tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29243517614853701232024-03-24T12:52:27.440-07:00DanthePlanDanthePlanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08610481719515583001noreply@blogger.comBlogger217125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924351761485370123.post-29028374036852841372023-07-24T14:12:00.000-07:002023-07-24T14:12:04.615-07:00Upfront carbonIn refusing permission for the redevelopment of the M&S Oxford Street storem against the recomendation of his inspector,Michael GOve the Secretary of State for DLUHC relied on the unacceptable level of upfront carbon emissions. This is the sensible term applied to embodoed emissions that ocur in the short term before the relatively low emissions from and energy efficient replacement building kick in. I particularly like the evidence given by Susan Barfield who "... highlighted that the IPCC told us in 2018 that we have 12 years to avoid a catastrophe, and we see growing evidence all around the world that it is happening – with floods, droughts, fires and melting ice caps. Instead of acting as if there is an emergency, by proposing to throw a huge carbon bomb unnecessarily into the atmosphere, the scheme misunderstands the urgency of our situation. What the science tells us is that what we do in the next 8 years is critical. The brief here was clearly to maximise the site’s potential and the architects have fulfilled their brief well – creating a building minimising operational carbon that 5-8 years ago would have been considered fine. However, now that we understand the upfront impact of embodied carbon it really isn’t. Particularly building two extra basements! They are the worst in terms of embodied carbon.”
This decision should make it hard to justify building 300,000 houses every year instead of devising ways to use the under-used space in the existing housing stock. The use of unwanted retail space in town centres as being proposed by the PM would be a step in the right direction but is very unlikely to be sufficient. Sub-dividing some of just a small proportion of the 28m existing dwellings would meet genuine housing needs, including an element of custom-splitting (see numerous previous blog posts). DanthePlanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08610481719515583001noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924351761485370123.post-20617264324697156412023-06-20T13:20:00.005-07:002023-06-20T13:20:54.480-07:00Too little too late or climate tittle tattleThe planning and development industry is becoming increasingly frustrated with the Government's attitude and approach to both mitigating climate chnage and nature recovery. A letter has been sent coordinated by the UK Green Building Council (UKGBC) and sent to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, levelling up secretary Michael Gove, environment secretary Thérèse Coffey, and energy secretary Grant Shapps.
It claims that the planning system is not providing a consistent approach to handling climate change and environmental considerations resulting in delays, costs, and legal challenges.
The 100 businesses that have signed the letter are calling on the government to strengthen the current planning bill by including “a new, clear legal duty for planning decisions and plan-making to explicitly align with the UK’s carbon budgets and adaptation goals under the Climate Change Act 2008, and nature restoration targets under the Environment Act 2021”. The letter is on the UKGBC web site.All these businesses should be taking posve action while they wait for a response.
Unfortunately the Government is preoccupied by fighting off legal challenges to its dangerously ill informed approach to climate change; the Saltcross Garden Village, coal mining, airport expansions and north sea oil licensing. Instead of steering the UK onto a path consistent with the carbon budgets set by the Climate Change Committee it continues to make unwarranted claims about world leadership and claims that Lord Callanan at Beis is still, after 5 years of trying, up to the job of insulating over 20m sub-standard dwellings to address both fuel poverty and carbon emissions.
Having it explained that deploying carbon negative technologies to remove carbon from the atmosphere could trigger rebound effect as carbon will re-emerge from the oceans Beis have confirmed that this effect is not taken into account in the Energy Bill as the focus should be on reducing emissions in the first place. And the Climate Change Committee are issuing its progress report on 28 June 2023 which should analyses the impact of building large numbers of houses with high levels of embodied carbon. Suggestions are welcomed for a collective noun for well meaning but useless individuals and organisations that are failing to deal effectively with carbon emissions that build the Keeling Curve showing concentrations at 424ppmDanthePlanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08610481719515583001noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924351761485370123.post-3519481667615177752023-06-06T10:12:00.002-07:002023-06-06T10:12:47.120-07:00Builders not blockers but carbon blind It is not everyday that the Guardian publishes my letter. This is the theme of a Blog sent to rd Brick, rejected on Any Answers but accepted by the paper on second asking subject to a little editing.
"Promising to be the "builders not the blockers" might be good
electioneering but suggests that Labour is attempting to sidestep
carbon budgets when making its policies (Labour plan to free up land
to tackle housing crisis 30 May). If new housing is to be added to the
existing surplus (currently about one million more dwellings than
households) it must be right to focus on registered providers building
houses on cheaper land, preferably at social rent. But the proposed
300,000 new dwellings a year would result in carbon emissions embodied
in the houses and associated services equivalent to 113% of the carbon
budget for the whole of the economy.
The crisis is caused by the grossly unfair distribution of housing
and, in particular, under-occupation is at unsustainable levels.
About 50% of the space and fabric required to be insulated and heated
is not meeting housing needs. As under-occupation is also a main
cause in the closing of local schools (Primary schools in cities at
risk as families move to cheaper areas 30 May) this is where Labour
should be focusing its attention."
It's nice to have an audience but Labour will take no notice.
DanthePlanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08610481719515583001noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924351761485370123.post-27579082380862478202023-05-11T13:14:00.002-07:002023-05-11T13:14:35.420-07:00New build and bustPressure is building for a change to the planning regulations to enable the Government to claim that it is helping young people onto the housing ladder. And any such claim will immediately be exceeded by Labour. The volume of this debate will increase as a general election approaches. Despite there only being a tenuous link between the plight of the thousands of households in need of a decent home and the building of new estates by the volume builders, there is fresh talk of renewing the recently expired Help to Buy scheme that makes it easier to raise deposits on new homes. The explanation that the scheme has increased to price of houses for those both on and those off the scheme is falling on deaf ears. There is a growth in those claiming that even 300,000 new homes a year would not be enough to meet the need without a mention that the embodied carbon would exceed the budget for the whole economy, the 1million empty homes (there are about 28m houses and 27m households) and the 50% of space in existing houses that is not meeting housing needs (but the space and fabric needs insulation and heating).
Another current debate is about the meaning of 15min neighbourhoods and how these can be achieved. I have not heard mention of the impact that under-occupancy has on the viability of services in these areas that could be significantly increased if the existing houses were subdivided, enabling downsizing in place and new households creating a home. Meanwhile the statutory self build registers started in 2016 are fading into the distance.
For those who spotted the story about the former RAF Upper Heyford in a previous blog, on 9 September 2022 Cherwell District Council approved the 2018 application for a masterplan but did not inform me until 19 December. It has taken 5 months to provide an explanation for a delay that extended beyond the statutory 6 weeks in which to challenge a decision in the courts. An officer who had emailed after 9 September implying that the decision had not been made claimed that there was no delay because the public could and should be tracking applications online. The notification was in response to emails enquiring about progress, but not such an enquiry made within the 6 week period. This will now be a footnote in the book about Upper Heyford and Cold War memory to lower expectations about the delivery of the planning service, describing the lack of remedies for mistakes including the closing of ranks as officers cover for the failings of each other.
DanthePlanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08610481719515583001noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924351761485370123.post-88257419129129151932023-01-18T14:37:00.003-08:002023-01-18T14:37:18.666-08:00The Oxford Real Farming Conference and time for planners to promote agroecology<p>As is my wont I attend and then produce a blog about the Oxford Real Farming Conference. This year the conference grew to over 4000 delegates with 1300 in Oxford and the remainder joining online from around the world. My purpose is gauge where real farming is heading and whether the planning system could help. Nothing I heard dented my conviction that the potential of the planning system continues to be ignored. The failure of the agroecology movement to engage with the planning system handicaps its growth and prevents those operating the system from learning whet agroecology has to offer and how it could be supported and encouraged - a true double whammy. When one of the few (I think that there was one other) chartered planners could not even name the Minister for Planning (Lucy Frazer?) it is clear that some steeled status is needed before normal people can be expected to spend time on plan-making or decision-taking. It is almost impossible to understand the impact of existing plans and policies before trying to keep up with proposed changes. The latest consultation to the National Planning Policy Framework actually signposts further changes scheduled for next year, and then wonders why people find better things to do.</p><p>Unfortunately when discussing what the land use planning system could do I also need to recommend changes to the system as well as challenging officers, councillors and inspectors to do what is already possible with existing controls to privilege applications that advance the cause of agroecology. This includes the allocation of land for smallholding around settlements where there would be a presumption in favour of approving agricultural workers dwellings. This would complement a practice of requiring all development proposals on the edge of settlements to place land for smallholding purposes into a local community land trust (through the use of s106 undertakings). One or more of the houses being proposed would be transferred to a housing association as part of the social housing quota but with the occupation limited to somebody working all or some of the smallholding land being secured.</p><p>It has become increasingly clear that agroecology has a materially different impact on land and soils that industrial farming in ways that can be measured; nutrient density of crops, soil depth and fertility, biodiversity etc. In these circumstances there are grounds for changing the planning legislation to require permission to be sought than granted for material change of use. It would be permitted development for farming practices to improve soil depth and fertility but planning permission would be needed for any operations that would harm soils; deep cultivations; applications of artificial fertilisers, pesticides and herbicides. Industrial farmers would not approve but that is the point. The expertise in planning offices would have to grow but the distinctions being drawn would be no more detailed than in the change of use of buildings that can be extremely tricky to investigate, measure and enforce. </p><p>This change would excite those who are doing their own thing and to form a critical mass of 'real farmers'.<br /></p><p><br /></p>DanthePlanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08610481719515583001noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924351761485370123.post-87011623411568905712022-12-13T15:28:00.003-08:002022-12-13T15:28:53.503-08:00How can LNRSs benefit from the LURB?<p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 2;"><span style="font-family: Times; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 2;"><span style="font-family: Times; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">One of the reasons why normal people develop a
deep distrust for the planning system must be down the difficulty experienced
in trying to understand and track proposals to address its failings and propose
improvements. Every new Government seems to see it as a duty to introduce fundamental
changes through manifesto pledges, white papers, green papers, and ministerial
statements in the press and in Hansard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>During years of grandstanding there will be expressions of public
opinion through opinion polls and by-election results, and the publication of
reports by NGOs and think tanks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Eventually a Parliamentary bill will emerge that seeks to meet the test
of fundamental change but actually amounts to more than tinkering around the
fringe.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 2;"><span style="font-family: Times; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 2;"><span style="font-family: Times; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Welcome to the <a href="https://www.theplanner.co.uk/categories/topics/levelling-and-regeneration-bill"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Levelling up
