‘Radical proposals’ to set up a new independent Office of Planning
‘Radical proposals’ to set up a new independent Office of Planning (Ofplan) were published on 18 March by the Town and Country Planning Association.
The idea of the office is to regulate and strengthen planning. By regulating planning, Ofplan would connect the different parts of planning control with building regulations, design and eco-towns. The TCPA believes that it would put the entire planning system on a similar footing to other regulated services, such as Ofwat and Ofgem.
In the run up to publication of a White Paper regarding planning, the pamphlet promotes an alternative to suggestions that unelected commissioners should decide major projects, such as nuclear power stations. Local planning would remain with local authorities and Ministers would continue to be accountable for major planning decisions and planning policy, but responsibility for operating the system would fall to Ofplan and the Planning Commissioner, who would report to government and parliament.
“Ofplan would connect land use planning with the wider place-making agenda, and would offer Ministers a chance to renew the planning system in a way that would carry forward the spirit of positive planning, 60 years on from the milestone 1947 planning act,” said authors of the report, Paul Hackett, a former special adviser to the deputy prime minister, and David Lock CBE, chairman of the TCPA.
The pamphlet has been published in the March edition of the journal Town and Country Planning as part of the Tomorrow Series. It can be ordered online at www.tcpa.org.uk/membership.asp
Regeneration proposed near East Croydon Station
A new mixed-use scheme has been proposed for the heart of Croydon, providing 930,000 sq ft of new office, retail and residential space.
Development company, Menta, believes that it will provide dramatic regeneration to an area on Cherry Orchard Road, near East Croydon Station.
The focal point is set to be four new towers, which is planned to respond to, and reflect light, at different times of the day and at each season throughout the year. Menta is working with Croydon Council and Make Architects to develop plans. The official application for plans is due in September/October.
Craig Marks of Menta, said: “The creation of a high quality transport interchange, which will provide improved links between trains, trams and buses is a crucial element of our proposals. We want improvements at East Croydon Station to be the catalyst for wide scale regeneration and urban renewal of the area surrounding Cherry Orchard Road.
“Within our scheme we aim to deliver a vibrant mix of social, affordable and private housing. Our plans have the potential to create up to 2,500 new jobs.”
It is early days in the design process, so an investment figure has not yet been announced, as “the precise shape of the scheme has not been determined yet”, concluded Marks.
Total number of second homes in the UK reaches 365,000
The number of second homes in England increased by more than 2% last year, according to Savills.
This means that 1.1% of all homes in England are now owned for secondary occupation, as well as 1.5% of homes in the whole of the UK. The number of second homes in the UK is now 365,000 (based upon DCLG figures). Savills estimates that the total value of second homes that are both UK and overseas is around £125 bn.
Yolande Barnes, director at Savills research, said: “The purchase of second homes and holiday homes is one of several ways that equity gets exported around the country (and out of the country) from high house price areas. People who have made money from owning their main residence in a high value area can either trade down or refinance this property and use the surplus to buy second homes and holiday homes.”
How’s your ground stability?
Due to a collaboration between The Coal Authority, the British Geological Survey and the Cheshire Brine Board, a Ground Stability Report service is now available.
The report gives homeowners information on the stability of the ground on which their property is located. The report is authorised by the group, and fully compliant for inclusion in Home Information Packs, which is due to be compulsory in England and Wales from 1 June 2007 to help improve the whole buying and selling process.
According to the collaboration, over 8.5 million homes in Britain are at risk of non-mining related subsidence damage. The new service promises to save a large proportion of the £340m that is claimed each year on property policies.
Joe Dearden, head of customer and commercial services at The Coal Authority, told PIN:
“This new service promises to be an invaluable set of information for British home-owners. Not only can it offer peace of mind regarding the stability of the ground beneath their prospective or current home, but it can give straight-forward advice that could possibly help homeowners avoid costly repair work.
