Here’s an interesting remark from an inspector who was determining an appeal against an enforcement notice requiring the removal of a timber play structure from the garden of a house in Lincolnshire (DCS Number 400-027-704).
Monthly Archives: September 2020
Cut us some slack
Given the current global pandemic, an inspector found it appropriate to cut some slack for a local planning authority, refusing to award costs against it for failing to determine a change of use planning application within the requisite period (DCS Number 400-027-724).
Punishing
The quality of planning applications can range from commendable to criminal but there is really never any need for this:
“In response to the Council’s punitive refusal reasons…”
(DCS Number 400-027-567).
A duty of care
Readers might share our disquietude at the following paragraph, taken from an appeal decision relating to the refusal of planning permission for a 60-bedroom care home in Cheshire (DCS Number 400-027-262).
Travelling light
Planning permission has been granted at appeal (DCS Number 400-027-526) for the change of use of a first floor tattoo studio in Norwich to temporary visitor accommodation despite concerns about the small size of the property.
Must buy some stamps
A sculpture of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s head profile made from crystals and set within a glass panel measuring 5.6 metres tall by 3 metres wide has been refused a second temporary permission.
A brown study
We all know that a sitting room is a habitable room and that a bathroom is not a habitable room. But what about a study? According to one inspector, determining an appeal in north London (DCS Number 200-009-576), a study in a neighbouring property could not be assessed as a habitable room:
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.