'Eco-town' site on market at £4.6m

15/07/2010

LAND that was due to be the site of one of the previous Government's controversial "eco-towns" is to be sold.

More than 500 acres of the Oulton Hall grounds to the south of Leeds are on the market for £4.65m.

The site includes Royds Green Farm, a Grade II listed five-bedroom farmhouse, two derelict cottages and a range of traditional farm buildings.

Under the eco-town plans – which would have seen the area re-named The Green – around 9,000 carbon-neutral homes were proposed.

The scheme was put forward in 2007 and included building six new primary schools, a secondary school and rebuilding the A642 Leeds-Wakefield Road to make way for a new dual carriageway and extending Woodlesford railway station.

The plan, which met with considerable local opposition, was rejected a year later.

Agents Knight Frank said the estate, worth more than £45,000 a year in rent, could be sold as either a single unit or in 23 separate lots.

The firm said the land was suitable for residential, commercial and leisure uses, subject to planning permission.

The new Government has announced it would not support any eco town developments where the local community was in opposition.

In March this year the previous Government approved more than £1m of funding for thousands of eco-homes on brownfield sites across the region.

Up to 28,000 new sustainable homes are planned on sites in Leeds Aire Valley, north-west York, the Bradford-Shipley canal corridor and North Kirklees and South Dewsbury.

Local authorities say all the homes will be built "to meet the highest standards of sustainability", and are expected to have solar panels and wind turbines.

The £1.2m funding will be used to help with planning of the schemes and the construction of initial showcase projects.

Development work has started on the first phase of the Leeds Aire Valley scheme, to the south-east of the city centre, and construction will begin soon in York.

Sourced from: Yorkshire Post

Bovis performs in "subdued" market

14/07/2010


Bovis has reported that it is operating successfully within a "subdued market" with ongoing liquidity issues in the first time buyer market.
The firm has made its first reservation through its new "The Perfect 10" mortgage model in partnership with Barclays which offers Bovis buyers 90% mortgages and a two year fixed rate.

Bovis is boosting its land position, having increased its consented plots by 1900 since the start of the year. In the six months to June 30 the firm completed 803 homes against 754 in the same period of 2009. Average sales price for private homes was £163,500 in the past six months against £160,400 last year.

Sourced from: Housebuilder

Persimmon sees rise in completions and prices

06/07/2010

Persimmon completed 4,657 new homes in the six months to June 30 2010, 16% more than last year. The firm says sale prices and margins have continued to increase since the start of the year, but there was a slowdown in reservations from May due to the normal seasonal pattern and anticipation of the emergency Budget.

However, since the Budget, sales have been in line with expectations.

Persimmon says it is continuing to invest in new site openings in readiness for the stronger autumn market, but - as with other developers - the firm remains cautious on investment decisions until mortgage availability improves further.

Sourced from: Housebuilder

Neil call on planners to lead localism ‘revolution’

29/06/2010

Junior planning minister Bob Neill has called on planners to become not just planning experts, but "experts at working with communities, and translating their visions into action".

Speaking at the National Planning Forum today, Neill called on the profession to "lead the revolution to put power back into the hands of local people".

He said: "We're abolishing this ridiculous system where Whitehall tells communities what they must build, and then dictates when and where they have to build it. Those who make planning decisions will no longer be able to avoid reporting back to those whose lives are directly affected by them.

"Communities will be able to come together and take responsibility for solving their own local challenges in a way that make sense for them. And in return, they will be offered powerful incentives that ensure they see the benefits of the development they welcome.

"But we can't return to localism simply by changing the rules. We need your help to make this work. Planning has its roots in a democratic system that engages local communities.

"You were there at the beginning, and you will be there again to give communities the real power and real influence they deserve."

Neill went on to say that local plans will be more transparent and spell put how they will benefit the community.

Communities will help develop proposals for their neighbourhoods, rather than be consulted on 'options' that have already been prepared.

