March brings the end of Prism Planning being based at Morton Road, with the team moving to High Row in the heart of Darlington’s town centre.
The move will significantly increase the floor space for Prism and provide greater services for clients old and new.
We will be sending out our new details closer to the time in March. Sign up to our newsletter below, to hear more details in the days to come.
If you are looking to make a ‘minor’ application, for a small scale development it really does pay to make sure that the application is as complete and throrough as possible before submitting it.
Many Planning Authorities in the North East of England are imposing strict time limits to allow them to meet their Government imposed targets, particularly for applications with an 8-week determination target that are delegated to the Planning Officer for decision – these are applications where a decision can be reached without going before the Council’s Planning Committee.
These time limits can mean that applications need to be withdrawn, or worse are refused by the Council, where information is incomplete or when issues arise requiring further attention and resolution would take the application beyond the 8-week target.
This can seem unfair given the huge amount of work which needs to be undertaken and often doesn’t even guarantee a successful outcome. Indeed, withdrawing an application to avoid refusal (refusal is nearly always better avoided if possible), preparing the additional information and then re-submitting can mean that an application that should take 8 weeks to approve can take 18-20 weeks!
It really does pay to get advice before you start and to make sure that you are providing the planning authority will all of the information that they might reasonably require to properly consider your application. We offer free consultations and will always let you know what we think of your chances, good or bad.
If you regularly read this blog, you will no doubt be aware that the Localism Act received Royal Assent in November 2011.
As the Government states; “[the Act] takes power from central government and hands it back to local authorities and communities – giving them the freedom and flexibility to achieve their own ambitions”.
The majority of the Act has now been brought into fruition with the remainder coming into force in April 2012. Quite a significant chunk of the legislation related to public administration mechanisms and has little impact on the planning system, such as accountability of local pay, reforms to social housing regulations and the ‘Freeing Cities’ initiative.
The big news for planners comes with modification to enforcement procedures which will bring in new powers for Local Authorities to take action against those who deliberately conceal unauthorised development.
Local Councillors will also be pleased to know that the rules on ‘predetermination’ have been clarified; freeing councillors to express their opinions for local issues without the fear of legal challenge.
This years EcoBuild conference has been announced with keynote speakers including Monty Don, Greg Dyke, Tony Juniper, Alan Johnson, Alice Roberts, Janet Street Porter, Angela Brady, Paul Morrell, Mark Prisk and Maggie Philbin.
We throroughly recommend attending the free event which will include an extensive program of over 130 sessions spanning topics as diverse as Collaborative consumption, Growing out of trouble, The city after now, Energy and innovation in buildings, Installer connect and Refurbishing Britain.
Not to mention the events, the exhibition floor will host more than a dozen interactive attractions providing solutions and advice on everything from eco and sustainable.
The event takes place at London’s ExCeL on Tuesday 2oth to Thursday 22nd of March 2012. It’s thoroughly recommended and free to attend. Click here to register for your free ticket now.
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As the festive break fast approaches, we are winding down in the office, recognising that there aren’t many of our colleagues in Local Government who want to get stuck into debates about the merits of our applications until they come back refreshed in the New Year. It’s a fair point and its got me wondering what 2012 has in store for us on the planning front.
As I pen this note, the headlines have been running with stories about the possibilities of the UK credit rating being downgraded for the first time in memory at the same time as the cross party MPs on the Local Government Select committee are expressing concern over the prominence being given to economic development in the National Planning Policy Guidance note. I can’t help but wonder about the different directions the planning system gets pulled in and whether we really are ready to face up to the realities of the current malaise in the construction sector.
The next year is clearly going to be an interesting one in the planning world with everyone waiting anxiously for April and the final form of the NPPF. On a personal note, I think putting more emphasis back onto brown field sites ahead of greenfield would be no bad thing, provided we recognise the challenges in land values and costs of tackling our brownfield sites. Restoring the pre-eminence of brownfield over green is common sense in policy terms, provided we recognise that not all brownfield sites can be brought forward in the current economic climate. There I go giving undue prominence to economic considerations, contrary to the select committees concerns.
However it doesn’t matter what preferences a pressure group/lobby interest/planning authority might express –if it won’t work commercially, it simply won’t happen! This is the new world we all have to adjust to and the days of long S106 backed shopping lists of ‘good causes’ are well and truly gone.
It will also be interesting to see how the Localism Act beds down with us all and I await the first referendum on a planning matter with great interest. Mr Osborne’s continued reforms of the planning system are also of great interest and many commentators wonder just when we might have a period of stability in the planning system. Whilst I would like the system to have a chance of bedding down, if he would just decide to take the inequities and inefficiencies out of the current validation system, I along with many other planners on this side of the fence would give him a huge ‘Thank you!’ for a job well done.
All the very best to everyone for 2012.
Steve
In a written ministerial statement, Planning Minister Greg Clark has put a timescale on publication of the final version of the NPPF framework, with the Government aiming to put it out by 31st March 2012.
The minister has strongly defended the planned changes to the framework, which see 1,300 pages of planning guidance distilled into 52, saying in a written response to criticism: “Our reforms aim to strengthen local decision making and reinforce the importance of local plans.”
Meanwhile the Daily Telegraph has set about on its ‘hands off our land’ campaign and has quizzed Local Government and Planning minister Bob Neill.
Mr Neill told the Telegraph in this article: “By the end of the year we will be in a very different place. We are genuinely prepared to listen to sensible improvements that have been made.
He added: “It was never intended to be a charter for inappropriate development in the countryside.”
