Covid-19 Archives - Planning Design Ltd

Covid, shopping and climate change

29th November 202229th March 2021 by Gary Stringer

As we ease out of lockdown, our Managing Director Jonathan Jenkin, looks at the changes that the Covid-19 pandemic has brought to our high streets, and the complex interplay between climate change and our retail habits.

Covid 19, the rise on online shopping and the collapse of multiple retailers provides opportunities to reduce travel demand and by doing so carbon emissions. The market has seen a rise in local shopping habits with vacancy rates in district and local centres remaining low. In Derby for example vacancy rates in suburban local shopping locations such as Chaddesden, Chelleston and Mickleover have remained low while vacancy rates in the city centre have soared as multiple retailers and banks have deserted the city.

This means that people are shopping locally and much of the comparison goods shopping is taking place online. In order for new retail business to locate in the city centre they will need a significant drop in rents and rates as retail is now far more competitive because online shops do not have the costs of bricks and mortar. Retail is still needed to help to support non-retail social and leisure activity. Eating and experiences combined with specialist shopping should help centres to regain their vitality and viability and by staging events and conferences in city centres trade will revive and activity levels will increase. Most city centres have good public transport options and the centres are often in easy walking distance of inner city residential areas. They need to become the focus for civic and public activities so that events and nights out can take place without significantly increasing carbon emissions.

During the Covid pandemic out of town shopping has however seemed to be a safe place to shop. Shoppers are insulated from others by driving and vacancy rates in out of town car based retailing have held up well. Car based shopping is not good in terms of climate change. Not only is it wasteful of land and creates vast areas of tarmac but carbon emissions to regional and local retail parks is significantly higher than either town centres or local shopping. It maintains a dependence on the private car with the health and social dis-benefits that go with a car based lifestyle.

Covid and climate change provide an opportunity to revive the high street, renew city centres and create more sustainable cities. But to achieve this out of town retailing must be curbed. Britain has an over-supply of retail floorspace so it is depressing to hear that a major sub-regional outlet centre is to open in Cannock. It is supposed to create 1000 jobs in a town with a high unemployment rate but the centre is almost entirely car based and its opening will lead to more than 1000 jobs being lost elsewhere. Some of the regional shopping centres such as Meadowhall and the Metro Centre are showing their age and again these provide an opportunity for redevelopment and re-use for housing, offices and industry so it is disappointing that owners of these centres (most of which are now bankrupt and are being supported by the banking sector) are looking at revamping and expanding their centres as retail and leisure destinations.

Climate change needs us all to change to become less of a consumer society and a more healthy and socially aware society rooted in place where we have a network of friends and family living close to each other. Attractive and healthy places to work and to live with day to day needs met close to home allow children to reclaim the streets, it allows older people and those with disability to get the services they need close to home, it means more time spent outside walking and cycling and more time being part of a town and village rather than as an atomised consumer rooted to the next gadget.

We have major challenges ahead but also major opportunities to create a better society. Retail presents an interesting picture, two directions of travel but only one that is compatible with the long term health of our society and with climate change.

End of year review – Looking back at 2020

29th November 202223rd December 2020 by Gary Stringer

As 2020 draws to a close, Jonathan Jenkin, Managing Director of Planning & Design Practice Ltd looks back to review a turbulent and uncertain year, whilst looking ahead to the opportunities of the new year.

In my review last year I envisaged 2020 as a year for growth for the businesses, we had recruited well in 2019 and new staff members were finding their feet. The New Year began in that vein and tackling climate change through our architecture and through planning was top on the agenda, with the aim of moving our clients towards a greener future using less energy, releasing less Co2 and designing in resilience. We set our selves new targets and sought to define our broader aims and values as a company.

We upgraded our internet service in the autumn of 2019 and it proved to be fortuitous because by the end of March everyone was working from home. The planning system carried on working, local government was quick to adapt and our deadlines and the issuing of planning decisions continued. Some applications were held up because it took time to create virtual planning meetings but by June and July these were up and running in most parts of the country. The building industry stopped for only a short period before it too was up and running and construction re-started in early May.

By June, staff started to drift back to the office and we agreed to a blended model of home and office working to maintain social distancing but to keep some of the gains of office life. The loosening of Covid restrictions, a wonderful dry and sunny spring led to an upturn in business activity during the summer. The government extended permitted development in September and issued a new planning white paper. Climate change has not gone away and a semblance of normality began to creep into our working lives.