And local, long-term plans will become more important. If a new development is in the plan that is supported by local people, a proposal in line with that plan will be approved unless there are significant reasons against it.

Sourced from: Planning Resource

Budget: Industry Reacts

24/06/2010

Industry bodies and campaign groups have been giving their reactions to chancellor George Osborne's Emergency Budget.

The RTPI said it understood "the urgent need to address the national deficit" but voiced concern at the scale of the planned spending cuts.

President Ann Skippers said: "The RTPI recognises and is pleased to see the commitment to maintain most capital spending.

"It is, however, disappointing that the Budget shows little appreciation of the very positive impact and key role planning and planners’ skills have to play in fostering economic recovery, job creation and achieving value for the limited money available for public investment.

"Government departments with responsibilities for planning and infrastructure provision (including Communities and Local Government, Environment, Energy and Climate Change and Transport) each face a huge 25% cut in their funding over the life of this Parliament.

"This coupled with the freeze in Council Tax (2011-12) and the cancellation of all Housing and Planning Delivery Grant funding means that public sector planning is likely to experience a significant reduction in financial support. We believe that it is essential that the vital contribution of public sector planning is recognised."

In its response the NHF warned that plans to build up to 250,000 homes affordable homes could be axed after Osborne announced public spending cuts which imply a reduction of at least 25 per cent to the housing budget over the next four years.

The chancellor announced that all unprotected government departmental budgets would be cut in real terms by a quarter on average over the next four financial years.

Chief executive David Orr said: "We are in the midst of the worst housing crisis this country has seen in generations, with a record 4.5 million people languishing on housing waiting lists and 2.6 million people trapped in overcrowded housing.

"We simply cannot afford to stop building new homes and turn our backs on millions of hard up families."

However the NHF welcomed the government’s decision to rule out any further cuts to capital investment projects this year.

RICS has also welcomed this decision. Director of external affairs Mark Goodwin said: "The construction industry is a powerful engine of growth, and we had emphasised in our emergency budget submission that any further cuts in capital spending would have undermined the tentative economic recovery."

The Institution of Civil Engineers has welcomed the creation of a strategic infrastructure body. President Paul Jowitt said: "Unlocking private investment will be crucial to delivering the infrastructure needed to plug potential energy shortfalls and retain the UK’s global competitiveness, so confirmation that strategic body, Infrastructure UK, will remain in place is very good news.

"This will help reduce political risk and give industry increased confidence to invest, however it must be backed up by a planning system that is fit for purpose.

"The renewed commitment to the creation of a Green Investment Bank and the reassurance that the government will consider a range of options for its scope and structure, is also very encouraging."

On the scrapping of Regional Development Agencies BPF chief executive Liz Peace said: "The new Enterprise Partnerships will need to achieve greater coordination of large capital spending programmes to ensure their regenerative benefits are fully utilised and promote a more proactive approach by councils and public bodies to facilitating and, where feasible, ‘de-risking’ regeneration schemes."

Centre for Cities chief executive Dermot Finch said: "The Coalition Government clearly recognises the need for more enterprise and growth in cities outside the Greater South East in the Emergency Budget.  

"As George Osborne mentioned in his Budget speech, between 1998 and 2008, for every private sector job generated in the North and Midlands, ten were created in London and the South.

"Measures announced today like the 3 years employer NICs holiday for businesses outside the Greater South East are likely to be a short term boost but won’t be enough to bridge the jobs gap affecting many of England’s cities.  

"All eyes now will be on the White Paper on sub-national growth to be released later in the summer, with more detail on the role of Local Enterprise Partnerships in rebalancing the economy.  

"In this, we’d like to see more on how the government can support the expansion of buoyant cities across the country – where high growth businesses are already adding large numbers of private sector jobs."

