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The second edition of the Land Use Strategy for Scotland has been published and covers the period from 2016-2021, with measures for community involvement and connection with land use issues discussed. 

The Scottish Government writes:
Our land is our biggest asset and the Scottish Government has set out how best to meet its potential for effective, economic and environmentally sustainable use. The revised Land Use Strategy sets out policies and proposals for the next five years and beyond, ensuring that communities are fully engaged.

‘Getting the best from our land’ is Scotland’s second land use strategy and comes at a time when focus on the way we use land is stronger than ever. The recently passed Land Reform (Scotland) Bill and Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act have paved the way for this revised strategy, which sets out the importance of:

• Management of natural resources with an ecosystems approach to land use
• Partnership activity to bring a range of interests together to consider land use at a local level in both rural and urban areas
• Developing and implementing activities to promote climate friendly farming and crofting
• The relationship between ownership, use and management of land
• Continuing to explore the potential of catchment based approaches for managing land

A wide ranging public consultation highlighted an appetite for establishing a strategic vision for Scotland’s uplands and setting up an urban pilot project for the first time to explore community engagement with land use. These are two of the key actions highlighted in the strategy.

Minister for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform Dr Aileen McLeod said:  ‘Land is a fundamental resource for the nation and we all benefit from a more integrated and strategic approach to land management. Land use is crucial to our economic prosperity as well as how we mitigate and adapt to climate change. With such a precious asset, it is hugely important for us to balance the growing demands on our land and make informed decisions about the way it is managed – Scotland’s revised land use strategy provides the best framework for this.  New legislation – the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill and the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 – demonstrate the dynamic nature of the debate on land in Scotland. Our new Land Use Strategy, ‘Getting the best from our land’, represents a bold and ambitious programme and I look forward to seeing its positive impact on land use in Scotland over the coming years.’

View the news release

Download the strategy

Changes have been introduced for permitted development (PD) relating to mobile telecommunications infrastructure; a new rule applies allowing new masts of up to 20 metres in protected areas in England.

Brandon Lewis (Minister of State for Housing and Planning) writes:
Where a site is already used for telecommunications infrastructure, we will extend permitted development rights to allow taller ground based masts to be built. The threshold for new ground based masts will increase from 15 metres to 25 metres in non-protected areas and a new permitted development right allowing new masts of up to 20 metres will be introduced in protected areas. To ensure that there is appropriate community engagement a prior approval will apply where a new mast is being built, meaning consideration will always be given to how to minimise the visual impact of masts.

Operators will also be able to increase the height of existing masts to 20 metres in both non-protected and protected areas without prior approval; between 20 metres and 25 metres in non-protected areas with a prior approval; and have a new automatic right to upgrade the infrastructure on their masts in protected areas to align with existing rights in non-protected areas. There will be a height restriction of 20 metres on highways and residential areas to accommodate vehicle lines of sight and pedestrian access.

View the full statement

Expressions of interest are being invited by DCLG from Local Authorities (LAs) that want to develop new garden city settlements as a new prospectus is launched with a closing date of 31 July for villages relating to up to 10,000 homes and those over 10,000 to be considered on a rolling date basis. 

DCLG writes:
This prospectus invites expressions of interest from local authorities who want to create new communities based on garden city principles.

This prospectus sets out how we can support local areas who want to create new garden villages, towns and cities. It offers tailored government support to local areas with ambitious and innovative proposals to deliver 1,500 homes and above.

It is divided into 2 parts covering expressions of interest for different scales of development.  The first part of the prospectus invites expressions of interest by 31 July 2016 for new ‘garden villages’ of between 1,500 to 10,000 homes. The second part of the prospectus invites expressions of interest on a rolling basis in new garden towns and cities of more than 10,000 homes.

View the statement and download the prospectus policy paper

The 30 year anniversary of the designation of four castles which form the Gwynedd World Heritage Site (WHS) is being celebrated by Cadw through organising 30 special and innovative events which tie in with Wales’ Year of Adventure 2016. 

Cadw writes:
How do you celebrate 30yrs of being an international icon? How about 30 adventurous experiences!

Archery? Medieval re-enactments? Lego/Minecraft workshops? Arts based activities? Town wall talks? Local Welsh music? These are just some of the 30 plus activities arranged by Cadw, the Welsh Government’s historic environment service, to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Castle and Town Walls of King Edward in Gwynedd World Heritage Site this April.

The events will take place on 16, 17, 23 and 24 April at Beaumaris, Caernarfon, Conwy and Harlech castles, offering a range of engaging opportunities for local families and visitors to learn more and appreciate the spectacular sites which were accredited with World Heritage status in 1986.

In addition to providing fun and interactive activities for families, there will also be an opportunity for attendees to provide their views on how the World Heritage Site should be managed over the next 30 years, to continue to make a positive contribution to people’s lives.

Ken Skates, Deputy Minister for Culture, Sport and Tourism said: ‘These exciting events at all four castles which make up the World Heritage Site are just part of the range of 30th anniversary celebrations taking place this year. Coinciding with Wales’s Year of Adventure, these 30th anniversary events will offer fun and engaging activities for families to learn more about the history of these important monuments.