In September, the Covid 19 cases began to rise and activity was suppressed and generally as autumn gave way to winter, the level of suppression has increased. We continue to operate a blended model of home and office based work, we continue to meet with clients (while meeting social distancing requirements) and we continue with site visits and our engagement with Local Planning Authorities.

The housing market has proved to be robust because of a huge injection of money into the economy by the Bank of England combined with the reduction in Stamp duty. The price of housing in rural and coastal communities has risen sharply as internet based working from home has led to some people seeing a future for themselves where they do not have to commute and can live where they want, no longer tied to the shackles of the office. But for young people in particular and those on smaller incomes, home working is not always a viable option. They do not have the space; they do not have the internet connections and home working can be socially isolating. The office has an important social and community function which should not be overlooked. The office for us has proved to be a more creative space and this is exemplified by our weekly architectural team meeting which brings team members together to review work and to discuss problems. The office also helps to build mutual support and understanding as people spend time with each other.

Virtual planning meetings and on line planning appeals have required new ways of working. While councils are able to make planning decisions, the level of public participation has been reduced. Several councils do not allow speakers to address the planning committee direct and some planning officers and conservation officers have proved difficult to contact. Virtual planning appeals can be difficult to manage and we are reliant on all the participants have good internet access.

As the suppression of social activity and social contact continues, these virtual systems will become embedded and will only change back slowly as greater social contact is allowed.

Covid 19 exposed the poor quality of much of our housing stock, its lack of space and often the lack of private outside space particularly in our cities. In lockdown, you need to get outside and if you are working from home, you need space to work. The government have finally acknowledged that the Class ‘O’ permitted development office to residential conversion rights have created sub-standard housing and all new development will have to provide all habitable rooms with natural light and from April 2021 meet minimum space standards. But this is not enough. All new housing should have private open space with minimum outside space standards. Flats need balconies and terraces and these need to be large enough to provide real benefits to residents. All new residential units and residential conversions will need to include working from home space and this will require additional floor space and higher minimum space standards.

The new planning white paper drew very few plaudits and much criticism. This came from within the Conservative party and from the architectural and planning professions. The paper is due to be translated into legislation in the spring, but I expect delays and a rough passage through parliament. One of the key problems for the government is its ideology of individual freedom when confronted with a public community based planning system where local people can decide on what can be built and where, affecting the rights of those who own land and buildings.

Planning is about society and community, where the interests of the community are greater in law than individual rights. The problem for the government is that many conservative voters benefit from and support the planning system. They want and like to be able to make decisions about their own communities and be able to protect their own quality of life against development and developers. Green belts, AONBs, conservation areas and limitations on development outside towns and cities benefit the better off more than the poor. The planning system by regulating development by the community tends towards the status quo.

To get round some of these restrictions the government has expanded permitted development rights which have begun to hollow out the planning system, but this approach is reaching the end of what can be achieved as new permitted development rights are so complex (to protect legitimate concerns) that they amount to a planning application in all but name.

Permitted development is fertile ground for consultants like us; they do provide back stop positions and can help to deliver development. But they also make the system very complex and difficult to navigate and require an ever deeper understanding of the system to maximise development opportunities.

Looking towards 2021 it will be a quiet start, but I remain optimistic about the future. We have a great team here at Planning and Design who are committed and enthusiastic. There is much work to do to improve people’s lives and we will be there to make our contribution.

Jonathan Jenkin, Managing Director, Planning & Design Practice Ltd

Planning Design – ‘A new normal’

29th November 202213th November 2020 by Gary Stringer

Writing for Sheffield Chamber of Commerce, a year on from the opening of our Sheffield office, Michael Bamford, Director at Planning Design reflects on adapting and prospering under “A New Normal” following the unprecedented upheaval caused by Covid-19.

In October 2019 we moved into our new office in the Workstation and were excited for what was a new chapter for Planning Design. Back then we thought the issues facing the South Yorkshire region were meeting the challenges of Climate Change and Brexit. We, like many businesses were apprehensive about the impact Brexit might have on business as usual but didn’t spot the more acute issue on the horizon. Covid-19 only really floated onto the radar in January and it wasn’t clear how significant a challenge it would be until March. At the time we were quietly optimistic about the signs of growth in Sheffield and excited at the opportunity to continue to be involved in realising potential for the city.

