Recent Posts
Nicola Gooch
(Brutalist) Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder
Given the widely publicised events of this week, you could be forgiven for missing the declaration of war that was hidden in a speech by ...
04/11/16
Nicola Gooch
Response to CIL Review to be in DCLG Planning White Paper
After months of waiting, it looks as if we finally have an indication as to when we will get to see the outcome of the CIL Review that...
28/10/16
Irwin Mitchell
Chai-rise living?
Bisnow.com have picked up on research from CBRE considering which commercial premises are most popular in residential areas. This is...
21/10/16
Nicola Gooch
Are PD rights to demolish offices and rebuild as residential finally coming off the back burner?
Waiting on decisions from central government can, on occasion, feel a lot like watching the proverbial pot that never boils. The most...
21/10/16
Nicola Gooch
Is that a newt in your pocket?
For a highly protected species Great Crested Newts have made quite a habit of popping up in inconvenient places. As most in the industry...
14/10/16
Nicola Gooch
When secondary legislation drives you to rant in the media... CIL article in Estates Gazette
Below is a link to an article of mine that was published in Estates Gazette over the weekend. The article is entitled "10 things I hate...
10/10/16
Nicola Gooch
Communities Secretary: Housing is Number One Priority
It appears, from today's coverage in Planning Resource , that Sajid Javid's speech at the conservative party conference was very...
03/10/16
Irwin Mitchell
Details emerge about £5bn new housing funding
Conservative ministers are going to announce at Conference that two new housing finance pots will be launched. The first (£3bn) is...
03/10/16
Nicola Gooch
Weighty Considerations: Local Plan Policies vs the Small Sites Exemption
When the Court of Appeal upheld the 'small sites exemption' last May, many small developers breathed a huge sigh of relief. The policy ...
27/09/16
Nicola Gooch
Staying Out of the Twilight Zone: CIL and Transitional S.73 Applications
Given the number of times that the Community Infrastructure Levy Regulations 2010 have been amended, it is not surprising that there are...
21/09/16
Nicola Gooch
Here come the (planning) consultations....
DCLG is currently consulting on the details of two of the main planks of the new Neighbourhood Planning Bill. Improving the use of...
16/09/16
Irwin Mitchell
Academy to save millions by installing solar panels
Wellacre Academy in Greater Manchester has announced completion of a 430kw solar installation. It is expected this will save the school...
16/09/16
Nicola Gooch
Barwell: Government softening commitment to starter homes and promising greater support for PRS
In an article published in Property Week today, Gavin Barwell, our newest Planning Minister, has indicated that the Government is...
13/09/16
Nicola Gooch
Can Town Planning make us better people?
The idea that there is a strong link between the health and wellbeing of a community and the architectural environment in which they live...
13/09/16
Irwin Mitchell
"You will lose one pound in every eight but there will be no recession"
Or so says the Chief economist of CBRE Global Investors at the annual conference of the European Public Real Estate in Paris, putting it...
13/09/16
Irwin Mitchell
Land Registry Privatisation plans- on hold!
Controversial proposals put forward by the Government to privatise the Land Registry have been put on hold. A consultation process on...
08/09/16
Irwin Mitchell
popular electronic telephone game causes construction consternation
Keen digital observers will know that, for now, Pokémon Go is wildly popular. We understand that it encourages people to experience the...
07/09/16
Irwin Mitchell
EU Guidance published on nearly zero-energy buildings
In the EU, 40% of all energy consumption comes from buildings. To try and tackle this, on 3 December 2015, 16 leading EU companies...
06/09/16
Nicola Gooch
Autumn: A season of mists and more planning reform?
Summer is officially over: It is noticeably darker in the evenings; schools are back in session and a new parliamentary term has begun....
05/09/16
Irwin Mitchell
rumours of Get Britain Building III
There is a widely held hope that the Government will announce a new housing supply stimulus package in the Autumn Statement, as part of...
05/09/16
Irwin Mitchell
Still tons of bricks in the property industry...
In heartening if slightly indignant news the Brick Development Association has confirmed that there is no structural shortage in the...
05/09/16
Nicola Gooch
Protecting Pubs: Does removing PD Rights really protect pubs from closure?
Protecting pubs seems to be a matter of growing concern for London planning authorities and local communities. Applications to register...
22/08/16
Nicola Gooch
Consensus grows on the need for more specialist housing
Two independent reports have been published in the last four weeks that highlight the UK's increasing shortage of retirement housing. In...
17/08/16
Irwin Mitchell
IPD seismometer registers stirrings? Capital values down 2.8%
No sooner had I posted my last comment, wondering whether the Capital Economics report on rental values might need some element of...
16/08/16
Nicola Gooch
The Housing Crisis is a National Issue: levels of home ownership fall across the UK
Hidden amongst all of the political turmoil of the last few months remains one constant: We do not have enough homes in the UK. This...
02/08/16
Irwin Mitchell
Standardised toolkit helps London businesses get faster access to broadband
Getting your first business location or moving an established business is difficult. First, finding and getting the space. Then fit out....
01/08/16
Nicola Gooch
Mixed messages on major infrastructure as Hinkley Point is 'paused'
It has been an interesting week for large infrastructure projects in the UK. The decision on whether to expand Heathrow or Gatwick has...
29/07/16
Nicola Gooch
London Planning Authority accepts Brexit impact on viability of residential development
It is well recognised that the viability of any particular development can be highly sensitive to a wide range of variables. Everything ...
21/07/16
Nicola Gooch
New Commission to lead the regeneration of the Thames Estuary
Today the government will launch a new commission tasked with regenerating and reinvigorating the Thames Estuary, an area which includes...
14/07/16
Nicola Gooch
Supreme Court to reconsider meaning of "relevant policies for the supply of housing"
The Supreme Court has decided to review the Court of Appeal's judgment in Suffolk Coastal D.C. v Hopkins Homes and Richborough Estates...
12/07/16