In its response campaign group CPRE said the budget had little to say on the environment. Head of campaigns Ben Stafford said: "What we do know from Mr Osborne's statement is that there will be 25 per cent cuts over the Parliament to non-ring-fenced Government Departments, and this will include the Environment, Climate Change and Communities Departments.

"We will therefore be looking to ministers to demonstrate quickly through their proposed planning reforms and Natural Environment White Paper how they will deliver real improvements for our countryside, wildlife and landscapes in a time of serious financial pressure. Better protection for the environment should be a high-profile, long-term investment."

RIBA president Ruth Reed said: "We will have to wait until the comprehensive spending review in October to find out more detail of government department cuts and whether architects and the construction industry will feel the pain of these decisions.

"Throughout the recession, we’ve been emphasising and demonstrating that well-designed, sustainable buildings can help achieve this goal. Money spent on well-designed schools, housing and hospitals is money well spent, with tangible value.

"The government must continue to invest in vital infrastructure projects, and recognise the importance of these projects to the construction industry and the UK’s long-term economic interests."

 Sourced from: Planning Resource

New measures have been announced to stop the practice of "garden grabbing".

11/06/2010

Local councils have been powerless to stop 'garden grabbing'

Decentralisation minister Greg Clark is giving local councils immediate powers to prevent the building of new homes in back gardens.

Figures show that more and more gardens are being swallowed up by new homes.

The problem is worse in places such as Guildford, Croydon and Southampton in the South East, Poole and Dorset in the South West, Sheffield and Solihull in the Midlands, Leeds and Wakefield in Yorkshire, South Tyneside in the North East and Norwich in Norfolk.

Local councils have struggled to stop the trend as gardens have been classified as "previously residential land", meaning they are brownfield sites.

For years the wishes of local people have been ignored as the character of neighbourhoods and gardens have been destroyed

Decentralisation minister Greg Clark on 'garden grabbing'.

Mr Clark said gardens will now be taken out of that category making it easier for local authorities to block developments opposed by local people.

Home extensions will not be affected by the move.

Unveiling the plans, Mr Clark will say: "For years the wishes of local people have been ignored as the character of neighbourhoods and gardens have been destroyed, robbing communities of vital green space... forcing councils and
communities to sit by and watch their neighbourhoods get swallowed up in a concrete jungle.

"This is just the start of wholesale reform I want to make to the planning system."

The Royal Horticultural Society welcomed the move.

Simon Thornton Wood, director of science and learning at the RHS, said: "Gardens, like parks, are the green lungs of cities, improving air quality, controlling air temperature and flood risk and providing a haven for wildlife."

Sourced from: Sky News

Density targets scrapped

09/06/2010

The government has confirmed plans to scrap minimum housing density targets and to outlaw so-called 'garden grabbing'.

In an announcement today decentralisation minister Greg Clark said councils and communities would be given "immediate power to prevent the destructive practice of garden grabbing and decide what types of homes are suitable for their area."

To prevent garden grabbing, where new homes are built on what was a private garden, the government will amend PPS3 to remove the classification of gardens as ‘previously developed land’ and thus remove them from Brownfield designation.

Clark said that government figures for 2008 show that 80% of homes were built on Brownfield land, up from 56% in 1997. However, this incorporates development on previously residential land that includes gardens, which has risen from 11% to 23% between 1997 and 2008.

The move will not affect extensions to existing homes.

From today Clark will also scrap the minimum density target outlined in PPG3 of 30 dwellings per hectare.

The government says the minimum target has contributed to a "lack of family sized homes and flats that local people need" and councils will now be able to decide what level of density is appropriate for their area.

It says that statistics show the decline in the number of houses built has largely been for 4+ bed houses, with small declines in 2 and 3 bed houses. There has been a corresponding proportionate increase in 2 bed flats.

Clark said: "For years the wishes of local people have been ignored as the character of neighbourhoods and gardens have been destroyed, robbing communities of vital green space.

