this is precisely what has been missed in Rio, with
most of the final report going over old ground in paragraphs “recognising”,
“stressing”, “re-affirming” and “noting” the importance of a theme rather
than setting limits to cover it. Hence, the declaration fails to adopt “green”
economics as the definitive sustainable development path and does not take
any real steps towards such urgent environmental policies as eliminating
subsidies on fossil fuels or increasing the global share of renewable energy.
The United Nations still fights shy of effectively regulating the influence of
international big business on environmental conservation and change.
Some commentators interpret this reluctance as evidence of the ideologi-
cal differences between states that believe coordinated international control
is required and those that think the operation of open markets will suffice
to maintain the crucial environmental foundation on which all our eco-
nomic and social arrangements depend. The problem of the three-legged
stool analogy for sustainable development is that it takes a particularly so-
phisticated kind of planning to allow for the fact that social and economic
controls can vary widely, while some global environmental limits are now
emerging as more inflexible than once assumed.
AnthonyFysonisafreelancewriteronplanningissuesandTCPAtrustee
SummitinRiowasmissedopportunity
development. But site allocation is a
fundamental requirement of the local
plan. Without that it could be argued
that no local plan will be sound. If
a local authority takes this line and
defines housing numbers and specific
sites as strategic elements where does
that leave the neighbourhood plan?
On the other hand, how will the
inspector view it if a council plays
the localism game and makes a
plan with targets and only vague
strategic locations, relying on the
neighbourhood plan to allocate the
sites? Answers please on a cheque for
£20,000, sent to “frontrunners”.
NeilBlackshaw,LittleEaston,Essex
Housingsiterequirementcoulddelaystrategies
There is indeed potential for the
National Planning Policy Framework’s
requirement for councils to set aside
extra land for future housing supply
to significantly delay the adoption of
local plans, as in Wigan Council’s case
(Planning, 15 June, p3 & p4).
In this case, the question is whether
the council can proceed towards
adoption after the suspension. The
article quotes planning chief Mike
Worde saying that the council would
look at using extra sites in the core of
the borough, further development in
outer areas and green belt release. The
original strategy contemplated homes
being concentrated in central areas.
While extra sites may be found in the
core, if sites are needed in the outer
areas or in the green belt then the
plan’s overall balance could be altered.
Wigan may then have to withdraw
its strategy and embark on a fresh
local plan reflecting the new balance,
further delaying adoption.
The inspectorate can also require
underdelivering authorities to allocate
a 20 per cent buffer over and above the
five-year housing supply. As you say,
neither ministers nor inspectors have
spelt out what underdelivery means.
There is an assumption that
underdelivery is due to the local
planning authority not providing
enough suitable sites, but the graph
on p4 of housing completions in Wigan
reflects the local economic situation.
If the recession continues, further
release of housing land may not lead to
an increase in completions, merely an
uncertainty about which of the larger
numbers of sites will be developed.
One of the key requirements of the
local plan system is that it provides
certainty for both developers and
residents. An unexpected consequence
of the new framework is that it will not
speed up the planning process at all
and will introduce further uncertainty.
BarryKing,AppleyBridge,Wigan
Additionalletterscanbeviewedat
PlanningResource.co.uk/go/letters
together to develop policy ideas and
discussing these with government
outside the City Deals process. Gov-
ernment is unlikely to sign up to the
next version of earn back outside City
Deals. If it’s innovative and needs to
be worked through, then City Deals
are likely to be more appropriate.
But some cities want to bring in less
radical changes, such as consolidat-
ing funds into single pots, talking to
government as a group. This dual ap-
proach would combine urban policy
and localism. It would benefit govern-
ment too, as it would mean all cities,
whether or not they have a City Deal,
are supported to deliver the jobs and
growth the UK needs.
AlexandraJonesischiefexecutiveof
theCentreforCities
“urbanpolicydoesnothavetoberestrictedtotheformalcityDealsmechanism”
“mediaattentionwasscaleddownandonlyactivistdoubtswerereported”
18 29 JUne 2012
interview
MalcolMSharp
At last month’s annual general meeting of
the Planning Officers Society, Malcolm
Sharp was elected as the society’s presi-
dent for the next 12 months. Although
Sharp thinks that some of the criticisms levelled
at public sector planners are counterproductive
– “if you tell people they’re enemies of enterprise,
you’ll get poor planning,” he says – his authority,
Huntingdonshire District Council in Cambridge-
shire, where his role includes overseeing the head
of planning, seems to be embracing the coalition’s
planning agenda.
While many authorities are still trying to get their
heads around exactly what obligations are con-
ferred by the “duty to cooperate” contained within
the Localism Act, Huntingdonshire and its neigh-
bouring authorities have already started turning the
concept into a strategy document.
Sharp says that Cambridgeshire’s county and dis-
trict councils have a history of working together
since 2003. Such was their agreement on the funda-
mental need for growth in the county, he says, that
when the government announced that the regional
strategies were to be abolished, Cambridgeshire’s
councils, along with Peterborough City Council,
agreed to continue to work as if the strategy for
the East of England was still going to exist. “What
we said was, whether the regional strategy goes or
stays, we will still use it as the basis of our strate-
gic framework,” says Sharp. “So what we have done
recently is to take that a step further and say that, as
we roll forward the review of local plans in light of
the National Planning Policy Framework, we want
to do that collaboratively.”
The councils set up and now fund a strategic plan-
ning unit of two permanent staff. The ultimate aim
of the councils’ collaboration, says Sharp, is to estab-
lish a non-statutory joint strategic framework for
the sub-region that will then inform each council’s
local plan. “The unit’s job is to coordinate the duty
to collaborate, and it is doing that by organising a
joint, robust evidence base,” he says. “Hopefully, our
local plans will then all nest together because we’re
all working to that same approach.”
Sharp admits that Cambridgeshire’s councils have
an advantage over other areas in that there is unani-
mous agreement about the need to maximise the
of the district council’s planning service. “When
I came, our planning department had suffered a
corporate re organisation and had lost its confi-
dence,” he says. “It had done some good things, but
it had lost its way a bit. My brief was to restore its
confidence.”
It would appear that Sharp met the brief. In 2006,
the council won the Royal Town Planning Institute’s
community planning prize for its efforts to regener-
ate the Oxmoor estate to the north of Huntingdon.
Then, in 2010, it scooped the institute’s Silver Jubi-
lee Cup for its work on the Great Fen masterplan,
a habitat creation project. “To have been involved
with that, I could retire a happy man,” says Sharp.
Another area of success, and one crucial for a
government-defined growth area, is that Hunting-
donshire has maintained housebuilding over the
past four years. “Right through this period of reces-
sion, our housing numbers haven’t slipped,” he says.
“We’ve been building above our target numbers for
housing and affordable housing.”
Now Sharp wants to take his experience at
Huntingdonshire and apply it more widely through
his work as Planning Officers Society president.
Public sector planners, he says, have “had a lot of
brickbats thrown at them recently” and he wants
to do something to restore confidence. “A young
planning assistant at a rural district council said
to me recently that what really concerned him was
what the future held for him in the profession,” says
Sharp. “If I do nothing else this year, I want to con-
vince that young man that actually there is a good
role for us, and what we’re about is quality of life.
Why wouldn’t people want to help improve people’s
quality of life?”
Key to raising confidence and aspiration among
public sector planners, Sharp says, is to ensure that
every planning department has strong leadership
with a seat at the council’s top table. “We missed a
trick in this country when we had a debate around
the time of the 2004 Planning Act about whether
there should be a statutory position of chief plan-
ning officer,” he says. “Government recoiled from
that and I think it was a missed opportunity. You
need a strong voice in local authorities that is pro-
growth, promoting proper sustainable development
– the higher up a council that can be, the better.”
substantial economic potential of the sub-region,
and accept the extra homes and population that in-
evitably will accompany it. “We all agree on growth,
which is a huge tick, because if we had one author-
ity that didn’t want to take any more growth, clearly
that would be difficult,” he says.
Similarly, Huntingdonshire Council is ahead of
the pack in putting in place the Community In-
frastructure Levy, the new means of collecting
developer contributions towards infrastructure
intended to largely replace section 106 agreements.
The council’s levy charging schedule, which sets out
how much developers will have to pay for different
types of development, was backed by an examiner
earlier this year and came into force on 1 May.
In this case, Huntingdonshire’s history of collabo-
ration with its neighbours helped it to make swift
progress on the levy, as the sub-region’s councils
had previously considered introducing a joint tariff.
The fact that Huntingdonshire had its core strat-
egy signed off in 2009 also helped. “We were in the
generation of core strategies that required a thick
infrastructure plan, so we had a robust evidence
base,” he says.
