Planning Bulletin Articles - Aug 2017

It has been requested that the Government 'remove the uncertainty' around a promised 20 per cent rise in planning application fees in England. This request has been submitted by a senior council officers' group within the Association of Directors of Environment, Economy, Planning and Transport (ADEPT). It has been raised after February’s Housing White Paper said that councils in England would be able to apply the rise from July 2017. The implementation date was re-confirmed in April after it had mistakenly been suggested that the increase had been delayed until the autumn.

There were restrictions placed around the 20 per cent fee increase. These were submitted by the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG), who put forward a proposal to local planning authorities. The DCLG outlined that the revenue collected from the 20 per cent fee increase should be invested back into the planning departments. The statement from the DCLG said "Our Housing White Paper set out plans to let local authorities increase fees by 20 per cent if they commit to invest the additional fee income in their planning department”. With the statement they promised to publish further details in due course.

However, further details have yet to be published. The President of the ADEPT, Simon Neilson, commented: "The proposed rise of 20 per cent for planning application fees was a welcome part of the Housing White Paper, but uncertainty remains over its implementation. For local authorities, it would be a vital source of revenue to shore up stretched planning departments across the country. By removing the uncertainty around these potential fees and ensuring there is a fresh, ring-fenced investment into the skills and system of planning, the process can be improved, helping developers and the local economy alike."

For further information, please contact a member of our team:

Nick Taylor
Partner, Planning & Development
0207 016 0733
Nick.taylor@carterjonas.co.uk

The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) has announced that the government will be revising the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) 'towards the back end of the year'.

The news was put forward by chief planner of the DCLG, Steve Quartermain, who spoke at the Country Land and Business Association (CLA)’s rural housing summit. Quartermain said "The results of that consultation, which will be no later than the summer, will then lead in to what will … be a review of the NPPF." He then outlined that "towards the back end of the year, we will be working on a revised NPPF".

Quartermain touched on the amends, saying that ‘half a dozen’ written ministerial statements, which were published following the publication of the NPPF in 2012, would be changed as part of the amends to the framework. He added that the ‘scope’ of the amends have yet to be established.

According to Quartermain, the government wants to see an increase in planning permission for specific developments in neighbourhood areas, which can be achieved by making greater use of neighbourhood development orders. So far 340 neighbourhood plans have come through the process, however there have only been five neighbourhood development orders. "We think there’s a greater opportunity for neighbourhood development orders to be used to actually bring forward sites in rural communities" Quartermain outlined, also stating that Rural communities need to “have a real say in making sure that planning delivers the outcomes that they want".

For further information, please contact a member of our team:

Nick Taylor
Partner, Planning & Development
0207 016 0733
Nick.taylor@carterjonas.co.uk

Alok Sharma has been appointed as minister for housing and planning, succeeding Gavin Barwell who lost his Commons seat in the June general election. However Sharma’s appointment by Prime Minister Theresa May was unexpected as Sharma is a largely unknown quantity in planning circles. Eyebrows have been raised due to the fact that Sharma, who will take oversight of any forthcoming planning reforms, has absolutely no connection to the planning field and just one year’s junior ministerial experience at a Whitehall department.

After his appointment, Sharma said "I look forward to working with councils, housing associations, developers and investors across the UK to make sure we are building the right homes and providing appropriate housing for all". He certainly seemed to grasp the challenge ahead of him, also commenting that his role was, "A big job and a role that matters to everyone, particularly young people trying to get on the housing ladder for the first time”.

While Sharma’s experience doesn’t rival that of Barwell’s, his previous opinions might shed some light on how he will approach his new role. This is a subject which has been considerably debated by the industry over the last month.

Head of planning at lobby group the Campaign to Protect Rural England, Matt Thomson, said it is "difficult to predict" how well Sharma will perform as housing minister. "He’s not the first to be appointed without apparent experience of the sector," Thomson noted. "His priorities are likely to reflect those of the secretary of state. The white paper signalled a more balanced approach, acknowledging that it is the housing market rather than the planning system that is broken. Yet the Queen’s Speech rehashed the tired line that we must release more land for development and that increasing supply improves affordability.”