It was late March when true impact of Covid-19 hit home as the national lock down was rolled out. Working from home became the new norm, the majority of the planning system ground to a halt whilst Council’s and the Government grappled with operating a system that was reliant on a central office suddenly being required to work entirely remotely. Planning applications, appeals, committee meetings, pre-apps all stalled and for a short time it was difficult to see how things would move forwards.

Gradually the country (and the world) adjusted to lockdown and a new normality prevailed. Never has access to the internet been so vital in connecting communities and allowing work to continue. Video calls have become an engrained part of our society and paved the way for a new way of working. Slow at first to respond to the challenges of COVID-19, work towards the Sheffield Local Plan is now well and truly up and running and areas such as Doncaster have excelled in adapting to the challenges and motoring on with the adoption of the Local Plan.

The construction and property market was temporarily put on hold causing a backlog of demand which only served to accelerate the growth when it was released. Something that has been felt across the world. Many countries including the U.K. have seen significant growth in the price of property. The importance of space standards, natural light and access to public open space has been felt much more acutely, fast forwarding the adoption of policies and legislation to provide better homes. Significant changes to existing permitted development rights and the creation of new ones all striving to provide more homes of a much higher quality. As has been common to a lot of crises, the Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated change across the board, and both planning and architecture are no different. In some areas the changes have been very difficult, and time will tell what long-term impact the pandemic will have on our lives.

One aspect the pandemic has highlighted is the importance of communities and how, when faced with challenges, people come together to adapt and remodel how normal society functions.

It is refreshing to see the how Sheffield as a Council are adapting and how Heart of the City is pushing ahead despite the adversity of the past 9 months. The view from the office window has changed over the past 12 months with ‘The Gate’ a new student accommodation tower nearing completion as well as the new HSBC building and the sheer number of cranes on the Sheffield skyline. It is all a clear sign of the optimism and investment people place in the city.
We have continued to work closely with both the Sheffield Chamber of Commerce and the University of Sheffield to provide opportunity for employment and work experience within the city and welcome the support of both institutions in helping to deliver positive change across the region. As a company we have seen positive growth over the year and look forward to embarking on chapter two of “A new normal”.

Michael Bamford, Director, Planning & Design Practice Ltd

Planning applications – Moving on up

29th November 202220th October 2020 by Gary Stringer

With the number of planning applications submitted in England on the way up, Jonathan Jenkin, Managing Director of Planning & Design Practice Ltd shares his thoughts.

The Planning Portal has just published its latest Market Insight Report setting out the levels of planning applications submitted via the portal and a breakdown of the types and nature of the planning submissions being made. Most planning applications are now submitted via the planning portal and the portal has registered the largest increase in application submissions for many years. With the caveat that not all planning applications are submitted via the portal and that the numbers of applications using the portal is increasing year on year it is nevertheless a welcome increase.

Covid 19 has led to much more home working and most people are spending more time at home. Foreign travel has been hit hard his year and this has led to less money being spent.

Home working requires space and for many, space is at a premium. Poor aspects of the home environment become more pressing when you have to live and work from home and the need to improve the home environment becomes more important. Unsurprisingly this has led to a 46% increase in householder applications for home extensions and home improvements. Not all extensions or alterations require planning permission or prior notification so this increase signifies a welcome uplift in general building activity.

There was an upward trend in all regions of England with the highest increases in the North West and North East of England followed by the East Midlands.

The number of full planning application submissions made through the planning portal has been below the levels submitted in 2019 through the whole of 2020 up until the end of August. However in September this trend reversed and the month saw an increase of 4%. This may reflect the recovery in market sentiment since the easing of restrictions in June and it is hoped that this will continue. However the overall number of full planning applications submitted in 2020 is still well down on 2019.

The scale of development and the reduction in larger planning applications can be seen in the Planning Portal’s figures for planning fee income for local councils. Planning fees for larger development can be substantial and overall planning fee income for council planning teams from planning application submissions is well down on 2019 although I am pleased to see a recovery in fee income in September.

Here in mid-October with the government increasing restrictions again in response to an increase in Covid cases the Government’s actions could seriously depress market sentiment and levels of activity and this may not improve until the spring of 2021. However the construction and development market can be robust and the need for development continues, driven by increases in the population of England and the need to address climate change.