The feedback gathering sessions are also a crucial part of the events. These impressive castles along the north-west coast make a huge contribution to Wales’s economy, and it is key that we gather feedback and opinions from the local community and visitors on how we can maximise the economic benefit, and continue to conserve and protect them over the next 30 years.’

The four castles are cared for by Cadw, the Welsh Government’s historic environment service. More than 2 million people visit the 129 sites in the care of Cadw, and Caernarfon, Conwy, Beaumaris and Harlech attracted more than 500,000 visitors annually, bringing in over £7million to the local economy.

Interactive living history sessions for families will be held at each of the sites, with a wide range of other engaging activities over the four days

View the press release and find out more about the events

21 projects have received allocations from the £7.5 million Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) Flexible and Structured Fund which is designed to address skills gaps, and a third round of funding will be open for applications from 19 April. 

CITB writes:
CITB has announced over £7.5 million in targeted project funding to address the industry’s critical skills needs.  Twenty one industry-led projects have been successful in their funding bids, following the launch of CITB’s new Flexible and Structured Funds last autumn.

Over £2.5 million will be used to develop an online learning centre that helps construction firms build the skills of their supply chain. A further £2.7 million will fund a Homebuilding Skills Partnership, to bring the whole homebuilding sector together for the first time to tackle the skills challenge in housing. Close to £350,000 will fund a project that aims to increase the number of females working in social housing maintenance.More than half of the funding (£4.5 million) will be accessed by 16 projects led by federations.  Employers are directly leading the remaining five projects at a total of £3.1m, of which four are collaborative proposals.

The projects, run from locations across Great Britain, will focus on key areas that are stunting the growth of the industry, such as careers guidance, upskilling existing employees, recruiting new talent and encouraging diversity within the sector. 

Geeta Nathan, Head of Economic Analysis at CITB, commented:  ‘This exciting range of projects will help build a well-skilled workforce, boosting the industry for the long-term. Employers have identified the key issues affecting the construction industry and these funds will help provide the skills and training necessary to overcome them.  This is the first funding announcement since we changed the way we target employer funding and the way firms can access it. The application process is now much more transparent and rigorous. We are now working much more closely with our industry to understand why the programmes are needed and what impact they will have. And we will monitor them closely to ensure they remain on course. Having moved from over 40 funding pots to two clearly defined funds, industry should now reap the benefits of clearer and more targeted funding.’

CITB’s Funding Team are currently working with bidders on the second round of funding.  Applications for the third round of funding will be accepted from April 19. 

View the press release and find out more about the funding

A major competition which was launched by English Heritage to design a new landmark bridge for the sensitive landscape access to Tintagel Castle has been won by Ney & Partners Civil Engineers and William Matthews Associates. 

English Heritage writes:
A breath-taking proposal for a footbridge at Tintagel Castle has helped a team led by Ney & Partners Civil Engineers and William Matthews Associates to win the competition to design a new bridge for the Cornish site.

Tintagel Castle is one of the most spectacular historic sites in Britain. Today the remains of the 13th century settlement can be seen on both the mainland and jagged headland or island jutting into the sea, but Tintagel’s divided landscapes were once united by a narrow strip of land. As part of a £4m English Heritage project, the new bridge at Tintagel Castle will follow the path of the original land bridge and help visitors to better understand the site’s history, improve access to the island, and help to protect and conserve the landscape.

The winning team’s concept is distinctive for its elegant, delicate profile and structural ingenuity. The concept proposes cantilevers on either side of the mainland and island that reach out across the void and almost touch in the middle, leaving a narrow gap which represents in the team’s own words, ‘the transition between the mainland and the island, here and there, the present and the past, the known and the unknown, reality and legend; all the things that make Tintagel so special and fascinating.’

English Heritage’s Chief Executive Kate Mavor, said: ‘The winning team’s concept is daring and very exciting.  It is not the final design but instead a brilliant indication of the team’s talent and imagination. We will now work with them on a design that will both complement the spectacular landscape and unlock for the visitor the history of the site. In our new role as a charity, we are looking for new, imaginative ways to interpret the sites in our care and inspire our visitors – this bridge forms part of that approach.’

The team’s inspiration for the cantilevered bridge concept design came from their study of Celtic history and the original drawbridge at Tintagel Castle. The team’s concept proposed using simple and durable materials for the bridge including local slate for the decking.  The concept by the winning team proved popular with the public following an exhibition in Tintagel village, and on-line, of the concepts by the six competition finalists. The comments were fed through to the expert panel of judges who made the final decision.

Ney & Partners is a renowned engineering consultancy which has produced nearly 100 bridge designs over the last 18 years including most recently, footbridges at two UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Bruges in Belgium and Albi in France. William Matthews Associates is an emerging architectural practice who previously won an international design competition for the renovation of the Union of Bulgarian Artists in central Sofia.  The winning team of Ney & Partners and William Matthews Associates were among the 137 practices which entered the international design competition, organised by Malcolm Reading Consultants.