Unsurprisingly Sharma hasn’t commented on national planning issues in the last year due to the fact that he took the post of under-secretary of state at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office last July. However in the Commons, to which Sharma was elected after winning Reading West for the Conservatives in 2010, he has been a vocal advocate of the localism agenda and a critic of ‘top-down planning’, although he has previously voted in favour of devolution. At a local Localism Bill debate in 2011, Sharma said "The problem with the current planning system is that it is not seen to be fair to local communities. Despite the clear wishes of local communities and local councils, the local view is that developers eventually ram through inappropriate developments on appeal."

For further information, please contact a member of our team:

Nick Taylor
Partner, Planning & Development
0207 016 0733
Nick.taylor@carterjonas.co.uk

The City of York Council is one of a handful of local planning authorities facing special measures as a result of delays to adopting a new development plan. Unlike St Albans which has the oldest plan in the country dating from 1994, York has never had an adopted local plan.

The city holds on to its green belt only by virtue of policies and the key diagram saved when the Regional Spatial Strategy was revoked in 2013, letting the council off the hook for not having established green belt boundaries via a local plan. A subsequent attempt to do so failed and when the draft local plan was rejected by the council in November 2014. Associated housing targets and allocations in no small part let to the ruling Labour group losing power in the following local elections.

However, despite the lack of housing allocations and slow local plan progress to date the Secretary of State continues to dismiss appeals against the refusal of permission for housing on green belt land, an appeal by Pilcher Homes dismissed in April 2017 being the most recent case.  

A report to the Local Plan Working Group on 10 July 2017 seeks to get the local plan process back on track but it remains to be seen whether the anti-development lobby will again prevail.”

Simon Grundy
Partner, Planning & Development
01423 707820
Simon.Grundy@carterjonas.co.uk

The Mayor of London has published his Preliminary Draft Charging Schedule for the next iteration of Mayoral CIL, to be known as MCIL2. It is proposed that the money raised will be used to fund Crossrail 2, a proposed new railway serving London and the wider South East linking Surrey and Hertfordshire via Central London.

The Preliminary Draft Charging Schedule proposes revised charging rates for all development in Greater London. These will be across three bands based on the administrative boundaries of the London Boroughs and Mayoral Development Corporations. Office, retail and hotel developments in Central London and the Isle of Dogs will be charged at separate rates. Developments for health and education uses will continue to be benefit from a zero charging rate. The different chargeable rates have been designed to reflect the different levels of development viability across Greater London. The current instalments policy for large scale developments will be retained.

Consultation on the Preliminary Draft Charging Schedule will close on 7th August 2017. After this date responses will be used to inform the Draft Charging Schedule which will be subject to a further consultation of at least four weeks. This is expected to take place later in 2017. Following this the Draft Charging Schedule will be subject to an Examination in Public to be held by an independent examiner in 2018. The Mayor intends to commence levying MCIL2 charges from April 2019.

Contact the London Planning Team to discuss the implications of MCIL2 on your development. For further information, please contact a member of our team:

Nick Taylor
Partner, Planning & Development
0207 016 0733
Nick.taylor@carterjonas.co.uk

The London Planning Team and Sutton Griffin have successfully secured planning permission for a new twelve bedroom care home with day care centre, which will add vital new capacity to the care element at the Royal British Legion Village in Aylesford, Kent.

Working closely together the London Planning Team and Sutton Griffin looked to overcome several site constraints including access, parking and a number of mature trees. The end result was a new building that was sympathetic to the existing neighbouring care home and wider setting of the Village, whilst maximising the available footprint to accommodate the care home and its facilities. This approach was positively supported by the Local Planning Authority, Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council, leading to a swift determination of the application and the grant of permission.

