WEB NEWS - 31 MAY 2004

PLANNING

Muswell Hill, London
Planning permission has been granted for a temporary school for the TreeHouse Trust on former playing fields at Muswell Hill. CgMs advised the Trust on a permanent school and consent was granted for that scheme last year. The temporary school is on part of the same site and comprises a two storey structure. It is located within the Muswell Hill Conservation Area.

For further information on this project please contact Malcolm Honour (malcolm.honour@cgms.co.uk)

Userve Site, Redbourn, Herts
Outline planning permission has been granted on appeal for the construction of a "new hamlet" on a scrapyard site in the Herts. Green Belt, to the north of the village of Redbourn. CgMs initially negotiated an officer's recommendation for approval of the 4000m2 residential floorspace scheme, but this was not accepted by the Planning Committee of St Albans City Council. In reviewing the case, the appeal Inspector concluded that the proposed development would improve the openness of the Green Belt and the visual amenity of the surrounding countryside, and this provided a special circumstance of great weight sufficient to outweigh the harm to Green Belt restraint policies.

For further information on this project please contact Richard Tilley (richard.tilley@cgms.co.uk)

HISTORIC BUILDINGS

Homewell, Havent
CgMs Historic Buildings Team have been appointed by McCarthy & Stone, who are redeveloping the former Parchment Works at Homewell. CgMs is undertaking a full building record, and analysis of all listed and non-listed structures prior to the conversion of the site.

For further information on this project please contact Jon Lowe (jon.lowe@cgms.co.uk).

Camden Inquiry
Jonathan Edis of the CgMs Historic Buildings Team has been called as expert witness at the on-going inquiry over development proposals for Camden Town underground station. Representing Camden Lock (London) Ltd, CgMs are advising on the proposed demolition of a block of unlisted buildings within the Camden Town conservation area.

The inquiry continues.

For further information on this project please contact Jonathan Edis (jonathan.edis@cgms.co.uk)

Bannerbrook Park, Coventry
Persimmon Homes have instructed CgMs to undertake a Historic Record of the former Massey Ferguson tractor factory at Bannerbrook, prior to redevelopment. The team shall also be making an assessment of the architectural and historical significance of the site.

For further information on this project please contact Nicholas Doggett (nicholas.doggett@cgms.co.uk) or Jon Lowe (jon.lowe@cgms.co.uk)

ARCHAEOLOGY

French Quarter, Southampton
CgMs have been appointed by Linden Homes Southern to project manage major archaeological excavations of the merchants area of Medieval Southampton. CgMs will undertaking negotiations with the City Council regarding the impact of the proposed Linden Homes scheme and the scope of the excavations, following which, very tight project management will be required to ensure that the excavations are successfully completed on time within a very tight demolition and construction programme.

Balkerne Heights, Colchester
CgMs have recently completed the project management of an excavation of the extension immediately outside the western entrance to the Roman city of Colchester on behalf on McCarthy & Stone. The excavation revealed a previously unsuspected priest’s house connected with a nearby temple and a late Roman cemetery. CgMs were able to secure significant cost savings on the excavation and ensured that the excavation was completed on time within a very tight construction programme.

For further information on both these projects please contact Rob Bourn (rob.bourn@cgms.co.uk)

LATEST ON PLANNING BILL

Royal Assent for The Planning Bill
There were three outstanding items in the Bill being discussed between the Commons and the Lords. These have now all been resolved and the Bill has received Royal Assent. The 3 items are.

• The Lords lost the fight to retain 5 year planning permissions. All permissions (whether full or outline) will be normally now only 3 years. The only exception is if the LPA agrees to a longer timescale. One of the reasons for this may, for instance, be for major schemes where the developers clearly need longer than 3 years to put the scheme together. This will, however, be a matter for negotiation with the LPA (or persuasion of a planning Inspector or the Secretary of State on appeal).
• The Lords also lost the fight to keep local plan Inspector's reports non-binding. From now on Inspector's reports on all development plans will be legally binding. This may well make it more worth while making representations and actually appearing at the inquiry.
• The final issue is whether regional spatial strategies should be prepared for all regions (the Commons' position), or whether they should only exist where there is an elected regional assembly (Lords' position). The Lords has now given in on this issue.
  

The other key changes that are likely to come forward are:

• Local Development Frameworks will replace Local Plans and Unitary Development Plans;
• A tariff system to procure planning benefits alongside the traditional Section 106 Agreement payments may be introduced;
• Twin tracking may be resisted.

CgMs will keep you appraised of the implementation of the Act in subsequent bulletins. The commencement date for the Act will be in 2 months. A number of clauses do however require secondary legislation.

NEW GDO
The revisions introduced by the Town & Country Planning (General Development Procedure) (Amendment) Order 2003 came into force on 5th December 2003 and have now been bedded into the system. This Order introduced three key changes:

• Councils now have to give reasons for approving and refusing planning applications;
• The time limit for submitting appeals has reduced from six months to three months; and
• For certain categories of developments, Regional Development Agencies must be consulted before planning permission can be granted.

For further information contact Erica Mortimer or any of the Planning Directors.