Discussing Economic Recovery with Marketing Derby

30th November 202213th October 2020 by Gary Stringer

On Tuesday 13th October, Planning & Design Practice Ltd Director Jon Millhouse took part in the latest Marketing Derby Talking Business live event, joining a panel of local business leaders, and sharing his thoughts on how Derby’s rich built heritage can help with the city’s economic recovery following the impacts of the Covid pandemic.

Jon joined fellow Bondholders, Stella Birks from tourism agency Visit Derby, creative business coach and mentor Ursula Cameron, Paul Norbury from PwC, Bromley Sibson from leading training provider Mitre Group and Matt Simpson from financial services organisation OVISO Financial.

As predicted, the Covid health pandemic has morphed into an economic emergency. Quarter 2 saw the biggest GDP drop in history and whilst Q3 has clawed some of this back there is focus on economic recovery in Q4 and 2021.

Introduced by John Forkin, Managing Director of Marketing Derby, the aim of the debate was to discuss the signs of recovery, and to ascertain what steps can be taken to ensure businesses are best positioned for growth. With the panel having a broad range of experiences from different sectors, different perspectives were outlined – is the glass half full or half empty?

Beginning the discussion, Paul Norbury talked about the challenges faced in bringing a large number of people back to the offices at PWC and how they are coping with new restrictions and boosting team morale. Matt Simpson from OVISO Financial gave an overview of the housing market since March and his thoughts for the market in 2021, particularly following Stamp Duty being reintroduced. Stella Birks from Visit Derby discussed the effect of Covid on tourism in Derby and Derbyshire, lessons we can learn from other European cities and the role that businesses can play in helping restore visitor numbers and provide innovative and engaging visitor experiences. With insight into a number of different sectors, business coach Ursula Cameron gave an overview into how each are dealing with recovery differently. Brom Sibson from training provider the Mitre Group talked about the recovery of our workforce using available apprenticeship schemes, and how larger companies can help small businesses by “donating” their levy.

Jon, as both a Chartered Town Planner and a Full Member of the Institute of Historic Building Conservation, with a specialist interest in Historic Building Conservation, reflected on Derby’s past and the role that its history can play in a post Covid recovery.

Jon comments:

“Derby is blessed with many historic buildings and spaces which have the potential to be restored, better revealed and better used, creating the kind of environment in which people want to invest, which will in turn help with the city’s economic recovery post Covid.

But at the same time Derby’s heritage is at risk. The principal uses which have underpinned the city centre for decades, retail stores and offices, are looking very vulnerable at the present time in the face of increased online shopping and remote working.

But from a crisis comes an opportunity. The old economic model – chain store retailers paying high rents to absentee landlords, high business rates, upper floors left dormant and buildings poorly maintained – is no longer working. Lower rents and rates will in time allow local independent businesses to enter the city centre and landlords will be incentivised to find new uses for upper floors, in order to maintain a good return on their assets.

If we value and prioritise economic activity in our historic buildings and spaces, our city centre can eventually bounce back better than before.”

Marketing Derby promotes Derby and Derbyshire in order to attract and support investment. In the last three years it has attracted a capital investment of £359 million, supporting the city and the county.

Planning & Design Practice Ltd offer a comprehensive range of services, specialising in planning, architecture, heritage, urban design, and rural development. For a free 30 minute consultation to discuss how we can help you please get in touch.

Derby City Centre – Assembling the options

30th November 20222nd September 2020 by Gary Stringer

The Covid-19 pandemic has exposed the weakness of Derby City centre. As a second order centre it does not attract out of town shoppers or tourists as a centre for retail spending because the offer is not top end, it cannot compete with nearby Nottingham or on-line shopping and out of town retailing. Whilst Derby district centres thrive, its town centre fails. The loss of office jobs to Pride Park, the closure of retails chains and the banks and businesses such as solicitors relocating to Pride Park has left large parts of city centre buildings empty.

Intu has also crashed and has gone bust. The centre remains open with the support of Intu creditors but it now has many empty units and key anchor tenants including Debenhams remain only by the grace of their creditors. Indoor events venues including the cinema and bowling/golf are not viable at the moment because of Covid-19.

Derby City Centre needs to be regenerated. This needs to be a combination of small scale organic refurbishment with small scale specialist shopping together with larger schemes. Radical changes are needed to the financial structure of the city centre. This means a radical change to rent and rates and we need to value the city centre and see it’s potential. There is more long term investment in buildings and structure in the city centre than anywhere else in Derby. To let the city centre continue to deteriorate is to throw away 300 years of investment for short term values and entrenched interests who do not value Derby or its people.