Sharp is proud of his work at Huntingdonshire
and isn’t shy about his own role in the development
Confidence builderThe new president of the Planning Officers Society wants to make use of his
success in running a district council planning department to boost confidence in
the sector as a whole, writes Adam Branson
Photographer Tim George/UNP
cvhighlightS
1971 Becomes a planning trainee at the London
Borough of Hackney
1974 Gains a postgraduate diploma in town planning
from the Polytechnic of North London (now part of
London Metropolitan University)
1991 Made development control manager at
Nottingham City Council
1998 Becomes head of planning services at
Huntingdonshire District Council
2011 Made joint managing director (communities,
partnerships and projects) and head of paid service
2012 Elected Planning Officers Society president
29 JUne 2012 19
“whatwesaidwas,whethertheregionalstrategygoesorstays,wewillstilluseitasthebasisofourstrategicframework”
20 29 June 2012
We planned the Olympics
Celebrations broke out across the capital
when it was announced that London was
to host the 2012 Olympic Games back on
6 July in 2005. But amid the jubilation,
you could forgive a certain group of people for feel-
ing a degree of apprehension.
The senior planners involved with the bid knew
they faced seven years of serious hard graft. Not
only would they have to plan the transformation
of a semi-derelict, post-industrial area of east Lon-
don into a home for the so-called “greatest show on
earth”, they would also have to lay the basis for the
post-Games legacy; one of the biggest regeneration
projects in Europe.
Vivienne Ramsey, director of planning decisions
at the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA), the or-
ganisation subsequently set up to build the Games,
but then head of development and building control
at newly-anointed host borough Newham, remem-
bers the moment well. “I was standing in the crowd
outside the station in Stratford, saying: ‘Oh no, now
we’ve got to do it,’” she says. “Everyone else around
me was jumping up and down and screaming and
saying ‘fantastic’. I was thinking: ‘Oh, lots of plan-
ning applications now.’”
In fact, the planning work for the Olympics
started well before London was awarded the Games,
In less than a month, London will host the 2012
Olympic Games. John Geoghegan talks to the
planners who made it happen
Photographer Tom Campbell
29 June 2012 21
olympics
stretching back to 2003 when then London mayor
Ken Livingstone first decided to bid. Recognising
the huge regeneration potential of such a move,
attention quickly focused on Stratford in east Lon-
don, an area long earmarked for major renewal.
The relevant bodies got to work to secure planning
permission for the Olympic Park prior to the bid’s
submission. But with the selected site covering
four London boroughs – Hackney, Newham, Tower
Hamlets and Waltham Forest – and less than two
years to draw up a huge and complex application,
the challenge was formidable.
The London Development Agency (LDA), the
now disbanded mayoral development agency, was
responsible for drawing up the outline application
for the redevelopment of the entire Lower Lea Val-
ley, an area that includes the Olympic Park. It was
helped by consultancy Edaw, since taken over by
AECOM, whose role as strategic masterplanners for
the Olympic Park continues. The park masterplan,
which included scenarios for not hosting the Games
as well as a successful bid, and which also covered
the post-Games legacy phase, was approved in Oct-
ober 2004 by the joint planning authorities team
(JPAT) set up by the four host boroughs.
Without that key planning permission, London
might not have been quite so jubilant nine months
later when the International Olympic Committee
made its decision. Steve Shaw, the chief planner of
the ODA’s town planning promoter team, says that
having the permission ahead of submitting the bid
was “highly instrumental” in securing the Games.
According to Andrew Jones, an AECOM managing
director who leads its Olympics planning work, it
showed both commitment from local and London
government, as well as providing a level of certainty
over del ivery. Niall McNevin, head planner at the
London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC),
which handles post-Games development, says that,
as far as he is aware, London’s Olympic submission
was the first in the Games’ history to already have
planning permission when it was submitted.
Shaw says that, after the success of London’s bid
was announced, the euphoria quickly turned to a
sense of realism about the challenge ahead. “At the
time, I thought: ‘Now we have to crack on with it,’”
he says. The job facing the Olympic planners in-
volved turning a 250-hectare site in one of the most
deprived parts of the country into the home of Ol-
ympic venues. Shaw des cribes the planning work
involved in the undertaking as “unprecedented”.
He adds: “We had to make sure we delivered it on
time and on budget. In that fixed period, starting in
2005, we had to achieve the total and utter trans-
formation of 500 hectares of inner London, which
is about the size of Hyde Park.”
Not only was the site criss-crossed by roads, rail-
way lines, pylons and waterways, it was heavily con-
taminated, restricted by poor access and was also
home to hundreds of businesses that would have to
be relocated. To complicate matters further, the site
was shared by numerous public and private owner-
ships. Eleanor Young, the former planning adviser
to Livingstone who was on the Olympic bid steering
group, says: “It was like the Wild West. You wouldn’t
go there. It was dirty, contaminated and ugly, and
slap bang in one of the most deprived parts of the
country. It was geographically a bit of a void area.”
With the event in the bag, the ODA was set up to
carry forward the preparation for the Games them-
selves and to lay the foundation for their legacy.
When the ODA became the single planning author-
ity for the Olympic Park site in September 2006,
its role was both to decide applications and also to
act as a developer or promoter by drawing up and
submitting plans with the help of consultants. As
well as the Park, the ODA’s remit also covered the
neighbouring developments, Stratford City and the
Athletes’ Village.
At the ODA, Shaw and Ramsey head its two plan-
ning “sides”: promoter and planning authority re-
spectively. Ramsey leads the planning decisions
team, which determines applications using the usual
processes of a planning authority. It has about 13
planners, including staff from the host boroughs. As
well as determining some of the more minor reserved
matters, they make sure that applications meet
ODA requirements and are ready to be deter-
mined, advise the organisation’s planning commit-
tee and liaise with Shaw’s town planning promoter
team. The promoter team, initially led by Niall
McNevin with Shaw as his deputy, has had eight to
nine town planners and coordinates the submission
of applications to redevelop the park. Shaw says his
team are held to account by the committee, add-
ing: “This is not a rubber-stamping exercise. This is
an in-depth, complex, profound analysis of all the
issues relating to the transformation of that area.”
Both Ramsey and Shaw have a long involvement
with the project and the area. Ramsey was a plan-
ner at Newham for more than 30 years and, as head
of development and building control, steered the
Stratford City masterplan through the council, a
project that would eventually lead to the construc-
tion of the vast Westfield shopping centre on the
edge of the Olympic Park. Shaw, who had worked
on the London Docklands regeneration project
from 1985 to 1998, became deputy chief planner at
the ODA in 2006.
After assembling the land, which was being used
by more than 300 firms and involved a huge compul-
sory purchase order, the ODA decided to draw up a
new, more detailed masterplan for the park. While
Game leaders: the ODA’s
Vivienne Ramsey and
Steve Shaw have helped
turn the Olympic Park
dream into reality
“Wehadtomakesurewedelivereditontimeandonbudget.Wehadtoachievethetransformationof500hectaresofinnerlondon”Steve Shaw, chief planner, ODA
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29june2012 23
olympics
the pre-bid masterplan outlined ambitions for the
Games and legacy based on the bid proposals, Shaw
said that soon after the bid was won, the permission
was reviewed in terms of cost and deliverability. He
said that the review resulted in a reduction in the
estimate of the amount of land needed and changes
to the design and locations of the venues. Shaw’s
team then produced two applications: a detailed
one for the site enabling works and a hybrid appli-
cation for the venues and the two-year transforma-
tion process after the Games, during which the park
would be prepared for its legacy role. Shaw says the
hybrid application was predominantly outline, with
some detailed elements. According to the ODA, the
hybrid application was one of the largest in Euro-
pean history at 10,000 pages long. Both applications
were submitted in February 2007, with permission
secured in September that year. Legacy develop-
ment was to be covered by a separate application,
submitted by the Olympic Park Legacy Company
(now incorporated into the London Legacy Devel-
opment Corporation), which was due to be deter-
mined just after Planning went to press.
But securing permission for the hybrid applica-
tion for the new masterplan was just the start of the
ODA’s work. All the reserved matters still had to re-
ceive detailed permission, which meant thousands
more applications to be processed by the authority’s
planning committee. These ranged from minor de-
tails to massive applications, such as the one sub-
mitted for the athletics stadium. Ramsey says that
the planning committee, which determines the
major reserved matters, has so far approved about
2,400 applications. She says that Shaw’s team has
also had a “mammoth task” and has made 1,400
submissions to date.
