Blog

Happy New Year from all at NJL! As we return from our festive break, we take a sneak peek into the new year ahead and pick out some of the key things to look out for in 2019:

We are delighted to confirm our successes of recent permissions linked to Bridgwater Retail Park, Somerset.

NJL has acted as Possfund’s primary planning advisor on this site for over five years.  Our most significant roles to date have revolved around the preparation, coordination and monitoring of a hybrid application for comprehensive redevelopment including new retail warehouse units and to enable the completion of vital highways infrastructure (The Leggar Link).  Approved in March 2017, the hybrid application has been adapted through a number of amendment applications (which NJL has submitted), and works have commenced on site via successful discharge of conditions applications (also submitted by NJL).

On behalf of the client, our team for the second time have obtained approval for extension to Hawthorn Hall, Wilmslow. The applications represent a revision to the planning permission and listed building consent which was granted in March 2018. 

NJL and students from the University of Washington recently collaborated on a research project linked to the hotel industries in Manchester and Leeds.  This blog seeks to summarise some of the findings and examine the growing industries, particularly in relation to Manchester.

Published alongside the Autumn Budget late last month, the findings of Sir Oliver Letwin’s review into the root causes of England’s low ‘build out’ rates have been eagerly awaited by the planning and development industry.

The review, announced by last year’s autumn budget, has identified what Sir Oliver considers to be the main roadblocks to faster housing delivery, and suggests a number of changes should be made to the way in which the large house builders, planning profession and wider process of land valuation operate.

According to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) 2018, development in the Green Belt is inappropriate except in very special circumstances (paragraph 143).

Very special circumstances will not exist unless the potential harm to the Green Belt, and any other harm, is clearly outweighed by other considerations.