IHBC NewsBlogs

A group of Londoners concerned at plans for almost 700 mostly luxury homes on the Royal Mail’s Mount Pleasant sorting office site in Clerkenwell, already granted permission, has requested approval for a rival design intended to provide 40 more affordable homes under a ‘community right to build’ application.

Residents near the site have submitted initial designs for 125 homes, up to half of which could be affordable, in a planning application that decries the Royal Mail’s ‘brutal, fortress-like proposals and their tokenist attitude to public participation’.

The Mount Pleasant Association, made up of local residents and campaigners, has secured backing from Legal & General and a development company, U and I Group, to mount its own bid to buy the site.  It has submitted a ‘community right to build’ application for part of the site to the London borough of Camden, to be followed by other applications for the rest of the site if its bid is successful. The group intends to provide 40 more affordable homes than the existing scheme

The Royal Mail is expected to sell the site next year for a sum that could reach £300m. Following public consultation, the company has already secured planning consent for 681 homes in a series of blocks rising to 15 storeys. Many apartments are expected to fetch more than £1m, while 24% would be classed affordable.

The design team behind their rival scheme includes Francis Terry, a leading traditionalist architect, and the work is being steered by Create Streets, an organisation that campaigns against tower block architecture in favour of a return to more streets and squares where residents gather informally and interact.

Read more in The Guardian

A fire has gutted the Grade II-listed, privately-owned mansion Cosgrove Hall, near Milton Keynes in Northamptonshire.

The fire service was called to the privately-owned Cosgrove Hall, near Milton Keynes, just before 14:30 BST, and BBC reporter Stuart Ratcliffe: ‘Only the stone shell of the building remains. There really is nothing else.’

The fire at the 18th Century limestone mansion had been been brought under control by 17:15. There are no reports of any injuries.  At least six crews from Northamptonshire tackled the fire, helped by engines from Buckinghamshire and Bedfordshire. 

Read more at BBC news

A survey by the British Property Federation (BPF) and GL Hearn has revealed that 65% of planning officers concerned that the system is getting worse, but also highlighted that the Northern Powerhouse decided 22% more major applications per resident than Greater London area.

GL Hearn writes:

The fifth annual planning survey, published today by the British Property Federation and GL Hearn, has found that the Northern Powerhouse is delivering more planning decisions per capita than Greater London.

For the first time, the research examined major application decisions across 25 boroughs in the Northern Powerhouse, showing that they made 11 major planning application decisions per 100,000 residents, compared to nine decisions per 100,000 residents in Greater London.

The largest ever independent assessment of the planning system has also shown that despite a lack of resources at some LPAs, the planning system has broadly stabilised after some years of flux. Average decision making times remained stable at 31 weeks, overall approval ratings for major applications held steady at approximately 87% and there was a slight dip in the overall volume of major applications decided.

Despite this, the survey showed that overall sentiment in the industry is the worst it has ever been, with more planning officers (65%) and developers (36%) than ever concerned that the system is getting worse. 80% of applicants were dissatisfied with the time it takes for decisions to be made on planning applications, the highest figure since the survey began in 2012.

The data has also shown that many in the industry are hopeful that a number of proposed policy solutions could reduce application decision times and help alleviate resourcing issues at LPAs.

• 56% of applicants and 44% of LPA officers believe that ‘planning performance reviews’ would improve decision making times and reduce resourcing pressures at LPAs.
• Some policies were more divisive; 66% of applicants and only 19% of LPA officers believe ‘permission in principle’ would improve decision making times and reduce resourcing pressures at LPAs.
• Conversely, 53% of LPA officers supported changes to planning application fees but only 31% of applicants thought they would make a difference.

Although each side of the industry may have different preferences, it is clear that there is significant support for a range of policies to improve the system; such as the introduction of a brownfield register; changes to planning application fees; the use of ‘permission in principle’ and – more than any other policy – planning performance reviews.

The fifth annual planning survey has been published by the British Property Federation and GL Hearn. It combines data on major planning application decisions from 74 local planning authorities and survey data from 385 developers and local authority planning officers across the country.

For the first time, the study examined data from the Scottish planning system. This data will be published on 25th October 2016.