and Regeneration Bill</span></a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Fortunately this bears little if any resemblance to the Future of
Planning White Paper drafted by Policy Exchange.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But neither does it meet any of the criteria
associated with the levelling up of a divided country.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The unintended consequence is to alienate all
those who would like to engage with the planning system to explore the
potential to tackle the closely joined crises afflicting the climate and
nature.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Borne out of this frustration is another
report and <em><span style="font-family: Times;">Making the Most Out of England’s
Land </span></em>can be found on the UK Parliament website (pdf). Lord Cameron
of Dillington, chair of the Land Use in England Committee said,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>"Land use in England is facing a growing
number of conflicting pressures and demands including for food, nature,
biodiversity, net zero targets, housing, energy and wellbeing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The government cannot afford to deprioritise
this issue.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">The proposed <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Land Use Commission would be responsible for
creating a land use framework which will help identify and address current and
emerging challenges and opportunities for land use in England. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The framework should, "replace the
current siloed approach to land use policy with a deliberative and cooperative
technique in order to make use of the opportunities and synergies that
provides".</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">The provision, access to and maintenance of green
space would be a priority in the framework.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Lord Dillington added that, in addition to a land use framework,
regional priorities should be encouraged through the proposed Local Nature
Recovery Strategies (LNRSs).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>"The
government must ensure LNRSs are given appropriate funding and prominence in
the planning system to enable them to operate successfully and gain traction
amongst farmers and other land managers.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">While it is preferable for the LNRSs to be
embedded in the planning system that emerges from its brush with the LURB, the progress
of the latter bill through Parliament is so fraught with political infighting
that Lord Dillington and his colleagues might be well advised to look elsewhere
and promote LNRSs for their own sake and on their own terms.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is a very unfortunate conclusion to
arrive at as the losers will be all those who have been waiting for the
planning system to deliver on the regeneration of the environment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The environment itself will be poorer from
these political games as it is treated as something separate from rather than
intrinsic to our daily lives. </span></p>
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{page:WordSection1;}</style> <br /></p>DanthePlanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08610481719515583001noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924351761485370123.post-46538374854987955092022-10-24T12:52:00.001-07:002022-10-24T12:52:40.255-07:00Custom-building and custom-splitting<p>I am writing this waiting for the dust to settle on the new administration led by Rishi Sunak and starting tomorrow 25 October 2022. having wasted my time and yours addressing Greg Clarke and then Simon Clarke/Lee Rowley we don't know who will be put in charge of housing. What we can anticipate is a renewed commitment to building 300,000 houses a year but, possibly, increasing the difficulty by giving more powers to local areas (ie those in blue wall constituencies like Amersham and Chesham that punished the Johnson Government threatening to adopt measures proposed by the Policy Exchange planner moved into Downing Street.</p><p>I feel fairly safe in saying that the 2022 administration will say all the right things about self and custom building but lack the imagination or knowledge of the planning system to give this the necessary boost. The custom building champion Richard Bacon MP is on record as describing the planning system as a "thicket". That a good description from somebody who lacks the energy or ability to sort out the wood from the trees. When properly understood even the current and badly thought out legislation could be used to lift the numbers from under 10k to over 50k. Unfortunately there is not an MP who has the ability to do that.<br /></p><p>By far the most read DanthePlan blog is that on custom building and the subject deserves an update since 2016. The lack of progress could be evidence to support the contention that the is insufficient understanding at local and central level.</p><p>The first thing to do is to get onto the Council(s) register that provides the scale of the demand for serviced plots that the planning authority is legally required to be meeting. But, given that custom builders should, be definition, be prepared to go it alone, my next suggestion is to have conversations any housebuilder operating in the area of search. Would they reserve or sell a plot and build a
house to my design? They could be reminded of the Housing and Planning Act that places the responsibility
LPAs to ensure the supply of sufficient serviced plots but the housebuilder will mostly interested in offloading a plot at an acceptable price without depreciating any other. Asking as a group about a contained part of a site might be more fruitful. Agreeing the customising of the design(s) should be straightforward, but the involvement of your own labour less so.<br />
<br />
An important- no very important - point to make is that there is
provision for non-material amendments to be accepted by LPAs without the
need for fresh applications. The judgement of what is non-material one
for the LPA but has to be made in the context of the permission as a
whole. In the case of say development of 50 dwellings it would be
entirely reasonable for the LPA to agree that a change to a house type
(or two or three) would not require a fresh application. This would
remove one of the objections from the housebuilder.<br />
<br />
On larger sites the builder might only be expecting to build 30 to 40
units per year so the sale of plots in a discrete part of the site
should not interfere with progress over the rest. I am not going to predict how long or deep the recession might be affecting property prices but now might be a good time to be speaking to builders with unfinished sites. The investment would have been made in the roads and drains and the prospects of achieving the projected prices for completed houses might have taken a dent. Any delays might mean additional costs incurred in meeting the new Part L building regulations<br />
</p><p>Sunak might renew the Help to Buy scheme but might also have become aware that this has maintained and raised house prices mostly to the benefit of housebuilders. Without this kind of incentive (bribe) plot sales to custom builders could make economic sense.</p><p>Limited new build should only be encouraged if it is zero carbon in both building (inc materials and services) and then in operation (heating, lighting and appliances). Even if custom-builders are traditionally better than the housebuilders they might have to be better at building terraces that makes the net zero job much easier. It is easier still for the custom-splitter. This is more fully explained in a number of other blogs over the years, but starts with finding the owner of a larger house wanting to downsize-in-place and being prepared to partner in the physical sub-division of building and garden on the promise of well insulated, efficiently heated and accessible space suitable for their later years. This could result in the sale or a rent to buy of the new dwelling. The terms could and should be better than the equity release being touted by the finance industry. I am waiting to see any other suggestions as to how housing needs can be met within carbon budgets or how 20 million existing dwellings can be retrofitted to net zero standards by 2035 (actually many fewer sub-divisions would be adequate to meet most if not all housing needs)?<br /></p>DanthePlanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08610481719515583001noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924351761485370123.post-62690964978198931222022-09-10T12:20:00.000-07:002022-09-10T12:20:05.899-07:00Dear Mr ClarkeNo, this is not a typo. Simon Clarke has been appointed Secretary of State for Levelling up, Housing and Communities, taking over from Greg Clark to whom the previous blog was addressed. This game of musical chairs says a lot about our system of government; the prime minister rewards her friends with jobs and cabinet membership even if the current post holder might have years' of experience and has not done anythng wrong. Clark's predecessor, Mr Jenrick was retained by PM Johnson even though he had made serious errors of judgement.
Three points of interest; the increase of housesharing by the over 50s, the problems with equity share, and the effect of the cost of energy/living on the salability of houses.
The housing squeeze is making it hard for those without equity to move into the housing market. There are significant number of older people who are having to share houses in order to afford rent. What is normal for students is less acceptable to the more elderly and sedate. There is a distant prospect of middle aged housemates tolerating similar level of mess, noise, partying etc as in younger days. The problem in the UK is that there are insufficient housng models to accommodate the poor elderly, by what I mean, an absence of co-housing oportunities. Multiple occupation and shared housing does not provide the level of privacy that older people expect without confining them to the other extreme of single bedroom flats. The happy medium of small private areas and generous shared living areas is missing. Mr Clarke is likely to focus on boosting home ownership that has been associated with voting Tory without incentivising the diversity of supply to match our current needs and preferences.
The obvious problems with equity sharing are coming to light (or journalists have stumbled across them). All are leasehold and many have high service charges and maintenance bills, both paid by the occupier and not the holder of the remaining equity (usually a housing association). But the problem that is not mentioned is the fact that equity sharing is a device that maintains or inflates the cost of housing that makes equity sharing necessary for so many. Take it away and the price of property would have to fall to meet what most people could afford in terms of both deposit and mortgage payments. Another case of a demand side stimulus rasing prices to require more demend side stimuli to add to the Help to Buy Equity loan Scheme that is reaching its end. Mr Clarke should resist renewing Help to Buy and recommend lending rules that disincentivise the mixture of rent and mortgage payments. High interest rates might do the trick in the short term giving the Minister time and space for a long term measure.
In arranging a webinar to look at te impact that the cost of energy is and is likely to have on house prices I have found an estate agent who claims that the EPC has become the second matter of interest after price, having been 'nowhere' in previous months/years. I have struggled with finding a bank or building society to help but, on line, found NatWest to be ahead of the curve.see https://www.natwest.com/mortgages/greener-homes-attitude-tracker.html#download-the-survey. I am surprised by some of these findings (eg scale of EV home charging points) but encouraged by green mortgages and the trend of increasing interest in energy upgrades. This should experience a step change if we have a normally cold winter. Mr Clarke, your predecessors have been negligent in failing to establish a way of upgrading 20million homes, the result of which will be death and misery for those unable to adequately heat their sub-standard homes. DanthePlanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08610481719515583001noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924351761485370123.post-2262771032929717522022-07-26T02:35:00.001-07:002022-07-26T02:35:46.548-07:00Dear Mr Clark<p>At least until there is a new Prime Minister on 5 September we have Greg Clark MP as the Communities Secretary. He has responsibility for the work being carried out by inspectors, including the report issued to West Oxfordshire in respect of an Action Area Plan for the proposed Garden Village being called Salt Cross. In this case the inspector recommended the dismantling of the policies aiming to make the development zero carbon and this is the letter and attachment sent to the Mr Clark’s department. </p><p>Dear Sir or Madam </p><p>In congratulating Mr Cark on his appointment as Communities Secretary
(and leveling up) I thought that he might like to have to hand his
foreword to the NPPF 2012 and commitment to zero carbon housing that
was shredded by George Osborn. This only makes sense if national
standards were enabling zero carbon.(see extract below)
Mr Clark might have become aware of a recommendation made by a
development plan inspector during his predecessor’s time and this is
admirably summarised by Hugh Ellis in his TCPA blog at
https://tcpa.org.uk/pins-assault-on-an-exemplary-net-zero-planning-policy/ I would urge Mr Clark, as a champion of zero carbon, to stamp his
authority on the Department and ensure that the inspector's (rogue)
recommendation is withdrawn before it is acted on by West Oxfordshire
District Council and accepted by the development industry as the
position of the Government. </p><p>Regards </p><p>Daniel Scharf MRTPI </p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>NPPF 2012</b> </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Foreword by Greg Clark</b> </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The purpose of planning is to help achieve sustainable development.
