England: So it seems West Berkshire and Reading Borough Councils have taken the plunge and applied to the High Court for a Judicial Review of the Government’s new 10-unit affordable housing threshold policy introduced at the end of November (see our report on that policy here). We don’t have details of […]
Further permitted development changes may not happen before the General Election
England: Over the Christmas period the Department for Communities and Local Government published its Ninth Statement of New Regulation: January to June 2015 setting out the measures it anticipates bringing forward in that period (in practice between now and the General Election in May). Absent from that list are additional changes to […]
Government introduces national 10-unit affordable housing threshold
England: On Friday (28 November 2014) the Government quietly announced the introduction of a national 10-unit affordable housing threshold. This policy was first muted in last years Autumn Statement and then consulted upon in the proposals in March. Finally now the policy comes into effect. The policy is introduced by way of a few […]
The Government wonders if we’d like more changes to permitted development rights
England: Here we go again, another consultation on changes to the planning system from the Department for Communities and Local Government. This time the Government are seeking views on a whole range of proposed measures but probably most relevant to our clients will be further possible changes to permitted development rights. […]
Won on appeal: extension against local policy in South Downs National Park
Winchester City Council: Pure Town Planning were pleased to succeed in a tricky appeal in the South Downs National Park and gain planning consent for our clients to extend their semi-detached dwelling at Bramdean, Hampshire. Adopted local plan policy CE.23 in the Winchester City Council area (applicable both within and […]
Southampton City Council planning policy update
Southampton City Council: This week sees the hearing sessions of the joint Examination into the City Centre Action Plan (CCAP) and Core Strategy Partial Review. Southampton’s City Centre Action Plan, which seems to have been a very long time in the making, aims to guide development in the south’s largest city centre. […]
Government tears up the rule books…
England: The Government has taken the next step in its bid to reduce the clutter of planning policy documents. Yesterday they released the final version of the National Planning Practice Guidance and at the same time confirmed the cancellation of over 150 separate policy documents some dating back to the […]
Bournemouth and Poole: where have all your empty offices gone?
Bournemouth and Poole, Dorset: I have been surprised by the lack of take up of the new permitted development right to change the use of B1 offices into C3 residential particularly in Bournemouth and Poole. Over in Southampton the applications for prior approval have been rolling in including plans to convert […]
Want to build a NPPF paragraph 79 (formerly NPPF paragraph 55 (formerly PPS7)) Country House?
England: Sometimes it seems that almost everyone who owns a bit of the English countryside would like to put a house in it. Unfortunately if everyone was able to do that then you might not be looking at countryside any longer but an extensive suburb overrun by ride-on mowers. For […]
Won on appeal: holiday let in the New Forest National Park
New Forest National Park Authority: Pure Town Planning are delighted to have won an appeal in the New Forest National Park to convert a building into a new holiday let following an appeal hearing in Lymington last month. The appeal proposal is on the lovely Red Shoot Camping Park in the […]