English Heritage will work with the team on the final design which will be subject to a number of consents and approvals, including planning permission and Scheduled Ancient Monument Consent. It is planned for completion in 2019.

View the press release and more information on the proposed design

A DoENI report shows how the £2.5million Northern Ireland (NI) Coastal Communities Fund has benefitted coastal communities, including building renovation work, and the Environment Minister has urged more communities to consider applying when the next phase of applications opens in summer. 

DoENI writes:
Environment Minister Mark H Durkan today launched Northern Ireland’s Coastal Communities Fund annual report.  It reveals that this Fund has brought £2.5million to our economy, funding 11 projects based along our coast from Coleraine to Newcastle via Rathlin Island, with grants ranging from £71,000 to £736,000 to help create sustainable economic growth and jobs.  Harbour improvements, crafts, fishing, creative foods and building renovations have benefitted from the funding.

Applications for the Fund will reopen this summer and the Minister urges potential applicants to start getting their projects ready.

Mark H Durkan said: ‘The Coastal Communities Fund is a real shot in the arm for our coastal communities boosting their local economies. The Fund is designed to support the economic development of communities along our coasts. It promotes regeneration and sustains economic growth by funding projects that create new jobs as well as safeguard existing jobs.  This report highlights some of the local projects, which show just how resourceful our coastal communities are in keeping their towns, villages and islands prosperous and vibrant. I take much pride in being able to assist them by distributing funding that encourages people working together in partnership for the benefit of the whole community.  Coleraine Harbour is a prime example of this. It has benefitted to the tune of £443,000 from the Fund to improve harbour storage and engineering facilities of 1,500 sq metres. A local company started by two young entrepreneurs, The Skunkworks Surf Company, will be moving in to these new premises from their small workshop in Coleraine. They manufacture their own surf boards and are NI’s first surfboard company. They have pitched to Richard Branson and recently won the top place in the Engineering category at Invent 2015, run by the Northern Ireland Science Park. Skunkworks anticipate a capital spend of £500k on equipment and plan to employ 15-18 people over the next three years.’

‘The Fund re-opens for applications this summer. I urge potential applicants to start getting their projects ready now. What I and DOE are about is building a better environment and a stronger economy. This Fund helps do that.’

In highlighting how the funds boost local coastal areas, Coleraine Harbour Master Captain Pat McKeegan said: ‘The introduction of the grant from the Coastal Communities Fund enabled the Harbour Commissioners to reinstate two derelict transit sheds which has been unused for over 20 years.  The buildings have been completely refurbished and brought up to a standard comparable with a new building enabling immediate occupation by a manufacturing company which is water related and at the same time fits in with the diversification which the Commissioners envisage for the Harbour Estate.’

View the press release

A review of the compulsory purchase order (CPO) system in England and Wales has been launched by DCLG with a closing date of 15 May, aiming to make CPO’s ‘clearer, fairer and faster’ through new methods of assessing market value, adjusting the balance of loss payments in favour of occupiers, changing the role of mayoral development corporations and repealing outdated legislation. 

Download the full CPO consultation paper

The Welsh Government (WG) has announced that any planning application connected to the gasification of coal must be now be referred to Welsh Ministers where local planning authorities are minded to approve them. 

The Welsh Government writes:
The Minister has issued a notification direction which will ensure that applications for development connected to the gasification of coal will need to be referred to the Welsh Ministers where a local planning authority are not proposing to refuse the application.

The Minister’s decision to issue the Town and Country Planning (Notification) (Underground Coal Gasification) (Wales) Direction 2016 is in line with the 2015 Direction which prevents local planning authorities from approving developments involving the onshore exploration of shale oil or gas using unconventional extraction techniques.

Natural Resources Minister Carl Sargeant said: ‘The direction has been issued to require that any planning application connected to the gasification of coal must be referred to Welsh Ministers where local planning authorities are minded to approve them. I have issued it in order to avoid any ambiguity and to ensure our precautionary approach extends to UCG.

‘This new direction will apply to any relevant application for planning permission registered as valid on or after 25th March 2016.’

View the press release

New opportunities for heritage may arise from the recently published Culture White Paper, as a new church buildings task force will be established to help share best practice in church care and repair; heritage action zones are to be launched in England; arts and heritage groups will be able to apply to become part of a pilot crowdfunding project; greater outreach activities are proposed for museums and cultural organisations including a ‘Cultural Citizens Programme’, and a ‘Great Place Scheme’ will be available. 

DCMS writes:

• The Culture White Paper is the first strategy for arts and culture in more than 50 years
• Includes new expectation from Government that all publicly-funded arts organisations must increase access for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds
• Thousands of children from poorer families to benefit from new cultural scheme giving them behind-the-scenes access to the arts
• Great Place scheme will put culture at the centre of local decision-making
• Reviews of Museums, Arts Council England and Heritage Lottery Fund to begin.