The ODA planning committee comprises elected
members from the four boroughs, two non-bor-
ough ODA board members, plus five independ-
ent members. One of the elected members, Conor
McAuley, Newham Council’s cabinet member for
regeneration, says that the committee meets twice
a month and is approaching its hundredth meet-
ing. Admitting that it has been “a challenge” for
the committee to make timely decisions given its
workload, he says that otherwise its work has been
much like that of any other London planning com-
mittee, with applications having to comply with
the London Plan. Terry Wheeler, the member from
Waltham Forest, says that having local knowledge
has helped ensure a focus on both legacy issues and
regeneration. “Other members wouldn’t have the
local knowledge, or the detailed understanding of
the local communities around the park that the four
Olympic Delivery AuthOrity
(ODA)
Olympic leaders: vivienne
ramsey, director of planning
decisions, and Steve Shaw, chief planner of the
town planning promoter team (he took over from
Niall mcNevin in march 2010)
The ODA has been the planning authority for the
Olympic Park since 2006, responsible for getting
it ready for the Games next month. It also acts as
promoter, submitting applications. Ramsey leads the
team that deals with applications, while McNevin
and then Shaw have led the promoting team. The
host boroughs are represented on the ODA’s planning
committee, while planning officers were seconded
from the boroughs and worked under Shaw.
lONDON legAcy DevelOpmeNt
cOrpOrAtiON (llDc), previOuSly the
Olympic pArk legAcy cOmpANy (Oplc)
Olympic leader: Niall mcNevin, director
of planning
The OPLC was set up in 2009 to oversee the park’s
post-Games regeneration. Last August, it took over
responsibility from the ODA for preparing the park
for its legacy role. In April, it became a mayoral
development corporation, gaining substantial
planning powers. The LLDC will take over from
the ODA as planning authority for the park on 1
October. The host boroughs are represented on the
corporation’s board.
the greAter lONDON AuthOrity (glA)
Olympic leader: giles Dolphin, head of
the planning directorate, now retired
A spokesman says the GLA provided
planning support for the original compulsory
purchase of the park site by the London Development
Agency (LDA) and prepared strategic planning
guidance for the 2004 framework for redeveloping
the Lower Lea Valley. It also made sure that the ODA’s
2007 planning permissions complied with mayoral
planning policies. Its planning directorate is finishing
guidance to make sure the legacy work does likewise.
AecOm
Olympic leader: Andrew Jones, managing
director for planning, design and
development, europe
AECOM has been involved since 2003. Its main role
has been strategic masterplanning for the park,
advising the LDA, then the ODA and now the LLDC.
AtkiNS
Olympic leader: vic Buljubasic, senior
planner
Buljubasic says that Atkins was awarded
the framework contract for environmental and
engineering services in 2005, which included work
to coordinate the environmental impact assessment
for the park. It was a consultant for the park’s design
and infrastructure, focusing on the enabling works,
including decontamination and site clearance.
Arup
Olympic leader: James lough, associate
director for planning, policy and
economics
Arup obtained detailed planning permission for a
wide variety of structures, bridges and highways,
involving about 275 applications. According to Lough,
Arup also acted as the planning agent for elements
such as the temporary basketball training venue.
SAvillS
Olympic leader: chris potts, senior
planning director
A Savills spokesman says the firm was
appointed to provide a planning strategy for the
delivery of the competition and training venues.
DriverS JONAS DelOitte (DJD)
Olympic leader: rory Joyce, planning
partner
Joyce says that since DJD’s appointment
in 2005, it has advised on the acquisition and
compulsory purchase of 240 hectares of land at
Stratford to host the Games and secured planning
permission for the Velodrome. The company is also
the property adviser for the legacy company.
QuOD
Olympic leaders: project leaders
Sean Bashforth and Steffan rees
Quod acted as lead consultant on
all planning matters for the Athletes’ Village, which
will be used by athletes during the Games.
Dp9
Olympic leaders: partners
matthew gibbs and paul henry
Gibbs says the firm dealt with
planning applications for the Aquatics Centre, the
basketball and handball venues, and the Eton Manor
aquatics training centre. He describes DP9’s role as
“essentially planning agents” for the ODA, deciding
what was needed for each application in the context
of the approved masterplan.
rpS
RPS provided the architectural, civil and structural
engineering designs for the park’s International
Broadcast Centre. It also prepared a transport
statement for the use of the Excel London exhibition
centre in the Royal Victoria Dock to stage events
during the Games and is a lead consultant for
Stratford City.
someofTheorganisaTionsinvolvedinplanningTheolympics
wasteplanning.co.uk
For more information call 01452 835 820 or email [email protected]
Waste Planning – the complete planning service for the waste sector, go online today and experience this service through a free trial.
the final piece of the puzzle.
29june2012 25
olympics
independent members bring, he says, adding that
the councillors bring “a degree of local democratic
participation” to the process.
The ODA has also consulted with the boroughs
throughout the process. At Hackney, Guy Nichol-
son, the elected member for regeneration and the
2012 Olympics, and Graham Loveland, its assistant
director responsible for planning and regulatory
services, both report an open working relationship
with the ODA on planning issues. They cite the fact
that Hackney raised concerns about the size and
appearance of the park’s International Broadcast
Centre and Main Press Centre, which the ODA tried
to address through making them partly temporary
structures that can be modified after the Games.
The fixed deadline of an opening ceremony on 27
July 2012 meant the ODA had to think hard about
how to reduce the risk of hold-ups. Shaw says that
some major applications, such as the stadium, were
split in two, so engineering issues could be dealt
with before design details. He also describes how,
because the promoter team could not draw up all
of the applications for each of the many reserved
matters, the major projects, such as the stadium
or the Velodrome, each had a contractor “sponsor”
responsible for that application. These were then
examined and signed off by the promoter team if
considered fit for purpose before being submitted
to the committee. At the same time, Shaw says, his
team had to make sure that these individual appli-
cations fitted in with the broad outline permission
and ensure there was conformity across the park.
He says: “It was really building this jigsaw up into
the big picture.”
With the Olympic Park largely complete, the vast
majority of the ODA’s work is done. Among its final
acts will have been determining the legacy master-
plan, which was due to happen as Planning went
to press. The outline application, submitted by the
LLDC, sets out the development of the site for more
than 20 years from 2014 onwards, including five
new neighbourhoods totalling 6,800 homes, plus
schools, health centres and 130,000 square metres
of employment space. About 100 hectares are in-
tended to become parkland. McNevin, now direc-
tor of planning at the LLDC, and AECOM’s Jones
both describe the 5,000-page legacy masterplan
application as the “last piece in the jigsaw”. Ramsey
says that approving the legacy master plan will make
the handover to the LLDC “fairly seamless” when it
takes over as planning authority for the park on 1
October, allowing it to “crack on with development
after the Games”.
So, how have the planners who have developed
the Olympic Park performed? Young, Livingstone’s
former adviser, praises the organisations involved.
“They’ve been efficient when they needed to be eff-
icient, such as when the bid went in, and reflective
when they needed to be, like with the legacy, which
has rightly taken years to develop,” she says. “They
have consulted a lot, the principles around it have
been well articulated and the ODA has been good
at using private partners.”
Others are slightly cooler in their praise. Ralph
Ward, a former Department for Communities and
Local Government regeneration adviser for the
Olympics and Thames Gateway, says the planning
process has provided public scrutiny of the plans
for the park. But he says: “The critical issue is how
you integrate the housing elements and how you
connect the site to existing communities. These
are the real challenges.” Ward adds that because the
Olympics was always going to happen, there was an
“element of theatre” about the planning process as
the option not to build the park was no option at all.
Looking back, all the key participants describe
a great sense of pride at the work done so far. In
February, they were honoured for their work at this
year’s Royal Town Planning Institute Awards, where
Shaw, Ramsey, McNevin and Jones, plus ODA
former design and regeneration director Alison
Nimmo and the organisation’s head of design and
regeneration, Jerome Frost, accepted the judges’
special award for their work on the Olympic Park.
“The joy of working on the Olympics has been that
the master plan has been turned into reality in such
short order and we can now stand and look back at
our achievement, which is really a fantastic privi-
lege,” says Shaw.
According to McNevin, the work provides a solid
planning base for the continuing legacy efforts.
“The position London finds itself in, even before
the Games, is unprecedented,” he says. “Every time
I visit the park, I feel proud of what we have cre-
ated. Seeing the area change from an inaccessible
and neglected site to a pioneering model of urban
regeneration is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
“They’vebeenefficientwhentheyneededtobe,suchaswhenthebidwentin,andreflectivewhentheyneededtobe,likethelegacy”Eleanor Young, ex-planning adviser to Ken Livingstone
Ongoing efforts: LLDC planning director Niall McNevin
says there is a solid base for legacy work such as
turning the Athletes’ Village (right) into housing
26 29 june 2012
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appealcases
advertisements
Banner advert found to have limited
impact on listed tabernacle
Consent has been granted to dis-
play an illuminated 40 metre by 19
metre banner advertisement around
a building undergoing refurbishment
in south London for six months, with
an inspector finding that it would not
materially detract from the setting of
a listed tabernacle 125 metres away.