"It is ridiculous that gardens have until now been classified in the same group as derelict factories and disused railway sidings, forcing councils and communities to sit by and watch their neighbourhoods get swallowed up in a concrete jungle.

"Today I am changing the classification of garden land so councils and communities no longer have their decisions constantly overruled, but have the power to work with industry to shape future development that is appropriate for their area.

"This is just the start of wholescale reform I want to make to the planning system, so councils and communities are centre-stage in a reformed system that works for them, and is not just a tool of top-down policy."

Sourced from: Planning Resource

TCPA unveils 'future of planning'

03/06/2010

The Future of Planning report: Distilling the TCPA roundtable debates, launched today at the TCPA national conference, examines a series of key themes around planning which emerged from five cross-sector roundtable debates held in the spring, and proposes a series of recommendations on the way forward.

The themes are: the shape of strategic planning; the shape of local planning; the future of housing and planning; the climate crisis; and the guiding principles for planning.

TCPA chief planner, Dr Hugh Ellis said: "The TCPA believes that reform of the planning system must be based on principles which command broad support. Today, there is wide agreement that change is needed, but as yet no clear view on what the new system should look like.

"The Future of Planning report begins an important series of debates that need to take place before major reforms are introduced. It reminds us to reflect on planning’s explicitly radical and progressive founding principles, which had social justice at their heart.

"In preparing new legislation, we urge that the coalition government should build a new consensus around the principles to underpin reforms and start an open dialogue with local communities across the country, business, investors and professionals, to agree these principles. 

"Failure to do so could lead to reforms which could have potentially devastating impacts on our economy, on our communities and on our environment."

Ellis added that The TCPA is "profoundly concerned" over the government’s proposal to abolish regional planning.

The Future of Planning report: Distilling the TCPA roundtable debates can be read here.

Sourced from: Planning Resource

Queen’s Speech confirms planning reform

25/05/2010

The Queen has confirmed plans for a bill to introduce 'localism' into the planning system.

Unveiling the coalition government’s legislative programme for the coming Parliament, the Queen said a new bill will will be introduced to "devolve greater powers to councils and neighbourhoods and give local communities control over housing and planning decisions.

"Legislation will be introduced to stop uncompleted plans to create unitary councils."

The Queen also confirmed a bill to "enable the construction of a high speed rail network" along with legislation "to improve energy efficiency in homes and businesses, to promote low carbon energy production and to secure energy supplies."

There will also be measures to cut the "cost of bureaucracy and the number of public bodies".

Sourced from: Planning Resource

Government pledges ‘radical’ planning reform

19/05/2010

The government has said it is to "radically reform" the planning system as part of a series of measures to build the 'Big Society'.

According to a statement released today by the Cabinet Office, a cross-government policy programme will "create a climate that empowers local people and communities, building a Big Society that would roll back big government, bureaucracy and Whitehall power."

A document Building the Big Society released along with the statement outlines a series of policy proposals including:

 - Plans to "radically reform the planning system to give neighbourhoods far more ability to determine the shape of the places in which their inhabitants live."

 - Abolition of Regional Spatial Strategies and return decision-making powers on housing and planning to local councils.

 - A "radical devolution of power" and greater financial autonomy to local government, including a full review of local government finance.

- New powers to help communities save local facilities and services threatened with closure, and give communities the right to bid to take over local state-run services.

 - A new generation of community organisers and support the creation of neighbourhood groups across the UK.

- Councils to get a general power of competence.

The document is the first strand of a ‘Programme for Government’ to be published in the coming days.

Prime minister David Cameron, said: "During the election campaign I extended an invitation to everyone in this country to join the government of Britain.

"I said that the idea of the Big Society would be marching through the corridors of power – and it’s happening right now. Today is the start of a deep and serious reform agenda to take power away from politicians and give it to people.

"That’s because we know instinctively that the state is often too inhuman, monolithic and clumsy to tackle our deepest social problems. We know that the best ideas come from the ground up, not the top down.