Sustainable means ensuring that better lives for ourselves don’t mean worse lives for future generations. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>9. MEETING THE CHALLENGE OF CLIMATE CHANGE, FLOODING AND COASTAL CHANGE</b> </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">93. Planning plays a key role in helping shape places to secure radical reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, minimising vulnerability and providing resilience to the impacts of climate change, and supporting the delivery of renewable and low carbon energy and associated infrastructure. This is central to the economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainable development. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">94. Local planning authorities should adopt proactive strategies to mitigate and adapt to climate change, taking full account of flood risk, coastal change and water supply and demand considerations. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">95. To support the move to a low carbon future, local planning authorities should:
●● plan for new development in locations and ways which reduce greenhouse gas emissions;
●● actively support energy efficiency improvements to existing buildings; and
●● when setting any local requirement for a building’s sustainability, do so in a way consistent with the Government’s zero carbon buildings policy and adopt nationally described standards. </span></p><p>I would urge all readers who are concerned about the impact that this decision could have on the development of garden villages and new residential development more widely, to write in similar terms to the Department of Leveling –Up, Housing and Communities to limit the damage that could be caused by a failure to use the planning system to facilitate the transition to zero carbon.
</p>DanthePlanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08610481719515583001noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924351761485370123.post-19020598268449130392022-07-25T15:22:00.001-07:002022-07-25T15:22:11.455-07:00Good law to climate rescueThis might not be a planning case but the judgement could and should have profound implications for the land use planning system. In The Queen (on the application of (1) Friends of the Earth Limited(2) Client Earth (3) Good Law Project and Joanna Wheatley v Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy [2022] EWHC 1841 (Admin) the judge (who had a planning background) decided that the Government is legally obliged to explain how it intends to meet the carbon budgets set out by the Climate Change Committee and officially adopted.
The Government has been reluctant to do this because a) it hasn’t a clue or b) it realizes that some of the necessary measures might not be popular with its voters? Two areas that the CCC had highlighted as requiring more attention were home energy and food and agriculture. The rate and extent to which the energy efficiency of houses will have to be improved to meet the 5th and 6th carbon budgets falls outside anything that the Communities or Business Departments have hitherto dared to suggest or offer meaningful financial support. The Government should view the judgement as a blessing in disguise as it can reasonably blame the Courts for any inconvenience caused in bringing the nation’s building stock up to a decent standard. All those involved in the operating the planning system should be considering if its actions are consistent with the carbon budgets. Being an arm of government the planning system must be seen to be operating in line with carbon reduction budgets (and not just the targets).
Both candidates for the election of the next Prime Minister have confirmed support for the net zero target for 2050 and both have identified home insulation as a primary target (having been ministers in a Government that has been in dereliction of its duty in that regard since 2010).
Congratulations to Client Earth, Friends of the Earth, Ms Wheatley and Good Earth Project for eliciting the help of the Courts in ensuring the planning system plays its (important) part in facilitating the transition to net zero. Zero carbon housing is most likely to involve a reduction in new building and increase in subdivisions (even custom-splitting – see many previous blogs). A zero carbon agriculture (see National Farmers Union net zero by 2040 target) might also need support from the planning system if not a change to the law to bring agricultural practices under control? (see previous blogs)
DanthePlanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08610481719515583001noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924351761485370123.post-53119988489298193912022-06-27T15:20:00.005-07:002022-06-28T12:55:49.674-07:00Who is going to fight for green retrofitting?<p>As a subscriber to the housing blog Red Brick (the red corner) I often find myself adding a comment questioning the reliance on new building to meet genuine housing needs. I am tempted to write in similar terms to<span style="font-family: serif; font-size: 15.8333px; left: 507.87px; top: 464.394px; transform: scaleX(1.11626);"> Lichfields (in the blue corner) about a report prepared for the Land </span><span style="font-family: serif; font-size: 15.8333px; left: 507.87px; top: 485.23px; transform: scaleX(1.09997);">Promoters and Developers Federation (LPDF) - Banking on Brownfield - that is all about proving that this strategy would fail to meet Government new building targets and greenfield development is necessary. The report can be found at https://lichfields.uk/media/7062/banking-on-brownfield_jun-22.pdf</span></p><p><span style="font-family: serif; font-size: 15.8333px; left: 507.87px; top: 485.23px; transform: scaleX(1.09997);">The report is aimed at the Government which is retreating from the 300,000 per year target and the tilted balance in favour of granting permission when 5 year land supply cannot be demonstrated in circumstances where an up to date local plan has been adopted. No mention by Lichfields of the carbon emitted in the construction phase or the claim from Kent University that 300,000 new houses per year would 'embody' the whole carbon budget for all sectors of the economy.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: serif; font-size: 15.8333px; left: 507.87px; top: 485.23px; transform: scaleX(1.09997);">Instead, I am in the green corner concentrating my fire on Channel 4 and John Lewis and Partners who sponsor the 'Homes on 4' series including programmes hosted by Kevin McCloud, George Clarke and Sarah Beeny. I find it hard to believe that John Lewis or his Partners can be happy with these programmes concentrating on increasing light, space and profits without any mention of energy efficiency. I found a Waitrose cashier/Partner who was as unhappy with the balance of these programmes as I am.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: serif; font-size: 15.8333px; left: 507.87px; top: 485.23px; transform: scaleX(1.09997);">Anybody with clout in this area could join the fight (ie correspondence) to have energy refitting as the main theme for 'Homes on 4' programmes as 20million homes need to have a deep refit in the next ten years. Increasing their size, vaulting the ceilings and having large areas of glass will make this task more difficult. A discussion about external wall insulation and heat pumps would be very informative but is not seen as sufficiently entertaining for TV audiences? I have also asked the editor of The Planner (the magazine of the Royal Town Planning Institute) to include an article about residential sub-divisions, including custom-splitting, but am not holding my breath - Lichfields and their reports are considered to be more important. <br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: serif; font-size: 15.8333px; left: 507.87px; top: 485.23px; transform: scaleX(1.09997);"><br /></span></p>DanthePlanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08610481719515583001noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924351761485370123.post-49311918143343568272022-06-27T14:43:00.004-07:002022-06-27T14:45:11.139-07:00Government finds fracking to be incompatible with Net Zero<p> <span face="sans-serif" style="font-size: 20px; left: 85px; top: 364.733px; transform: scaleX(1.00924);">I thought that it was worth quoting from a recent refusal by the Sec of State to allow a fracking survey rig:</span><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/recovered-appeal-land-adjacent-to-dinnington-road-woodsetts-rotherham-ref-3220577-7-june-2022?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=govuk-notifications-topic&utm_source=8036f46f-f3d9-4c3e-b85f-861660a7f5e4&utm_content=immediately"><u>APP/P4415/W/19/3220577</u></a></p><p><span face="sans-serif" style="font-size: 20px; left: 85px; top: 364.733px; transform: scaleX(1.00924);">" 17.</span><span face="sans-serif" style="font-size: 20px; left: 115.04px; top: 364.733px; transform: scaleX(1.00013);">The Secretary of State notes that national shale gas policy is set out in a number of </span><span face="sans-serif" style="font-size: 20px; left: 115.04px; top: 387.733px; transform: scaleX(0.999941);">Written Ministerial Statements. Although the WMSs remain extant, he has t</span><span face="sans-serif" style="font-size: 20px; left: 570.917px; top: 387.733px; transform: scaleX(1.00038);">aken into account that specific shale </span><span face="sans-serif" style="font-size: 20px; left: 115.04px; top: 410.733px; transform: scaleX(0.999679);">gas policy in the Framework was quashed in 2019 by the </span><span face="sans-serif" style="font-size: 20px; left: 624.317px; top: 410.733px; transform: scaleX(1.01717);">Talk Fracking</span><span face="sans-serif" style="font-size: 13.4px; left: 744.167px; top: 410.106px;">1</span><span face="sans-serif" style="font-size: 20px; left: 757.167px; top: 410.733px; transform: scaleX(1.00096);">judgment, </span><span face="sans-serif" style="font-size: 20px; left: 115.04px; top: 433.783px; transform: scaleX(0.999685);">following which paragraph 209(a) of the 2019 version of the NPPF was withdrawn (IR7). </span><span face="sans-serif" style="font-size: 20px; left: 115.04px; top: 456.783px; transform: scaleX(1.00002);">The November 2019 </span><span face="sans-serif" style="font-size: 20px; left: 303.033px; top: 456.783px; transform: scaleX(1.00039);">BEIS </span><span face="sans-serif" style="font-size: 20px; left: 354.083px; top: 456.783px; transform: scaleX(1.00022);">WMS introduced a moratorium </span><span face="sans-serif" style="font-size: 20px; left: 631.117px; top: 456.783px; transform: scaleX(0.998959);">on the issuing of Hydraulic </span><span face="sans-serif" style="font-size: 20px; left: 115.04px; top: 479.783px; transform: scaleX(1.00193);">Fracturing Consents (HFCs) as a result of concerns about induced seismicity. </span><span face="sans-serif" style="font-size: 20px; left: 115.04px; top: 502.783px; transform: scaleX(1.00018);"> are not part of the planning system,</span><span face="sans-serif" style="font-size: 20px; left: 490.883px; top: 502.783px; transform: scaleX(1.0003);">the Secretary of State agrees with the </span><span face="sans-serif" style="font-size: 20px; left: 115.04px; top: 525.783px; transform: scaleX(1.00121);">Inspector that </span><span face="sans-serif" style="font-size: 20px; left: 242.033px; top: 525.783px; transform: scaleX(0.9996);">the </span><span face="sans-serif" style="font-size: 20px; left: 275.233px; top: 525.783px; transform: scaleX(0.998501);">201</span><span face="sans-serif" style="font-size: 20px; left: 308.633px; top: 525.783px;">9</span><span face="sans-serif" style="font-size: 20px; left: 325.283px; top: 525.783px; transform: scaleX(1.00097);">BEIS WMS</span><span face="sans-serif" style="font-size: 20px; left: 430.883px; top: 525.783px; transform: scaleX(1.0001);"> and resulting moratorium </span><span face="sans-serif" style="font-size: 20px; left: 657.917px; top: 525.783px; transform: scaleX(0.9945);">is a m</span><span face="sans-serif" style="font-size: 20px; left: 711.117px; top: 525.783px; transform: scaleX(0.999566);">aterial consideration </span><span face="sans-serif" style="font-size: 20px; left: 115.04px; top: 548.778px; transform: scaleX(0.999917);">in this case (IR584). He notes that the WMS states that ‘the shale gas industry should </span><span face="sans-serif" style="font-size: 20px; left: 115.04px; top: 571.778px; transform: scaleX(1.00012);">take the Government’s position into account when considering new developments’, and </span><span face="sans-serif" style="font-size: 20px; left: 115.04px; top: 594.783px; transform: scaleX(1.0001);">agrees with the Inspector that any immediate value of the devel</span><span face="sans-serif" style="font-size: 20px; left: 675.717px; top: 594.783px; transform: scaleX(0.999611);">opment as an exploratory </span><span face="sans-serif" style="font-size: 20px; left: 115.04px; top: 617.778px; transform: scaleX(0.999631);">or ‘listening’ well would be significantly reduced unless and until the restrictions are lifted </span><span face="sans-serif" style="font-size: 20px; left: 115.04px; top: 640.783px; transform: scaleX(1.00176);">(IR585). </span><span face="sans-serif" style="font-size: 20px; left: 85px; top: 683.783px; transform: scaleX(1.00924);"> </span></p><p><span face="sans-serif" style="font-size: 20px; left: 85px; top: 683.783px; transform: scaleX(1.00924);">18.