To bring the city back to life absent landlords need to re-think their expectations and their approach to city centre buildings. For too long absent landlords (often Pension funds) have used commercial buildings as part of their portfolios. Their value is based on their financial return and past rents are now unrealistic and this is creating high vacancy rates. To lower vacancy rates it will need a major revaluation and a significant drop in rents. By lowering rental values drastically; rents become affordable to a wider range of operators and small businesses.

Secondly Derby City Centre should re-think its enterprise zones. No longer should Infinity Park be the locus for a rates free environment, it should move to the city centre. It is unfortunate but Infinity Park has failed. Business does not want to locate there. The city’s priority should change and the city council should use the Enterprise Zone in a more effective and creative way by moving it to the city centre. A low rent, rates free city centre would re-invigorate the heart of the city.

Landlords would look at the whole of their buildings not just their ground floors. Schemes to house people, to refurbish upper floors would become viable and necessary, as each part of a building would make its contribution, not just the value of the ground floor operation. It would allow a wide range of tenants to take over premises, including small specialist businesses, housing associations and residential tenant groups. It would create greater diversity and variety. It would also help promote the arts and create spaces of artists and studios.

The city should also look at all its buildings including the Assembly Rooms. Are the ceilings really going to fall in? Could the building not be re-used by a wide variety of small businesses and even as accommodation? Why knock down a serviceable building? The decision to knock the building down seems to be based on not being able to keep it as the Assembly Rooms, but what else could it be used for? Other options do not seem to have been explored and if it is knocked down, how long will the scar remain to disfigure Market Square. Look at Becketwell, it has been an eyesore for over 30 years and the damage it has done to the image of the City Centre has been significant. To do the same in Market Square would be horrifying.

With climate change we need to use the buildings we have, not knock them down. Build a new entertainment venue in Becketwell by all means, but save and re-use the rest of the city centre, re-pave Market Place and with a re-purposed Assembly Rooms create a radical and exciting future for Derby.

Jonathan Jenkin, BA(Hons) BTP MTRPI, Managing Director, Planning & Design Practice Ltd

Willersley Castle Hotel – a warning for our heritage

30th November 202214th August 2020 by Gary Stringer

It was sad to hear that Willersley Castle Hotel, one of our former clients, recently closed in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, after decades of trading. Last year Bennetts of Irongate, Derby, the “world’s oldest department store” similarly had to close its doors after financial difficulties. Thankfully a buyer for that business has since been found.

These unfortunate stories are a salutary reminder of how many of our cherished historic buildings are in commercial use -from country houses to historic town centre shops- and how susceptible those uses are to the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic and to broader structural changes in the retail sector.

Historic buildings need viable uses in order to ensure their maintenance and conservation over the longer term. Such uses also enable us, the public, to enjoy and appreciate them.

It is interesting to note that the government is looking to deregulate high street planning controls in an effort to revitalise our retail centres. Surely the cutting of business rates and high street rents is also needed to safeguard our historic commercial buildings. Responsible custodians of historic commercial properties should be rewarded with tax relief. They look after our shared heritage, employ people and bring vitality to town centres, yet pay for more tax than their online counterparts.

Buildings which have lasted a long time have done so because they are robust and resilient. With a little help from all of us they will continue to serve us and enrich our lives for many years to come.

Jon Millhouse, Director, Planning & Design Practice Ltd.

Jon is both a Chartered Town Planner and a Full Member of the Institute of Historic Building Conservation, with a specialist interest in Historic Building Conservation.

At Planning & Design Practice Ltd we recognise the importance of the built heritage in our towns, villages and rural areas.We have worked on numerous schemes affecting Listed Buildings, Conservation Areas and the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site. To discuss a particular project or building, please get in touch.

Main Image: Willersley Castle Hotel – Methodist Guild Holidays Ltd

Briefing note: New permitted development rights and changes to the Use Classes Order

30th November 202210th August 2020 by Gary Stringer

July and August are proving to be a time of significant change for the English Planning system which has arrived on the back of changes announced at the start of the summer in response to the Covid-19 crisis. The introduction of new permitted development rights, changes to the Use Classes Order and a White Paper citing intentions to reform the decision-making process across the country have all been released within a period of a single fortnight.