"We know that when you give people and communities more power over their lives, more power to come together and work together to make life better – great things happen."

Building the Big Society can be read here.

Sourced from: Planning Resource

New government must now tackle housing crisis - HBF

14/05/2010

The Home Builders Federation (HBF) has welcomed Grant Shapps as housing minister, and has called upon the new government to deliver its pre-election pledge to build new homes.

But it added that it was surprised the minister was not offered a place in the new cabinet, given the acute housing crisis.

HBF’s executive chairman Stewart Baseley said: “A stable coalition government will provide certainty as we look to tackle the country’s housing crisis. Appointing Shapps is a sensible move that will provide consistency in the home building industry’s discussions with the government as the Conservative’s pre-election proposals are put into effect.”

Baseley added that the Conservatives had repeatedly stated their commitment to building more homes: “The government’s task is now to develop a policy framework that will deliver on this promise, working closely with the home building industry.”

Sourced from: Planning Resource

Housing land shows fast price rises

11/05/2010

The price of residential development land has risen at its fastest rate for five years as the supply is unable to keep pace with growing demand, research showed.

The average cost of land for residential developments jumped by 11.5% during the year to the end of March, the strongest rate of growth since the first quarter of 2005, according to estate agent Knight Frank.

The group said the price was being pushed up by a combination of growing demand, especially in the south of England, as house prices recovered and a shortage of development sites.

It said there were 15% more purchase applications during the first quarter of the year than during the final three months of 2009, but the supply of land on the market had risen by only 8% during the same period.

Greenfield land has seen the biggest price jump, with average prices rising by 6.8% during the first quarter of the year, while urban land values have risen by 2.4%.

Demand for land is being driven by residential developers, who accounted for 44% of all buyers during the period, with housing associations making up 14% and speculative land investors accounting for 13%: private land owners are the main sellers at 23%, followed by speculative land investors and public sector bodies, both at 19%.

Knight Frank warned that a good proportion of the land supply was "tarnished" through over exposure or over pricing, and the lack of quality opportunities was still a drag on the market and although finance availability was beginning to improve, there was still very little speculative development finance for projects over £10 million.

The biggest price jumps in urban land have been seen in prime London locations during the past quarter, with rises of 8%, while prices have increased by 5.3% and 4.5% in inner and outer London respectively.

But the group said there were signs that the supply of land in London could rise steadily during 2010 and push prices lower, while developers were also concerned about the strong level of house price growth seen so far this year.

Greenfield land prices have risen most sharply in the West Midlands during the first quarter, at 12%, with values rising by 8.5% in the East of England and by 8% in the East Midlands.

Sourced from: PA News

"Encouraging" market conditions continue for Taylor Wimpey

29/04/2010

Taylor Wimpey has said that market conditions remain “encouraging” for the housebuilder, with continued gradual improvements in mortgage availability and buyer confidence.

In a statement to the city covering the period from January 1 2010 to today (April 29), the firm said: “We entered 2010 with a strong order book position and have continued to focus on building on this sales momentum and enhancing margins.” The company added that it was approximately 99% sold for the half year and 74% sold for the full year targeted completions.

“We remain active in the land market, focusing our attention on the opportunities available to acquire good quality land at attractive prices,” the housebuilder stated. But it added that it was “concerned” that a shortage of consented land would “artificially constrain industry volume recovery in the medium term.”

Sourced from: House Builder

English farmland continues upbeat performance in 2010 as investors and overseas buyers return to market.

21/04/2010

Key highlights:

• English farmland values rose by 5.4% in the first quarter of 2010. This takes growth over the past 12 months to 15.5%, according to the latest results of the Knight Frank Farmland Index.
  
  
• The average price of farmland is now £5,397/acre, the highest level recorded by the index.
  
  
• Prices are being driven up by a continuing shortage of supply and increased interest from overseas buyers and investors.
  
