Biodiversity Net Gain – Embedding green shoots into the recovery: EP3

03 August, 2020
The embedding of environmental net gain is a headline of the UK Government’s 25 Year Plan to Improve the Environment. In this series of three episodes, we discuss how the UK Government proposes to implement the principle of biodiversity net gain for development. All three episodes are now available for you to listen to here. … Read more

Biodiversity Net Gain – Embedding green shoots into the recovery: EP2

30 July, 2020
The embedding of environmental net gain is a headline of the UK Government’s 25 Year Plan to Improve the Environment. In this series of three episodes, we discuss how the UK Government proposes to implement the principle of biodiversity net gain for development. Episode 2: Achieving the biodiversity gain objective In Episode 1 of this … Read more

Biodiversity Net Gain – Embedding green shoots into the recovery: EP1

23 July, 2020
The embedding of environmental net gain is a headline of the UK Government’s 25 Year Plan to Improve the Environment. In this series of three episodes, we discuss how the UK Government proposes to implement the principle of biodiversity net gain for development. Episode 1: Biodiversity gain as a condition of planning permission In this … Read more

The wheels on the bus go round and round – the circular economy

22 July, 2020
You may have heard the term “circular economy” being used across various fields and sectors. For example, the emerging New London Plan sets out a policy framework to support London’s transition to a low carbon circular economy, contributing towards London becoming a zero-carbon city by 2050. What is the “circular economy”, what is its impact … Read more

Raising the roof – new permitted development right allows upwards extensions

08 July, 2020
The idea of introducing a new permitted development (PD) right to allow certain buildings to be extended upwards has been considered for some time. The Autumn 2018 Budget announced a consultation which included proposals to allow certain buildings to be extended upwards to provide new housing. Since then, upwards extensions have been mentioned on numerous … Read more

Planning reform – more holes in bigger cheese?

01 July, 2020
I read an article recently which told the story of an Oxford philosopher who spent a long evening with colleagues furiously debating the meaning of life. After eventually collapsing into bed, he awoke in the middle of the night with a brilliant thought. He scribbled it down on a pad beside the bed and went … Read more

Business and Planning Bill – to support Covid-19 recovery

26 June, 2020
Yesterday, the Department for Business, Enterprise and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) published the Business and Planning Bill 2019-2020 and supporting guidance. This is not the fundamental reform to the planning system that we have been told to expect; rather the Bill contains largely temporary measures to “support the transition from immediate [Covid-19] crisis response and lockdown … Read more

Corporate real estate M&A: a post-Covid-19 perspective

17 June, 2020
The landscape for real estate M&A has changed considerably over the past few months. For those more familiar with real estate M&A, there will be a perceptible shift in the way deals are managed and negotiated going forward. We have prepared a briefing exploring how future real estate M&A is likely to differ and what … Read more

Beauty and the beast? – design codes and democracy

12 June, 2020
In his introduction to the recent Policy Exchange publication “Planning Anew“, the Rt Hon Robert Jenrick MP has stated that the government will “focus on creating beautiful, environmentally friendly places”. This reference to beauty appears to be another indication that at least some of the recommendations set out in the Building Better, Building Beautiful Commission’s … Read more