On 30 July, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government published its proposed amendments to the National Planning Policy Framework ("NPPF"), alongside a detailed public consultation, and numerous associated...more
Having promised to make planning reform one of its high priority objectives, the newly formed UK government has certainly leapt out of the gates at full pace. With no shortage of available summaries on the proposed changes,...more
In the planning world we are no strangers to the political spotlight every time there is an election. It seems that the promise of greater delivery, more housing, and speedier decisions is a rite of passage for any new...more
The new Biodiversity Net Gain regime comes into force in February 2024 and should be front of mind for those in the development industry. Our Planning team has prepared a Real Estate Horizons flowchart to help you to navigate...more
The new Biodiversity Net Gain regime comes into force in February 2024 and should be front of mind for those in the development industry. Our Planning team has prepared a Real Estate Horizons one page summary to help you to...more
On 17 January the High Court handed down the latest decision in a long and increasingly knotty line of authorities concerned with the compatibility of planning permissions, scheme changes and, in particular, the widely used...more
Our Real Estate Horizons one page summary explains what the new BNG requirement is, when it’s relevant and the options available for satisfying it, and provide details on how the biodiversity value of a site is calculated...more
“Faster, more flexible, more certain, and better quality.” The National Infrastructure Commission today (18 April 2023) published its vision for a reformed consenting regime for nationally significant infrastructure projects...more
"Better, faster, greener, fairer and more resilient." In the face of changing demands and the throttling of consenting speeds, reforms to the nationally significant infrastructure (NSIP) regime have been on the cards for...more
The Secretary of State that saw out 2021 seems likely to see out 2022 – although nothing seems certain these days – but don't let that apparent continuity fool you into thinking that the year in planning was anything other...more
Reforms to the nationally significant infrastructure project (NSIP) regime have been on the cards for sometime. In its 2020 National Infrastructure Strategy the previous government announced its ambition to cut consenting...more
Having tabled sweeping reforms to the planning system in the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill (see related publications) the government has turned its attention to speeding up the consenting regime for nationally...more
In times of strife politicians like to have a sheaf of oven-ready policies in their back pocket in case they need a positive headline. It came as little surprise, then, when the Prime Minister announced in his "big reset"...more
In this, the second instalment of our series on the Levelling-Up and Regeneration Bill (the "Bill"), we take a look at the government's proposed reforms to the funding and delivery of infrastructure....more
In the midst of a news cycle the government will otherwise want to forget, the Court of Appeal handed down its long anticipated decision in the challenge to the changes to the Use Classes Order (“UCO”) and the Permitted...more
They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Now, for the first time since the birth of the modern planning system in 1947, it’s also enshrined expressly in policy....more
In our blog of 3 September 2020, we brought you news of the challenge to the recent changes to the Use Classes Order and the Permitted Development Rights (“PDR”) regime. ...more
Whilst the three previous articles in our series on planning reform have considered the main changes in the Planning White Paper, there are many more recent far-reaching proposals, both in the Planning White Paper and...more
Paying your way – CIL and planning obligations -
In the third of our series on the detail in the Planning White Paper, we consider the government’s proposals for securing the delivery of infrastructure....more
In this, the second bulletin in our series, we take a look at Pillar Two of the "Planning for the Future" White Paper – planning for beautiful and sustainable places. In this Pillar, the government sets out its vision for...more
Aside from the long-awaited “Planning for the Future” White Paper, the big planning and development talking points of the summer have been the radical reforms to the Use Classes Order and the Permitted Development Rights...more
In early August, to much fanfare and the promise of "radical reform", the government published the "Planning for the Future" White Paper, setting out its route map to overhaul the planning system in England. The stated aims...more
It's difficult enough to keep on top of the news at the moment – not to mention the raft of recent changes to the planning system announced by Whitehall over the past couple of months. With that in mind, and as the...more
On Tuesday the government laid before Parliament regulations making sweeping changes to the Use Classes Order.
The changes, which come into effect on 1 September 2020, represent a complete overhaul of the current Use...more
At the moment Brexit appears to have been forgotten by many. This is understandable – the impact of COVID-19 is so immediate, vast and deep that the economic impact of Brexit seems distant and trivial by comparison. ...more