Now local councils, planners and developers wait with baited breath and differing ideals to see what exactly this “very different place” will look like, and if it will get the UK building again. Forward thinking Prism MD Steve Barker has expressed his sense of relief at having a date set, but says he still has doubts:
“It’s very welcome news that a reasonably short timescale has been put in place to get the NPPF out in the wider world. Given the extent of problems with the construction sector and record lows in house building, it’s clear that it’s going to take a lot of determined effort by public and private sectors for the country to begin to build again. My fervent hope is that councils don’t think they have to wait until April to begin to respond to the challenges we so clearly face.”
Outside of the NIMBY brigade in the Telegraph, no credible developers have ever thought the NPPF was a charter to concrete the countryside with insensitive new development. However there is evidence that some officers in local councils are hoping that the guidance will be radically revised and they won’t have to change their attitudes. It’s clear from the Minister [Clark] that such dinosaurs need to be made extinct!”
As the Telegraph article states, an 18 month “transition period” is among changes being considered by the Government, giving councils more time to draw up local development plans.
“Or perhaps it will give those local councils who do not wish to change their attitude more time to stall action and hold back adoption of the new NPPF.” Steve added.
We’ll be sure to keep you posted with news from this heated debate as it unfolds.
We have won an appeal for a supported living retirement home at Ingleby Barwick, Stockton-on-tees and we couldn’t be happier to get this decision turned around. The development will include 1 and 2 bedroomed apartments for residents, as well as shared facilities and lounges.
A managed green space will be open for use by the residents on previously private land, giving quality of life and providing attractive, landscaped gardens. Local shops, services and amenities are all within walking distance giving this development a high level of sustainability.
Some key legal principles have emerged from this decision relating to situations when Councils ask for S106 contributions. It may be harder for Councils to ask for money in the future unless they point to just what it will be spent upon.
We have helped Wynyard Park to get one step closer to their vision of a sustainable, mixed use development by winning outline planning permission for 200 executive homes to the West of the existing Business Park.
Hartlepool Borough Council granted outline permission for the planned homes and accepted a contribution of almost £2 million towards affordable housing for the borough. The money will be used to meet a need for affordable housing in the Hartlepool area.
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Prism Planning have just won a significant planning appeal relating to a site in Ingleby Barwick known as Blair Avenue which should change the way that a lot of planning is carried out in the Stockton area.
The site was a piece of land effectively left over from the historic development of the village of Ingleby Barwick and lay close to the village centre. The developer wanted to build a housing scheme for the over 55’s. The council were concerned that the site was an important area of open space and needed to be kept open. The Inspector disagreed with the Council position, noting that their evidence base was sketchy and out of date. None of the policies referred to by the Council should have been used in the way the Council sought.
However the real significance of the case is that the Inspector went on to apply the Community Infrastructure Regulations (CIL) to the Councils position and to note that their planning guidance on open space was fundamentally flawed. In particular the Council couldn’t reasonably demand money from a developer without analysing the problems of the area and being very specific about how the money would be used to improve the area.
The Inspector also went on to note that the Councils approach towards delivering off site affordable housing was similarly flawed, being overly complex and uncertain and preferred the simple and clear approach cited by Prism. Moreover the approach put forward by Prism was consistent with the way in which the government were funding and delivering affordable housing in the future.
These two key legal points should result in a very different approach being taken by the Council in the future which will more directly and transparently benefit local communities. In the future, the Council will need to accurately diagnose local opens space issues and propose specific solutions, instead of money being stored away for use on other sites as officers see fit. Communities will be able to expect a better understanding of their specific problems and also to expect improvements to doorstep provision.
The Inspector went on to agree with all the key points argued by Prism and found for the appellant, granting permission for a sheltered housing scheme on the site.
You may have seen in our recent newsletter that we received some press coverage for our public consultation event at Allens West. A public consultation is a chance for plans to go on show for a proposed project which has not yet gone to planning committee. Local residents can come along to the event, usually held all day with no booking required, and speak to our team of planners about what exactly is involved in the development.
Speaking to the public about proposed planning applications is something we value at Prism and take great pride in. We try to never submit a major application without ensuring that everyone is as informed as they can possibly be – because without all the information, you can’t make an informed decision!
Often a well attended consultation gives us a feel for what the general opinion is of the plans, and what aspects we may need to reassure people on. After speaking to our planning team and looking over detailed plans people feel ‘in the loop’ and assured that our plans have their best interests at heart.
Prism like talking to you, and if you need to talk to us about a planning issue you have please call 01325 345 960.
The consultation for the draft National Planning Policy Framework has ended today and here at Prism we think this provides a window of opportunity for those of you with development projects. While the draft stands, and it is as yet unclear how quickly changes may be made, some marginal projects which may have previously been refused, or not been viable could now have a good chance.
This is by no means because it is, as it has been dubbed by doubters, a ‘developer’s charter’. It is because of the positive move towards a presumption in favour of sustainable development, along with changes to policy pushing the threshold for the Council’s housing supply past the 20% mark already approved.
At Prism we are already working on an application which may not have been approved previously but which has a good chance of succeeding in the present climate and we have plenty of advice and expertise to share. If you think your planning application might benefit from this window of opportunity and want to find out if it meets the criteria of the draft NPPF please contact us. We are great at problem solving and always find a solution that suits our clients, so why not take this opportunity to move forward with your development plans and get advice from the Prism team?
You can call us on: 01325 345 960 or email: admin@prism-planning.com
Prism Planning Ltd, First Floor Morton House, Darlington. DL1 4PT.
t: +44 01325 345 960 e: admin@prism-planning.com
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