This paper will look at new permitted development rights that have emerged as well as the changes to the Use Classes Order.

New Permitted Development Rights – A Summary

The changes relate to;

Demolition and Rebuild for Residential Use
Additional Storeys to Dwellinghouses
Additional Storeys to Create Dwellings
Changes to the Use Classes Order

The changes to Use Classes order provide greater flexibility for changes in uses without the need for planning permission. From the 1 September 2020 a new use Class E comes into effect which encompasses Class A1 – shops; financial and professional services; restaurants and cafes; and business. It also creates two new Use Classes, Class F1 is for learning and non-residential institutions. Specifically, any use not including residential use and Class F2 is for local community use.

The new permitted development rights represent exciting opportunities to business and homeowners alike. The opportunity for detached offices or light industrial units to be demolished and rebuilt with an apartment block that provides an additional two storeys will clearly be attractive in certain situations. Firstly the PD right provides certainty that the concept of such development is acceptable but the additional 2 floors is also likely to make schemes viable that previously weren’t.

It represents a great opportunity for small, rural commercial sites, for instance where there is a small 2 storey workshop as this could now be demolished and replaced with a 3 /4 storey home.

For the householder PD rights, the ability to provide a new storey opens up a great alternative to Dormer windows and loft conversions. The legislation has provision for the associated engineering operations and specifically cites foundations and wall strengthening as being allowed.

The right allows for the introduction of an additional story to give living accommodation providing a very large home. But perhaps the biggest advantage of the permitted development rights is for development in the Green Belt. Historically development in the Green Belt has to be limited to modest residential extensions, this right opens up some potentially enormous additions to an existing building that would normally be resisted by Local Authorities on the grounds of the harm that they would have on the openness of the Green Belt. This is a test that does not apply to permitted envelopment rights.

Use Classes Order (UCO)

The Government has announced fundamental changes to Town Centre Use Classes, which will provide greater flexibility for changes in uses without the need for planning permission.

From the 1 September 2020 a new use Class E will replace the following existing use classes:

Class A1 – shops;
Class A2 – financial and professional services;
Class A3 – restaurants and cafes; and
Class B1 – business.

This will mean that land or buildings utilised for the above uses will not need to obtain planning permission for changes within this use class.

There will also be a new Class F1 and F2, which will provide for change of use within each class.

Class F1 is for learning and non-residential institutions. Specifically, any use not including residential use:

(a) for the provision of education;
(b) for the display of works of art (otherwise than for sale or hire),
(c) as a museum,
(d) as a public library or public reading room,
(e) as a public hall or exhibition hall,
(f) for, or in connection with, public worship or religious instruction,
(g) as a law court.

Class F2 is for local community use. Specifically, any use as:

(a) a shop mostly selling essential goods, including food, to visiting members of the public in circumstances where—
(i) the shop’s premises cover an area not more than 280 metres square, and
(ii) there is no other such facility within 1000 metre radius of the shop’s location,
(b) a hall or meeting place for the principal use of the local community,
(c) an area or place for outdoor sport or recreation, not involving motorised vehicles or firearms,
(d) an indoor or outdoor swimming pool or skating rink.

Cinemas, concert halls pubs, wine bars and takeaways will become a sui generis use with no permitted changes.

Changes to the General Permitted Development Order

There are several new permitted development rights that have emerged, all of which relate to building upwards.

Demolition and Rebuild for Residential Use
Additional Storeys to Dwellinghouses
Additional Storeys to Create Dwellings

Demolition and Rebuild for Residential Use

Demolition of vacant and redundant free-standing buildings that fell within use class B1 and C3 on 12 March 2020, and their replacement with residential development. The rights apply to purpose-built residential blocks of flats only, and therefore do not apply to terraced buildings, detached dwellings or mixed-use buildings.

The rights only apply to buildings constructed prior to 1 January 1990 that have been entirely vacant for at least 6 months prior to the application for prior approval. The development, consisting of both demolition and replacement build, must be completed within three years of the date of the grant of prior approval.

There are various limits placed on the scale of the development permitted, including that it must be within the footprint of the original building with a footprint of up to 1,000 m2 and with a maximum height of 18m. This is subject to prior approval application in relation to the following criteria;

transport and highway impacts of the development,
contamination,
flooding risks,
impact of noise from other premises on the future residents,
design and external appearance of the new building,
adequacy of natural light in all habitable rooms of each new dwelling,
impact of the introduction of residential use into an area,
impact of the development on the amenity of the new building and of neighbouring premises,
impacts of noise from commercial premises,
impact on surrounding businesses, impact on heritage and archaeology,
method of demolition,
plans for landscaping and the impact on air traffic and defence.

