Planning Portal technical updates

To ensure the Planning Portal is compliant with legislative changes, the following actions will be introduced for the 6 April 2010.

Design and access statements:

From 6 April 2010, the range of development that is exempt from the requirement for a design and access statement will be expanded. The list below confirms the new requirements from 6 April 2010. The paper form checklists and electronic Planning Application Requirements (PAR) list will be amended at 12:01am on the 6 April to reflect these changes.

Design and access statements will be configured as mandatory for the following scenarios:

• scenario 2 - Householder + Conservation Area

• scenario 3 - Householder + Listed Building

• scenario 7 - Full + Conservation Area

• scenario 8 - Full + Listed Building

• scenario 11 - Listed Building

Design and access statements will be configured as optional for the following scenarios:

• scenario 1 - Householder

• scenario 4 - Full

• scenarios 5 and 6 - Outline with Some Matters Reserved and Outline with All Matters Reserved

• scenario 9 - Full + Advertisement 

Design and access statements will be configured as not required for the following scenarios:

• scenario 10 - Conservation Area - This scenario is for conservation area consent to demolish, which is not a planning application; DAS is still required for planning permission in conservation areas (covered by scenario 7). 

• scenario 12 - Advertisement

• scenarios 14 and 15 - Lawful Development Certificate - Existing Use and Lawful Development Certificate - Proposed Use

• scenarios 16 to 20 - Prior Notification - Proposed Building and Prior Notification - Telecoms

• scenario 21 - Hedgerow Removal

• scenario 22 - Prior Notification - Proposed Demolition

• scenario 23 - Approval of Reserved Matters

• scenarios 25/26 - Removal or Variation of a Condition

• scenario 27 - Approval of Details Reserved by Condition

• scenario 31 - Trees - TPO & Conservation Area

• scenario 33 - Extend time limit of existing permission

• scenario 34 - Non-material amendment to existing permission

The design and access statement changes are explained in the Government guidance, Guidance on information requirements and validation, published 16 March 2010.

Users of the Portal can access DAS information here.

House in Multiple Occupation (HMO):

The following change will also come into effect on the 6 April 2010 – planning permission will be required for a change of use from Class C3 (dwelling house) to a new Class C4 (house in multiple occupation), but changes from C4 to C3 will be permitted development. This change is linked to an amendment to the Use Classes Order which was announced in January 2010, as set out in The Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) (Amendment) (England) Order 2010, and will also come into force on 6 April 2010.

The 1-APP forms will not be changed to reflect HMOs. However, applicants will be able to apply for HMOs on the full application form.

Guidance on the Portal in relation to use classes is available here. 

Find out whether a change in class is permitted.

Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL)

On 6 April, the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) regulations will come into force. 

Planning Portal users can access information on CIL here.

The following changes will be delivered:

Community Infrastructure Levy Questions PDF

To ensure CIL charging authorities have the required information to determine the appropriate CIL charge, applicants/agents will be required to complete additional questions. 

The additional questions have not been incorporated into the suite of 1-APP forms as CIL is a voluntary mechanism not a national/mandatory standard. Instead, the questions have been included in a PDF form titled ‘Community Infrastructure Levy Questions’.

If the LPA is a CIL Charging Authority, they must configure the CIL questions as a mandatory document within their local level requirements list. This will then be presented to the applicants and agents as a mandatory supporting document. This document must be completed and submitted with the Planning Application form.

The Portal offers a CIL information page here.

This includes: 

• An overview of CIL
• Links to regulations and guidance
• A link to the CIL questions PDF

CIL administration forms will be placed on the Portal over the next few weeks.

The above information was taken from the Planning Portal news 31 March 2010.

It’s that time of year again! Here are the Leeds and London office entries for the annual egg-decorating competition. And the winner? Ryan’s lovely easter bunny, which beat off a number of less traditional entries including a whiteread-esque gelatine egg mould, a robot-spider egg, a crystal-encrusted egg, a P+HS graffiti egg, a trio of spiraling silver eggs and an intricately perforated egg-shell.

For the judges this year, conceptual art was soundly beaten by good old fashioned easter charm.

