News analysis
Landfill stink reaches higher echelons
A long running odour problem at a site in Bury has come to ahead - being raised in Parliament with weekly site visits from the Environment Agency installation of new gas wells, and an expansion of capping to contain the gas and odours
Water credits market being created to unblock development
The government is creating a water credit system to help unblock restrictions on building in the Greater Cambridge area due to water stress and limited supplies
Budget: Multiple announcements but disappointment prevailing reaction
Twenty towns get £20m and plans for Investment Zones for Greater Manchester, Liverpool City Region, Northeast of England, South Yorkshire, and West Midlands laid out
Brownfield review: WMCA | Ferrybridge | Bermondsey | Wirral | Teesside
West Midlands Combined Authority earmarks £200m for 12,000 homes , as Ferrybridge C set to become industrial zone, Southwark agrees 1624 Bermondsey homes, VIVIV acquires gateway site in Portsmouth, Wirral told to alter local plan and Tees Valley Mayor, Ben Houchen asked for progress report
Government clamps down on planning time agreement extensions
For major applications – 50% or more of applications must be determined within the statutory time limit and for non-major applications – 60% or more of applications have to be determined within the statutory time limit.
Government proposes Accelerated Planning Service
It is proposed for major commercial applications with a guarantee that the fee would be refunded if the application is not determined within the ten week timescale.
Kate Barker to head up Housing Commission
The Commission will look at how to free up more land for development and the role of specialist housing, which will look into accommodation for students and older people and approaches to sustainability and ensuring affordability
Michael Gove gives over £200m to northern cities
Blackpool gets £90m, Liverpool £31m, Sheffield £67m and Blackburn and Darwen £20m
BUSINESS: Gresham House | United Living | Watkin Jones and Hines | ABP
Gresham House agrees loan for Leeds BTR site, United Living awarded £75m contract for two Manchester blocks, Watkin Jones forward sells a 260 PBSA in Bristol, while ABP announces ports appointment
What are the foundations to your remediation?
Earthworks, or the use of engineered fill, is now a frequent activity as sites need to be prepared before house building can take place. In this Network event, speakers from NHBC’s Land Quality Service team explain the newly published addition to the NHBC’s Standards, Chapter 4.6 - Engineered Fill.
Homes rejected over PM2.5 and cancer fears
The site was a nature corridor in Oldbury which residents think protects them from noise and air pollution from the nearby M5.
Green light for 700-home timber development
The site will use a 'co-mobility hub' including an electric car share, electric bike service and a shuttle bus ; a rain garden will reduce flood risk and the scheme has an urban farming and community garden strategy
DHLUC gives £50m to regenerate London estates
The investment will be made available to existing estate regeneration schemes that carry the support of local communities
Housing market intervention necessary, says CMA
The Competition and Markets Authority finds land banking is primarily a symptom of wider problems in the market, mainly driven by the time and uncertainty associated with obtaining planning permission and it puts forward recommendations for reform
Business: Berkeley | Vistry | Re:Shape | Summix
Homes England gives £125m loan to Berkeley for infrastructure at three schemes, as Vistry enters into a partnership with Countryside Partnerships Group, Re:Shape acquires three sites for PBSA, as Summix buys a 15.5 acre site in Edinburgh
Guidance on BNG emphasises 10% limit
A key change from the November draft is in paragraph 006: “Plan-makers should not seek a higher percentage than the statutory objective of 10% biodiversity net gain, either on an area-wide basis or for specific allocations for development unless justified."
Contaminated land: Crewe | Powys | RSK | Geosmart | SoBRA | CL:AIRE
Contaminated land and election issue in Crewe, Powys County Council escapes enforcement, RSK launches UXO company, Geosmart Information grows, York University wins research contract on metal contamination, SoBRA updates asbestos tool, CL:AIRE publishes C4SL reports, and new ISO standard on XRF is published
Brownfield Scotland: Collaborative working and data advances overcoming challenges
Two themes stood out at the Brownfield and Regeneration Network Conference, Brownfield Land Scotland: collaborative working to compensate for less funding for investigation and remediation, and the improvement in data quality and management.
Brownfield Land Scotland Conference - Roundtable Discussion Outcomes
Roundtables discussions at the Brownfield and Regeneration Network Conference, Brownfield Land Scotland, covered collaborative working, managing data, sustainability goals, site characterisation, risk communication, improving biodiversity and using derelict land.
Wolverhampton in brownfield competition
The challenge to incorporate an existing Grade II listed church and create a neighbourhood which will act as a catalyst in the transformation of the city
Positive signs from Residential Land Index
The Knight Frank survey found that 70% of housebuilders thought Labour would enhance the market the most, with 30% supporting a Conservative agenda for the industry
Energy Department encourages nuclear sites on brownfields
The consultation is on the approach for assessing the potential suitability of sites for the deployment of new nuclear power stations and siting on brownfields appears favoured
Planning restrictions costing UK £138.5bn/yr says institute
Adam Smith Institute paper says liberalising planning restrictions would boost the welfare of every person by 6.5% if limited to London, and 11.7% if extended to all cities
Government changes brownfield policy to boost housebuilding
The government expects local planning authorities to give significant weight to delivering as many homes as possible, for proposals on brownfield and for the 20 towns and cities subject to urban uplift, where their Housing Delivery Test score falls to 95% or below, the presumption in favour of sustainable development applies
BNG in force, but concerns over resources and targets
The Biodiversity Net Gain regime came into force on 12 February but property bodies and conservation groups express concerns over lack of resources and preparedness
Evaluating remediation benefits through natural capital
The Environment Agency (EA) recognises that the full value of remediation in terms of the economic, social and environmental benefits is not well understood, and it is often viewed as a cost burden or liability.
£51m for brownfield housing in Manchester
The funding is part of the agreement between the government and Greater Manchester over three years to release brownfield land for housing, and over half the 3380 homes will be affordable to Manchester people
Brownfield review: Buckinghamshire | Chatham | Coventry | Bilston | Sefton
A thousand homes for RAF Halton site, as Peel Waters develops Chatham Docks, West Midlands Combined Authority invests heavily in Coventry South and Bilston and Sefton Council starts building council homes after an 18 year gap
Revenue and profits down at Hargreaves Services
Sales within Hargreaves Land have been slow, impacted by the wider property market, but with several post period end completions the outlook is positive
Tees Valley Mayor attempts to block evidence
He argues that the enquiries into allegations of corruption involving Teesworks and the South Tees Development Corporation from Middlesbrough MP Andy McDonald should be dealt with by the review set up by Housing secretary Michael Gove and not by a Commons committee