</span><span face="sans-serif" style="font-size: 20px; left: 115.04px; top: 683.778px; transform: scaleX(1.00062);">The Secretary of State has also considered Sheffield Climate Alliance’s representations, </span><span face="sans-serif" style="font-size: 20px; left: 115.04px; top: 706.783px; transform: scaleX(1.00019);">in which they question whether the e</span><span face="sans-serif" style="font-size: 20px; left: 438.883px; top: 706.783px; transform: scaleX(0.999846);">xploitation of shale gas is compatible with the 2050 </span><span face="sans-serif" style="font-size: 20px; left: 115.04px; top: 729.817px; transform: scaleX(0.999715);">commitment to reduce emissions by at least 80% (the commitment at the time of the </span><span face="sans-serif" style="font-size: 20px; left: 115.04px; top: 752.817px; transform: scaleX(0.999774);">inquiry), and whether there is a strategic need for this proposal (IR469</span><span face="sans-serif" style="font-size: 20px; left: 734.517px; top: 752.817px;">-</span><span face="sans-serif" style="font-size: 20px; left: 741.167px; top: 752.817px; transform: scaleX(1.00046);">478). </span><span face="sans-serif" style="font-size: 20px; left: 792.367px; top: 752.817px; transform: scaleX(0.99952);">He has also </span><span face="sans-serif" style="font-size: 20px; left: 115.04px; top: 775.817px; transform: scaleX(1.0003);">considered the representations</span><span face="sans-serif" style="font-size: 20px; left: 395.283px; top: 775.817px; transform: scaleX(1.00276);"> made by Dr Andy Tickell at IR</span><span face="sans-serif" style="font-size: 20px; left: 659.917px; top: 775.817px; transform: scaleX(0.999077);">462, which </span><span face="sans-serif" style="font-size: 20px; left: 761.167px; top: 775.817px; transform: scaleX(0.999353);">submits that </span><span face="sans-serif" style="font-size: 20px; left: 874.567px; top: 775.817px; transform: scaleX(1.0002);">the </span><span face="sans-serif" style="font-size: 20px; left: 115.04px; top: 798.817px; transform: scaleX(1.00294);">Talk Fracking judgement has established that proper consideration should be given to </span><span face="sans-serif" style="font-size: 20px; left: 115.04px; top: 821.817px; transform: scaleX(1.00075);">counter arguments </span><span face="sans-serif" style="font-size: 20px; left: 287.433px; top: 821.817px; transform: scaleX(0.999641);">against shale gas explorat</span><span face="sans-serif" style="font-size: 20px; left: 519.883px; top: 821.817px;">i</span><span face="sans-serif" style="font-size: 20px; left: 524.283px; top: 821.817px; transform: scaleX(1.0075);">on</span><span face="sans-serif" style="font-size: 20px; left: 552.317px; top: 821.817px; transform: scaleX(0.999096);"> and also </span><span face="sans-serif" style="font-size: 20px; left: 633.517px; top: 821.817px;">r</span><span face="sans-serif" style="font-size: 20px; left: 640.117px; top: 821.817px; transform: scaleX(0.999554);">efers to the UK Committee on </span><span face="sans-serif" style="font-size: 20px; left: 115.04px; top: 844.811px; transform: scaleX(1.00151);">Climate Change’s ‘Net Zero</span><span face="sans-serif" style="font-size: 20px; left: 360.883px; top: 844.811px; transform: scaleX(0.999818);">’ report. </span><span face="sans-serif" style="font-size: 20px; left: 85px; top: 887.817px; transform: scaleX(1.00924);"> </span></p><p><span face="sans-serif" style="font-size: 20px; left: 85px; top: 887.817px; transform: scaleX(1.00924);">19.</span><span face="sans-serif" style="font-size: 20px; left: 115.04px; top: 887.817px; transform: scaleX(1.00686);">Taking the above matters into account, </span><span face="sans-serif" style="font-size: 20px; left: 465.483px; top: 887.817px; transform: scaleX(1.00003);">the Secretary of State</span><span face="sans-serif" style="font-size: 20px; left: 664.517px; top: 887.817px; transform: scaleX(0.997165);"> agrees</span><span face="sans-serif" style="font-size: 20px; left: 725.517px; top: 887.817px;">,</span><span face="sans-serif" style="font-size: 20px; left: 736.767px; top: 887.817px; transform: scaleX(1.00047);">on the basis of the </span><span face="sans-serif" style="font-size: 20px; left: 115.04px; top: 910.817px; transform: scaleX(0.999678);">evidence put forward in this case, that </span><span face="sans-serif" style="font-size: 20px; left: 456.483px; top: 910.817px; transform: scaleX(0.999179);">in this case </span><span face="sans-serif" style="font-size: 20px; left: 562.117px; top: 910.817px; transform: scaleX(0.999606);">government support for shale gas as </span><span face="sans-serif" style="font-size: 20px; left: 115.04px; top: 933.817px; transform: scaleX(1.00023);">set out in the WMSs should carry reduced weight</span><span face="sans-serif" style="font-size: 20px; left: 550.117px; top: 933.817px; transform: scaleX(0.998184);">. He </span><span face="sans-serif" style="font-size: 20px; left: 592.317px; top: 933.817px; transform: scaleX(0.998853);">has </span><span face="sans-serif" style="font-size: 20px; left: 630.117px; top: 933.817px; transform: scaleX(0.999445);">further taken into account the </span><span face="sans-serif" style="font-size: 20px; left: 115.04px; top: 956.817px; transform: scaleX(1.00045);">provisions of </span><span face="sans-serif" style="font-size: 20px; left: 233.033px; top: 956.817px; transform: scaleX(0.999232);">paragraph</span><span face="sans-serif" style="font-size: 20px; left: 324.283px; top: 956.817px; transform: scaleX(1.00068);">s 209 and</span><span face="sans-serif" style="font-size: 20px; left: 417.683px; top: 956.817px;">2</span><span face="sans-serif" style="font-size: 20px; left: 428.883px; top: 956.817px; transform: scaleX(1.07865);">11</span><span face="sans-serif" style="font-size: 20px; left: 456.683px; top: 956.817px; transform: scaleX(0.9997);">of the Framework</span><span face="sans-serif" style="font-size: 20px; left: 612.317px; top: 956.817px; transform: scaleX(0.998746);">, and o</span><span face="sans-serif" style="font-size: 20px; left: 673.517px; top: 956.817px; transform: scaleX(0.995689);">verall </span><span face="sans-serif" style="font-size: 20px; left: 726.717px; top: 956.817px; transform: scaleX(1.00025);">he considers that </span><span face="sans-serif" style="font-size: 20px; left: 115.04px; top: 979.817px; transform: scaleX(1.00024);">national policy support for </span><span face="sans-serif" style="font-size: 20px; left: 348.683px; top: 979.817px; transform: scaleX(0.999828);">the benefits of shale gas exploration in this case</span><span face="sans-serif" style="font-size: 20px; left: 780.367px; top: 979.817px; transform: scaleX(0.9948);"> carry </span><span face="sans-serif" style="font-size: 20px; left: 115.04px; top: 1002.82px; transform: scaleX(1.0007);">moderate </span><span face="sans-serif" style="font-size: 20px; left: 205.233px; top: 1002.82px; transform: scaleX(0.999211);">weight." </span></p><p><span face="sans-serif" style="font-size: 20px; left: 205.233px; top: 1002.82px; transform: scaleX(0.999211);">In doing so, the Minister (Stuart Andrew) rejected the inspector's recommendation of approval. This decision could have wider implications where carbon emissions would be expected to exceed the officially agreed budgets.<br /></span></p>DanthePlanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08610481719515583001noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924351761485370123.post-81155445965286905882022-06-20T10:08:00.003-07:002022-06-20T10:09:31.358-07:00Planning and water pollution<p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I am keen for environmental NGOs and lobby groups to use the planning system as best they can and I tracked the recent way in which water pollution has impacted on plan-making and decision-taking for a group of bioregionalists that I thought could be of wider interest.<br /></span><u><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></u></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></u></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></u></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Nutrient Pollution</span></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This is
a note relating to the issue of nutrient pollution is impacting the supply of
new housing through the planning system.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Some text has been copied from the Planner and <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Local Government Lawyer</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Appeal decisions</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">An
inspector has dismissed appeals for two homes in Shipdham, Norfolk, after
ruling that wastewater from the dwellings could pollute nearby habitat sites. </span><span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://acp.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/ViewCase.aspx?Caseid=3271209&CoID=0"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span lang="EN-US">APP/F260<span lang="EN-US">5/W/21/3271209</span></span></span></a></span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The
appellant sought outline permission to build a two-storey, two-bedroom detached
house (appeal A) and full permission for a three-bedroom house (appeal B). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Breckland Council had opposed the development,
citing as concerns the impact on habitat sites, harm to the area’s appearance,
highway safety and unsuitable living conditions. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Inspector
M Woodward observed that the nearby River Wensum Special Area of Conservation,
which was included in Natural England advice about the effects of nutrient
pollution from wastewater on habitat sites. The residential nature of the
proposals would mean that they would generate waste water. The appellant
indicated that the houses would be connected to the mains sewer, but Woodward
was concerned that it could not be demonstrated that the waste water would not
enter a sensitive site, after undergoing effluent treatment.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">No
specific amount of phosphorus produced by the proposals was calculated,
meaning that the inspector was not satisfied that the development would achieve
nutrient neutrality. The appellant did not propose any mitigation, leaving the
inspector unable to deduce that the development would not affect nutrient
levels in nearby habitat sites.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The
inspector had dismissed the issues surrounding highway safety, impact on the
surrounding area, and living conditions. However, the concerns about nutrient
pollution in habitat sites had not been resolved, which he felt outweighed the
other settled issues. The appeals were both dismissed.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">An
inspector has refused permission for two bungalows in Blackfield, in New Forest
District after the appellant failed to agree to conditions limiting the impact
of the development on nearby nutrient-sensitive sites. Ref </span><span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://acp.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/ViewCase.aspx?Caseid=3284016&CoID=0"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span lang="EN-US">APP/B1740/W/21/3284016</span></span></a></span><b><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The
council had opposed the proposals, citing the development’s proximity to
European sites, impact on local character and appearance, and the living
conditions of neighbouring residents as issues. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Inspector
addressed the development’s impact on European sites including the Solent and
Southampton Water SPA and Ramsar sites, Solent and Isle of Wight Lagoons SAC,
and Solent Maritime SAC (the nutrient-sensitive sites). Webb noted that the
issue of nutrients had not been addressed, with no mitigation measures proposed
to totally eliminate the production of wastewater. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The
council had suggested that a negatively worded ‘Grampian’ style condition could
be imposed, which would limit development beginning until an appropriate
obligation is agreed. However, the inspector judged that a Grampian condition
would be inappropriate in this case, as Webb had “no clear indication of what
form mitigation would take”. Webb concluded that as measures to secure nutrient
neutrality had not been secured, there could be no guarantee that the
nutrient-sensitive sites would not be harmed. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Furthermore,
Webb observed that measures to mitigate the impact of the development on
European sites in terms of recreation had not been finalised. A Unilateral
Undertaking providing financial contributions toward natural green spaces had
been signed but not completed, and Webb concluded that this meant the matter
had not been properly addressed. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Despite
concluding that the proposal would not harm living conditions, or the local
area’s appearance, Webb felt that the potential impact on the
nutrient-sensitive sites was unacceptable. Both appeals were dismissed.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The
refusal of permission for these two relatively minor developments that would
have an undetectable impact on the local water environment, with no other
planning objections show just how sensitive the issue of nutrient pollution has
become.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In
response, a group of developers has appointed a leading planning and
environmental barrister to advise on how to respond to a ruling by Natural
England (NE) that threatens to stop house building in parts of West Sussex.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The dispute concerns the impact of water
extraction to serve new homes on the habitat of a rare type of snail.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Last
year NE said that excess abstraction of water in parts of the Chichester,
Crawley and Horsham districts endangered the ramshorn snail and any new
developments would have to demonstrate ‘neutrality’ - that they did not
increase demand for water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is often
achieved by measures such as installing showers rather than baths and
‘greywater’ recycling systems, both of which are viewed by housebuilders as
unpopular with potential buyers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
issue has seen councils prevented by NE from allowing new building in the areas
affected but without any relief from central government over the number of new
homes they are expected to achieve.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Marcel
