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
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
An issue that crops up on a regular basis for new development irrespective of size and scale and now with the added test for the Prior Approval conversion of existing office buildings, is ‘light’ – how much is there?; is there too much, enough or too little?; does the development block anyone else’s light?; does … 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
‘Context’ is a design-related concept that we usually associate with heritage development. But it shouldn’t just be limited to schemes for listed buildings, non-designated heritage assets and development in Conservation Areas. ‘Context’ is just as important, relevant and integral to creating great design anywhere. A good understanding of ‘Context’ enables the creation of an honest … Read More
We’re back in harness after our summer recess, and looking forward to whatever projects unfold for us over the next few months. Whilst we’ve seen a Brexit-related hold across much of the construction industry over the past year, we’re really hoping that some form of a resolution from the Government (lord knows which way) over … Read More
In our last post, we shared an update on the successful outcome of an appeal to the Valuation Office Agency over Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) that we were running. Whilst still reveling in that decision, the same client asked us what he should do next – when and who to pay and how to document … Read More