Inspector: David Leeming; Written
representations
DCS Number: 100-077-355
Overnight illumination of store signs
deemed not to harm area’s character
A condition requiring signs at a Tesco
store near Bristol to be switched off
between 10pm and 7am has been
deleted after an inspector decided
that they cause no harm to the area’s
character and appearance or to neigh-
bours’ amenity.
Inspector: David Leeming; Hearing
DCS Number: 100-077-068
agricultural
Poultry unit size and hen safety secures dwelling
An inspector has allowed a permanent
dwelling at a North Yorkshire poultry
unit after finding that it is needed to
assure the welfare of 17,000 laying
hens and 1,300 cockerels.
The appellants relied on automated
systems to control temperature and
feeding, but said that the systems
could not cope with every eventual-
ity. A closed circuit television sys-
tem would be impractical at night as
the birds were kept in the dark, they
explained.
The inspector agreed that immedi-
ate intervention would be important
in an emergency. An employee living
nearby would be able to tell when
the birds were panicking from higher
noise levels, he reasoned. Even if such
incidents might be relatively infre-
quent, he held that a functional need
had been established.
Inspector: Peter Willows; Hearing
DCS Number: 100-077-065
ping and psychological support. The
council claimed that the property was
a hostel rather than a building con-
taining a series of separate residential
units. The inspector agreed that even
though each unit had all the facilities
needed for day-to-day living, its main
use was similar to a hostel. She held
that it had not yet obtained immunity
from enforcement, having been estab-
lished for less than ten years.
But she granted permission for the
use after finding that the accommo-
dation met required standards for
space, natural light and ventilation,
and that measures to deal with anti-
social behaviour by residents had led
to a fall in neighbours’ complaints.
Inspector: Bridget Campbell; Inquiry
DCS Number: 100-077-072
Permanent use of building as church
dismissed over employment fears
A church in south-east London has
been denied permanent permission
to use premises in a defined industrial
area on the grounds that it could un-
dermine employment land supply.
Inspector: David Smith; Hearing
DCS Number: 100-077-056
housingneWbuild
Cost award rejected after flood risk search debate
An inspector has
rejected claims that
a North Yorkshire
council gave mis-
leading advice to an
appellant over the
assessment of al-
ternative sites for a
housing scheme.
The appeal site contained a car re-
pair and car wash firm and lay in flood
zone 3a, meaning it was at a high risk
of flooding. The appellant had com-
piled a report assessing alternative
sites in the town. The council initially
confirmed that this report was accept-
able, but subsequently advised that
flood risk should be assessed across
the whole of its administrative area.
The appellant asserted that this
change in approach was unreason-
able and that, even if the whole dis-
commercial
Inspector judges caravan storage
incompatible with rural scenery
A proposal to store up to 47 caravans
in the East Devon area of outstanding
natural beauty has been refused, with
an inspector ruling that the economic
benefits do not outweigh the harm to
the location’s scenic quality.
Inspector: John Wilde; Written
representations
DCS Number: 100-077-370
Vehicle testing and repair workshop
ruled out due to noise concerns
The use of a former distribution cen-
tre in south London as an MoT test
station and vehicle repair workshop
has been dismissed, due to concerns
that the appellants would be unable to
control noise levels.
Inspector: Peter Clark; Written
representations
DCS Number: 100-077-376
Unit’s use as currency exchange
preferred to continued vacancy
A reporter has allowed the conversion
of a vacant shop unit in a town centre
near Glasgow into a cheque cashing
and currency exchange after finding
that it would contribute to vitality
and viability through an estimated
100 to 250 transactions a day.
Reporter: Martin
Culshaw; Written
representations
DCS Number:
100-077-375
community
Facilities
Hostel use permitted after enforcement action
The owners of a north London build-
ing have secured permission for a hos-
tel despite an inspector ruling that it
is not immune from enforcement.
Social service staff placed 16- to
18-year-olds in the premises after
they left care. In the day, the property
was manned by one of two managers
and five support workers, who helped
with education, finding work, shop-
trict was examined, no sequentially
preferable sites were available. The
inspector agreed that many of the less
flood-prone sites suggested by the
council in its attempts to show a lack
of need to develop the appeal site had
not been identified when the applica-
tion was determined.
However, she found that the appel-
lant had not produced any detailed
evidence to discount the suitability of
one site identified in a 2008 strategic
housing land availability assessment.
As the council was able to demon-
strate an adequate supply of housing,
she saw no need to release the appeal
site to address any shortfall.
The inspector rejected the appel-
lant’s claim for full costs. She was
satisfied that the council had made
the appellant aware that the area of
search should be extended before the
application was determined. It had
followed good practice, she held.
Inspector: Kay Sheffield; Hearing
DCS Number: 100-077-055
Home demolition allowed in conservation area
An inspector has granted conserva-
tion area consent for demolition of
a derelict north London dwelling to
make way for two new houses after
hearing that its state was caused by
the actions of a former occupier.
The resident had spent 40 years tun-
nelling under his home and possibly
under others. A structural report pro-
duced last year warned that the build-
ing was little safer than an open brick
box, that the walls could collapse in
strong winds and that urgent action
was needed to ensure public safety.
The council argued that its state did
not justify permanent loss of a herit-
age asset, financial viability was not a
decisive consideration and there was
no evidence that it had no viable use
or was beyond economic repair.
The inspector noted the National
Planning Policy Framework’s advice
that, where there is evidence of delib-
erate neglect or damage to a heritage
asset, its deteriorated state should not
be taken into account in any decision.
But he was unable to conclude that
the former resident’s compulsive tun-
thekeydevelopmentmanagementdecisionssummarised Cases selected and originally summarised by DCS Ltd. Edited by Planning. Contact: Bryan Johnston E [email protected] T 01242 510323
29 june 2012 27
lo
nd
on
bo
ro
ug
h o
f i
sl
ing
to
n
nelling was a deliberate attempt to
damage the property. The loss of the
ruined heritage asset would be out-
weighed by reusing the site, he held.
Inspector: Ken Smith; Written
representations
DCS Number: 100-077-274
Fallback parking position leads to costs claim
A developer has won permission for
nine apartments in south Wales and a
full award of costs against the council,
which failed to follow officers’ advice.
The council refused permission on
the basis that the one on-site parking
space proposed would increase on-
street parking and traffic congestion,
harming road safety. Permission had
already been granted for a scheme
with one fewer bedroom and one
extra parking space at the site.
The inspector found that the de-
velopment would lead to fewer traf-
fic movements compared with the
former commercial use. He was satis-
fied that adequate on-street parking
was available and saw little evidence
that it would increase congestion.
At the hearing, officers sought to jus-
tify the council’s position by arguing
that having one extra bedroom would
lead to additional traffic compared
with the permitted development. This
was not evidence of substance and the
council had acted unreasonably in re-
fusing permission, the inspector held.
Inspector: Tim Morgan; Hearing
DCS Number: 100-077-041
Housing impact on nearby heath judged too high
An inspector has refused a proposal
for 38 sheltered flats in Dorset after
finding that it could have a greater
impact on protected heathland than
a 60-bedroom care home permitted
two years ago on adjacent land.
The site lay between 230 and 400
metres from a site of special scien-
tific interest forming part of a spe-
cial protection area and Ramsar site.
The habitat was under pressure from
arson, recreational use, predation by
cats, dog fouling and disruption to
wetland hydrology. Natural England
had not opposed the previous care
home application, given that a unilat-
eral obligation restricted occupation
to people over 65 in need of personal
care and stopped them keeping pets.
The current proposal offered com-
plementary accommodation, espe-
cially for elderly couples. Each flat
would have two bedrooms, a small
kitchen and a living and dining area.
Four of the five blocks would have no
communal facilities and there was no
provision for care staff.
The inspector decided that this
layout was materially different from
the care home, suggesting a greater
degree of independence, while a pro-
posed planning obligation specifying
occupancy terms was relatively broad.
He saw a risk that residents would ac-
cess the heathland for recreation such
as walking, increasing disturbance
and undermining its biodiversity.
Inspector: Martin Pike; Written
representations
DCS Number: 100-077-377
Homes allowed on seaside resort caravan park
The owners of a derelict caravan park
in a north Devon seaside resort have
secured the renewal of permission for
its redevelopment with up to 30 flats
despite claims that this would under-
mine the area’s attraction to tourists.
