As the year draws to a close and the holidays approach, our Director Richard Pigott, looks back to review what has been an interesting year, and looks ahead to what’s in store for 2025, for planning, architecture and heritage.
2024 – A year in review
Whilst this time of year is always hectic for us as we try to beat the Christmas deadline to submit planning applications, Local Plan representations and the like, it has become something of a tradition to look back on the year we have had as a company and pick out some of the highlights.
Our numbers have swelled yet again, particularly in the Architectural team, ably led by Lindsay Cruddas and David Symons who have selected some of their highlights from the year here.
We have also added to our Planning and Heritage teams, meaning the breadth of our work and its geographical spread continues to expand. Our appeal success in a major residential proposal for up to 75 new homes in Brailsford was a perfect example of how our multi-disciplinary team works together to ‘unlock’ development sites. This project required a blend of planning know-how, heritage experience and masterplanning flare to achieve outline planning permission and we hope to remain involved with the project at the reserved matters (detailed design) stage.
Our expertise in rural and agricultural development is now well established, particularly in the conversion of barns to homes under Class Q permitted development rights. The government continues to move the goalposts around Class Q, with the latest iteration in May 2024 now enabling up to 10 dwellings to be created on a single agricultural unit, but we have always kept up with the legislative changes and remain, in my humble opinion, one of the country’s leading practices in this field.
A successful Class Q transformation creating a wonderful new home from an unused agricultural building
On a personal note, I was involved in a 6-day public inquiry relating to the refusal of planning permission for the re-opening of a former quarry to extract 520,000 tonnes of building stone over a 20-year period in the Bradford district. Appointed as the council’s expert Planning witness, I found this a fascinating case (and something of a crash course in geology) and was fully in agreement with the Inspector’s conclusion that there would be significant landscape and visual harm outweighing the benefits of extracting the mineral.
Conducting a site visit to the former quarry as part of the public enquiry
On the social side of things, in September we went on our annual study trip, this time to Copenhagen. It is a truly wonderful city and I left with the feeling that the more we can do to ‘Copenhagenize’ our cities, the more attractive, safer and liveable places they will be for everyone. My adopted ‘home’ city of Derby has some way to go, in my view, to catch up with Copenhagen, but admirable steps are being made to drive up design standards and adopt interim planning guidance on the development of the Derby Station Quarter. Marketing Derby are working proactively with the planners at Derby City Council on these projects and we will be providing our feedback as part of the consultation process in due course.
Last but not least, Director Jon Millhouse published his very own book on the natural and man-made wonders of Derbyshire. I’m told its available in all good book shops or directly from the boot of Jon’s car.
All that remains for me to say is that we will continue to strive for ever more sustainable development and hope to see many of you over the next 12 months.
I would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Richard Pigott, Director, Chartered Town Planner, Planning & Design Practice Ltd