All arts organisations that receive public money must show they are reaching out and increasing access for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds to help find the stars of tomorrow and open arts and culture up for all, Culture Minister Ed Vaizey announced yesterday.  The move is part of a groundbreaking Culture White Paper published by the Government yesterday. It is the first comprehensive Government strategy for the sector in more than fifty years and aims to boost access to arts, heritage and culture to help improve social mobility and increase life chances across the country.  The Culture White Paper sets out an expectation for the first time that every Government-funded museum, theatre, gallery, opera house and arts group should reach out to everyone, regardless of their background. Arts Council England will regularly report to Government on the progress being made.

Thousands of children from communities from across the country will also be given unrivalled behind-the-scenes access to the sector via a new Cultural Citizens Programme.  The planned four-year programme will give children from up to 70 areas across the country opportunities to have new cultural experiences, including meeting actors, curators and designers to inspire them to engage with our incredible arts and culture.  Arts Council England will begin a pilot this year in the North West, North East and West Midlands in areas where attendance at cultural events is low. This will then expand to include 14,000 young people across the country.

A new Great Place Scheme will bring national arts and heritage Lottery funders together to make culture a core part of local authority plans and policies. Arts Council England, Heritage Lottery Fund and Historic England will work with councils, cultural organisations, universities and other stakeholders to increase access to culture locally, support jobs, economic growth, education, health and wellbeing.

Culture Minister Ed Vaizey said:  Our arts, heritage and culture should be for all – not just the privileged few. Culture opens doors, improves social mobility and has a huge impact on life chances.  This bold new vision will put culture firmly at the heart of everyday life and ensure that everyone, no matter what their background, can access and enjoy our incredible arts and culture. It can also help us discover untapped talent that could become Britain’s future stars in these vibrant sectors.

Further measures in the Culture White Paper, which was created following consultation with over 230 organisations across England, Government departments and an online forum, include:

• Museums review – DCMS will conduct a wide-ranging review into the museums sector that will examine local and regional museums, Government-sponsored museums and the museums infrastructure nationally. This will also focus on museums’ digital services and storage. It is the first DCMS review of the sector in more than ten years and will be completed by summer 2017. Tailored reviews into the Arts Council England and Heritage Lottery Fund will also be carried out.
• Museum and galleries tax relief – As announced in the Budget, the Government will launch a formal consultation on a museums and galleries tax relief scheme in the summer. Following this the relief will come into effect from 1 April 2017.
• Funding – A new virtual Commercial Academy for Culture will also be set up, which will work with cultural organisations to boost commercial expertise across the cultural sectors. More than £60 million of funding is available to help cultural organisations improve resilience. This is made up of £26 million Arts Council England strategic funding until 2018; £10 million Heritage Lottery Fund grants in 2016/17 for a new round of endowments, and £7 million annual resilient heritage funding. A total of £30 million resilience funding is also available for museums until 2018. Arts and heritage groups will be able to apply to be part of a pilot exploring how they can benefit from matched crowdfunding and grow this new funding stream.
• Cultural Protection Fund – The Government is creating a new £30 million Cultural Protection Fund to support the protection of cultural heritage in global conflict zones overseas. The fund will work across three areas; cultural heritage protection, training and capacity building, and advocacy and education. The fund will also help countries to recover from acts of cultural destruction. We will also share our expertise in cultural development and protection with our partners around the world, particularly those in developing countries and those emerging from conflict. The fund will be managed by the British Council and is expected to be launched in late spring and the first grants are expected to be awarded before the end of the year.

Sir Peter Bazalgette, Chair, Arts Council England said:  We welcome the publication of the Government’s White Paper – the first for the arts since Jennie Lee’s in 1965. It contains a number of proposals that we look forward to helping Government deliver, many of which complement existing Arts Council work to promote diversity and improve access to arts and culture for children and young people.  Along with last Autumn’s Statement from the Chancellor, this White Paper is a vote of confidence in the arts and cultural sector and the contribution it makes to all our lives.

Duncan Wilson, Chief Executive of Historic England said:  Access for everyone to England’s rich heritage has never been more important. The links between taking part in cultural life and life-chances are increasingly well-understood and evidenced.  Taking part has a positive effect on the health, wealth and happiness of individuals and communities. As a nation, we need to include and involve more people than ever before. We are delighted to be part of the effort to do this, and are wholly supportive of the way this White Paper promises to open up culture and heritage to enrich people’s lives.

Sir Peter Luff, Chair of HLF, said:  We are delighted that this White Paper fully embraces heritage as an essential part of the Government’s vision for culture, recognising the role it plays supporting jobs, skills and tourism and making our towns, cities and communities better places to live.  We know from experience that culture can make a positive and lasting difference to people’s lives whatever their background and in many cases this is only possible thanks to the money raised by National Lottery players.