The council and some local firms
argued that a revival in the town’s for-
tunes as a tourist resort meant there
was a need to retain tourist accom-
modation of all types and costs.
But the inspector recognised that
losing the site to housing would not
alter the predominance of caravan
and chalet parks in the area. The
scheme also offered a £1,000 per
dwelling planning gain contribution
towards tourism initiatives in the
town and would improve the supply
of housing land, she noted.
Inspector: Julia Gregory; Hearing
DCS Number: 100-077-054
Scheme held incompatible with business park uses
Plans for a 35-unit sheltered housing
scheme on a business park near Bris-
inFocus
High building ruled out in burial ground settingPlans for a building containing 121 homes with ground-floor commercial and
community uses in an east London conservation area have been refused
after an inspector decided that it would adversely affect the character of a
nearby historic burial ground and the setting of listed structures within it.
The burial ground comprised the main graveyard for nonconformists in
England. It had been used since the 17th century and contained densely
packed gravestones enclosed by railings. The site had a grade I listing on
the register of historic parks and gardens. Many tombs and monuments
were grade II and II* listed and the site also contained protected trees.
The inspector noted that the appeal site’s current open nature provided a
spacious setting for the adjacent part of the burial ground. She found that
the five- to seven-storey appeal scheme would undermine the harmony
and intimacy of the burial ground, eroding its seclusion and tranquillity
within a dense urban area. In her opinion, the scheme would be oppressive,
cluttered and claustrophobic, harming the burial ground’s historic
importance and the conservation area’s character and appearance.
She was concerned that the proximity of some homes to the protected
trees would mean that regular pruning would be needed, detracting from
their natural shape and informal appearance. Branches overhanging small
gardens and some balconies would also undermine the future enjoyment of
these properties through overshadowing and falling debris, she held.
The inspector acknowledged that the site lay in a sustainable location
and that the scheme would deliver jobs, space for community use and
open market and affordable housing, However, she noted that the National
Planning Policy Framework seeks to conserve heritage assets, which
in this case were of exceptional quality and added much to the area’s
distinctiveness. The proposal would significantly detract from the burial
ground, the listed tombs and the conservation area and prevent their full
value from being enjoyed by future generations, she concluded.
Inspector Christine Thorby; Inquiry
DCS Number: 100-077-047
Graveyard: adjacent mixed-use scheme judged to detract from listed tombs
28 29 June 2012
casebook
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tol have been rejected due to the loss
of employment land and their incom-
patibility with existing uses.
The appellants had marketed the
appeal site since 2005 without suc-
cess, on the assumption that future
units would be of similar size, stand-
ard and layout to existing ones on the
park. The inspector found that they
had not conclusively shown a lack
of demand for commercial premises
and feared that reducing the supply
of land for business use could under-
mine local economic development in
any future recovery.
He was concerned that traffic pat-
terns between business users and
residents would clash, that there was
no safe pedestrian route and that the
outlook would be dominated by ve-
hicles. Residents’ living conditions
would be compromised by the juxta-
position of the two types of develop-
ment, he concluded.
Inspector: John Wilde; Hearing
DCS Number: 100-077-063
Isolated country house fails framework tests
An isolated new home in the Oxford-
shire countryside has been turned
down after an inspector found that it
would not be innovative or of excep-
tional quality.
The plan included a house and staff
accommodation, stables, outbuild-
ings, a tennis court, pool, solar pan-
els, formal landscaped gardens and an
access drive.
Despite variations
in materials and
elevations, the in-
spector was not con-
vinced that its simple
form would be truly
outstanding or in-
novative – the tests
set out in paragraph
55 of the National Planning Policy
Framework to justify an exception to
normal rural restraint policies.
She acknowledged that the com-
bination of energy-saving measures
proposed might well be unique and
would be integrated into a high-qual-
ity architectural design.
But as none of the measures was
individually innovative, she did not
find this a compelling reason to
conclude that the design as a whole
would be so.
Inspector: Jane Miles; Hearing
DCS Number: 100-077-058
Dwelling permitted in countryside
due to housing shortfall
An inspector has allowed a dwelling
in a garden outside the boundaries of
a Warwickshire village after deciding
that it would appear as part of a clus-
ter of other homes rather than an iso-
lated intrusion into the countryside.
Inspector: Alan Wood; Hearing
DCS Number: 100-077-057
HoUsingconveRsion
Multiple use allowed in tipping point argument
An inspector has rejected a Hamp-
shire council’s claim that converting
a three-bedroom terrace property to a
house in multiple occupation (HMO)
would unbalance the range of accom-
modation in the area.
The appellant wanted leeway to use
the property as a dwelling or an HMO,
depending on market conditions and
need. The council relied on a draft
supplementary planning document
seeking to restrict HMOs to no more
than ten per cent of the area’s total.
Since the ten per cent threshold was
unadopted, the inspector gave it lit-
tle weight. An HMO was unlikely to
have a greater amenity impact than a
large family living together as a single
household, he reasoned. The National
Planning Policy Framework supports
a mix of housing to
meet the needs of
differing groups, he
pointed out.
Inspector: Mike
Fox; Written
representations
DCS Number:
100-077-373
leisUReanDtoURisM
National park campsite must remove
tents during the winter months
An inspector has refused to delete a
condition requiring the operators of
a campsite in the Lake District na-
tional park to remove the tents dur-
ing the winter months, finding that
it is justified by the need to reduce
landscape intrusion at a time when
trees and hedges are least effective as
a screen.
foRUM
Q Does parking a campervan within the curtilage of a dwelling require
planning permission? The camper is not used as a separate dwelling.
A colleague thinks there is case law referring to large campervans being
harmful to amenity and therefore unacceptable in planning terms. Does
the vehicle’s size matter? DC
A There are two issues to consider: has there been a change of use and is
the campervan parking incidental to the dwellinghouse use? Storage of
mobile homes constitutes a distinct use of land. There is no reason to treat
a campervan differently from a caravan. But it is hard to imagine that the
parking of a householder’s campervan constitutes a change of use to a mixed
residential and storage use. Even if there is a change of use, is that incidental
to the enjoyment of the dwelling? On one view, it is not because the campervan
is only used as such away from the dwelling. But that argument is unlikely
to succeed as, otherwise, planning permission would be required to keep
a sailing dinghy or off-road motorcycle, which seems absurd. It also seems
highly doubtful that parking a campervan would fall within the decision in
Wallington v Secretary of State for Wales and Montgomeryshire District Council
[1990], which held that keeping 41 dogs was not incidental to the enjoyment of
a dwelling. Philip Crowther
A While I agree with Philip Crowther regarding a normal Transit-sized
camper, some are the size of coaches. Applying the Wallington case
and Harrods Ltd v Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the
Regions and Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea [2002], it is likely that
parking such a camper would require permission. I am unaware of any cases or
appeal decisions on this issue. John Harrison
neXtqUestions
Applications for planning permission to extend dwellinghouses in a
conservation area require a design and access statement. This would normally
include a section on the impact on the conservation area. As conservation
areas can be “heritage assets”, is a heritage statement also required? The law
and guidance on this is not clear. SC
A U-shaped three-storey listed building was converted into 25 apartments in
the mid 1990s with listed building consent (LBC) and planning permission. A
few years later a uPVC conservatory was constructed in the middle of the “U”
without LBC or planning permission being obtained. The building’s owners now
want to replace the conservatory. Is LBC required to replace it on a like-for-like
basis? If it does need LBC, will it also require planning permission? How much
could be replaced at one time and what time period between replacements
would be sufficient for it to be deemed piecemeal? IK
Do you have an answer to these questions? If so, please email it to Forum
editor John Harrison at [email protected] by 4 July. We also
welcome your queries, which can be emailed to the same address.
onoURwebsite
PlanningResource features two online forums dedicated to development
management matters. On the forums you can comment on questions raised in
this column, or comment on other development management-related topics.
Go to PlanningResource.co.uk/forum for details
29 June 2012 29
legalviewpoint
While every effort is made to ensure that the summaries and opinions contained in Casebook and Forum are correct, neither the compilers nor the publishers accept any liability arising from use of this information without verification from source documents or professional planning guidance.
Inspector George Arrowsmith;
Written representations
DCS Number: 100-077-374
Tennis court use restriction lifted
after traffic concerns allayed
An inspector has deleted a condition
restricting the use of a tennis court
at a Cornish farm to residents at its
holiday lets, finding that its removal
would be unlikely to lead to unaccept-
able extra traffic.
Inspector: John Allan; Written
representations
DCS Number: 100-077-372
Budget hotel judged to undermine
residential neighbourhood
An inspector has upheld council
action to reverse the conversion of
two houses in south-west London to
a budget hotel, agreeing that the use
adversely affects neighbours’ amenity
and sets an undesirable precedent for
loss of housing stock to other uses.