View the press release and download the survey

English Heritage (EH) has launched a conservation appeal ‘Appeal to help support this vital work and safeguard our historic places for future generations’.

English Heritage (EH) writes:

At English Heritage conserving our sites for the future is one of our biggest responsibilities.  Since we became a charity in 2015 we’ve been working hard to look after the 400 historic places and 500,000 objects in our care – but we need your help.  We’ve therefore launched our Conservation Appeal to help support this vital work and safeguard our historic places for future generations.

Thanks to the support of our members and visitors we have already managed to uncover a number of fragile maps and beautiful hand-painted murals at Eltham Palace, which had been hidden behind wallpaper for decades.

We’ve also opened a new museum at Rievaulx Abbey to tell the story of one of the most important monasteries in England. But there is so much more to do.

Urgent conservation work is taking place across the country, including fixing masonry at Porchester Castle, cleaning and conserving 18th century portraits at Brodsworth Hall, repairing the walls at Richmond Castle and completely restoring Iron Bridge, an icon of the Industrial Revolution.

Luke Purser, Development Director, said ‘The level of expertise required just to keep on top of the maintenance and conservation of our sites and their collections is amazing. We’re undertaking the biggest conservation and improvement programme in our history to ensure that our heritage survives to educate and inspire this and future generations.’

Without ongoing protection, the unique castles, monuments and historic buildings that tell the stories of our nation will be lost forever.

View the press release

The Ulster Architectural Heritage Society (UAHS) has announced that a listed building currently at risk, Waterside Station, is to be the centre of a new transport hub in Derry-Londonderry. 

UAHS writes:

UAHS is delighted that the Infrastructure Minister, Chris Hazzard, has announced that the listed Waterside Station will be the core of a new transport hub for Derry-Londonderry by 2020.

The building has been on the Built Heritage at Risk Register for Northern Ireland since 2012. Since as early as 2011, the Society has been closely involved in discussions on the options for a new transport hub with the position that a heritage led scheme based on the listed Station represents maximum benefit to the historic city.

In numerous meetings with senior elected representatives of all the parties, community interests, Translink management, and architects, it was gratifying to observe a developing consensus in favour of Northern Ireland’s last intact railway terminus station.

UAHS has also been in correspondence with the current owners of the building as a component of the debate and we are very pleased that an accommodation appears to have been reached in relation to a sale.

The Society will remain closely involved as detailed plans emerge, to help to ensure the best use of the historic fabric and appropriate outcome of final design.

It is hoped that the regeneration of the Waterside station reflects an emerging realisation within central and local government of the value of the remaining built heritage stock as an irreplaceable National Asset.

View the press release

This year’s RICS awards are open for entries, including a category for building conservation, with a closing date of 16 January 2017 and early bird reduced entry fees applying until 30 November.

RICS writes:

A four-month search to find each region’s most inspirational built projects in the land, property and construction sectors is now on, following the opening of entries for the 2017 RICS Awards.

Our popular annual awards celebrate each region’s top built initiatives and developments that provide significant value to the communities they serve.  Every year, each regional RICS Awards ceremony attracts hundreds of entries, from small scale pioneering schemes to large multi-million pound developments.

Carolyn Robins, RICS Awards Coordinator said ‘2016 was one of our best years in terms of the volume of quality entries which each regional RICS Awards ceremony attracted. But many outstanding property schemes have recently completed, or are due to complete soon, in various regions, which fully deserve the recognition that winning an RICS award can bring. So we hope this year’s awards will attract an even greater number of quality nominations.’ 

There are eight categories to enter in which property professionals must demonstrate how they have used their skills to develop, regenerate and conserve the environment in which we live and work: Building Conservation, Commercial property, Community Benefit, Design through Innovation, Infrastructure, Regeneration, Residential, and Tourism & Leisure.

There is also an overall Project of the Year, which is awarded to the entry that demonstrates outstanding best practice and an exemplary commitment to adding value to its local area.

All category winners go on to compete against other regional winners at the national RICS Awards Grand Final, for the chance to be crowned the overall UK winner in their respective category.

Carolyn Robins, RICS Awards Coordinator said: ‘These awards give professionals working in the land, property and construction sectors the opportunity to showcase their exemplary talent and innovation, while raising the profile of their region as a home to some of the best and most inspirational built initiatives’. 