Decorated Eggs from Stokesley Office 2010

Following the P+HS tradition of showcasing our creative flair at Easter, the results are in for this year’s contest. A strong field of 13 entries (one not pictured) was judged by Director Joe Biggs who commented: ‘As ever the entries were all of an exemplary nature. Judging was an arduous but pleasant task and I consider myself to be privileged, and honoured, to have been selected for this important duty.’ Joe judged the entries against the criteria of Skill, Architectural Quality/Reference, Humour, and Effort, with consideration also being given to sustainability. Special mention was given to Kay’s skillfully knitted dog and also the best child’s entry from Sam Taylor, but the overall winner, with his detailed representation of the P+HS Phantom was James Pitchers. Congratulations to everyone.

The Winning Entry from James Pitchers

Progress continues on Nottingham University Hospital Trust new radiotherapy department (LINACs). The main bunkers are still on programme for the sectional handover.  Work is also underway on selecting an appropriate artist(s) and artwork for the scheme. This will address our commitments under BREEAM Hea19 and also our strong belief in the use of art in buildings, to enrich the experience of those who use the building and aid in the process of healing. 

View of atrium space and bunker sub-wait

View of staff terrace at first floor

View from roof into internal courtyard

As part of BREEAM and guidance from ‘The art of good health - Using visual arts in healthcare’ document, I have created a set of A3 presentation sheets with Artists that have worked with P+HS in the past and a range of new artist have been created for future reference. It’s a starting point and one that can help for future projects.

These presentation sheets have been created following input from the LINAC arts coordinator Mr. Chris Potter and James Gordon.

Artist in this project:
Shona Kitchen
Julia Barton
Kisa Kawakami

Artist:
Shelagh Wakely

Arists:
David Harben
Blow Zone
GA Aquatic

These are just some examples of what we proposed to our client at Nottingham City Campus for the new LINAC Facility.

For those in P+HS interested in seeing all the presentation sheets please access our intranet and check out Operations / Technical page.

I’ve been wanting to look at this Urban Splash scheme for quite a while and a trip to see Michael Bourne’s Swan Lake at the Lowry enabled Mrs P and I to take in some architecture. Chimney Pot Park is a great example of how to make housing regeneration into Architecture. Very clever upside-down housing conversion of beautifully preserved streets in Salford. The rear alleys are turned into undercover and secure parking, with garden decks above. All fully occupied and the remaining streets just waiting for the end of the recession. Radical structural alterations see the roofs replaced by a steel structure, incorproating the kitchen hung inside the roof. All in all, very uplifting housing.

Some internal images from a 1:100 model showing the pedestrian entrance and main reception area of the building.
The PCT and GP receptions are located inside a suspended drum within the main atrium space, creating a dramatic space and sense of arrival for the visitor.
The scheme is currently progressing towards a full planning application date of early May this year.

Planning Minister John Healey has confirmed a package of planning system reforms saving developers time and money to help them complete building projects during the recovery have now been approved by Parliament.

Businesses that need to extend existing planning permissions to allow more time to build new developments will now pay significantly lower fees which, along with other measures to improve the flexibility of planning permissions, will help save up to £69m a year, giving a valuable cash boost for developers so they can keep investing in new projects.

New measures that enable businesses and homeowners to extend existing planning permissions without the expense and red tape of a new planning application were introduced in October 2009.

The fees for extending planning permissions are now being reduced so the fee for a major development that was previously as high as £250,000 will now be £500, the fee for smaller developments that was as high as £3,000 will now be £170, and for householder projects the previous fee of £150 will be reduced to £50.

Read the CLG press release

Read the Dear Chief Planning Officer letter

Access the new Statutory Instrument

The Planning Portal’s PDF fee summary, which incorporates all the changes, and the online Fee Calculator, which incorporates changes to ‘other applications’ submitted under Schedule 1, Part 2 category 9(b), was updated on 26 February 2010.

Applications to extend the time limits for implementing planning permissions and non-material amendments are not yet included within the Portal’s online Fee Calculator, but will be incorporated when the applications can be applied for via the online service. Currently the forms can be downloaded from the Portal and are available below.

Non-material amendments form [PDF]

Time limit extension forms [PDF

The extracts above were taken from the Planning Portal News Round-Up dated 4^th March 2010.

A series of practice notes on managing responses to stalled development schemes has been published by the Advisory Team for Large Applications (ATLAS). 

The notes are in recognition of the challenges many local authorities and their partners are facing in developing a response to large-scale development schemes that have stalled as a result of the economic downturn.