Inspector: Bridget Campbell; Inquiry
DCS Number: 100-077-059
MiXeDUse
Farm shop ruled out due to unsustainable location
The use of an agricultural build-
ing alongside the Cotswold Way in
Gloucestershire as a farm shop and
café has been rejected after an inspec-
tor held it would be in an unsustain-
able location.
The appellants stated that 80 per
cent of goods sold would be sourced
from within 30 miles, principally from
their farm. An indicative list of goods
for sale suggested to the inspector
that many items would be delivered
over a significant distance. In her
view, the 30-mile radius went beyond
a reasonable definition of “local”.
She was concerned that the shop
would compete with a convenience
store in the nearest village. She also
found that, at 560 square metres, it
was likely to attract car-borne cus-
tomers from further afield.
The scale of the proposal and more
intensive use of the site would fail to
conserve and enhance the Cotswolds
area of outstanding natural beauty,
she held.
Inspector: Liz Hill; Written
representations
DCS Number: 100-077-371
HArry SPurr
Barrister
Hogan Lovells International LLP
The proposed reforms to England’s heritage protection regime set out in
the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Bill are well conceived and deserve
support. Changes have been on the cards since April 2008, when the last
government’s draft Heritage Protection Bill was published. This never
made it off the starting blocks. But now plans are afoot to make some
much-needed changes, reflecting in part the recommendations of the
2010 Penfold review of non-planning consents.
The heritage proposals are tucked away in schedule 16 of the bill, which
was introduced to Parliament last month. The proposals fall into three
groups. Firstly, amendments to the Planning (Listed Buildings and Con-
servation Areas) Act 1990 will allow structures or objects attached to
or within the curtilage of listed buildings to be excluded from the list-
ing, and for specific parts or features
of such buildings to be identified as
lacking special architectural or his-
toric interest.
Both aspects of this make sense.
Nearly 90 per cent of listed building
applications are allowed, suggesting
scope to relax the rules and so cut the
number of applications. Limiting pro-
tection to structures and features that
are valuable is a step in the right di-
rection. Equally, more precision in de-
tailing what is listed is likely to reduce
the risk of confusion of the sort that
arose in cases such as Morris v National Assembly for Wales [2001], which
examined whether an outbuilding fell within the curtilage of a listed
building, and whether, accordingly, it was itself protected. However, this
change could mean considerable extra work for English Heritage.
Also in this context, the regime for certificates of immunity from list-
ing is to be widened to allow them to be issued at any time, rather than
only following an application for, or the grant of, planning permission.
This will introduce welcome certainty, allowing developers to plan ahead
with confidence.
The second set of proposed reforms would introduce heritage partner-
ship agreements. These statutory management agreements would enable
ongoing works to be carried out over time without repeated applications
for listed building consent. Aimed in particular at estates containing
listed buildings where programmes of works are anticipated, the idea is
to reduce the burden on councils and developers by deeming the grant
of consent for works agreed in advance.
The final element is to remove the need for conservation area consent
for the demolition of unlisted buildings in conservation areas, leaving the
matter to be dealt with through the grant of planning permission. This
is an eminently sensible move that will lighten the workload for both
councils and developers. Assuming the bill proves uncontroversial, which
seems probable, it is likely to become law within this parliamentary ses-
sion, reaching the statute books by spring 2013.
Heritage changes will lighten load
“limitingprotectiontostructuresthatarevaluableisastepintherightdirection”
Aparthotel agreed to maintain
conservation area streetscape
An aparthotel with ground floor retail
and catering uses has been permit-
ted in the centre of Glasgow, with a
reporter agreeing that it would main-
tain the character of a conservation
area and respect the setting of an
adjacent category A listed building.
reporter: Karen Heywood; Written
representations
DCS Number: 100-077-378
coURtcase
recorded post needed for prior notification rulings
Walsall Metropolitan and Dartford
Borough Councils have lost a joint
High Court bid to overturn inspec-
tors’ decisions to quash enforcement
notices aimed at telecom masts.
In each case, the council had sent
notices stating that prior approval
was required for the masts’ siting and
appearance. The firms then appealed
against enforcement notices requiring
removal of the masts on the grounds
that the notices had not been served
within the 56-day time limit specified
in the General Permitted Develop-
ment Order 1995.
The councils said the notices had
been posted and published on their
websites within the time limit, but
the inspectors accepted the operators’
statements that they had not been re-
ceived and quashed them.
The councils sought a ruling that
the notices should be deemed to have
been served on the day they were
posted. Mr Justice Eder ruled that
such a presumption did not stand up
to the facts as established by the in-
spectors’ findings that they had not
been delivered to the applicants.
Walsall Metropolitan Borough
Council v Secretary of State for
Communities and Local Government
ref: CO/1034/2012
Date: 10 May 2012
Dartford Borough Council v
Secretary of State for Communities
and Local Government
ref: CO/2334/2012
Date: 10 May 2012
30 29 june 2012
RTPI News
Minister updates delegates at this
year’s Wales planning ConferenCe
Now in its fifth year, the Wales
Planning Conference held last
month attracted record numbers
of delegates and, judging by the
numbers staying until the end, the
programme did not disappoint.
The conference was launched with
a social networking event sponsored
by GVA the evening before, where
Royal Town Planning Institute
president Colin Haylock presented
the Wales Planning Leaders Award
to Rhian Kyte of Caerphilly County
Borough Council. Kyte was selected
by an independent panel, the
members of which were particularly
impressed by the lengths she had
gone to on community consultation
during the process of drawing up the
council’s local development plan.
The popularity of the conference
itself was perhaps unsurprising
given the extensive work underway
to review and refine the planning
process in Wales, building on a 2010
government-commissioned report
on the planning application process
and current work scheduled to lead
to a planning white paper in 2013 and
a Welsh planning bill in 2015.
John Griffiths, the Welsh
government minister for
environment and sustainable
development, updated delegates
on the government’s planning
programme and emphasised its
commitment to delivery.
During his address, the minister
advised that revisions to chapter 7
of Planning Policy Wales relating
to national economic policy would
be published in the autumn. He
also encouraged local planning
Griffiths: encouraged local planning authorities to urgently adopt local development plans to ensure effective development
felt it was the environment.
Then, in a series of speed briefings,
presenters had just seven minutes to
tell the conference about a project.
Delegates heard about Porth Teigr
in Cardiff Bay, the Gurnos Town
Centre Regeneration scheme, the
Wales Coast Path and a toolkit for
environmental masterplanning for
windfarm projects, among others.
In conclusion, RTPI chief executive
Trudi Elliott highlighted the
important role that planning and
planners can make and the need for
us to step up to the plate and lead.
The conference, sponsored by
Savills, JBP Associates and Civitas
Law, with support from the Design
Commission for Wales, the Welsh
Local Government Association and
the Welsh government, proved to
be a real success with the delegates,
many pointing to the buzz around
the venue. Mark the dates of the next
Wales Planning Conference in your
diary: 4 and 5 June 2013 in Cardiff.
roisin Willmott is national director
for rtPi cymru.
an uPdate on the
Welsh government’s
Programme for
Planning reform Was
just one highlight
for attendees, says
roisin Willmott
authorities to urgently adopt local
development plans, adding that
these were essential for delivering for
communities and the long term.
The minister referred to various
ongoing studies, including the work
of the Independent Advisory Group
(IAG) on Planning Reform, and said
the government would consult on
the outcomes of these in the autumn.
An unplanned theme that cropped
up throughout the day related to the
Wales Spatial Plan and the need for a
revival of spatial planning in Wales.
Government intentions around the
spatial plan, which was recently
transferred to Griffiths’ portfolio,
remain unclear.
But at the conference, the minister
said that it would be taken forward
within the context of the Sustaining
a Living Wales green paper that sets
out plans for a new approach to
natural resource management and
the Wales Infrastructure Investment
Programme (WIIP) launched in May.
IAG chair John Davies then
discussed various issues that
had been raised in the group’s
investigation so far. He said that
some of the group’s initial findings
reflect the fact that the planning
system is essentially sound, and
that some of the factors currently
constraining development are
outside the remit of the planning
system and that some of the
assertions of non-delivery may in fact
be due to unrealistic expectations of
the land use planning system.
Davies warned that planning
reform is not, in itself, a cure for all
ills but it has great potential to create
opportunities and protect scarce
resources for our future wellbeing.
The conference continued with
a wide-ranging set of breakout
workshops covering waste, decision-
making, the Living Wales green
paper, the WIIP, transport and the
Community Infrastructure Levy.
The afternoon included a debate
on whether environmental or
economic priorities should carry
more weight in the planning system.
