Inappropriate residential garden development due to lack of council policies
On 19 January 2010, the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) published its investigation into residential development on gardens in England. “Garden grabbing” has become a contentious...
View ArticleBuilding without planning consent
The media has recently reported on three cases regarding building on property without planning consent. Sir Cliff Richard and his conservatory Runnymede Council ordered Sir Cliff Richard to demolish...
View ArticlePenfold Review recommends reducing developer consents
In an attempt to reduce the obstacles and delays that can hinder development projects, the Government set up the Penfold Review in December 2009 to look at streamlining the processes by which...
View ArticleGovernment responds to final report of the Penfold Review of non-planning...
The Government has published its response to the Penfold Review of non-planning consents. Back in December 2009, Adrian Penfold, the head of planning and environment at British Land, was asked to...
View ArticleLocal authorities could be given new powers to set their planning fees
In a move that will be of particular interest to developers, the Department for Communities and Local Government has published a consultation paper on its proposals to change planning application fees...
View ArticleLocal authorities seek freedom to charge for listed buildings applications
Since I wrote my article on the Government’s proposals to reform the planning application fee system, so that local authorities can set their planning fees, an interesting development has come to...
View ArticleGovernment suffers another setback over the scrapping of the Regional Strategies
The Government has suffered a further setback after the High Court ruled that, until further notice, local planning authorities should not take into account the Government’s intention to abolish the...
View ArticlePlanning Inspectorate issues new Regional Strategies statement
Another week, another development in the ongoing Regional Strategies saga. In November, I wrote that, following a judicial review launched by Cala Homes (South) Ltd, the High Court had ruled that the...
View ArticleHousebuilder loses legal challenge over abolition of the Regional Strategies
Housebuilder Cala Homes (South) Ltd has lost its High Court challenge against the Government’s claim that its intention to abolish the Regional Strategies should be considered by local planning...
View ArticleChanges to the Localism Bill causes chaos for the property market
The Law Society has warned of the uncertainty and chaos changes to the new Localism Bill could cause to the property market. The changes would strengthen the power of local planning authorities to...
View ArticleCala Homes v The Government: The battle continues…
Housebuilder Cala Homes (South) Ltd has been granted permission to appeal its recent High Court defeat in its long-running legal battle against the Government’s claim that its intention to abolish the...
View ArticleGovernment selects areas that will trial new neighbourhood planning powers
The Government has announced the names of 17 areas that will trial its neighbourhood planning reforms. The reforms, which were unveiled in the Localism Bill (click here for more details), are designed...
View ArticleGovernment to carry out environmental assessment of its decision to revoke...
On 5 April, planning minister Bob Neill announced in a parliamentary ministerial statement that the Government will assess the environmental impact of revoking each regional strategy… possibly to avoid...
View ArticleCala Homes v The Government: The Court of Appeal hearing has begun…
Cala Homes (South) Ltd’s long-running legal battle with the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government has now reached the Court of Appeal. Cala Homes is challenging the Government’s claim...
View ArticleBreaking news: Cala loses appeal over scrapping of regional planning targets
The Court of Appeal has today (27 May) rejected the judicial review appeal by Cala Homes (South) Ltd over the Government’s decision to revoke the Regional Strategies. Cala had claimed that the...
View ArticleLocalism Bill set to receive Royal Assent
The Localism Bill is set to receive Royal Assent very shortly after the House of Commons accepted all the amendments made to it by the House of Lords. The Bill, which was introduced to Parliament in...
View ArticleGovernment launches consultation on renegotiating section 106 agreements
The Department for Communities and Local Government has issued a consultation paper on its proposal to reduce the time that must pass before a landowner can require the local planning authority (LPA)...
View ArticleGovernment responds to its consultation on making changes to planning...
Following its consultation on making changes to planning application fees in England, which concluded in January 2012, the Government has said that it will need to carry out more research on whether:...
View ArticleGovernment publishes proposals on planning performance and the planning...
The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) has published a consultation paper on its proposals to permit certain planning applicants to submit their planning application directly to the...
View ArticleNew guidance on the review and appeal of section 106 affordable housing...
The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) has published guidance for section 106 renegotiations. A section 106 agreement is a bilateral agreement between a developer and a local...
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