Monthly Archives: May 2011

CALA Homes’ legal defeat: what’s your verdict?

By , Friday, 27 May 2011, 43 Comments

In the debate on the third reading of the Localism Bill, localism minister Greg Clark said: “Too often at the moment, an appearance before the planning committee is merely the first step on the way to an appeal, and that is the wrong way to do planning.” However, lawyers need not panic. Following the latest decision in the Government’s legal battle with housebuilder CALA Homes, it looks as though they will have a handy income stream going forward. Read more »

What now for housing market renewal?

By , Tuesday, 24 May 2011, 4 Comments

Last week I spent a couple of days in Liverpool chatting to people who live in the Breckfield area of the city, the fourth most deprived neighbourhood in England and the subject of some of the city’s more dramatic housing market renewal plans.

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Changing the rules

By , Tuesday, 24 May 2011, 54 Comments

Picture from puresolitude

The Government wants to consolidate all current planning policy statements, circulars and guidance documents into a single concise document – the National Planning Policy Framework. Last week, a group of four practitioners, commissioned by the Government, had a stab at producing a draft version of the framework. Read more »

Cash for permissions: the Government’s position in detail

By , Monday, 23 May 2011, 7 Comments

There’s been a huge response (31 comments at the time of writing) to Michael Donnelly’s blog inviting opinions on the Government’s plans to make certain financial benefits that a council would gain from granting a planning consent a material consideration in determining the application in question. Read more »

The march of the supermarkets

By , Friday, 20 May 2011, 17 Comments

Britain’s supermarkets are embarking on the biggest expansion drive in retail history, according to a Channel 4 News report last night…

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Time to rein in betting shops?

By , Wednesday, 18 May 2011, 22 Comments

Aside from the controversial ‘cash for permissions’ clause there was one other issue getting MPs in a lather during the Localism Bill’s report stage on Tuesday – betting shops.

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Cash for permissions?

By , Thursday, 12 May 2011, 39 Comments

The government has unveiled controversial plans to change the Town and Country Planning Act to make “local finance considerations” a material consideration in planning applications…
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Pickles picks planners brains: revisited

By , Thursday, 12 May 2011, 2 Comments

Regular PlanningBlog contributor and general agitator ‘Necropolis’ seems to have got a result (of sorts) on ideas suggested by planners to improve the planning system.

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You’ve Been Trumped

By , Friday, 6 May 2011, 2 Comments

A documentary about American billionaire Donald Trump’s attempts to build a luxury golf resort on the Scottish coast could prove embarrassing as he considers a bid for the US presidency…

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Panorama on social housing

By , Thursday, 5 May 2011, 4 Comments

In case you missed it, the BBC’s Panorama investigated the problems caused by the decline in social housing last night..

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