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NJL Consulting have recently achieved approval of a major Reserved Matters application for client UK Land and Property which will allow the creation of a 1M sq.ft Distribution Hub within Bedfordshire’s Northern Expansion Area (NEA).

Submitted in Winter 2017, NJL have worked collaboratively with technical co-consultants and UKLP to ensure the successful progression of the application. Alongside addressing the reserved matters, the application also sought to discharge 11 conditions in order to ensure the unobstructed realisation of the proposals.

March 2018 marked the Government’s launch of the revised National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and the Draft Planning Practice Guidance (PPG) consultation. This follows on from the Housing White Paper and Planning for The Right Homes in the Right Place Consultation; both of which provided initial proposals to amend the existing policy following a consecutive 6 years of no changes in the NPFF.

The documents were published alongside statements by Theresa May and Sajid Javed focussing on the need for housing delivery. With housing firmly at the forefront of the government’s agenda, we explore the key policy changes that will affect residential development.   Access to the published documents is available here. 

Something which is not going to help those ‘January Blues’ is the confirmation just before Christmas that planning application fees are due increase by 20% on 17^th January. This fee increase was made into law on 20^th December 2017 and will come into force in less than 2 weeks.

The fee increase applies to all planning applications, and any applications which are not validated by the 17^th January will also be subject to the fee increase.

NJL Consulting, on behalf of UK Land and Property (UKLP), has submitted a reserved matters planning application for the development of a 1,000,000 sq.ft warehouse in Bedfordshire. The site is located at Wixams Northern Expansion Area (NEA) and is to be home to a new B&M distribution hub.

In collaboration with UKLP, B&M, DLA Architecture, the Vinden Partnership and other co-consultants, NJL has managed the planning process, and reviewed and prepared technical reports, and consulted with stakeholders. 

This year’s Autumn Budget saw significant new measures in relation to housing and development as well as a reiteration of the 1.7 billion Transforming Cities Fund. Speaking in the commons earlier today Chancellor Phillip Hammond set out measures to boost housebuilding and homeownership as well as strategic land and infrastructure developments. Here we’ll summarise some of the key points that will shape the planning and development landscape in the coming years.

Life expectancy and working age has been on the rise for the last 30 years in the UK.  While policy seems to be focussed on helping first time buyers access the housing market, evidence suggests that we are failing to plan effectively for the older members of our society.

The government do seem to be floating some ideas to help, for instance making pensioners exempt from stamp duty when downsizing to smaller homes, and we anticipate more relevant announcements in the Autumn Statement next week.