View the press release and download the paper 

Download the Cathedrals and Church Task Force document

The DoENI (Department of the Environment in Northern Ireland) is consulting on proposals to remove exemption from listed building controls on active places of worship because the ‘parallel systems of control for named denominations’ used elsewhere to manage such ‘Ecclesiastical Exemptions’, has ‘no parallel’ in NI, and with a closing date for responses of 13 June. 

The DoENI writes:
Environment Minister Mark H Durkan has invited members of the public to have their say on a proposal to remove the exemption from listing controls that apply to all active listed places of worship in Northern Ireland.  Such buildings, though often the most important historic buildings in our towns and rural areas, do not require Listed Building Consent for alterations that may affect their architectural or historic character.

Mark H Durkan explained: ‘Churches and other places of worship are among our most prominent and important listed buildings. In every village and town, and across the rural area, they stand as witness to our religious heritage. They are also among our most beautiful places with huge effort often put into their location, design and decoration.  Since the early 1970s, the Department of the Environment has worked to identify and record this legacy. The best parts have been formally designated as listed buildings. However, the normal controls associated with such a designation do not apply to places of worship in active use. This ‘Ecclesiastical Exemption’ is common across the UK, but the parallel systems of control for named denominations used elsewhere were never introduced here.

‘For the last 40 years or so we have therefore relied upon the custodians of these buildings do the right thing and protect this important resource. They have largely done this very well, but there have been cases where important parts of our heritage have been lost or more unfortunately degraded by ill informed changes. The view of the Department, based upon recent research, is that it is now time for a change.  Churches do have specific liturgical requirements which are different from those of other listed buildings. I have therefore asked that guidance be developed in parallel with this consultation. This means that, should the exemption be removed, planning authorities will also be able to take these needs into account.

‘Our built heritage is a precious and a finite resource. It is important that we work together to ensure that it is valued and safeguarded for future enjoyment.’

The consultation proposes that DOE issues an order under Section 85 of the Planning Act (NI) 2011 to remove the exemption. This will introduce a requirement to apply to District Council planning departments for Listed Building Consent for proposed changes that might alter the architectural or historic interest of a place of worship which is in use for ecclesiastical purposes.

The planning authority will have to pay due regard to the building’s architectural and historic character when assessing such proposals. In parallel the Department is proposing to develop and publish guidance on changes to such listed buildings and the consideration of liturgical requirements by planning authorities. The consultation will run for 12 weeks until 13 June.

View the press release

The House of Lords has been debating amendments to the Housing and Planning Bill, with the latest debate on 22 and 23 March assessing matters including amendments to planning permission in principle (22 March) and basement construction issues (23 March) as the Bill now passes to the Report stage on 11 April.

View a Planning Portal commentary on the debate

View the minutes of the last meeting (items 12 and 16, 23 March)

View the current content of the Bill as amended

View the full progress of the Bill

The Welsh Government (WG) has allocated a further £12.8 million from the Vibrant and Viable Places programme, bringing the total value of the regeneration scheme to date to £118 million.

The Welsh Government writes:
Twelve regeneration projects are set to receive a £12.8m boost, creating more than 400 new jobs, 50 traineeships and over 220 new homes.  Communities and Tackling Poverty Minister, Lesley Griffiths, has today announced projects including the creation of 16 two-bedroom flats in Holyhead town centre, a new employment hub on the Kingsway in Swansea and a family entertainment zone on the Rhyl waterfront are set to benefit from the significant Vibrant and Viable Places funding boost.  The additional funding brings the total investment in the Welsh Government’s flagship regeneration scheme to £118 million.

A recent report found, between 2014 – 17, the programme will create more than 2,000 jobs, support 3,000 people into work and bring a further £300 million into Wales. It is also expected to provide 1,000 affordable homes and more than 2,300 homes in the private sector.

The Minister said: ‘This additional £12.8m is a huge boost to twelve key regeneration projects across Wales which will make a very real difference to their local communities.  As well as improving important local services, the funding will create hundreds of jobs and traineeships and boost Wales’ housing supply.  The Welsh Government is committed to creating jobs, supporting the economy and increasing housing supply and our flagship VVP programme is at the very heart of our efforts.’

The local authorities who will receive the additional Vibrant and Viable Places funding are Anglesey, Blaenau Gwent, Caerphilly, Conwy, Denbighshire, Flintshire, Gwynedd, Neath Port Talbot, Newport, Swansea, Torfaen and Wrexham.

View the press release

DCLG has released a consultation from the work of the Local Plans Expert Group considering changes to speed up the production of Local Plans, with a deadline for responses of 27 April. 

DCLG writes:
Proposals to speed up and simplify the process of making Local Plans were presented to ministers on 16 March 2016 and are now open for representations.

In September 2015 ministers launched a panel of experts – the Local Plans Expert Group – to examine what measures or reforms might be helpful in ensuring the efficient and effective production of Local Plans.

Ministers have received the detailed report from the Local Plans Expert Group and it is now open to the public for representations until 27 April 2016.

In addition, the Local Plans Expert Group website contains a volume of appendices and a series of discussion papers.

