Blog

The contribution that the evening economy makes to the vitality and viability of town centres has traditionally been undervalued in planning, but is this changing?

The evening economy is a significant contributor to economic performance and is a growing sector at a time when much of the economy, including the retail sector, is struggling. The evening economy has become a main attractor for many centres and makes a significant and valuable contribution to the economy in its own right. In fact, it contributes £66bn to the national economy, which represents a third of town and city centre turnover.

Full planning permission has been secured for the 56,000 sqft extension of the Recticel Insulation industrial warehouse, along with internal works, at Meir Park, Stoke-on-Trent. NJL Consulting acted as lead planning consultants in assembling and submitting the detailed planning application to Stoke-on-Trent City Council on behalf of our clients, Henry Boot Developments Ltd.

Recticel Insulation have been operating from the industrial unit since its erection in 2008 and employ 60 members of staff. The planning application represents an opportunity for the business to continue to grow and invest in the local area while also creating five new FTE jobs at the site, which will in turn benefit the local economy.

With the Trafford Centre Metrolink line recently gaining the green light for public consultation in 2014, we decided to delve into the history of this troubled project and examine what its potential effects could be on Greater Manchester's economy.

As a reflection of the continuing high quality of the Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) managed by NJL Consulting, we have successfully secured an EIA Quality Mark for the third straight year.

Managed by the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA), the professional body for environmental practitioners, the EIA Quality Mark is held by just 40 of the UK's leading consultancies. It is awarded following a rigorous, independent review by IEMA of quality control process and the standard of Environmental Statements actually delivered on behalf of our clients, and is considered the ‘gold standard' for EIA.

With a number of major planning applications recently being refused amidst perceived concerns that the proposed developments would conflict with emerging Neighbourhood Development Plans (NDPs), many are wondering if such plans are now being afforded the weight that the Government envisaged when it introduced its Localism agenda.

In this article, we consider the legislative background to NDPs and how effective a planning tool they are for developers as a way of influencing emerging local land use planning policy.

Ed Miliband’s announcement today of measures to increase the number of new homes being built has brought the practice of ‘Land Banking’ into the spotlight once again.

In this article, we consider whether there is any substance behind these alleged practices, and what the numbers really tell us.