/Development & Investor Services

Rural Planning Review

So the Government does not ignore the complex social and economic issues pertinent to the English countryside. DCLG has now released its Rural Planning Review and is calling for observations to be made to ruralplanningreview@communiuties.gsi.gov.uk by April 21 2016. The policy review seeks to reduce the regulatory burden in support of new homes, jobs and [...]

February 22nd, 2016|Development & Investor Services, Housing Consultancy, Planning, Public Consultation|Comments Off on Rural Planning Review

Office to Residential PD Changes

DCLG tell us they have no news on when they will be able to confirm either the transitional arrangements for those of you with unimplemented prior approvals for a PD change from office to residential, or regarding the next round of PD changes included in the recent Housing and Planning Bill. Apparently the Government has [...]

February 10th, 2016|Development & Investor Services, Housing Consultancy, Planning|Comments Off on Office to Residential PD Changes

UPDATE ON INITIATIVES TO STREAMLINE THE PLANNING PROCESS – Development and CIL Reform, PDR Office to Residential Change

• PDR Office to Residential Change Our contact within DCLG has indicated that transitional measures will be approved before the PDR for office conversion to residential is made permanent in May 2016. This will ensure prior notification applications approved before this date, but which have not been implemented, can remain valid for 3 years from [...]

November 25th, 2015|Development & Investor Services, Housing Consultancy, Planning|Comments Off on UPDATE ON INITIATIVES TO STREAMLINE THE PLANNING PROCESS – Development and CIL Reform, PDR Office to Residential Change

CAMERON ANNOUNCES NEW ‘STARTER HOME’ INITIATIVE

The industry is holding its breath to see whether David Cameron moves forward on his promise made at the recent Tory party conference that developers will no longer have to provide social housing for rent as part of development schemes and rather discounted starter homes. None of us are quite sure of the long term [...]

November 11th, 2015|Development & Investor Services, Housing Consultancy, Planning|Comments Off on CAMERON ANNOUNCES NEW ‘STARTER HOME’ INITIATIVE

The Emerging Housing and Planning Bill 2015 – Resume of Key Planning Initiatives

Following a ministerial statement in March and the more recent launch of the Housing and Planning Bill through its parliamentary journey towards the Statute Book, the key planning initiatives can be summarised as relating to: • Neighbourhood planning • Local planning • Planning in Greater London • Local registers of land and permission for development [...]

October 30th, 2015|Development & Investor Services, Housing Consultancy, Planning|Comments Off on The Emerging Housing and Planning Bill 2015 – Resume of Key Planning Initiatives

Office to Residential PD Rights to be Made Permanent

Planning and housing minister Brandon Lewis has at long last put the industry out of its misery regarding this extremely helpful regeneration initiative by announcing that the previously temporary office to residential PD rights due to lapse in May 2016 will be made permanent. This initiative will also now allow office buildings to be demolished [...]

October 20th, 2015|Development & Investor Services, Housing Consultancy, Planning|Comments Off on Office to Residential PD Rights to be Made Permanent

Betting offices and pay day loan shops to be reclassified as sui generis

The Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) (Amendment) (England) Order 2015 (SI 2015/597) comes into force on 15 April. The 2015 Order amends the 1987 Order by providing that use of premises as a betting office or as a pay day loan shop are sui generis. Previously betting offices and pay day loan shops had [...]

April 10th, 2015|Development & Investor Services|Comments Off on Betting offices and pay day loan shops to be reclassified as sui generis

A 20% discount for first-time buyers of newly built homes: website open for registration

On 28 February the government opened registration on the Starter Home website for young first time buyers to register their interest in purchasing a new build property via the starter home initiative which launched in December 2014 and offers a 20% discount to an estimated 100,000 first-time buyers of newly built homes. Under the initiative [...]

April 10th, 2015|Development & Investor Services|Comments Off on A 20% discount for first-time buyers of newly built homes: website open for registration

Neighbourhood Planning Update

January 2015 Neighbourhood Planning is a key component of the Localism Act 2011, and has been operating in England for over two years. Speaking in July 2014, Planning Minister Nick Boles described it as “a powerful set of tools for local people to get the right types of development for their community, whilst also planning [...]

January 20th, 2015|Development & Investor Services, Planning|0 Comments

Important S106 update – a new era for planning obligation contributions or indeed significantly reduced contributions!

January 2015 Many local authorities have yet to adopt a Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) charging schedule. Indeed, we are aware that a good number of planning authorities are at least 12 months – 2 years off finalising an appropriate local area CIL tariff tax on development. We have been waiting on DCLG to announce a [...]

January 20th, 2015|Development & Investor Services, Planning|0 Comments