View the consultation and further details of how to respond

The Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) has issued a report that rebukes the argument that brownfield land is more difficult to develop than greenfield, claiming that brownfield sites actually complete more quickly, urging the government to prioritise brownfield developments in the NPPF whilst avoiding damage to sites of environmental or heritage value. 

The Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) writes:
Research published today by the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) shows that brownfield sites are being developed more than half a year faster than greenfield sites. This follows on from CPRE research carried out in late 2014, which found that there are enough suitable brownfield sites for at least 1 million new homes.

The new research covered 15 local authorities across England between March 2012 and December 2015. Carried out by construction consultants Glenigan, the data reveals that the time between planning permission being granted and construction work starting is generally the same for brownfield and greenfield sites, but that work on brownfield sites is completed more than six months quicker.

While the Government has pledged to invest more than £2 billion in brownfield regeneration and establish a brownfield register, many of its proposed changes to planning policy are aimed at making it easier to build on greenfield land. These proposals include developing small sites in the Green Belt and a ‘housing delivery test’ that would force councils to release more land for development if housebuilders do not meet high housing targets.

This new research illustrates that prioritising investment in brownfield sites is a highly effective way of building the homes we need. The research undermines claims that brownfield is either too slow or inconvenient to develop in comparison to greenfield. 

Shaun Spiers, chief executive of the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE), comments: ‘This Government has strongly supported brownfield development. Now it must show it has the courage of its convictions and usher in a brownfield revolution to tackle the housing crisis, benefit England’s towns and cities, and save the countryside from inappropriate development.  This new research shows that brownfield sites are developed more quickly than greenfield sites, giving the lie to the idea that developing a brownfield site must be difficult or unprofitable. What is needed now is for the Government to put all its energy behind getting houses built on derelict and vacant sites.  Crucially, it must drop the idea that the way to get houses built is simply to make more countryside available. The evidence is that this will slow down house building, rather than speed it up.’ 

CPRE is calling on the Government to:

• Amend the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) to make the intentions of Ministers clear and prioritise the use of suitable brownfield sites in urban areas over greenfield – including empowering councils not to allocate greenfield sites in local plans and to refuse planning permission on greenfield sites where these would compete with suitable brownfield sites
• Commit to seeing development started on 90% of suitable brownfield sites by 2020, rather than just aiming for planning permission on 90% of suitable sites by 2020
• Make suitable brownfield sites the first priority for any public funding, and prevent public funding for greenfield sites where these would make competing demands
• The Government should reform the New Homes Bonus to invest billions in regenerating brownfield sites [5]
• Make clear that planning and fiscal policies promoting brownfield development are focused on existing towns and cities, and damage to brownfield of high environmental or heritage value should be avoided

View the press release and download the report

The new Growth Deal applications are now open and details of how the process has benefited projects to date revealed; this includes investment in historic buildings (HB’s), with Saltaire WHS receiving funding for refurbishment of a listed college building.

DCLG writes:
Local leaders wanting to boost skills, support business and build more homes will be offered the chance to apply for the latest round of Growth Deals worth billions of pounds, Greg Clark said today (22 March 2016).

The Communities Secretary said the deals would boost the chances of areas securing significant inward investment from overseas – he will today chair an historic summit with Chinese regional leaders to highlight the opportunities available across the country.

Under the Growth Deals, England’s 39 Local Enterprise Partnerships – made up of council leaders and business representatives – will be able to apply for a share of £1.8 billion to support projects in their areas that boost local economic growth and create jobs.

The money forms part of the government’s £12 billion Local Growth Fund, which is already being used to support successful projects – chosen by communities themselves.

Communities Secretary Greg Clark said:  We’re completely changing the way business is done in this country, ending the top-down, ‘Whitehall knows best’ mentality of the past and instead putting power back where it belongs – in the hands of local communities.

With this offer of a Growth Deal to communities across the country, we’re backing this devolution revolution with billions of pounds, releasing vital investment in projects across the country to boost local skills, deliver new homes and create jobs. 

The government has made clear its commitment to putting power directly into the hands of communities to shape the future development of their area.  Last week’s Budget included 5 new and extended devolution deals, which transfer billions of pounds and extensive powers from Whitehall to cities and counties, and paved the way for work to start on major infrastructure and housing projects, by allocating funding support from the Local Growth Fund.  This includes:

• new devolution deals with councils in East Anglia, Greater Lincolnshire and the West of England
• extended devolution deals with Greater Manchester and the Liverpool City Region
• £475 million for large local transport projects – of which £151 million will fund 2 new crossings at Lowestoft and Ipswich

Already £7.7 billion of the £12 billion Local Growth Fund has been allocated to more than 900 projects across England to build vital infrastructure, improve skills and create thousands of jobs.  They include:

• a new £2.6 million motor vehicle engineering centre at Leicester College, built using £1.23 million from the Local Enterprise Partnership’s Growth Deal allocation
• flood defences at Albert Dock in Hull, which were completed in November 2015. This £6. 6million project received £3 million from the Humber LEP’s Growth Deal allocation, leading to 1.6 km of new flood walls being built, which has protected hundreds of homes from further flooding
• Halesowen College’s advanced science, engineering and technology centre: a third of the £3.17 million build cost was funded from the Black Country LEP’s Growth Deal. The project will meet identified skills gaps and has the backing of major local businesses
• Shipley College Grade II listed Mill Building, in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Saltaire, which has undergone a £388,000 refurbishment. The project has received a £119,000 grant from the LEP and West Yorkshire Combined Authority’s Local Growth Fund

Mr Clark urged Local Enterprise Partnerships to ‘be ambitious’ and apply for a share of the remaining £1.8 billion Local Growth Fund to support projects in their area.