  
• The amount of farmland publicly advertised for sale so far this year has fallen by almost 20%.
  
  
• Values are predicted to rise further during 2010.
  
  

Andrew Shirley, head of rural land research at Knight Frank, commented:

"The strong performance of the English farmland market that we saw at the end of the last decade has continued this year. Average prices have risen by 5.4% to £5,397/acre so far this year and we predict they could rise by a further 10% during the rest of 2010.

“A shortage of farmland for sale, combined with demand from investors and overseas buyers, has helped to ensure values continue to rise. According to the Knight Frank Farmland index, demand over the past 12 months has increased by 10%, while supply has fallen by 13%. The volume of farmland advertised in Farmers Weekly magazine has already dropped by 18% so far this year, compared with the same period in 2009.

“Investors, including those from overseas, are becoming more active in the market and, along with lifestyle buyers, accounted for virtually all of Knight Frank’s farmland sales so far this year. Despite its recent price growth, the ongoing weakness of Sterling means property assets in the UK look very good value to those buying in other currencies.

“Interestingly, there appears to be no pattern in the location of overseas buyers, unlike the last decade when we saw large numbers of investors and farmers from Ireland and Scandinavia in the market. Buyers this year have, so far, come from countries covering three different continents.

 “A forthcoming General Election can add an element of uncertainty to the farmland market as buyers wait to see if there is likely to be any change to the tax reliefs associated with farmland ownership. Alastair Darling, however, left Agricultural Property Relief unchanged in last week’s budget and it would seem unlikely that the Conservative Party would treat APR differently if it was elected.

 “It is generally acknowledged that economic confidence in the UK will take a hit if we end up with a hung parliament. If this, however, leads to a further weakening of Sterling it could make investing in English farmland even more attractive to buyers from overseas.”

Knight Frank Farmland Index

Source from: Knight Frank

The Liberal Democrats would allow a third-party right of appeal in cases where planning decisions go against locally agreed plans, according to its election manifesto launched this morning.

14/04/2010

The Liberal Democrat Manifesto 2010 says the party believes in "strong communities, where local people can come together to meet local needs, enjoy a pleasant local environment, and feel free from the threat of crime."

On planning policy the document says the party would require a local competition test for all planning applications for new retail developments.

It would also:

 - abolish the Infrastructure Planning Commission and "return decision-making, including housing targets, to local people";

 - create a new designation – similar to Site of Special Scientific Interest status – to protect green areas of particular importance or value to the community and would aim to double the UK’s woodland cover by 2050.
 - stop ‘garden grabbing’ by defining gardens as greenfield sites in planning law so that they cannot be built over so easily.

 - stop major new housing developments in flood risk areas;

 - introduce landscape-scale planning policies with a specific remit to restore water channels, rivers and wetlands and reduce flood risk by properly utilising the natural capacity of the landscape to retain water;

 - give local authorities the power to set higher council tax rates for second homes and the option to require specific planning permission for new second homes, in areas where the number of such homes is threatening the viability of a community.

 - close loopholes that allow playing fields to be sold or built upon without going through the normal planning procedures.

On housing the party says it would bring 250,000 empty homes back into use as well as providing more affordable homes.

The party says it would switch traffic from road to rail by investing in local rail improvements, such as opening closed rail lines and adding extra tracks and would cancel plans for a third runway at Heathrow and other airport expansion in the South East. 

It would also set up an Infrastructure Bank to direct private finance to projects such as new rail services and green energy.

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Sourced from: Planning Resource

The Conservative Party has reaffirmed its commitment to 'open source' planning in its 2010 election manifesto, launched today.

13/04/2010

The document, Invitation to Join the Government Of Britain, sets out policies on planning, housing, climate change, protection of the natural environment and transport.

The document dedicates several pages to its proposed reforms to the planning system.

"A Conservative government will introduce a new ‘open source’ planning system. This will mean that people in each neighbourhood will be able to specify what kind of development they want to see in their area. These neighbourhood plans will be consolidated into a local plan", it says.

