Making sense of the various permitted development rights for change of use under Part 3, Schedule 2 of the GPDO is a long way from easy. In particular, many have drawn the conclusion that a local planning authority which fails to determine a prior approval application within the requisite period has granted permission by default. Not so, as we highlighted in No worries.
Monthly Archives: July 2019
One giant leap
As we celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the moon landing it appears that planning has made one giant leap backwards. Get this: in Hertfordshire an appeal has been allowed and approval granted for change of use from light industrial to windowless flats under the provisions of Schedule 2, Part 3, Class PA of the GPDO (DCS Number 400-022-545).
The hands of time
If William Morris were still here he might be interested to know that, whilst many of his ideas were considered revolutionary in his lifetime, some have since been absorbed into mainstream planning policy. In particular, he did not share his fellow Victorians’ enthusiasm for turning back the hands of time in relation to the preservation of ancient buildings, and an appeal decision against the refusal of listed building consent for internal alterations to a thatched cottage in Wiltshire (DCS Number 400-022-320) is in line with his philosophy.
Celebrity gossip
Readers who move in certain circles might already be aware that, after his problems with a proposed private chapel on his Suffolk estate, Ed Sheeran does at least now have his wildlife pond sorted out.
Truncated
An inspector has authorised shorter visibility splays than deemed necessary by the council at the access to six dwellings in Suffolk, finding no particular justification for insisting on visibility splays suitable for a trunk road (DCS Number 400-022-073).
News from PlanningResource
- 'Planning system fails to integrate government climate change commitments,' says Lord Deben September 17, 2021Climate Change Committee (CCC) chair Lord Deben has told MPs that the planning system fails to integrate the government’s commitments to fighting climate change, while local authorities lack Whitehall support in their efforts to reach net zero.
- ‘Gove facing calls to return £100,000 in property developer donations’ September 17, 2021A report that Michael Gove is facing pressure to return donations from a property developer over a potential “conflict of interest” with his new role as housing secretary leads our round-up of today’s news.
- Former Policy Exchange director lands MHCLG ministerial post September 17, 2021Neil O’Brien MP, a former director of the Policy Exchange think tank who describes "reforming" the planning system as one of his priorities, has been appointed to a new junior ministerial post at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG).
- Gove 'pauses and promises to review government planning changes' September 17, 2021New housing secretary Michael Gove has "paused" the government’s long-awaited shake-up of the planning system and pledged to conduct a review into how the proposals can be improved, according to newspaper reports, which say he intends to consult with Tory backbenchers.
- Council's draft local plan proposes deallocating 8% of its green belt September 17, 2021A Hertfordshire council has published a new draft of its local plan that proposes the deallocation of eight per cent of the borough's green belt land, some of which would be used for a new settlement of up to 6,000 homes.
- Correction: table on p21 of the Autumn print edition September 16, 2021The Insight Report on housing appeals in the print edition of the Autumn 2021 issue of Planning, which will be arriving in subscribers' mailboxes over the next few days, includes an incorrect table.
- Ten key things that happened this week September 16, 2021Ten of the biggest stories from the past week, including news that Michael Gove has replaced Robert Jenrick as housing secretary in the cabinet reshuffle.
- Local Plan Watch: Council mulls allocating 12,500 homes on greenfield sites in updated plan September 16, 2021A local authority in Hampshire is considering proposals to build 12,500 homes on three large greenfield sites in its updated local plan, to help meet a higher housing target.
- The implications for planners of a new government-commissioned report on self build housing September 16, 2021A government-commissioned report's recommendations on changing the planning system to boost self build housing - including the introduction of local authority plot targets - are likely to be positively received by ministers, say observers. But some are concerned about the implications for councils of having to hit any new quotas and of additional duties.
- Why the risk of councils issuing planning decisions by mistake may be increasing September 16, 2021Recent examples of planning decision blunders by councils should serve as a warning over moves to digitise the planning system, say practitioners, who highlight the difficulty and cost of overturning such administrative errors. Many also believe that the risk of mistakes has become greater due to local authority planning teams becoming increasingly over-stretched.