Hoad, managing director of Fowlers Estate Agents, which leads the Houses for
Homes group, said the impact of NE’s move on members was “extremely arduous –
in short time we believe without development coming forward then jobs and
livelihoods will be effected and of course the growing issue is the extreme
shortfall of housing numbers in the area caused by the moratorium on planning –
in turn this leads to less supply, increased demand and higher prices for the
public”.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Jonathan
Clay of Cornerstone Barristers has suggested more water could be pumped to the
area from Portsmouth so preventing the snail habitat from drying out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He also proposed new infrastructure to pump
freshwater upstream to the area from a weir.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The three councils have not yet sought to take any legal action
believing they have no route for redress against NE.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A
Horsham spokesperson said: "It is a legal requirement that the emerging
local plan demonstrates that it is water neutral.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Work is ongoing to develop a mitigation
strategy for the local plans in the north west Sussex area. This is a highly
complex piece of work and is being carried out in partnership, working with the
other affected local authorities and with input from Natural England, the Environment
Agency and Southern Water.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Horsham
said any solution might limit the amount of development that can take place, in
which case it would be unable to meet housing targets set by national
government.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Planning applications
continue to be determined and some developments have been permitted where water
neutrality has been conclusively demonstrated, but “this is a very high bar”.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Concerns
have been expressed that, if water neutrality demands spread, they could lead
to local plans being disrupted, since development would become concentrated in
those parts of local authority areas unaffected by NE’s rulings, even if these
were not designated for development in plans.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Growing fears over river pollution in the UK
led the Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) to warn in January that a “chemical
cocktail of sewage, agricultural waste and plastic” was impacting our rivers. A
salient impact of this pollution is that it has stalled proposals for
homebuilding in many areas across the UK, including Hampshire, Norfolk,
Herefordshire, Powys and Somerset.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In March, Natural England advised another 42 local
authorities that development in some catchments cannot go ahead unless they are
nutrient neutral – meaning an estimated 120,000 homes are now being delayed
across 74 local authorities because of the issue, according to the </span><span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://www.hbf.co.uk/news/report-achieving-nutrient-neutrality-new-housing-development-economic-impact-under-delivery-housing/"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Home
Builders Federation</span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">. Nutrient
pollution in the River Solent has led to Somerset (which has around 11,000
homes delayed in a backlog), Hampshire (around 16,000) and Kent all since being
placed under planning restrictions.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Recent
analysis by the Local Government Association (LGA) suggests that more than 7
per cent of all housing planned in England (20,000 units) cannot go ahead
because of the level of pollution in rivers and because of low water levels.
Most pollution in rivers is already caused by agriculture and water companies
and will not be cured by refusing new housing. 23 councils have more than 90
per cent of likely housebuilding areas affected by the law and nearly a third
of new building in the whole of the north-east of England.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The LGA warns that this could reach 100,000
homes in the coming years as there are “few quick fixes” available.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some have put in place nature-based schemes
in an attempt to offset the environmental impact of new housing so that
developments can go ahead. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Pollution
needs to be dealt with at source, which predominantly originates from water
treatment and farming.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Push back</span></b></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Government ministers are very concerned about
the impact of these restrictions on housebuilding (not the ones and twos, but
the thousands being allocated in these districts) and have rejected
recommendation from Environmental Audit Committee to tighten standards on
pollution. The Government had previously rejected amendments to the Environment
Bill that would have prevented sewage discharges to rivers.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Meanwhile the NFU are coordinating efforts to resist
designations of nitrogen vulnerable zones where planning permissions are being
refused on grounds of water pollution.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Summary</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It is completely unclear how this issue will be resolved.
The planners are grappling with the need to prepare and adopt local plans that
will be found to be ‘unsound’ by inspectors if there is a conflict with NE
advice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These plans will affect the
allocation of larger sites and include policies affecting smaller scale
applications. Local plans will have a very strong influence over the
determination of planning applications and Government wants to shorten the
timetable for their preparation. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Inspectors are involved in the examination of the local
plans and the determination of appeals. The advice of NE is likely to be given
a lot of weight, particularly as there is a legitimate expectation that the
planning system will operate in a consistent fashion on such a clearly defined
issue in similar circumstances.</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p>
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{page:WordSection1;}</style> <br /></p>DanthePlanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08610481719515583001noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924351761485370123.post-33450948980169949962022-04-26T14:02:00.000-07:002022-04-26T14:02:03.806-07:00Re-distribution could lower house prices while building will not...<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"> <span style="font-family: arial;">For somebody who is chastised for saying that increasing supply of houses will have little impact on prices it is of some relief to have this confirmed by authoritative research.<i> Banking on Property: What
is driving the housing affordability crisis and how to solve it</i>- Positive Money
March 2022</span></span></p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">
</span></span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></span></p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">
</span></span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">"Although<span lang="EN-US"> these supply-side
arguments may sound plausible, the available evidence indicates that they fail
to explain why housing has become so unaffordable for many. In contrast to
perceived wisdom, since the mid 1990s – the period that has seen the most rapid
house price inflation – the English housing stock has grown by 168,000 units per
year on average, while growth in the number of households has averaged 147,000
per year (Mulheirn, 2019). As a result, while there were 660,000 more dwellings
than households in England in 1996, this surplus grew to over 1.1 million by
2018. Similar trends are apparent in Scotland, where a surplus of 74,000 in
1996 more than doubled to 169,000 by 2017, and in Wales, where the surplus
increased from 56,000 to 92,000. Even over the past three years, when criticism
of a perceived housing shortage has intensified, growth in the supply of
housing has continued to outpace growth in the number of households in England." Those with the money are owning more space and denying it to those without. This is in the form of second homes other forms of under-occupancy - although a couple living in a 4 bedroom house as is now commonplace should not influence the above figures that are simply based on households and dwelling units. <br /></span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">
</span></span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span lang="EN-US">The report goes on,"If
the primary driver of house prices is the balance between the new supply of
housing and new household formation, then the increase in surplus housing stock
would imply that house prices should have fallen relative to incomes. But as
outlined in section 1, in reality house prices soared during this period.". The scale of under-occupation might not affect housing numbers but probably has an affect on the price paid for a square foot of a house/flat to buy or rent. Demand is created by the wealthy for space, whether it is to be occupied or not.</span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span lang="EN-US">And while I am/you are here, this podcast about the bioregional construction economy is really thought provoking </span></span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span lang="EN-US"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en-GB&q=https://www.google.com/url?q%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fopen.spotify.com%252Fepisode%252F2uP9SeTCcdLHqiuiZEclm4%253Fsi%253De09fec4527cc4137%26sa%3DD%26sntz%3D1%26usg%3DAOvVaw2vNTeVK2hBdPpdvvZ7XvCN&source=gmail&ust=1651092338410000&usg=AOvVaw3pQ8l0kBVuZAe3p1FXxLqJ" href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https%3A%2F%2Fopen.spotify.com%2Fepisode%2F2uP9SeTCcdLHqiuiZEclm4%3Fsi%3De09fec4527cc4137&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AOvVaw2vNTeVK2hBdPpdvvZ7XvCN" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">https://open.spotify.com/<wbr></wbr>episode/<wbr></wbr>2uP9SeTCcdLHqiuiZEclm4?si=<wbr></wbr>e09fec4527cc4137</a></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span lang="EN-US">and Inside Housing have reported that giving money to social housing providers has utterly failed to kick start a programme of energy refitting. There are profound problems with the supply of labour and materials that Government will have to intervene at every level. There are over 25million dwellings in all sectors to be refitted in the next ten years and we have only experience false starts.<br /></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></span></span></p>
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{page:WordSection1;}</style></p>DanthePlanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08610481719515583001noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924351761485370123.post-63784000013518278682022-04-19T10:23:00.003-07:002022-04-19T10:23:49.975-07:00Nature recovery through bioregioning<p> Those working in a planning system despised by (some) conservative politicians and distrusted by (some of) the public can only wonder when the potential of the system to deal with the climate and ecological emergency will be realised - if ever. This quandary arises when considering the potential of planning at the bioregional scale that would imply a systems approach taking into account and integrating human and natural systems. Bioregioning has been around for long enough to have been in and out of fashion several times as frame for understanding the countryside while the UK planning system has continued to plan for the towns their expansion and adaptation. These two operating systems have barely if ever touched, except through my advocacy. I have argued that bioregioning might not have a catchy title but, being essentially based on the scientific collection and analysis of data and the perusal by local people and communities, it does have the potential to build a consensus on how to plan and adapt in response to the climate and ecological emergency.</p><p>The Conservative Government (comprising politicians of varying conservatism) has issued a Nature Recovery Green Paper seeking views on how regulation could or should apply to matters arising out of the Environment Act (eg an Office of Environment Protection) and a desire to plant trees to sequester carbon and attract votes. Responses are invited until 11 May and the online survey is at <br /></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://consult.defra.gov.uk/nature-recovery-green-paper/nature-recovery-green-paper/"><span style="color: windowtext;">https://consult.defra.gov.uk/nature-recovery-green-paper/nature-recovery-green-paper/</span></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="color: windowtext;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="color: windowtext;">The existing planning system is based on democratic decison-making (ie by elected councillors sitting in a committee, receiving advice from professional officers, and subject to appeals to the Secretary of State all within a statutory legal framework, having regard to case precedents and supervised by the courts. Why would a responsible Government not build on these foundations by extending powers into changes in and affecting the countryside, rather than continue with the approach that the system is a communist plot that locks up jobs and denies profits to public spirited developers?</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="color: windowtext;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="color: windowtext;">In advocating for the adoption of bioregioning as the guiding principle for town AND country planning it is necessary to advocate for planning per se and to point out that there might not be sufficient time to negotiate a path(s) to net zero and biodiversity net gain without a plan.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="color: windowtext;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="color: windowtext;">There are over 30 questions in the consultation (with a number encouraging references to system thinking and ecology). In answer to the question on enforcing wildlife contraventions the principle of stewardship should apply. A council can compulsorily purchase a listed building that is being neglected by an owner. This principle could apply to land where a natural asset is being harmed? The suggestion of prioritising the natural environment above property ownership would set the sparks flying (ie Daily Mail headlines) and no landowner would be unaware of the possible consequences of infringing the law.<br /></span></span></p>