It describes the planning system as "complex and unwieldy" and a "significant barrier to growth and wealth creation" and vows to "create a presumption in favour of sustainable development within the planning system."

Along with the abolition of the Infrastructure Planning Commission (IPC) it confirms plans to:

 - use private or hybrid Bills to promote major projects, such as a national high-speed rail network;

 - ensure that all other major infrastructure projects are considered at planning inquiries which have binding timetables and which focus on planning issues, with final permission given by a minister;

 - provide transitional arrangements for projects already submitted to the IPC to ensure that these projects are not disrupted or delayed;

- abolish the power of planning inspectors to rewrite local plans;

 - amend the ‘Use Classes Order’ so that people can use buildings for any purpose allowed in the local plan;

 - limit appeals against local planning decisions to cases that involve abuse of process or failure to apply the local plan;

 - encourage county councils and unitary authorities to compile infrastructure plans;

 - give local planning authorities and other public authorities a duty to co-operate with one another;

 - allow neighbourhoods to stop the practice of ‘garden grabbing’

The document also conforms plans to "abolish the entire bureaucratic and undemocratic tier of regional planning, including the regional spatial Strategies and building targets" and plans for a development tariff that "will replace the payments and levies on development that have grown up under Labour."

A portion of this tariff will be kept by the neighbourhoods in which a given development takes place.

It adds that "Significant local projects, like new housing estates, will have to be designed through a collaborative process that has involved the neighbourhood. Immediate neighbours will have a new role – with a faster approvals process for planning applications where neighbours raise no objections.

"At the national level, for all forms of development, we will publish and present to Parliament for debate a simple and consolidated national planning framework, which will set out national economic and environmental priorities."

The document contains no housing targets but pledges to create "a property-owning democracy where everyone has the chance to own their own home."

It confirms plans to match pound-for-pound the council tax receipts that local authorities receive from new homes to encourage "sensitive local development" while local housing trusts will be created to allow communities to grant planning permission for new housing within villages and towns.

The stamp duty threshold will be permanently raised to £250,000 for first-time buyers.

On the natural environment the document pledges a White Paper on habitat protection along with a "pioneering a new system of conservation credits to protect habitats".

It says: "We will maintain national Green Belt protection, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs), National Parks, Sites of Special Scientific Interest and other environmental designations which protect the character of our country’s landscape. In addition, we will review the governance arrangements for National Parks and AONBs to ensure that they are more accountable to local communities."

On transport the manifesto says a Conservative government would begin work immediately to create a high-speed rail line connecting London and Heathrow with Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds.

It also reaffirms a commitment to stop the third Heathrow runway along with blocking plans for second runways at Stansted and Gatwick.

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Sourced from: Planning Resource

‘We need more land to hit homes target’

09/04/2010

MORE land needs to be made available to Colchester Council if it is to hit its target of allowing 19,000 houses to be built by 2023, according to local planners.

Council officers were told yesterday they needed to broaden their search for sites if they are to meet the target set by the East of England Development Agency.

Brian Morgan, of chartered architects and town planners ADP, told the meeting at the Town Hall, the council should look at building more homes away from the centre of town, rather than flats.

He said greenfield sites, which are areas where no homes have been built before, should be looked at for homes.

Mr Morgan also felt villages around Colchester needed to take more new housing as part of the borough’s Local Development Framework and to help the communities there survive.

Mr Morgan said: “I believe the issue is building houses people want to buy.

“Allocation of greenfield would provide small family housing, not expensive town flats. We have an assumption that if we put more houses in villages, that is going to make everyone happy. If you have a village of 700 people, an extra ten people won’t make a difference.”

But Kevin Syrett, from Colchester Council, said there were enough brownfield sites, which are sites that have previously been built on.

He said an example of this was the old Severells Hospital site in the town, which is being turned into a mass housing development.