Any Local Enterprise Partnership looking to apply for a share of Local Growth Funding has until the summer to do so.  This will be highly competitive – to be successful, Local Enterprise Partnerships will need to work with partners to agree strong and accountable governance, putting forward proposals that boost growth and bring in private sector funding.

View the press release

An appeal decision for the erection of two 500WW wind turbines in Staffordshire has been dismissed, with the Secretary of State refusing planning permission and citing the introduction of ‘alien industrial features’ as being unacceptable in terms of landscape impact.

The decision letter states that ‘He agrees with the Inspector that, due to their height and appearance, the turbines would stand out as alien industrial features which would have a detrimental impact on a pleasing rural landscape, and therefore concludes that the proposed turbines would have an adverse impact on the character and appearance of the area’ (paragraph 10).

An assessment of the potential heritage impact, relating to a nearby conservation area and church spire concludes: He agrees that, although no longer a farm, the surrounding fields are integral to the setting of Dunimere Farmhouse and the immediate surroundings are also important historically and their contribution to the setting of the farm must be considered. Like the Inspector and Historic England, he considers that, due to their size and modern appearance the turbines would have an adverse effect on this historic landscape which, in turn, would have a detrimental effect on the setting of the listed building.  The Secretary of State agrees that the harm would be less than substantial, but that a finding of less than substantial harm carries considerable weight’ (paragraph 11).

Download the case letter (reference APP/K3415/A/13/2205526)

The Tourism Investment Support Scheme (TISS) in Wales now has £2m available (with a closing date of 29 April for this round of the Regional Tourism Engagement Fund); which may present opportunities for heritage projects under the ‘sense of place’ theme. 

The Welsh Government writes:
Following a recent review, the Tourism Investment Support Scheme (TISS) now has £2million available for tourism product development support. The TISS fund is focussed on capital projects in the tourism sector, the objective is to stimulate growth and increased demand from new and existing markets via projects that create and safeguard jobs, improve product quality & sense of place, and add value.  The level of support is related to the employment and economic benefit case with the minimum available set at £25,000 and maximum at £500,000.

Since 2010, some £10.6million has been approved through TISS creating and safeguarding some 1,133 jobs.

The Regional Tourism Engagement Fund is also now open for applications. The £1 million fund is key to delivery of regional tourism activity, and allows tourism officials to work with partners at the destination level to help deliver the 10% growth target set out in the tourism strategy.

Place building is vital to destination management and allows local tourism communities to decide what is most important to put in place to maximise visitor satisfaction and to stimulate local support for tourism. The regional fund (RTEF) is the key in delivering this work and has been established to enable destination partners to work together. The fund is closely aligned to Visit Wales Themed Years approach, with the Year of Legends in 2017 being a key consideration for successful project bidding in this round. The fund is open for applications until 29 April.

Also with a view to developing exciting product ideas aligned to Year of Legends, is the Tourism Product Innovation Fund is also now open for applications from to encourage closer joint working between private sector tourism trade partnerships. The fund is aimed at projects that develop new and innovative tourism products and enable private sector partners to explore new ways of joint working, at local, regional and national level in Wales. A pot of £200,000 is available and the closing date for applications is 3 June.

Last week, the Deputy Minister visited Loggerheads Country Park, part of the Clwydian Range & Dee Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, to see the activity in the area linked to the Year of Adventure. The Deputy Minister visited the new Oriel gallery which currently has an exhibition featuring the hill forts of the Clwydian Range, he also had a chance to have a sneak preview of the new  Year of Adventure Films featuring Clwydian Range and Dee Valley AONB and the other protected landscapes in Wales as part of the Protected Landscapes Mini Adventures promotion which was funded through Visit Wales regional funding. The films will go live during the Great Weekend of Adventure 2-3 April.

Deputy Minister for Culture, Sport and Tourism, Ken Skates, said: ‘The Easter Bank Holiday weekend is just around the corner and is seen as the traditional start of the holiday season in Wales. We begin the season with the great feeling of confidence in this this vital sector.  We’ve seen successive annual increases in visitor volumes and expenditure, both in the GB and international markets. In 2014, the number of visitors broke the 10 million mark for the first time on record, which was excellent news for Wales. With a month of 2015 figures yet to be calculated, we can already see that the spend figure is higher than the previous record of £1.735 billion set in 2014 which is  testament to the hard work of the industry and proof that our tourism strategy for Wales is working.  However, this is no time to rest on our laurels, and investing in the quality of the tourism product is key if we are to compete in the global market place.  This tourism funding enables private and public sector partners to stimulate growth and demand and improve what we have to offer the visitor.

