Recently, the government announced a consultation on proposals to reform permitted development rights (PD rights) for operators under the Electronic Communications Code (Code Operators). The aim of the proposals is to support 5G technology and extend mobile coverage. Four new PD rights are proposed, two of which would require prior approval from the local planning … Read more
New planning guidance was published by the Government on Sunday 1 September regarding the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) in light of recent amendments made to the CIL Regulations. One of the key changes made is the revocation of Regulation 123 (see here for our recent blog on this), which provided that a development could not … Read more
DEFRA released their response to the responses on the consultation in relation to the proposals for mandatory 10% biodiversity net gain in July, with it having been confirmed by the (then) Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Spring Statement that the forthcoming Environment Bill would mandate biodiversity net gain for development (housing and commercial, not … Read more
Everyone likes a river view, but building near water can have unexpected challenges! Even when the river itself is out of sight, any development on a flood plain can have potential environmental impacts on drainage and flooding – an increasing concern in the context of climate emergency. A failure to obtain planning permission for development … Read more
Making amendments to details submitted as reserved matters on large development schemes can pose difficulties – until now there has been no specific authority that non-material amendments could be made to reserved matters approvals (RMAs), although it has frequently been done in practice. A recent Court of Appeal decision, R (on the application of Fulford … Read more
“Large amounts don’t grow on trees. You’ve got to pick-a-pocket or two.” On 1 September 2019, the CIL Regulations will be amended – yet again. Among the various technical changes is the removal of Regulation 123, which currently prevents local planning authorities using more than five section 106 obligations to fund a single infrastructure project. … Read more
After a bumpy start but ahead of schedule, the Building Better, Building Beautiful Commission (or the “BBBBC”) this week published its Interim Report. Set up by the government in November 2018, the BBBBC has been tasked with “[tackling] the challenge of poor-quality design and build of homes and places” and finding a way of ensuring … Read more
Often in Central London, development is to be carried out in the vicinity of a disused burial ground. A recent example of this involved minor works and the location of a temporary building on top of a disused Church of England burial ground, assumed to be consecrated land. The site, therefore, was subject to Ecclesiastical Law … Read more