Delegates following this discussion
29 june 2012 31
interest in oxford seminar increases
RTPI yp bulletiN board
The RTPI News pages are edited by Victoria Clarke at the RTPI, 41 Botolph Lane, London EC3R 8DL
EditorialF 020 7929 8199E [email protected]
RTPI (switchboard)T 020 7929 9494F 020 7929 9490
Registered charity number 262865Registered charity in Scotland SCO37841
NEwslondon young Planners’ conference 2012 – Planning:
striking a Balance
The national Royal Town Planning Institute Young Planners’
Conference, which this year is taking place in London on Friday
26 to Saturday 27 October, is a key event in the institute’s events
calendar. The event allows young planners to come together to
discuss current planning issues around the theme of the central
challenge of striking a balance between diverse and competing
interests, particularly in light of the government’s recent changes
to the planning system. The highly regarded conference enables
participants to learn about and debate critical topics that are
relevant to planners and other professionals within the wider built
environment community.
Fittingly, in what is a hugely exciting year for London, the 2012
conference will be hosted at the Royal Institute of British Architect’s
offices at 66 Portland Place – a prime, central location close to
Oxford Circus and within walking distance of a number of key
railway stations.
Building on the success of last year’s Young Planners’ Conference
in Birmingham, the event will feature speakers from a number
of sectors and organisations, who will provide insights from
planning and related built environment disciplines. There will also
be opportunities over the two-day event for study visits to key
development sites in London. Potential tours include those taking
in the City of London, Canary Wharf and the Royal Docks as well as
the venues and neighbourhoods that will, by then, have hosted the
upcoming Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The conference will include a number of workshops, which will
provide another chance to hear expert speakers and will cover
a range of topics to meet the varying interests of attendees. The
overall event will be a genuinely low-cost opportunity for continuing
professional development, and will provide various ways to gain or
enhance planning skills and knowledge through an interesting and
enjoyable event.
A number of social activities are planned to support the main
conference. These optional events, which will take place on
Thursday 25 and Friday 26 October in central London locations,
will provide a great way of informally networking with fellow built
environment colleagues.
Further details on booking and the programme will follow shortly.
In addition, the conference team are developing information on
travel and recommended accommodation, alongside additional
events happening in and around the conference that will make your
visit to London a hugely enjoyable experience.
There are still opportunities to sponsor this highly successful and
popular event, which hosts a growing numbers of delegates each
year from a range of public and private sector organisations. Given
that the conference is being held in central London, where many
major firms and organisations employing potential attendees are
based, and the ease of accessibility from areas outside the city, the
turnout for this year’s event is anticipated to be excellent. A range
of sponsorship packages are available. For more details on these
and the benefits that they could bring to your organisation, please
contact Charlotte Morphet at [email protected]
If you would like to be part of this event, please visit the website at
www.rtpi.org.uk/ypconference, search on Facebook and Twitter
(@RTPIYPs) and watch out for further news articles in Planning and
on the RTPI website.
A Thames Valley young planners’
event held in Oxford on 15 May
provided a successful continuing
professional development and
networking opportunity for young
members of the profession across
Oxfordshire.
More than 60 delegates attended
the event, including officers from
four of the Oxfordshire local
planning authorities and Oxfordshire
County Council, private planning
consultants and planning students
from Oxford Brookes University.
The seminar, entitled “Planning
for Growth in Oxfordshire”,
featured guest speakers who gave
presentations on two local case
studies: the planned expansion of
RAF Brize Norton and new housing
growth at the neighbouring town of
Carterton in West Oxfordshire.
Royal Town Planning Institute
president Colin Haylock set the
scene for the overall seminar and
gave an informative presentation
on the key challenges the planning
profession faces in 2012.
These include new planning policy
and guidance in the form of the
National Planning Policy Framework
and Localism Act, the challenge of
meeting the demands of “localist”
planning despite ever-shrinking
council resources and planning to
live with climate change.
Haylock also referred to the
London 2012 Olympics and the
importance of the planning
profession in designing for a
successful legacy in east London.
Stephen Harness from the Defence
Infrastructure Organisation and
Luke Hillson from AMEC then
talked about the challenges of
masterplanning in a Ministry of
Defence context with reference
to Brize Norton, the RAF’s largest
station.
First, Harness provided an insight
into Programme Future Brize,
which involves preparing for runway
refurbishment and the introduction
of new aircraft, hangers, simulators
and accommodation for service
families. Hillson then presented on
the benefits of three-dimensional
modelling for Ministry of Defence
projects, both as a communication
tool and to be able to test future
development proposals with
particular military and operational
constraints.
The seminar concluded with a case
study on the planned construction of
up to 1,000 homes in Carterton, as
proposed in the emerging draft West
Oxfordshire core strategy. The case
study took the form of a debate with
presentations from representatives
of each of the three competing
expansion proposals. These included
Roger Smith from Savills, Giuseppe
Zanre from David Wilson Homes
and Kevin Willcox from Crest
Nicholson. After the presentations,
delegates were asked to vote on their
preferred growth option.
The seminar has now become an
annual Oxford event with interest
growing year on year. It is pleasing
that the event was so well attended
and that Colin Haylock was keen to
show his support.
The Thames Valley young planners’
network would like to thank
Savills and Oxford City Council for
sponsoring the event.
alison Wright is a senior planner at
savills oxford.
thames valley young
Planners’ event
attracted more than
60 delegates, rePorts
alison Wright
Alison Wright with Colin Haylock
32 29 june 2012
rtpi bulletin board
rtpi news
institute launches improved website NEWS
extraordinary general meeting: royal charter and bye-laws
Following a governance review, the Royal Town Planning Institute’s
board of trustees is proposing a package of changes designed
to update and modernise the institute’s constitution. Members
will have received by email or hard copy the notice about the
extraordinary general meeting in London on 4 July at which the
changes will be considered and corporate members will vote.
If you wish to attend the meeting or require further information,
please contact [email protected] or call 020 7929 9494.
neighbourhood planning forum goes live
Planning Aid England, with the support of Department for
Communities and Local Government funding, has set up a website
for all those involved in neighbourhood planning. The forum –
www.ourneighbourhoodplanning.org.uk – contains resources such
as news items, discussion forums and event information. Groups
involved in neighbourhood planning can also create private groups
on the site and exchange resources and hold discussions online.
A free monthly e-bulletin, Up Front, links to the site. Just email
[email protected] if you want to receive a copy.
planning advisory service survey launched
The PAS has just launched its annual State of the Nation survey and
is seeking the views of local authority planning staff and members.
It can be accessed via www.planningsurvey.co.uk
EVENT urban design: movement and place Framework
date 11 July time 6-8pm
venue Newcastle University cost Free
Urban design is an increasingly important part of planning and,
done well, can help to deliver sustainable development. This event
will discuss the importance of a strong and clear analysis to support
policy development. It will examine how the movement and place
framework identified key urban design and transportation principles
for the NewcastleGateshead urban core. Although this event is free,
registration is essential.
To book, please email [email protected]
The Royal Town Planning Institute
has recently launched a new and
improved website at www.rtpi.org.uk
The website has been developed
with RTPI members’ input at key
stages. It offers quick and easy access
to essential information and is part
of the institute’s ongoing efforts to
enhance the value of membership
and the support that we provide to
our members.
The redesigned website has a
modern look and feel, new features
and fresh content. The navigation
has been restructured so that key
information is more prominent. For
example, members will now be able
to access regions’ and nations’ pages
from anywhere on the site.
We have integrated the RTPI’s
social media so that visitors can
keep up to date with all of the
institute’s activities. Content has
been revised and rewritten to ensure
that it is accessible and provides the
knowledge members need.
The site also has enhanced
capability for video and podcasts,
and a new Briefing room that
pulls together briefing notes on
key policies along with articles,
presentations and news releases.
In addition to these new features,
RTPI members will be able to pay
their fees online and alter their
contact details. Members can view
and change their profile details by
logging in to the new My RTPI area
of the site. We would encourage all
members to log in and check that
their contact details are correct.
Members will also need to use
their log in to see member-only
information. RTPI members have
been sent their login details by email.
They should use their membership
number and date of birth, in the
format ddmmyyyy, to access the
relevant parts of the website.
victoria clarke is web and digital
communications editor at the rtpi.
to check your profile details, and
see the new features, please go to
www.rtpi.org.uk/profile
Website: knowledge base for members
redesigned site has
new Features, Fresh
content and revamped
navigation, explains
victoria clarke
consultants
29 JUNE 2012 33
Copy deadlineMidday Friday, week prior to publication
Advertising contact Katherine CosgraveT 020 8267 8136 F 020 8267 4013 E [email protected]
Production contact Emilie LudotT: 020 8267 4259E: [email protected]
nlpplanning.com
RTPI Planning Consultancy of the Year
&DUGLII���/HHGV���/RQGRQ���0DQFKHVWHU���1HZFDVWOH
savills.co.uk
Roger Hepher
Head of Planning and Regeneration
+44 (0) 845 1550 138
Savills Planning We have a dedicated team of 170 commercially focussed planners in 21 UK offices.