The rights will not apply in Conservation Areas or to listed buildings or scheduled monuments.

Additional Storeys to Dwellinghouses

The new permitted development rights to allow existing houses to be extended by way of an additional 2 storeys. The rights apply to existing houses which are detached, semi-detached or in a terrace. They are subject to a maximum height limit of 18m, and where the house is in a terrace its height cannot be more than 3.5m higher than the next tallest house in the terrace.

The rights only apply to houses built between 1 July 1948 and 28 October 2018 and do not apply in Conservation Areas.

There is a requirement to obtain prior approval in relation to;

impact on the amenity of neighbouring premises,
external appearance,
impacts a taller building may have on air traffic and defence assets.

Additional Storeys to Create Dwellings

From 1 September the construction of up to 2 additional storeys on free standing blocks and on buildings in a terrace that are in certain commercial uses (including A1, A2, A3 and B1(a)), and in mixed uses with an element of housing, to create additional self-contained homes. The rights are subject to a maximum height limit of 30m for detached buildings and 18m for terraces.

A new Class AC and AD to Part 20 to the General Permitted Development Order will allow up to 2 additional storeys to be constructed on existing houses which are detached or in a terrace to create new self-contained homes. The rights are subject to a maximum height limit for the newly extended building of 18m and it cannot be more than 3.5m higher than the next tallest house in the terrace.

These rights apply to houses and buildings built between 1 July 1948 and 5 March 2018 and they have to have been in one of the relevant uses or mixed uses on 5 March 2018. The rights will not apply in Conservation Areas or to listed buildings or scheduled monuments.

There is a requirement to obtain prior approval in relation to the following;

transport and highway impacts of the development,
contamination and
flooding risks,
external appearance,
impact on amenity,
provision of adequate natural light in all habitable rooms of the new homes,
noise impact from existing commercial uses,
impact on surrounding businesses
impact on air traffic and defence assets.

Comprising town planners, architects and architectural assistants our staff bring a wealth of experience from a range of backgrounds and various parts of the UK. Our planners have worked in the public & private sectors, and have excellent working relations with Local Planning Authorities.

For further information and clarification on these new permitted development rights, and changes to the Use Classes Order please don’t hesitate to contact us for a no obligation consultation to discuss your project.

Growth, renewal and protection

30th November 20225th August 2020 by Gary Stringer

The government’s proposals put forward by Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick to identify areas for ‘Growth’, ‘Renewal’ and ‘Protection’ with corresponding levels of planning control raise some interesting dilemmas.

The planning system is based on local communities developing a Local Plan for themselves which sets out the priorities for growth and development within an area supplemented by neighbourhood plans. Some strategic planning does take place in areas such a Greater Manchester but strategic planning was undermined by the ‘Localism Agenda’ developed by a previous Conservative Government to hand planning control ‘back to the people’.

Local Authorities will be ordered to identify areas for growth, renewal and protection. In areas of growth, development will be able to proceed without planning permission. In areas of renewal there will be permission in principle but with oversight from the local community to address issues such as flood risk, design, impact on transport and highways. In areas of protection the current planning rules will continue.

This approach could undermine the localism agenda and the whole local plan process. In areas of growth, with no planning rules, identified local plan sites for development could remain undeveloped while poorly designed, poor quality development which provides no funding to support local services and facilities could be built next door. Nothing the government has said will ensure that the Building Better agenda would be followed through in a growth area. There is also no indication that basic standards would be met in terms of minimum dwelling sizes or space about dwelling standards. Incompatible uses could be placed next to each other and a growth area like the Enterprise Zones of the 1970s could be used to undermine the social and economic fabric of a community.

This approach could also reinforce social division. Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the Green Belt, Heritage coasts and other designated areas have strict controls on new development while Conservation Areas and World Heritage Sites place strict controls over design and protection of the built environment. These areas are also expensive places in which to buy property and they have the effect of creating social division. Areas of protection are likely to equate to these areas but also to rural and coastal areas where there are high house values so that those whose voices ‘count’ are offered a system that protects their local area. For example the localism agenda might continue in the Home Counties, using full planning controls with perhaps growth areas in east London, the Medway Towns and ethnically diverse areas such as Luton and Slough. In the north in settlements such as Middlesbrough, Barnsley, Rochdale, and Blackpool large parts of their towns and cities could be identified as growth areas and in doing so the opportunity for people living and working in those locations to retain control over their environment through planning control would be removed. This could have the effect of removing control from the very people least able to exert control over their own lives. This creates inequity, one rule for one and one rule for another. It undermines society and it is a very dangerous direction of travel.