The London Planning Team has also gained planning permission for a new children’s adventure play area that will act as a valuable amenity for those visiting the Base Camp Café at the Royal British Legion Village. The bespoke play area will have two zones, one for pre-schoolers and another for older children up to the age of 11 and has been designed to accommodate wheelchair users. Its unique design has been informed by the history of the Royal British Legion and incorporates a number of unique play features including the ‘Tin Can Telegraph’, the ‘Look Out Communication Post’ and the ‘Poppy Field’ stick maze.

These projects form part of Carter Jonas’ work as strategic property advisor to Royal British Legion Industries (RBLI). This role utilises a number of Carter Jonas services and teams including Planning, Development, Strategic Land, Sutton Griffin Architects and Consultancy & Strategy. There are a number of ongoing workstreams and we look forward to working further with RBLI to help realise their long-term aspirations in supporting the Armed Forces Community and those affected by disability, health conditions or social welfare needs.

For further information, please contact a member of our team:

Nick Taylor
Partner, Planning & Development
0207 016 0733
Nick.taylor@carterjonas.co.uk

On 30th June 2017, Oxford City Council published the Preferred Options for their new Local Plan which will provide the framework for development in the City up to 2036. 

The Preferred Options document contains a series of proposed policy approaches, or ‘options’ relating to various issues including the Green Belt, housing, employment and transport. The document does not contain draft policies, but the Preferred Options are intended as the basis on which policies will be developed through the final stage of the Local Plan preparation process.

The Preferred Options document also identifies possible sites for development within Oxford City.

The document suggests that the City currently has the physical capacity to deliver approx. 7-8,000 additional homes during the plan period. However it is acknowledged that this will be influenced, and possibly increased, by decisions made on density, high buildings and the Green Belt.

With regards to the Green Belt, Oxford City Council considers that exceptional circumstances exist to justify a Green Belt Boundary Review. That is, the need to deliver additional housing to support Oxford’s economic success.

The Council’s Preferred Option is to allocate Green Belt sites within the City for housing, where the sites are considered to have a ‘moderate’ or ‘low’ impact on the integrity of the Green Belt by a Green Belt Study undertaken in 2016.

This approach would result in the allocation of 8 Green Belt sites for housing development. These sites amount to approx. 18 hectares of the 1,287 hectares of Green Belt currently within Oxford City.

Oxford City Council are inviting comments on the Preferred Options document until Friday 25th August 2017.

If you would like to get involved with the Preferred Options consultation, the Oxford Planning Team would be happy to discuss how we can assist in preparing and submitting a detailed representation.

For further information, please contact a member of our team:

Steven Sensecall
Partner, Planning & Development
01865 297705
Steven.Sensecall@carterjonas.co.uk

This is a very busy period for the enlarged Carter Jonas Planning & Development Team. All the Local Authorities in Oxfordshire are currently reviewing their Development Plans and Carter Jonas is promoting land for development across the County.

In the Vale of White Horse Carter Jonas is acting for the Harwell Campus Partnership, on whose behalf the firm has secured a draft allocation at Harwell Campus for new science & technology development and around 1,000 new homes, and for the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) whom it is advising in respect of plans for strategic development at Dalton Barracks, which could result in over 3,000 new homes being built on the site once it becomes non-operational.

In Cherwell District Carter Jonas has also secured draft allocations as part of a wider site for 1,950 homes on behalf Yarnton Nurseries at Yarnton, and around 100 homes at Stratfield Farm, Kidlington on behalf of Manor Oak Homes.

In South Oxfordshire, Carter Jonas is promoting the proposed Culham Science Village, which is a scheme for around 3,500 homes with new schools and infrastructure, Culham Science Centre, one of Oxfordshire’s premier science & technology hubs where there are plans to create 1,000 new jobs and Chalgrove Airfield, where there are plans for over 3,000 new homes again with schools and infrastructure.

In West Oxfordshire the firm is promoting the Land West of Eynsham Strategic Development Area (around 1,000 homes) for Berkeley Homes and the East Witney Strategic Development Area, which is a scheme for some 450 new homes.