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{page:WordSection1;}</style></p>DanthePlanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08610481719515583001noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924351761485370123.post-66151919393127230232022-03-31T14:49:00.001-07:002022-03-31T14:49:11.535-07:00Zero Carbon Homes now - not in 2025<p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">On 30 March 2022 a conference was held in
Bicester, “Making the future the present: delivering zero-carbon homes in
Oxfordshire”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Officers and members from
all the Oxfordshire councils heard how new homes could be zero carbon in both
embodied and operational carbon and that there was not good reason to delay by
either developers or the planning authorities.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">As a reminder, the<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004</b>, Section 19 is up to
date with all changes known to be in force on or before 31 March 2022. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">19. Preparation of local development
documents</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">(1)[F1Development plan documents] must be
prepared in accordance with the local development scheme.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">[F2(1A)Development plan documents must
(taken as a whole) include policies designed to secure that the development and
use of land in the local planning authority's area contribute to the mitigation
of, and adaptation to, climate change.]</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">and the, </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US">Planning
and Energy Act 2008</span></b><span lang="EN-US">, Section 1 is up to date with
all changes known to be in force on or before 31 March 2022. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">1. Energy policies</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">(1)A local planning authority in England
may in their development plan documents, [F1a [F2corporate joint committee] may
in their strategic development plan,] and a local planning authority in Wales
may in their local development plan, include policies imposing reasonable
requirements for—</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">(a)a proportion of energy used in
development in their area to be energy from renewable sources in the locality
of the development;</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">(b)a proportion of energy used in
development in their area to be low carbon energy from sources in the locality
of the development;</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">(c)development in their area to comply with
energy efficiency standards that exceed the energy requirements of building
regulations.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">The speaker from Warwick and Stratford District
Councils that are producing a Development Plan Document by 2023 (why not an SPD in 2022?) that is strong on
operational carbon but less so on embodied carbon, cited the Planning and
Energy Act but not the much stronger Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act; eg the
first says “may” and the second says “must”. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">The officer in charge of the Oxfordshire
2050 was asked about the issue of viability appearing in the otherwise
excellent policy on zero carbon building, saying that this made it NPPF
compliant as an indication of “soundness”. This is a serious misunderstanding
of both the NPPF and s38(6),<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>that
applications will be determined in accordance with the development plan unless
material considerations indicate otherwise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The 2018 revisions to the NPPF were intended to avoid arguments being
made about viability at application/appeal stages by requiring the likely costs
associated with developments to be clearly elucidated in local/development
plans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In this case the achievement of
net zero in embodied and operational carbon is the obvious requirement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Any questions about viability could be raised
as an “other material consideration” had there been, for example some material
change in circumstances since the relevant policy was adopted and/or the site
was purchased. The County would be undermining this simple process were the
issue of viability inserted as part of the policy itself; the wriggle room
being part of the development plan on which land purchases would be based and
not an other material consideration to be introduced down the line. This was
explained to the planning officer who said that the policy was not yet agreed
or adopted.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">On another subject there seems to be a
level of agreement that zero carbon might add between 6% and 10% to the build
costs the higher figure would apply if generation was added to insulation and
airtightness (although heating systems<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>might cost less in very efficient buildings). And build costs are only
part of the sales price.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Communities
position that no regulation of embodied carbon is desirable due to there being
no agreed methodology (see Future Buildings Standard; zero carbon readiness and delay to 2025 ) could soon have to change
as the UK Green Buildings Council (and LETI) have come to some clear and generally
agreed conclusions on this complex issue.</span></p>
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{page:WordSection1;}</style> <br /></p>DanthePlanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08610481719515583001noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924351761485370123.post-36832214973098935752022-03-03T12:13:00.001-08:002022-03-03T12:13:27.062-08:00Well done to Hereford Council <p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="color: black;">The </span>adoption by Hereford Council of Passivhous Plus for its own development s but with an eye to wider impacts (ie on the private sector builders) deserves to be widely known. <br /></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://www.passivhaustrust.org.uk/news/detail/?nId=1060"><br /></a></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US">https://www.passivhaustrust.org.uk/news/detail/?nId=1060</span></span></span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></span></span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: small;">It is worth highlighting the recognition of the impact of construction carbon and how it will be addressed <b> </b></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>" Low embodied carbon</b></span></span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: small;">Low embodied-carbon construction is recommended in the HFH policy,
aligned with LETI and RIBA 2030 targets. To achieve true net zero, residual
embodied carbon emissions from the new homes will be offset through a parallel
programme of retrofitting local, existing homes to Passivhaus EnerPHit or AECB
standards.<span lang="EN-US"></span><i> </i></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i> </i></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>The Herefordshire Future Homes standard
is a great example of a triple-win policy – it’s good for people, the planet,
and the economy! These new homes will be warm, cosy and cheap to
live in; they’re good for the climate and for nature; and they will create new
high-skill construction jobs. At a time when we’re worrying about climate
change and about increasing fuel bills, these council houses are showing what
all new homes could and should be like."</i></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Councillor
Ellie Chowns, Cabinet member for Environment
& Economy, Herefordshire Council</b></span><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: small;">In addition, all sites should have a One Planet
Living Action Plan describing how exemplary environmental practice is included
across ten principles, including ecology, water, green travel, and zero carbon. This can be found at https://www.bioregional.com/one-planet-living/<br /></span></span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b> </b></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Wider
impact</b></span></span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: small;">Herefordshire Council hopes that the HFH policy will <i>'help to raise
building standards of private sector and other local housing providers. Clear,
consistent and ambitious HFH building standards from the outset will optimise
building efficiency, minimise design and construction costs, and give
confidence for local industry capacity-building.'</i></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i> </i></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The previous blog post described 'progress' as muddled. To find Hereford Council leading the way reinforces the view that Government have decided to leave the job of meeting carbon budgets and targets to local councils while Mr Gove ponders on what levelling up might mean? (in electoral terms). He has been seen flushing the planning white paper down the pan and hopefully that is not just a rumour.</span> <i><br /></i></span></span></p>
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{page:WordSection1;}</style> <br /></p>DanthePlanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08610481719515583001noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924351761485370123.post-25162110866076448282022-02-27T14:55:00.001-08:002022-02-28T09:25:37.473-08:00Muddling towards zero carbon<p>Given the consensus that there needs to be significant progress towards (net) zero emissions from housing and transport if the transition is to be negotiated without severe social disruption the disarray in Government is both puzzling and concerning. Having committed to a Planning Bill and revisions to the NPPF it is too much to hope that the current hiatus will last, but none of the suggested changes to the current legal and policy framework would make the transition any faster or more certain. Quite the opposite. If, for instance, the Government confirm 2025 as the date for zero carbon housing, a million more houses will be built that would require retrofitting to add to the 20million+ that are waiting to be upgraded. Meanwhile the industry might be coming to its senses and responding to consumer demand for houses that can be heated with lower energy bills.</p><p>In Abingdon we have one volume builder installing air source heat pumps and solar PV on houses with limited construction carbon, and EV charge points - all before being required to do so. A neighbouring developer will find it difficult to build to a lesser standard. Another developer (building to a carbon negative standard in construction and operational carbon) has come to an arrangement with Gridserve to provide EVs for the car club for its residents, setting and example that other developers might find hard to resist, even it wanted to. Hiyacar (https://www.hiyacar.co.uk/), can make it really simple to make car sharing a step towards decarbonising transport. Fortunately these market pressures (and even corporate responsibility?) can raise standards even where adopted policies, building regulations and conditions on outline permissions are out of date and behind the zero carbon curve.</p><p>Also in Abingdon we have examples of road schemes inherited from another era - one where carbon reductions were not the paramount objective. The combination of 'working-from-home', active travel, 15 minute neighbourhoods, electrification (and automation?) of road transport, avoidance of construction carbon, busing-back-better and car sharing/clubs, means that all road schemes need to be re-evaluated. There are councils hoisted on the petard of 'infrastructure first' who should be redirecting their energy to 'accessibility first' in ways that will not depend on new construction and that will be life enhancing. There are likely to be cases where road capacity both within and between urban areas is reduced and not increased.</p><p>And in Plymouth Persimmon Homes have found it possible to build with air source heat pumps and PV that has influenced the orientation of the houses. <br /></p><p>The resounding message from COP26 was that Government(s) are incapable to lead the way to zero carbon. It will be down to businesses and consumers to drive down carbon emissions through their choices. This will not be sufficient without Government interventions but where voters lead politicians will follow. <br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>DanthePlanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08610481719515583001noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924351761485370123.post-62888854802466687282021-12-10T14:34:00.008-08:002021-12-10T14:34:46.551-08:00Is the planning system safe in the hands of Michael Gove MP?<p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">The AGM of the Wildlife