Access the ‘Responsive Planning Practices for Changing Economic Times’ notes and ATLAS press release

This extract was taken from the Planning Portal News Round-Up dated 4th March 2010.

The Yorkshire Post Environment Awards 2010 took place last night at the Queens Hotel in Leeds. There were a total of 89 entries, and in our category of Built Environment for Projects over £1M there were three projects shortlisted;

Morrisons Halifax, designed by Bauman Lyons
Safety Central, Bramley, a pioneering £3.5m safety education centre.
The Regional Agricultural Centre, at The Great Yorkshire Showground.

Presented by Hilary Ben MP and Julia Bradbury (of Countryfile fame) the title gives away the winner.

Along with Nigel Pulling, (YAS, Managing Director) and Heather Parry (YAS, Deputy Chief Executive) I was delighted to accept the award on behalf of P+HS Architects.
Photographs to follow (of me being hugged by Julia!)

Thanks again to all those who work on the project, not least Eamon, Mike & Dave.

Staff Entrance : ramp needs some work.

Main Entrance Barrel

South East Corner

The LINAC bunkers which form part of the new Radiology department for Nottingham University Hospitals is nearing it’s April deadline for it’s partial handover .  The Bunkers which form the main body of the building will be handed over to allow the 6 month commissioning period for the specialist machines to commence.

Work will continue on site to the exteranl envelope and the Mould workshops and fittings areas as programmed for the buildings completion later this year.

That’s how long Dave Delany has been contributing to the success of P+HS!

Dave joined the practice in 1985 joining Chris and Rowland as their first employee at 73 High Street Stokesley, and took possession of his brand new company car, a bright red Citroen 2CV! Sadly, the car didn’t survive with us as long as David has. (Irish manufacture as opposed to French perhaps!)

David was made an Associate of P+HS in January 2003 and has seen the Practice grow from just the three of them at 73 High Street to sixty of us across offices in Leeds, expanded offices at the Old Station in Stokesley, and more recently our office in London.

We wanted to take this opportunity recognize Dave’s contribution to the Practice and to simply say “Thank You” from all of us here.

P+HS appoints new Director, Wendy de Silva for London office

Wendy de Silva BSc (1st Class Hons) Dip Arch RIBA

Wendy was born in Sri Lanka, immigrated to England in the 70’s and studied at the Bartlett School of Architecture, (University College) London.

She started her career as a trainee on a building site with John Laing Construction. Shortly after qualifying, she went back to Sri Lanka and worked with the RIBA gold medalist Geoffrey Bawa on the ‘Ruhunu University’ Project. Wendy is a RIBA Client Design Advisor and has spent most of her professional life in London where she has amassed a wealth of experience across a range of developments in Education, and Residential, but she has particular expertise in Healthcare design.

Great news! Financial Close has been achieved for the Doncaster NHS LIFT health centre in Conisbrough, with start on site anticipated in March.

The facility will serve as a Neighbourhood Health Centre within the historic town of Conisbrough, which lies about six miles south west of Doncaster.

This is one of several LIFT buildings planned to provide health services as well as contribute to the regeneration of Doncaster.

One of the main challenges was in trying to strike a balance between providing a contemporary stand alone health centre which is also reflective of the local character. This was achieved through numerous community consultations which assisted us in the selection of materials.

Particular to the project is the design of the building fabric to provide thermal mass for night-time cooling as part of the natural ventilation strategy.

Circulation within the building is kept clear and simple with internal spaces planned around a shared central area with double height spaces, plenty of natural light, views out and artwork.

P+HS have made it into the final six of “36 The Calls design competition“.

Entrants were asked to draw up proposals for the ‘best new, sustainable commercial building in Leeds’ on a car-park plot on the north bank of the River Aire, in the Yorkshire city’s historic Calls district.

Backed by developer Citu in partnership with the AJ, the contest, in which entrants remained anonymous to judges, attracted 95 submissions, including 20 from overseas.

Among the judges were Paul Finch, Leeds’ civic architect John Thorp, interior designer Paul Logan, investor/landowner Charles Nickerson and Jonathan Morgan of Morgans City Living.

Final interviews will be conducted in the second week in March.

Once a winner is selected, Citu hopes to submit for planning later this year and start on site in 2011.

The link to the AJ with the full article is here