For further information, please contact a member of our team:

James Bainbridge
Head of Planning ＆ Development Division
01865 404437
James.Bainbridge@carterjonas.co.uk

Acting on behalf of the South West Milton Keynes Consortium (Taylor Wimpey, Hallam Land Management, William Davis, Connolly Homes & Bellcross Homes) Carter Jonas has secured a resolution to grant planning permission subject to the satisfactory completion of a planning obligation from Aylesbury Vale District Council for a Sustainable Urban Extension of Milton Keynes.

The development will provide up to 1,855 dwellings, a primary school, a secondary school, local centre, employment land, Grid Road Reserve and substantial Green Infrastructure.

The site has a long planning history. Originally promoted as part of a wider Strategic Development Area identified in the former South East Plan; the Aylesbury Vale Core Strategy and subsequently the Vale of Aylesbury Local Plan, the site is now a proposed allocation. An outline planning application was submitted in January 2015.

Carter Jonas acted as planning consultant and project managed the wider consultant team, including preparation of the required Environmental Statement. Carter Jonas also led in negotiation of a Planning Performance Agreement with AVDC and in subsequent engagement with AVDC, MKC and Buckinghamshire County Council.

For further information, please contact a member of our team:

Mark Hyde
Partner, Planning & Development
01223 326825
Mark.Hyde@carterjonas.co.uk Download pdf

Carter Jonas has submitted an application for outline planning permission for a 21ha business park on the eastern edge of Stowmarket on behalf of Building Partnerships Ltd. The site comprises part of the Stowmarket Business and Enterprise Park. The Business Park is an allocation within Mid Suffolk District Council’s Development Plan and part of the park was granted Enterprise Zone status in the 2016 Autumn Statement. The development proposals will provide a mix of land uses including 40,000m2 of warehouse and distribution floor space, 5,000m2 of office floor space and food and beverage related uses amongst other things.

Once operational, the development is estimated to create around 902 direct full time equivalent jobs. Taking into account leakage, displacement and multiplier effects, the total net additional jobs supported in the operational phase is anticipated to be 792 across Mid Suffolk and 1,157 across the East of England. This will directly add £21.6m GVA per annum to the local economy and the long term GVA economic benefits will reach £240 in Mid Suffolk and £277m at the regional level.

 

For further information, please contact a member of our team:

Matt Hare
Associate Partner, Planning & Development
01223 326544
Matt.Hare@carterjonas.co.uk

The Northern Planning Team has a long-standing involvement with the Newby Hall Estate, a large rural estate to the east of Ripon centred around Newby Hall, a Grade I listed building. Given the recent and on-going changed in national and local planning policies a targeted review of the estate was undertaken to identify any development potential.  A Planning Appraisal was carried out at a number of farmsteads and sites, identifying immediate and long-term potential to maximise the Estate’s assets.

Planning Appraisals provide a detailed overview of the potential of a site or group of assets leading to advice on how best to realise this. Understanding the client needs and surrounding planning context is key, along with flexibility in approach to consider all options. The result is a comprehensive document that can be used to guide development on the Estate over the short and long term.

For further information, please contact a member of our team:

Simon Grundy
Partner, Planning & Development
01423 707820
Simon.Grundy@carterjonas.co.uk

The continued promotion of the Northern Gateway site allocation, has been progressed by instructing the Sutton Griffin Masterplanning team to produce a plan that will help resolve the complex set of relationships on and around the site by combining land uses in creating vibrant communities, increasing the biodiversity of an area, creating commercial viability, be visually stunning and encourage healthy living choices.

For further information, please contact a member of our team:

Simon Grundy
Partner, Planning & Development
01423 707820
Simon.Grundy@carterjonas.co.uk

Carter Jonas was instructed to resolve planning issues relating to the demolition and rebuilding of a dwelling in the Green Belt at Kearby, near Harrogate. An existing dwelling had been demolished and was being rebuilt without planning permission. We provided advice and guidance on the acceptability of the new dwelling, project managed the application and guided it through to a successful planning permission.

For further information, please contact a member of our team:

Simon Grundy
Partner, Planning & Development
01423 707820
Simon.Grundy@carterjonas.co.uk