and Countryside Link held on 6 December was an opportunity for Secretary of
State Michael Gove to reveal his current thinking on reforms to the planning
system. These can be summarised as:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">The
5 year housing land supply rule has caused his inspectors to pass bad plans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This implies that the way in which the
national Planning Policy Framework NPPF (ie the presumption in favour of
sustainable development) needs to be applied in a different way together with
the methodology for calculating housing needs. The 300,000 houses a year national
target should not be relied on, and local plans should not be driven by targets
but by social justice and quality of life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Mr Gove also said there is a need to fully recognise the nature and
climate emergencies in the operation of the planning system.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">He
expressed support for ‘gently dense’ development, sites that is a nod towards
the Yimbys, 15 min neighbourhoods and would be consistent with
custom-splitting. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The reorientation of
Homes England’s mission might include embracing ‘retrofit first’ and reduce the
incidence of (un)sustainable urban extensions. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">The
extraordinary defeat of the Tories at the 2021 Chesham and Amersham bi-election
has forced a re-think of the planning reforms set out in the Planning for the
Future White Paper, which was based on the work of Policy Exchange, the think
tank that Michael Gove had founded in 2002.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The irony that PE came so close to causing fatal harm to the Tory
Government should not obscure the fact that the reforms likely to upset the
‘blue wall’ are on hold while some purpose is found for ‘levelling –up to
appease Tory voters in the ‘red wall’. There is a reasonable prospect of the
planning system as is being operated in a more sensitive and environmentally friendly
way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It might be too much to hope for
the Secretary of State to find that reforms to neither planning law nor policy
are strictly necessary were he to use his existing powers through national
policy statements, oral and written ministerial statements, local plan
examinations and planning appeal decisions. All those involved in the planning
system; public, professionals, developers, politicians (and enlightened think tanks?) could
then concentrate on the re-fashioning of urban and rural areas to enable the
transition to a carbon neutral/negative economy.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">This
discussion is the clearest possible reminder that “planning is politics”, and
that all those with constructive ideas about how to negotiate the transition to
a carbon neutral or energy positive and more biodiverse economy should engage
vigorously at local and national levels.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p>
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{page:WordSection1;}</style></p>DanthePlanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08610481719515583001noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924351761485370123.post-52187353175092065552021-11-14T11:55:00.001-08:002021-11-14T11:55:24.082-08:00The performance gap<p> In the real world controls over the use of land and buildings (ie planning) and formulating low/zero carbon transport policies count for nothing unless the gap between good intentions and lousy outcomes is bridged. I am not referring to deliberate cheating that was exemplified by VW emission tests, but the sloppy way in which the elements of the various systems are linked leaving scope for leakage and slippage at every 'join'.</p><p>Writing at a time when the Government seem to have been energised by having the COP spotlight turned on its chairing role there might be an opportunity to introduce some meaningful policies that could cut through the blah, blah, blah.</p><p>As an aside, the Ministers claiming that the PM/Government could not intervene in the Cumbria coal mine proposal that is being considered at appeal were in denial or ignorance of how the planning system works. Followers of this blog will know that planning decisions are taken under the stricture of s38(6) of the PCPA 2004, "...in accordance with the development plan unless material considerations indicate otherwise." I don't know what the local plan for the area of the coal mining application has to say on the matter, but I do know that what Government Ministers say in a formal capacity count as material and must be taken into account. The principle of 'sub judice' does not apply to a planning case where at the time of making a decision all material considerations must be taken into account. The Business Secretary, the Minister for Leveling up, or the PM could issue a statement written on departmental letterhead or spoken in Parlaiment and recorded in Hansard, that the appeal inspector would have to take into account (no compulsion to follow, but very surprising if adequate and intelligible reasons could be found not to). </p><p>So working on the assumption that the dust will be blown off existing policies relating to sustainability and regeneration and where necessary will be replaced with even stronger ones, there is still the significant risk that implementation will fall short of what is necessary to reduce carbon emissions. The draft SPD posted on 17 April 2020<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lvFD9tWyPKtD7tfr5PHzP1oN_UTaSAgF/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank"> [Climate and ecological emergency SPD]</a>is still relevant and can be proposed to local councils without the resources to update development plan policies in the timescale required. But what is needed is a stiffening of the links between words and action. </p><p>All development plans and SPDs should include requirements to appoint independent experts, before, during and after the development is carried out:</p><p>- to ensure compliance with the conditions that relate to building standards (building inspectors will not be checking the quality and quantity of the insulation on every house),</p><p>- the same or different expert to help the residents understand how to operate the low/zero carbon living for which the building is designed, </p><p>- an assistant to organise the low carbon and active travel (setting up the car clubs and related IT systems), </p><p>- an assistant to support low water use including composting systems and toilets, and biodiversity improvements across the site and its boundaries (ie https://drive.google.com/file/d/1axaIWMl1n4vKWAjFYRaHMfFI6DEbYURD/view</p><p>How these independent experts are to be sourced will be up to the developers who (with few exceptions) have been found not to be trusted or relied on in these respects. These helpers should have excellent communication skills but also be armed with some concrete means of persuasion such as rewards for low energy use, possibly paid out of a fund collected by those responsible for higher levels of emissions? Remember contraction and convergence anyone?<br /></p><p>This role could be described as facilitating One Planet Living and could be filled by one or more people or one consultancy. The setting up of neighbourhood assemblies could and should also be part of the job.<br /></p><a data-ctbtn="2" data-cthref="/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjV8PujzZj0AhW1QkEAHeolCXQQFnoECAwQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fnationalforestgardening.org%2F&usg=AOvVaw1-E3x2PsAbogQknxX2-MIc" data-ved="2ahUKEwjV8PujzZj0AhW1QkEAHeolCXQQFnoECAwQAQ" href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjV8PujzZj0AhW1QkEAHeolCXQQFnoECAwQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fnationalforestgardening.org%2F&usg=AOvVaw1-E3x2PsAbogQknxX2-MIc"><h3 class="LC20lb MBeuO DKV0Md"><br /></h3><div class="TbwUpd NJjxre"><cite class="iUh30 tjvcx" role="text"><br /></cite></div></a>DanthePlanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08610481719515583001noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924351761485370123.post-9260828260363386492021-09-20T11:55:00.004-07:002021-09-20T11:55:48.930-07:00What emergency?<p> I have just watched ministers from MHCLG (about to be amended to include leveling up) and BEIS answering questions put by the MHCLG select committee. According to the ministers everything is going swimmingly (apart from the hiccup of the Green Homes Grant) and we are 'gliding' to net zero carbon. There is no problem with new housing being the responsibility of MHCLG and retrofitting existing under the care of BEIS. Nor is it a problem for local councils to fund their response to the climate emergency because there isn't one ie all will be sorted by 2050. Building to net zero (as was intended by 2016 under a previous administration) must not be allowed to interfere with building new houses designed to a good standard; not net zero and without any post occupancy evaluation. No understanding that upgrading of any meaningful kind would be harder and more costly than when in the build. The planning system is being changed but the minister was not briefed that any council that had interpreted the NPPF presumption in favour of 'sustainable development' to mean that the development had to be sustainable, as he claimed, was simply overruled due to an assumed shortage of available housing land. leading to the building of houses that will now need upgrading.<br /></p><p>The members of the select committee asked all the right questions (the Chair Clive Betts interjected "...that won't save the planet"!) but the format squeezes ministers and their civil servants into their box of self-justification rather than into a collaborative discussion of how to get out of this mess.</p><p>The new Secretary of State for leveling up (and housing but not, perhaps, local government?) is Michael Gove. The main message is that the transition to a low/zero/negative carbon economy could and should be the same as one that levels the country socially and economically. Most if not all the ways in which inequalities are expressed would be severely limited when there carbon footprint comes into play. The housing resource will have to be more evenly distributed by subdividing existing houses so that the space and fabric being heated and insulated is being occupied and meeting genuine housing needs. This will reduce the need for new building and the carbon emissions emitted from the building materials and operations and associated services and infrastructure. The increase in population density would support lifetime or 20min neighbourhoods. The works could be carried out by custom-builders turned custom-splitters. Biodiversity would not be lost to new building in the countryside or back gardens. Mr Gove should be delighted that sub-divisions at scale would reduce the 300,000 new dwellings per annum target that was a factor in losing an election in the 'blue wall'. Sharing of EVs, more walking and cycling, less flying, more repairing, reduced obsolescence, fewer new clothes, enhanced local green space are necessary components of a zero carbon economy but all are more generally affordable. That leaves energy for heating, cooking and lighting which will require a better fit between the size of households and housing.<br /></p><p>Michael Gove was the original chairman of Policy Exchange, the think tank responsible for the planning white paper. His shuffle to LUPMHCLG is to repair the electoral damage that the white paper has inflicted! It is just a pity that he is unlikely to see carbon budgets that have a sense of reality (ie to zero by 2030) as key to leveling-up that is a political slogan.<br /></p>DanthePlanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08610481719515583001noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924351761485370123.post-54278864648030390632021-08-25T14:37:00.001-07:002021-12-15T02:12:48.851-08:00Reviewing the Bacon Review<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The review of custom and self-building
(CSB) carried out for the PM by Richard Bacon MP has just been published.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After 100 pages it recommends Homes England
be given a greater role, more publicity including CSB show parks,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>support for community-led housing, realizing
potential of MMC, getting support from the new planning framework and Act and ironing
out creases with the tax regime.</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Not much to object to but why does it
take 5 years to expose the abject failure to implement the 2016 Housing and
Planning Act?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Unfortunately Richard Bacon blames a
conspiracy between the volume builders and the planners instead of the real
culprit being the Government and the Secretary of State who cannot face the
fact that the planning system could and still can get this show on the
road.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The slagging off of the existing
planning system and the support for Planning for the Future (by Mr Bacon, a Tory MP)
fails to identify the main reason why the planners are such an easy target; the
contradictory and/or inadequate advice provided by governments (eg Secs of
State) who fail to or are ideologically opposed to understanding the potential
of relying More on regulations.</span><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">
</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If LPAs had been properly equipped with
strong and consistent advice on CSB since 2016 the last 5 years and counting would not have been wasted, nor would this report or speculative recommendations be needed.
