Tony Humprheys

It is with a very heavy heart that I have received news today that Tony has passed away.  

Its poignant that it's my first full day as Chair of RTPI Wales - a role Tony held in 2002/3.  He would, I hope, have been immensely proud that "one of my lads" was following in his footsteps. Respected and liked by councillors, colleagues and applicants.  Only yesterday at the 2015 Review were we chatting about him, his RTPI work and enquiring how he was.  I last saw him fleetingly perhaps 6 weeks or so ago, as I often did, when his car passed me.    

Tone, as we knew him, was my first boss,  DC Team Leader at  Colwyn Borough Council in the early 1990s.  He saw through both 1974 and 1996 re-organisations and with it sea changes in the planning world. Always looking to make planning better, more efficient, seeing e.g. how GIS or IT could give his staff the tools to do things better.  He was however, still a proper, old school planner.  The starting point being the basics - history, plans, scale-rules, proper applications, tape measures on site. "Get those right and at least they wont come back and bite you on the arse" was very much a Tony thing to say.

It helped you forgive files sometimes forgotten about in the boot of the blue Sierra - he'd probably been out to watch your back.  He usually found them after being asked him to look again - you were the last person with it Tone.  Never afraid to pick up the phone and tell those who needed to be told what to do. Always helping schemes which should or could get permission overcome the obstacles.  And those that couldn't?  They wouldnt.    

  

Some of that rubbed off on me and  I'm sure that legacy carries through to those he appointed to the new "DC Minors" team I took over from him in 2004.
    

A staunch supporter of the Royal Town Planning Institute during his working life, Tony gave all his staff the support he could to make sure we moved to Chartered status.  It couldn't be  more fitting that my theme for 2016 is finding and developing our current and future young planners.   Tony has played no small in that.

He was instrumental in establishing the all Wales RTPICymru and served as Hon Secreretary for some years after retirement, having earlier served on the North West England and North Wales branch. He was, I know, utterly thrilled to have been a part of the Team that won an RTPI Award in 1993 for regeneration work in Pentrefoelas   

To Roz and family, sincerest condolences.

Tony Humprheys.  RIP.

Rhos On Sea - Residential

Once again we are delighted to have been instructed to provide planning support to a scheme for a development of 7 apartments in the centre of Rhos on Sea for a local developer.  Architectural design has been by another Rhos on Sea business- BR Architecture. 

To take place on a long time vacant land, it will deliver positive and beneficial re-use of accessible urban land, it is yet another example of the continued confidence of the housing industry in the regeneration of town and the service it offers residents.  A flavour of the scheme can be seen above.

An application has recently been lodged with Conwy CBC and we expect consultation to begin in the next couple of weeks.  A decision is expected in Early 2016. 

Pete   

Residential Scheme, Llandudno

We are delighted to have advised Mostyn Estates Ltd on the submission of a Full Planning Application on a highly sustainable regeneration site in the delightful resort town of Llandudno. 

Working extensively alongside BRArchitecture, with flood risk advice provided by Waterco the development will be another strand of ongoing investment in the town by the Estate in a three-storey 18 apartment building. The scheme successfully combines traditional design detailing and elements beloved of the Victorian splendour of the town with modern elements and twists.   

The application will be subject of consultation by the Council in the very near future and we expect the application to be reported to planning committee hopefully in November or December. 

Objections. Appeal Success

The majority of our work is made up of promoting developments on behalf of clients. However, we do get called upon to advise on objections to planning applications regularly.

Last year we were asked by a client to assist some family members who had major concerns over a proposal to extend a holiday caravan site immediately abutting their garden - which forms part of a Grade 2 Listed converted former farm complex.  Very conscious that we act extensively in the caravan and tourist sector supporting proposals, it was an unusual role for us to be presenting an objection.  However  there was a clear basis for doing so on a number of grounds and our expertise of the caravan sector was brought to bear.  

After presenting those objections on behalf of a residents group to the Council, the application was refused and an appeal lodged.  We were further instructed to prepare the residents case for the appeal to be dismissed and recently attended the Hearing event to present their case.  We ensured the Inspector fully appreciated the residents issues at the Hearing and that the impacts were fully reviewed and understood during the site inspection.   

We (and our clients) are very pleased to learn today that the appeal has been dismissed on virtually every ground we raised as material to the case.

Pete

Planning Application Fees - Wales

To no great surprise (or fanfare) come updated Planning Application Fee Regulations in Wales on applications valid on or after 01 October 2015.

The main changes: 

• Circa 15% increase in the fee charge across the board.  Basic fee rates will increase to £190 and £380 and multiples.    

• Charges for approval of conditions are introduced (£30 in householder cases and £95 in all other cases).

The carrot  given  does not come without a huge stick which the Minister has raised, presumably  in his quest to improve performance.  

• Application fees must be refunded  planning conditions not determined 8 weeks after submission (which might be surprsingly many), those still not determined a further 8 weeks after the normal period on householder applications and and in any other case on an application for planning permission or approval of reserved matters, 16 weeks after the normal decision time (8+16 being 24 weeks).  There is further leeway to agree extensions of time. 

We do wonder however if the Minister has learnt to reverse swing the ball and wait nervously to see if change to the DM Procedure Order is imminent to reflect the new powers in the Wales Planning Act and the consultation in late 2014 on frontloading consultation and mandatory pre-application processes to redress some of balance back.     

Watch this space Pete

Small Schemes, Affordable Housing/Tariff Contributions. England

Late on on Friday 31July West Berkshire and Reading Councils successfully challenged changes to the NPPG (England) which had been previously revised by the Written Ministerial Statement of 28 November 2014.  We had previously commented on this change.

The Government is required to change the NPPG and it placed the following on the NPPG website late on Friday. 

Please note that paragraphs 012-023 of the guidance on planning obligations will be removed following the judgment in R (on the application of West Berkshire District Council and Reading Borough Council) v Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government [2015] EWHC 2222 (Admin).

The effect of this change will become clear very quickly.  In the immediate term we expect LPA's to revert to previously adopted affordable housing and planning obligation tariff positions.  These will again need to be factored into viability and delivery of small-scale proposals.  

A spokesman for the Dept for Communities and Local Government (DeClog) states: "We’ve got Britain building and we’re determined to maintain this momentum, including by reducing the red tape and extra costs that prevent smaller developments from getting built.   

"We are disappointed by the outcome of the judgement and will be seeking permission to appeal against the judge’s decision. This will have a disproportionate impact on smaller builders who are important in providing homes for local communities."   

 We will update further as things become clearer. 

4 x 4 Events

We are delighted to have been instructed by  4x4Events uk - the only Official Jeep off-road driving centre in the UK  - to assist in their quest for planning permission to use woodland on the Kinmel Estate, St George, Abergele for off-road driving tuition at all levels from beginners to advanced drivers.   This would compliment existing operations in Cheshire and North Wales. 

Working with Nigel and his team in-house, we have provided Planning, Design and Access Statements to support the package of information needed to present a robust planning application to the Local Authority.  A decision is  expected around the middle of September.   

Yet another example of our flexibility in working with client's specific needs to achieve cost effective solutions.