The deadline for entries is 16 January and an early bird entry offer of £78 per entry is available until 30 November.

View the news release

The Trustees of the National Trust for Scotland (NTS) have agreed to progress a programme of what it has called ‘tranformational change’ with a ‘new regional properties structure’ where ‘there will be six regional groupings of built heritage properties and one nationwide grouping of natural heritage properties’, with staff placed at risk of compulsory redundancy reduced to 90 from the 142 proposed in June.

The National Trust for Scotland (NTS) writes:

Trustees of Scotland’s largest conservation charity, the 350,000-member National Trust for Scotland, have unanimously agreed to move forward with a transformational programme of change.

The changes will lead to the Trust widening its appeal, encouraging more people to visit and enjoy the heritage in its care, increasing membership and generating more income for investment in conservation.

The Trustees’ decision follows a formal 90-day consultation period through which many submissions were made by staff, volunteers and the Trust’s recognised trade union, Prospect.

The Trust’s Chief Executive, Simon Skinner, said:  ‘We would like to thank everyone who responded to our proposals and who made such useful and thoughtful submissions.  In particular I welcome the constructive part that the Prospect union has played throughout the consultation.

‘It was clear that the need for change was fully endorsed and, as a result of the information and practical suggestions received, we have made changes to our proposals that enhance the programme we are now enacting.  The changes allow us to retain a core staff of specialists, who will support conservation and visitor services at properties, enable us to bring in new skills and competencies that ensure we offer world-class experiences and deliver a new regional structure that puts the places we care for firmly at the centre of decision-making and planning.

‘More efficient ways of working will complement other sources of funding so that we can prioritise £17 million of investment to make our properties better.  We have already announced the first tranche of investment in Culzean Castle and Country Park totalling £2.5 million and there is more to come.’

The changes see the Trust moving from seven directorates and departments down to four, with HQ functions streamlined to support a new regional properties structure – there will be six regional groupings of built heritage properties and one nationwide grouping of natural heritage properties.

In June it was proposed that 142 staff would be placed ‘at risk’ of redundancy due to the changes.  As a result of consultation feedback, modifications have been made which mean that the number of staff placed ‘at risk’ of compulsory redundancy will be reduced to 90, with 73 posts being created or retained.  ‘At risk’ staff are being given the opportunity to apply for new posts within the revised structure in the coming weeks.

Simon Skinner added: ‘It is inevitable that we will be losing some people through the changes but we hope that as many as possible can find roles in the new structure.  It will be a difficult time for some and we will offer as much support and help as we can.’

Implementation of the changes is underway and will be complete by the summer of 2017.

View the press release

The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) has overturned a decision by Lancashire County Council to refuse planning permission for fracking at a site in Preston New Road.

Lancashire County Council writes:

The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government today allowed Cuadrilla’s appeal against the county council’s decision to refuse permission for fracking at the Preston New Road site, subject to conditions.

In the same decision, he allowed the opportunity for more information to be provided on highway safety issues related to the Roseacre site and indicated that, subject to those concerns being addressed, he was minded to allow the appeal, subject to conditions.

County Councillor Marcus Johnstone, Lancashire County Council cabinet member for environment, planning and cultural services, said: ‘This was one of the biggest planning applications ever put before any council – literally tens of thousands of people responded to the consultation processes, and the applications involved substantial levels of technical detail. Our development control committee carefully considered many hours of evidence both for and against the proposal, and the committee members ultimately cast their vote based on the evidence they heard and whether they thought the proposal was acceptable in planning terms.

‘A local council, made up of councillors democratically elected by local people, and charged with serving their interests, is exactly the right body to make decisions on local matters. It is clear that the government supports the development of a shale gas industry, but I would ask them to do more to address the concerns of local communities and the councillors who represent them by supporting the best environmental controls.

‘The Secretary of State’s decision to allow more time to consider issues related to highway safety around the Roseacre site reflects the committee’s concerns on this issue. We will now await information from the applicant on the details required to fulfil the planning conditions set out for the Preston New Road site.’

View the Lancashire County Council press release

View the decision letter

View a BBC news summary of the latest development

IHBC NewsBlogs on fracking 

Built Environment Forum Scotland (BEFS) reports that the Scottish Household Survey 2015 statistics have been released, recording that visits to historical or archaeological places are up 5 percentage points (28% to 33%) on 2012.