Leading planning advisors to public and private sector clients throughout the UK.
www.djdeloitte.co.uk
John Adams+44 (0)20 7007 9000 [email protected]
Planning our sustainable future
BirminghamBristolDerbyExeter
GlasgowLondon
Warrington
Plan Design Enable
Contact:
Paul Whitet: +44 (0) 20 7121 [email protected]
www.atkinsglobal.com/urbanplanning
boyerplanning.co.uk
Central and South – Mike Newton
01344 753 220 [email protected]
East – Ray Ricks, Matt Clarke
01206 769 018 [email protected]
London – Hayley Ellison
0203 268 2018 [email protected]
South East – Andrew Williams, Helen Adcock
020 8843 8211 [email protected]
Wales and West – Owen Jones
029 2073 6747 [email protected]
En��ron�ental �lann�n� and de�elo��ent �onsultants
34 29 JUNE 2012
consultants
www.npaconsult.co.uk
• Environmental Masterplanning
• Landscape & Ecological Design
• Historic Landscapes & Landscape Restoration
• EIA & ES Auditing
• Planning Inquiry & Appeals Representation
ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNERS • LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS • ECOLOGISTS
N I C H O L A S P E A R S O N A S S O C I A T E S
30 Brock Street • Bath • BA1 2LN • tel 01225 445548 • fax 01225 312387 [email protected]
aVIatIon consultants energy planningt telephone household surveys
t business surveyst face to face surveys
market researchP L A N N I N G
01642 37 33 55 www.nemsmr.co.uk
market research
urban desIgneducatIon contrIbutIon
To advertise here please call
Katherine Cosgrave on
020 8267 8136
appointments
29 JUNE 2012 35
Booking deadline 5pm Friday, week prior to publicationCopy deadline 3pm Monday, week of publication
Advertising contact T 020 8267 4992Production contact Emilie Ludot T 020 8267 4259
Box number replies Planning Appointments, 174 Hammersmith Road, London W6 7JP
appointments
36 29 JUNE 2012
appointments
29 JUNE 2012 37
appointments
Planning Manager
Hillreed Homes Limited is a private housebuilder looking to appoint a qualifi ed RTPI Planner. Applicants should have at least 2 years post qualifi cation experience and will be working within the Land team based in Horsham, West Sussex.
The successful applicant will be required to deal with all aspects of the planning process from initial site appraisal through to the preparation and submission of both planning applications and appeals. He/she will also be responsible for the discharge of planning conditions following consented applications and assessing strategic land opportunities.
Experience in dealing with Local Planning Authorities and/or working in a Housebuilding environment is preferred.
It would be an advantage if applicants also have experience negotiating with landowners.
Salary on application.
Please email your CV with a covering letter to [email protected]
NO AGENCIES PLEASE
BRECO N BEACO NS NAT IO NAL PARKSenio r Planning O ffi c erSalary : £26,276 - £28,636 p er annu m p ro rataPart tim e - 2 d ay s p er w eek
We have an opportunity for an experienced individual to help us shape the future of our National Park. Join us and help embed the changes we have made to provide an excellent Planning Service. If you can take up the challenge you could join us living and working in one of the most beautiful places in the UK
The Authority offers a range of family friendly fl exible working policies including a child care voucher scheme.
Application packs can be obtained by visiting www.breconbeacons.org. or contacting Elizabeth Lewis on 0 1 8 74 620 4 26 or [email protected]
Closing date: 1 6th July 20 1 2Interview date: 26th July 20 1 2
PARC CENEDLAET HO L BANNAU BRY CHEINIO G
38 29 JUNE 2012
appointments
29 JUNE 2012 39
40 29 june 2012
incontext
sirpeterhall
diary
Ma
tt
he
ww
ilk
ins
on
Diary has found plenty to make a song
and dance about recently. First, news
that former Eurythmics singer Annie
Lennox will have “No More I Love Yous”
for Aberdeen after slamming plans for a
privately run park in her home city as a
“dog’s dinner of crap concrete”.
In a Facebook rant, she said the proposed
large park and arts complex at Union Terrace
Gardens (pictured above) would “ravage
the only authentic, historical green space
in the city centre”. In response, Tom Smith,
chairman of the Aberdeen City Gardens
Trust, which is overseeing the scheme,
said it would be the “catalyst for more
investment and more regeneration”.
But Diary doubts that this argument will
placate Lennox, who for Smith is likely to be
a “Thorn in My Side” for some time.
Over to the Department for Communities
and Local Government, where press officers
indulged in a spot of Beatles-related
punning in a news release on housing
minister
Grant
Shapps’ role
in saving former “Fab Four” drummer Ringo
Starr’s childhood home from demolition.
The release stated that Starr’s home had
been saved “with a little help from his
friends”, describing the battle as a “long
and winding road”. Shapps said 9 Madryn
Street, rescued with the “help” of Liverpool
residents, was a must-see stop on the
“Magical Mystery Tour” of Liverpool.
But things started to go a little awry when
he claimed the home had been saved after
“we worked it out” with residents. As some
eagle-eyed fans pointed out, the actual title
of the song is “We Can Work it Out”.
Finally, plans are being hatched for a statue
of the late singer Amy Winehouse at a
music venue in north London, after plans for
a bench outside her house were abandoned
due to the need for planning permission.
Winehouse’s parents are in talks with
representatives from the Roundhouse in
Chalk Farm with a view to erecting a life-size
bronze statue of the “Back to Black” singer,
who died last year. Amy’s father Mitch said:
“We wanted to have a bench in her memory
outside her house in Camden Square, but
there are so many hoops to jump through to
do that, planning permission for one.”
Three pieces in the papers, one morning last week, high-
lighted a key issue. First, from the FT: in its latest U-turn,
the coalition is poised to drop its plan for regional varia-
tions in public pay. There would be “no change” without “strong
evidence” – evidence unlikely to be forthcoming any time soon.
Second, from the Guardian, new research from the Resolution
Foundation: people in the Blackpool South parliamentary con-
stituency have the lowest average wages in the UK: £320 a week,
compared with £1,305 a week in the London Borough of Kensing-
ton and Chelsea. The four lowest-average-wage constituencies are
all in north-west England; the others are Preston, Middlesbrough
and Blackley and Broughton in north Manchester. Third, on the
FT’s diary page: new London School of Economics research, sug-
gesting that creating public sector jobs may crowd out the private
sector – but with a major qualification.
The Guardian piece also carried research from data-crunchers
Experian suggesting that almost seven million working adults are
in extreme financial stress. As a researcher put it: “These are the
new working class – except the work they do no longer pays.” No
north-south divide here: these struggling households are in large
parts of south-west England, outer London and East Anglia.
The most problematic area includes Torquay, Paignton and
Brixham, the “English Riviera”, with hard-hit families in low-rise
estates, mixed communities with many single people in town
centres, and self-employed tradespeople. But next is Hyndburn
(aka Accrington) in Lancashire, with south Asian communities
experiencing social deprivation and low-income families in poor-
quality, older terrace houses.
Back to the LSE research, from Professor Henry Overman. Some
good news here: from 2003 to 2007, for every 100 new council
jobs, 50 were created in private services, making their weekday
sandwiches or providing their weekly groceries. But 40 manufac-
turing jobs disappeared, perhaps because public jobs pushed up
wages and house prices, or attracted talented local people from
local factories. Data for 1999 to 2007 shows a more drastic effect
on manufacturing and no impact on local service employment,
although Overman admits this data is weaker. The coalition pro-
posals would have reduced salaries in those public jobs, but would
they have lifted manufacturing? Maybe – but far from proven.
Sir Peter Hall is Bartlett professor of planning and
regeneration, University College London
Assessing new patterns of pay
Saved: Ringo’s
former home
“nonorth-southdivide:strugglinghouseholdsarefoundinmuchofengland”
When and where? 14-17 September,
Liverpool Hope University
Why go? A range of lectures, workshops,
study tours and social events will be on
offer. Martin Kingston QC will provide a
legal update, while RTPI president Colin
Haylock will open and close the event
Cost Non-residential tickets £629 + VAT,
residential tickets £760-£820 + VAT.
Student rates and day tickets available
Further details Please visit
www.planningsummerschool.org
For further forthcoming events, go to
PlanningResource.co.uk/events
comingup
Planning Summer School 2012