Despite a temporary Government stall on the roll out of the requirement for Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) with new development, it’s almost inevitably coming at us in one form or another. In a bid to get our heads around what it means for our clients and projects, we recently caught up with Sarah Curnow of Planning, Environment … Read More
Over the past few years, we’ve had a real flurry of queries concerning HMO developments (Houses in Multiple Occupation), including an illuminating appeal experience in Bristol very recently. Whilst they often (and sometimes deservedly) get bad press, HMO’s represent a very valid component of the housing market when managed professionally and effectively. Where else can … Read More
Have you struggled recently to move your application forward, foundered at registration stage with no case officer allocated for months or stalled in the early phases of consultation? We freely admit we have. Through no fault of their own, brutal budget cuts and post-covid application surges have left many LPA’s with mountains of cases to … Read More
With central Government policy turnabouts, cuts in LPA resources and endless delays in decision making, you might be forgiven for believing that the Planning system is currently only worth engaging with on the barest essential level i.e. through the formal application process. Pre-application enquiries (or pre-apps) certainly aren’t a priority today for many of the … Read More
On our theme this year of all things green and sustainable, Michele Lavelle of 4D Landscape Design followed up a fascinating chat we had with her over the sourcing, journey and lifespan of trees transplanted ‘to order’. Her thoughts about the sustainability and longevity of imported species yet the vulnerability of some own-grown native trees … Read More
Following on from a Jane Jacobs inspired walk for the RTPI that Jules recently led for Bristol’s Young Planners, and as part of our 2022 ‘sustainability’ theme, it seemed a good opportunity to consider what makes a place ‘sustainable’ in the wider sense. Not just from an environmental perspective, but what makes a successful place tick, how it works, how it evolves and thrives.
On our theme this year of looking at biodiversity, environmental protection and sustainability issues within the English planning system, Jane Fowles and Georgina Harvey of Novell Tullett Landscape Architects shared their thoughts with us about the beauty, history and fragility of Old Orchards. Their take on these unique landscape features completely encapsulates why we should uphold landscape policy designations…
With the urgent pressure for housing delivery, yet increasingly onerous planning application requirements and convoluted prior approval processes, we’re often now approached by clients wanting to find a swifter means of securing permission for residential development. Whether its simply to establish Class C3 principles on a small urban site or just to obtain certainty for … Read More
We’ve recently dealt with the acoustic impacts of development on a variety of different applications in Bristol, including air source heat pumps on a residential site, kitchen extracts for takeaways and noise from music and events spaces. It’s reminded us of how frequently we’re now confronting the issue of noise with development, and how fundamental … Read More
Well, it’s certainly been a roller coaster few weeks in the planning-sphere, culminating in Johnson and Jenrick finally releasing their white paper vision for a new national zoning system. Largely ditching local plans in favour of graded areas of protection, renewal, and growth and riding roughshod over the democratic consultation process, the document also contains … Read More