For more detail see UK Gov

Think-tank Locales in collaboration with Bright Blue has published online a series of essays on the future of London, entitled ‘The Future of London 2050’, with contributors including former London mayor Boris Johnson, professor Tony Travers, director of LSE London and architect Sir Terry Farrell.

The latest edition of the Department for Media Culture and Sport (DCMS) Statistical Handbook has been released, which includes data on heritage participation and culture.

Some of the headline statistics relating to heritage include:

• 73% of adults had visited a heritage site.
• 28% visited a heritage website
• 95% of all adults agree it is important to them that heritage buildings and places are well looked after
• Engagement among those from lower socioeconomic groups (61.0%) is lower than among those from higher-socio-economic groups (81.5%).
• 14% of all adults donated money to the heritage sector in 2015/16.
• 26.4% of adults engaged both physically and digitally

View the full report

A survey by the Remarkable Group has revealed that a large percentage of councillors believe that social media should be used in planning consultation work.

Remarkable writes:

In association with YouGov we polled 1,401 councillors across Great Britain asking their opinions on social media, and how they see the social landscape developing in relation to the planning consultation process.

Download the full report to discover how:

• 60% believe developers should be engaging with local communities through social media as part of the consultation process
• 75% said that social media is an ‘important’ or ‘very important’ engagement tool
• 74% believe responses gathered via social media would add value when reviewing planning applications

The report also highlights the relevance of social media compared to more traditional methods of consultation, as well as providing a regional overview and opinions across the main political parties.

View the report and news release

The Grand Central and Birmingham New Street station redevelopment has won rail project of the year in the National Rail Awards 2016, while the Friends of Templecombe Station helped make the historic station win the small station of the year award, while £500 million of work to the listed Nottingham station helped it secure the large station of the year award.

Read more at Rail Magazine

A new report has been released by the Welsh Government which proposes three different approaches towards permitted development for PhotoVoltaics (PV) in Wales, and the report also includes a useful overview of Permitted development (PD) rights throughout the UK.

View the report

The latest planning statistics from the Scottish Government (SG) show that local development applications have been processed more quickly in the most recent quarter, whilst major development processing has slowed. 

The Scottish Government writes:

Latest quarterly statistics show faster average decision times for local developments but slower average decision times for major developments compared to the previous quarter and previous year.  Statistics on quarterly planning performance in Scotland have been released today by Scotland’s Chief Statistician.

In quarter one (April to June) of 2016/17 there were 7,329 decisions made on local developments with an average decision time of 8.9 weeks. This was almost one and a half weeks quicker than the previous quarter (10.3 weeks), five days faster than the equivalent quarter in 2015/16 (9.6 weeks), and the quickest average decision time since the start of this data collection in quarter one of 2012/13.

For the 61 decisions made on major developments the average decision time was 39.3 weeks. This was 13 weeks slower than the previous quarter (26.3 weeks) and more than five weeks slower than the equivalent quarter in 2015/16 (34.2 weeks). 

The average time figures quoted in this Statistical News Release exclude any applications concluded through the use of a processing agreement between the developer and the local authority, where an agreement on timescales for decisions can be made either at the beginning of the application process or at a later stage.

read more….

The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) holds one of the largest and most important architectural collections in the world and has launched a survey to help improve its collections-related activities and services, which it is asking IHBC members to complete by the closing date of 30 October, and to please also forward to colleagues who may be interested, while a £50 token is on offer too!

See the survey at www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/RIBA_Collections

RIBA writes:

RIBA COLLECTIONS SURVEY

The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) holds one of the largest and most important architectural collections in the world. Currently known as The British Architectural Library, the collection comprises original drawings, books and periodicals, personal archives, photographs, models and objects relating to all aspects of architecture dating from the 15th century to the present day.

The collection is both an Accredited Museum and Designated Collection and is open and accessible to everyone via our reading rooms at 66 Portland Place and the V&A Museum.  Items from collection are regularly loaned to exhibitions nationally and internationally, are increasingly visible on-line, and play a vital role in the RIBA’s own exhibition, learning and wider cultural and professional activities.