Even now, a clearly worded Written Ministerial Statement from Mr Jenrick (now Mr Gove) could have immediate benefits. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> A minority of the public say that they would
choose a new home but, I am afraid to say, about 80% of those that do,
claim that they are happy with their choice.<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
</span></p><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The economic consultants to the
report<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>concede that the energy
efficiency standards of new building will improve so that the differential
between the volume builder and the self/custom builder will narrow. In fact the
gap must close to a net zero standard of construction and operational carbon if carbon reduction budgets are to be met. It seems unlikely that</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> the recommendations will result in CSB becoming<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>any less<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>focused on detached
houses and enabled to promote terraced houses and apartments that will required
for new housing to meet carbon reduction budgets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is no mention of the imperative to
"retrofit first". The Department of Leveling -up, Housing and Communities decline to say whether the new Help to Build Fund will be available to those wanting to sub-divide existing properties?</span><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">
</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The need for residential sub-divisions,
so that the insulation and heating of about 50% of our residential space and fabric is not wasted, is not mentioned. It would have been really interesting to see an economic
analysis (inc social welfare) of custom-splitting.</span>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It is hard not to see Richard Bacon as
part of the failure to deliver on the 2016 Act and his criticism of the
planning system suggest a significant lack of understanding of how it could and
should be enabled to deal with this and other aspects of meeting housing needs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My advice is to take some of the data from
the report to persuade your LPA that it should be supporting CSB, but in the
form of residential sub-divisions and custom-splitting. Given the climate
emergency I am not inclined to be supporting hundreds of thousands of new
builds however delivered.</span>
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{page:WordSection1;}</style></p>DanthePlanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08610481719515583001noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924351761485370123.post-58579771769782284612021-08-23T12:26:00.004-07:002021-08-23T13:17:03.863-07:00Planning can address the climate emergency<p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="font-size: small;">Big claim for what might seem to be a small gain but this extract from a planning appeal file:///Users/danielscharf/Downloads/Appeal%20decision%203269526.pdf "Para <span style="left: 127.24px; top: 995.385px; transform: scaleX(1.16464);">72.</span><span style="left: 163.28px; top: 995.385px;">T</span><span style="left: 174.483px; top: 995.385px; transform: scaleX(1.12834);">he S106 would ensure </span><span style="left: 386.967px; top: 995.385px; transform: scaleX(1.15997);">the implementation of a travel plan that would seek to </span><span style="left: 163.28px; top: 1017.78px; transform: scaleX(1.13843);">encourage sustainable transport modes via initiatives such as residential </span><span style="left: 163.28px; top: 1040.22px; transform: scaleX(1.15007);">information packs (including vouchers towards cycling and bus/rail travel) and </span><span style="left: 163.28px; top: 1062.62px; transform: scaleX(1.13243);">car sharing. The S106 would also make provision </span><span style="left: 624.633px; top: 1062.62px; transform: scaleX(1.15745);">for a</span><span style="left: 667.433px; top: 1062.62px; transform: scaleX(1.14023);">n electric </span><span style="left: 757.883px; top: 1062.62px; transform: scaleX(1.15592);">car club to </span><span style="left: 163.28px; top: 1084.62px; transform: scaleX(1.17109);">operate from within the site. </span><span style="left: 127.24px; top: 1121.82px; transform: scaleX(1.16464);">73.</span><span style="left: 163.28px; top: 1121.82px; transform: scaleX(1.1381);">Based on the above measures, the development would satisfactorily promote a </span><span style="left: 163.28px; top: 1144.22px; transform: scaleX(1.13319);">range of sustainable transport modes. This would help to address concerns </span><span style="left: 163.28px; top: 1166.62px; transform: scaleX(1.14849);">regarding air pollution <b>and the climate emergen</b></span><span style="left: 605.433px; top: 1166.62px; transform: scaleX(1.14994);"><b>cy</b>. Therefore, it would accord </span><span style="left: 163.28px; top: 1189.07px; transform: scaleX(1.1255);">with LP Policies CN9 and EM1...</span> ". This is very significant. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="font-size: small;">In granting the permission</span></span> the offer of an 'electric car club' is said by the inspector to carry limited weight as it comprised one parking space for the 110 dwellings. However, the inclusion of the obligation to provide the EV car club would probably have been deleted as unnecessary were the inspector to have given it no weight. Local planners should get a grip of the electrification of the road transport system. Developers should be required to provide more cars and spaces to attract greater weight in decision-taking.<br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="font-size: small;">The real significance of the decision is the reference to the 'climate emergency' - the first time I have seen this referenced in an appeal decision. As a material consideration this is an invitation for the public to provide evidence to decision-takers, both; LPAs and inspectors/Secretary of State, that accords with the emergency situation eg net zero long before 2050 and Cornwall are looking at 2030 https://www.cornwall.gov.uk/media/ytsowko1/climate-emergency-dpd.pdf. This should not be limited to electric car clubs but to the carbon emitted in the building and operation of the houses.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="font-size: small;">If the climate (and ecological) emergency is a material consideration, then it is unlawful not to take it into account for all developments implying carbon emissions (and biodiversity loss). It might also be unlawful to make inadequate provisions for addressing the emergency. </span></span><br /></p>DanthePlanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08610481719515583001noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924351761485370123.post-49301957106014046262021-08-09T13:49:00.001-07:002021-08-09T13:49:11.764-07:00Abject failure to deliver on self-building<p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Right to Build Taskforce</span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">
www.righttobuild.org.uk</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> is trying to draw
attention to hopeless state of self and custom building in the UK.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The New Self-Build Data Release І4 August 2021
issued by the MHCLG reveals the failure of Government to achieve anything close
to what it has said it would like this sector to contribute to new housing
supply and shows that a large proportion of councils are in breach of their legal
obligations in terms of permissions for serviced plots available for
self/custom builders on the statutory registers, and a fraction of the
opportunities that NaCSBA say is the real demand.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Task Force has assessed a large
number of “general support” policies in local plans and find that they are of limited use in
decision-making.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Allocations,
exceptions, percent policies and criteria based support for community-led and
collective infill and exceptions are the most robust policies for providing an
responsive land supply for self-build.” Any qualified planner working in development control/management would have known that this would be the case.<br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Richard Bacon MP should take credit for
the current state of the law (ie the duty to permit serviced plots commensurate
to the demand on registers), but has now become complicit in the failure to
deliver in accordance with the legal duties.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Neither he nor NaCSBA (or the Right to Build Task Force) have ever been prepared
to support custom-splitting as a way of increasing supply of opportunities for
people to create their own homes, equivalent to a serviced plot but
generally within existing built-up areas with existing facilities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> New dwellings would be created with minimal levels of 'construction carbon'. </span>This would be a means of enabling the space and
fabric of existing houses being heated and insulated to meet housing
needs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It will be interesting to see
whether the Bacon Review to be published in the next few weeks has anything new
to say on what is a sorry state of affairs.</span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p>
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{page:WordSection1;}</style></p>DanthePlanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08610481719515583001noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2924351761485370123.post-52963881149827718122021-07-07T04:57:00.000-07:002021-07-07T04:57:02.060-07:00Special housing needs override planning constraints<p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Although planning decisions
do not operate as ‘precedents’ in a legal sense, the views of an inspector or
Secretary of State in deciding one appeal can influence how a decision is taken
on another application or appeal. The law does expect a level of consistency
and requires adequate and intelligible reasons to be given for a departure from
a decision on the same site for a comparable development (ie material change in
circumstances).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">In a recent appeal an
inspector allowed an extra care development in an AONB, on grounds that there
was “hardly any market extra care housing in the district” and “the stark fact
is that choice is not available”. In applying the test at NPPF paragraph 172,
which requires “exceptional circumstances” to justify major development in
AONBs, the inspector commented that he was “in no doubt that the development...
is needed”, and that this need could not be met elsewhere or in any other way. Readers
of this blog would be very aware that custom-splitting represents an
alternative way to meet some of the housing needs of the elderly but this has
not established ‘proof of concept’ or become recognized in the planning arena. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Expert evidence given to
the inquiry and relied on by the inspector was that, “…the need to provide
housing for older people is critical. People are living longer and the
proportion of older people in the population is increasing. In mid-2016 there
were 1.6 million people aged 85 and over; by mid-2041 this is projected to
double to 3.2 million. Offering older people a better choice of accommodation
to suit their changing needs can help them live independently for longer, feel
more connected to their communities and help reduce costs to the social care
and health systems. Therefore, an understanding of how the ageing population
affects housing needs is something to be considered from the early stages of
plan-making through to decision-taking.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">That is ammunition for
those promoting housing for the elderly (inc custom-splitting), but another
lesson to be drawn from this appeal is that self and custom-building, another
special case, has been identified by the Government as a form of housing that
requires support from planning authorities; keeping statutory registers and
then approving serviced plots targeted at that level of demand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The failure to do so could justify
developments <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>for self/custom – builders in
areas where ‘exceptional circumstances’ need to be shown ie AONBs or where
there is some landscape impact. I hesitate to say that Green Belt sites would be
approved locally or at appeal due to political sensitivities.</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"></span></p>
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{page:WordSection1;}</style> <br /></p>DanthePlanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08610481719515583001noreply@blogger.com1