“Subsidence is a huge issue for British homeowners, and costs the insurance industry more each year than flood damage. Much of the cost of subsidence damage can be avoided if relevant information is heeded and remedial or preventative action taken. The new service will be a must for anyone looking to purchase a property and will be of equal interest to insurers, surveyors and lawyers”, concluded Dearden.
Increases in research and development are welcomed
Also responding to the Budget, James Braithwaite CBE, welcomes the announcement of increases in the value of research and development, as well as a boost to the funding available through Regional Development Agencies.
Under the new proposals, small and medium-sized companies will receive 175% tax relief on R&D expenditure (previously 150%) and large companies will get 130% (125%).
Brathwaite said: “The Chancellor's Budget recognises that, for the UK to meet global challenges and secure its global competitiveness, performance will need to be driven by flexible, enterprising and highly-skilled businesses and workers. The R&D tax credit changes are an acknowledgement that we must invest in success to meet the Global Challenge, one of the headline targets of the Regional Economic Strategy.”
Gross mortgage lending is at its highest ever in February 2007
According to the Council of Mortgage Lenders, gross mortgage lending had its highest February ever at £24.6bn. Although lending was down by 7% on the £26.6bn recorded in January, it is up by 9% on the £22.5bn of lending in February 2006.
Michael Coogan, CML director general, said: “This is the highest February lending figure on record, and reflects the continuing strength of the market and the strong desire of many people to get a foot on the property ladder or move house. Recent speculation about whether or not interest rates will go up seems to have had little impact upon lending levels and we still expect gross lending to reach around £360bn this year.”
Castlemore takes on a major project in Scotland
Developer, Castlemore, has acquired from Abbey National plc and Mapeley, a 103 acre site in the gateway of Glasgow’s city centre and financial district for £120m.
Initial development plans for the office development, which are subject to planning permission, including 250,000 sq ft of office space.
Nigel Crump, spokesman for Castlemore’s project team, told PIN: “This is a major project as it is the only un-constructed site in Glasgow. Others are a mix of new build and restorations. It will take advantage of the buoyant commercial market that has emerged in Glasgow.”
Sustainability is also high on the agenda. Crump told PIN: “We are seeking to create a building that has much lower rates of carbon emissions than more traditional buildings. We plan to use an active chill beam air conditioning system that does cost more to install, but the benefits include a maximum of 30% less carbon created, using around 30% less energy to run, as well as creating 50% more fresh air in the building. It also requires far less costly maintenance than other systems do, so it is a win-win situation for all.”
Discussions are already underway with Glasgow City Council in respect of town planning. Subject to planning consent being granted for the scheme, it is hoped work could start as early as the first quarter of 2008, and should be complete in approximately three years.
NAEA frustrated by the recently announced Budget
The National Association of Estate Agents is frustrated by the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s 11 th Budget.
The NAEA believes it provides little consolation for home buyers and sellers by skirting around stamp duty and inheritance tax. The NAEA does, however, welcome moves to increase energy efficiency in UK homes.
Peter Bolton King, chief executive at the NAEA, said: “Once again the Chancellor has refused to address some of the most important issues head on. As national house prices continue to rise and the cost of living increases, it is first time buyers who are really suffering. It’s about time the government took real steps to ease their plight.”
The association is pleased that the Chancellor raised inheritance tax thresholds, but disappointed that inheritance tax has not been brought in line with house price inflation. “Brown is merely extending the slowly rising threshold he announced in the 2005/6 budget”, says King. “The progress from the 2009/10 threshold of £325,000 announced last year, up to £350,000 by 2010/11 does not go far enough, quickly enough.”
Carbon zero homes will now be exempt from stamp duty until 2012, as confirmed in the budget. King says: “This has, however, conveniently allowed the Chancellor to side-step the wider issue of stamp duty, most notably the fact that while property prices have continued to rise at a fast pace over the last couple of years, stamp duty thresholds have remained almost static.”