Without planning control there is no requirement to fund local services and facilities. This could make the provision of local services in poor areas where the need is greatest far more difficult with schools overwhelmed, health services stretched and the quality of the local environment made even poorer.

Before this system is introduced I urge the government to think again. Covid-19 has already exposed social, educational and health divisions in our society. The proposed changes in the planning system will only cement these divisions.

We need well planned cities and towns and equal levels of service. We need a green decarbonising agenda and we need to improve the quality of life and the wellness of every citizen of the UK, not just the wealthy few.

Jonathan Jenkin, Managing Director, Planning & Design Practice Ltd

Main Image: Thanks to Cactus Images

Investors back Derby to recover strongly from COVID-19 crisis

5th December 20229th June 2020 by Gary Stringer

Investors behind three major schemes, together worth £450 million, and that will transform Derby have given a huge vote of confidence to the city’s ability to bounce back following the coronavirus pandemic.

Directors of the three companies, who will, create hundreds of homes, shops, restaurants and offices, say they remain committed to their investments despite global financial turbulence caused by the current health crisis. And they say Derby is well-placed to recover strongly as economic activity increases with the easing of lockdown measures.

The endorsements come from:

Wavensmere Homes, which is building 800 homes in a £150 million redevelopment of the historic former Derbyshire Royal Infirmary site;
Compendium Living, which is investing £100 million to create a further 800 homes and 35,000 sq ft of retail in the city’s Castleward;
St James Securities Group, which will plough £200 million into developing hundreds of homes, offices, restaurants and cafes around a new public square at Becketwell, on the site of the former Debenhams store and Duckworth Square shopping centre.

Their confidence in the underlying strength of Derby’s economy is a huge boost following recent news that the city’s largest private sector employer, Rolls-Royce, is to make thousands of redundancies across its global workforce. It is not yet known how many of those will be in Derby.

Wavensmere publicly launched their Nightingale Quarter development at the beginning of the year and interest has been high in the houses and apartments being built for sale or rent. Compendium Living recently submitted its planning application for the next phase of its residential development at Castleward for 82 new homes in Derby city centre. Elsewhere in the city the gradual demolition of Derby’s former Debenhams store is nearing completion, paving the way for the £200m regeneration scheme in the Becketwell area.

A further sign of confidence comes with the news that Derby has been ranked in 13th place in the UK and number one in the East Midlands as part of EY’s UK Attractiveness survey. The report presents the results of an investigation into the distribution of foreign direct investment (FDI) projects into the UK, including first-time investments in the UK and growth at existing foreign-owned businesses in the UK.

Councillor Chris Poulter, Leader of Derby City Council, welcomed the developers’ continued commitment to the city:

“We know that sections of the economy are suffering badly because of coronavirus and the resultant lockdowns. We are working hard to support Rolls-Royce, its workers and other businesses who are victims of a crisis that was not of their making,” he said.

“We remain confident in the underlying strength of our city and that Derby will emerge from this challenge as, still, a great place to live, work and invest.”

Jonathan Jenkin, Managing Director of Planning & Design Practice, who are proud to be based in Derby, at the heart of the UK, said:

“Covid 19 has cast a shadow over the economic outlook for the city, the press has focused on the problems that the pandemic has caused to Rolls Royce’s aero engine business but the city is much more than a part of a single company. Derby remains strong in advance engineering, it has one of the most improving universities, it has thousands of small and medium enterprises and it is extremely well located for the transport network being only one and a half hours by train from central London. It has a skilled workforce, available development land and reasonable house prices. The countryside around the city is some of the best in the Country.

Jonathan continues “We started in Derby in 2002 and it has proved to be a great base for business. We aim to continue our association with the city, Derby will remain our base but Covid 19 has shown us that a combination of office and homeworking is both practical and for many staff desirable. We continue to receive many enquiries regarding development, and we are confident that our past successes in and around the city will continue as we emerge for the lock down.”