‘I hope to see Local Authorities, private sector and third sector work together to think outside of the box, to think of bold creative and innovative projects for next year. We’re looking for some big ideas, projects which can make a real difference in making Wales a must visit destination and give people compelling reasons to visit Wales.’

View the full press release

A recent study by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) into the economies of cities throughout the UK reveals that 10 of the top 12 are located within the north, highlighting issues which should be taken into account when planning for ‘The Northern Powerhouse’.

The Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) writes:
The Northern Powerhouse must ensure all parts of the north benefit from the government’s ambition to rebalance the economy and devolve power in the upcoming Budget.

The call comes as a new Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) report shows how 10 of the UK’s top 12 struggling cities are based in the north – meaning some of the poorest places in the country risk being left behind by the attempts to boost economic growth and create prosperity in the north. No city in the south featured in the top 12 or 24 of the index.

JRF is calling on city leaders to harness their new economic powers and resources to create opportunities for the people and places who have previously been left behind. For instance, three of the top 12 struggling places (Rochdale, Bolton and Wigan) are located in Greater Manchester, where substantial powers and resources have been devolved.

The top struggling cities are:

1. Rochdale
2. Burnley
3. Bolton
4. Blackburn
5. Hull
6. Grimsby
7. Dundee
8. Middlesbrough
9. Bradford
10. Blackpool
11. Stoke
12. Wigan

So far, the Northern Powerhouse and devolution agenda has focussed on the Core Cities, the biggest cities in the country, with devolution deals already signed for areas such as Greater Manchester and Sheffield City Region. But the report demonstrates that for wider prosperity and rebalancing, areas outside the biggest cities must also share in the benefits of investment and devolution.

The study analysed the fortunes of 74 cities with populations over 100,000 people. The index is based on changes in employment rates, levels of highly-qualified workers, the number and type of full-time jobs, net migration rates, population change and change in rank.

Uneven growth: tackling city decline, by researchers at the Centre for Urban and Regional Development Studies (CURDS) at Newcastle University, examines how these places are faring compared to each other and the national average. It demonstrates that many of them are growing, but found growth in many northern cities is lagging significantly behind national levels.

For instance, cities in the south have seen a much stronger growth in full-time equivalent job creation, benefitting places such as Exeter and Milton Keynes, while Burnley and Stoke have struggled. In the top 12 struggling cities, full-time job creation fell back by -2.1% according to the index, compared to growth of 1.9% for the national average and 5.4% in the top 12 best performing cities.

The research says that economic growth alone will not necessarily reduce poverty in cities, so comprehensive and integrated packages of long-term policies around economic development, employment and skills and infrastructure are required.  Central government has a key role to play. As it stands, there is little financial incentive for town halls to address poverty. Many of the benefits generated and savings made accrue to central government. For example, local authorities receive just 7p in the £1 of the savings from helping someone out-of-work find a job at the Living Wage. By contrast, 80p goes to central government, separate figures for JRF show.

In its submission for next month’s Budget, JRF believes the Treasury could create financial incentives for councils to address unemployment through a ‘welfare earn back’ model, which would see the financial benefits of addressing unemployment shared between city regions and the government. This could create a virtuous circle which helps achieve full employment, brings down the welfare bill and provides economic security for families.

Josh Stott, policy and research manager at JRF, said: ‘Britain has the potential to become a more prosperous country, with George Osborne’s Northern Powerhouse playing a key role in rebalancing the economy.  But it must reach all parts of the north to ensure prosperity is shared. To rebalance the economy and ensure local growth provides opportunity for all households, the Treasury needs to ensure areas outside of Core Cities are not left behind. City leaders – with a new suite of powers at their disposal – must also show leadership to do their part to ensure growth and prosperity is shared by all.’

Andy Pike, co-author of the report and Professor of Local and Regional Development in the Centre for Urban and Regional Development Studies (CURDS) at Newcastle University, said: ‘Economic and social conditions in UK cities are diverging and increasingly different. Many cities in the north are growing but are failing to keep up with national trends. There are three kinds of such cities – ‘core’, ‘overshadowed’ and ‘freestanding’ – each with different predicaments and potentials for growth and prosperity. If the commitment to rebalancing in the UK is meaningful then greater policy attention and resources by central and local government needs to be focused upon the particular needs of these cities lagging behind’.

View the news release

Download the full report

Wandsworth Council has launched a tender competition to select a delivery partner for the regeneration of the 17 acre Alton Estate in Roehampton a six-hectare estate in south-west London where approximately 1,100 new homes will be built as well as additional social rent, affordable and private housing.

The project aims to vastly improve this post war housing estate on the boarder of Richmond Park and will see a range of new high quality shops and community facilities built, including a leisure centre, community centre, park and library.

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