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Sourced from: Coclchester Daily Gazette

Cardiff drops local development plan

31/03/2010

Cardiff Council has voted to withdraw its Local Development Plan following criticism from the Welsh Assembly Government.

Inspectors from the Welsh Assembly Government raised a number of concerns relating to flood risk, waste and transport, and the delivery and mix of housing development.

Specifically, serious reservations were raised about the target number of new homes and the role of brownfield sites in meeting the targets.

The move will see Cardiff Council revert to the last adopted Local Development Plan from 1996.

In a statement the council said: "Legal Counsel has advised that given the magnitude of the concerns raised that it is evident the plan would not be recommended for adoption and that it is highly unlikely that the Inspectors will try to overcome the concerns by recommending modifications to the plan given their significance.

"In view of this it was considered likely that the plan will at some point have to be withdrawn or found unsound.

"Much of the current evidence will be used to inform the preparation of a new plan. Additionally, existing core objectives can be carried forward, particularly continuing the successful regeneration of the Cardiff Bay and other key sites, supporting the city centre and protecting valued natural environments.

"However given the issues raised by the Assembly and the Inspectors it will be necessary to include some Greenfield land as part of the overall urban containment strategy for providing future housing and employment in conjunction with transportation and flood risk issues."

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Sourced from: Planning Resource

Bellway returns to profit

25/03/2010

Bellway has returned a £19 million pre-tax profit in the six months to January 31st 2010, a significant improvement on a loss of £48.6 million in the same period last year.

In a trading update today (March 24) the housebuilder said that its sales rate increased 11.6% to 2,247 homes over the period. The company reported an operating margin of 6.1% and a net cash position of £60.9 million.

The company has continued to pay dividends during the downturn and increased the payment by 10% to 3.3p.

Bellway’s order book currently stands at £435.4 million against last year’s £370 million which includes over 900 homes for 2010/2011.

The company spent £76 million on land and land creditors over the half year, with a further 3,250 plots “being progressed, albeit more slowly than anticipated to ownership.” The housebuilder noted “landowners’ aspirations and the planning process” as barriers to quick delivery.

Bellway expressed concerns over mortgage availability, unemployment and the upcoming election but said it was concentrating “in the coming months on land acquisition and selectively increasing work in progress, with a particular emphasis on the southern divisions where the market appears to be in a more advanced state of recovery.”

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Sourced from: House Builder

Responsibility for protecting Green Belt land should be devolved to local authorities, according to a new Centre for Cities report.

17/03/2010

The report, Arrested Development: Are we building houses in the right places?, says that not enough homes are being built in the least affordable UK cities such as Brighton London and Cambridge. 

It recommends:
 
 -Abandoning the national brownfield target (currently 60 percent of all homes must be built on brownfield land).  

 - Devolving responsibility for protecting the green belt to local authorities.  National protection should be reserved for places with outstanding environmental or social value only. 

 - Pilot land auctions in a small number of cities, allowing local authorities to keep a greater portion of the increased land value from granting planning permission – to reinvest in local communities.

Dermot Finch, chief executive of the Centre for Cities said: "Over the past fifty years housing has become more and more unaffordable. During this time nowhere near enough homes have been built, particularly in our most dynamic cities like Cambridge and Reading.  
 
"The decade-long push to build on brownfield has run its course. Over the next decade, local authorities will need new incentives to build houses where they are needed.  

"This also means a fresh look at the green belt. It’s a myth that the entire green belt is a picture postcard rural idyll. A very small slice of it could be used for housing.
 
"We are not suggesting cities should concrete over their green belt, and we are not advocating car-dependent urban sprawl. But we do need to free up more land for new homes, especially in our most buoyant cities."

Arrested Development: Are we building houses in the right places? Can be read here.

Also listen to views from the public on housing, planning and the lack of development land in the UK on the Radio 4 programme You and Yours on here.

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Sourced from: Planning Resource