You can explore some of our collections here:

https://www.architecture.com/Explore/Revealingthecollections/Revealingthecollections.aspx

https://www.architecture.com/RIBA/Visitus/Library/Collections/Collections.aspx

https://uk.pinterest.com/historyofplace/the-british-architectural-library-riba-a-few-of-ou/

Throughout 2016, we are looking at ways to improve our collections related activities and services, both opening them up to new audiences and enhancing the facilities available to current users.

By completing this survey, you will help shape the future of this world-class cultural collection.

The survey should take around 10 minutes to complete.

Once completed please forward and promote this survey to anyone you think might benefit from using the RIBA Collections now or in the future. That might be anyone with a professional, academic or cultural interest in architecture and architectural history.

The survey closes on Sunday 30 October.

You do not need to have visited or used the collections to take part, understanding our potential users and future audiences is very important for us.

Please remember to include your email at the end of this survey to enter a prize draw for £50 of tokens to spend in the RIBA Bookshop.

See the RIBA’s website

This autumn Planning Resource will publish a report on salaries and other careers issues within the planning sector, and needs your contributions to its survey.

PlanningResource writes:

This survey will ask a series of questions about your employment status, working conditions and salary. It should take no more than five minutes to complete.

The more responses we receive, the more authoritative and useful to our readers our results will be, so your participation in this survey is much appreciated.

As an additional incentive to participate, one entrant drawn at random will win a prize of £50 in Marks & Spencer vouchers.

If you wish to be eligible for the chance to win the donation to a charity of your choice, we will need you to provide us with your email address. But please be assured that your answers will remain entirely anonymous, and will not be attributed to you in any way.

read more… and complete the survey

Arup has conducted research into the environmental effects of air pollution and concluded that ‘Green envelopes can also reduce peak energy consumption in traditional buildings by up to 8 per cent’, in the report ‘Cities Alive: Green Building Envelope’.

Arup writes:

Cities are being encouraged to ‘turn green’ to help tackle rising toxic air hot spots.  The report shows that the contribution of ‘green building envelopes’, such as moss and vegetated walls, vertical farming and roof gardens, has been underestimated.

Worldwide, 3.7 million premature deaths in 2012 were attributed to exposure to poor air quality. Approximately 200,000 of these were in Europe and 900,000 in south-east Asia.  Green envelopes, often dismissed as ‘architectural window dressing’, can reduce localised air pollution by up to 20 per cent in some locations, rapidly reducing toxic air at street level.

Advanced computer software was used to provide a visual representation of the flow of gasses, and help determine the effectiveness of green building envelopes to reduce pollutant concentrations. The report highlights plant species, such as pine and birch, that are particularly effective because of their ability to capture large quantities of particulate matter, including during winter when pollution concentrations are highest.

The study also highlights that green envelopes can reduce sound levels from emergent and traffic noise sources by up to 10 decibels in certain situations. To the human ear, this could make traffic sound half as loud. Increasing the quantity of vegetation in a city can also reduce temperatures. According to a US study, urban areas with a population exceeding 1 million can be up to 12°C warmer in the evening than surrounding areas, and in particularly dense centres, green infrastructure could reduce air temperature by up to 10°C. Green envelopes can also reduce peak energy consumption in traditional buildings by up to 8 per cent.

As cities become more densely populated and increasing pressure is put on existing parks and open spaces to make way for further development, the report shows how green buildings can play a significant part in reducing urban stress and keeping people connected with nature. Vertical and urban farming are also highlighted as great ways of being able to create community spaces.

Tom Armour, Global Landscape Architecture Leader, Arup said ‘Tackling rising air pollution is a priority to help improve people’s health. As our cities continue to become built up, ‘grey’ structures, such as walls and roofs, are a source of untapped potential for adapting into green spaces. When well-designed, green envelopes can have a positive impact on tackling air pollution, but can also deliver a wide range of social, economic and environmental benefits to make cities more attractive and healthier places to be.’

The report called Cities Alive: Green Building Envelope reviews green infrastructure schemes across five global cities; London, Los Angeles, Berlin, Melbourne and Hong Kong to quantify the benefits of ‘green building envelopes’. It is the fourth report in the ‘Cities Alive’ series which looks at ways to help shape a better world.

read more… and view the report