Suffolk County Council are responsible for planning for minerals, waste, and county council developments such as schools and fire stations. Current Local Plans in Suffolk include: Babergh and Mid Suffolk District Council Part 1 of the Babergh and Mid Suffolk Joint Local Plan was adopted by Mid Suffolk District Council on 20 November 2023 and by Babergh District Council on 21 November 2023. A live online Policies Map supports the Joint Local Plan Part 1 and can be accessed here. A Call for Sites closed on 2 February 2024. The first public consultation on the Part 2 Local Plan is due in Spring 2024.  Further updates can be found on the Councils website. East Suffolk Council On 1 April 2019, East Suffolk Council was formed from the former Suffolk Coastal and Waveney Councils. The area is covered by the following Local Plans: Suffolk Coastal Local Plan which was adopted [...]

Hertfordshire County Council are responsible for planning for waste, minerals (mostly sand and gravel quarries) and for services they provide like schools, libraries and roads. However they are working on a joint strategic plan for South West Hertfordshire together with: Dacorum Borough Council St Albans City and District Council Three Rivers District Council Watford Borough Council Hertsmere Borough Council The Joint Strategic Plan (JSP) will provide a long-term blueprint for the area to 2050. It will be able to consider and address issues that cross council boundaries and set out a strategic vision for the area. It will also help guide future plans and strategies by setting out high level policies on topics such as climate change, infrastructure, environmental protection, employment and housing. The draft Vision and Objectives of the SW Herts Joint Strategic Plan 2050 consultation closed in November 2022.  The comments received are currently being reviewed and [...]

Planning in Buckinghamshire offers great opportunities due to its location with Greater London to the south-east, Berkshire to the south, Oxfordshire to the west, Northamptonshire to the north, Bedfordshire to the north-east and Hertfordshire to the east, together with its position in the Oxford to Cambridge (OxCam) Arc. Buckinghamshire is one of the home counties with towns such as High Wycombe, Amersham, Chesham and the Chalfonts in the east and southeast of the county forming some of the most densely populated parts of the county. Development in this region is restricted by the Metropolitan Green Belt and the Chilterns AONB. Other large settlements include the county town of Aylesbury, Marlow in the south near the Thames and Princes Risborough in the west near Oxford. The areas around the old county town of Buckingham and near Olney in the northeast, are much less populous. The largest town is Milton Keynes in [...]

As we review the progress of Q4 2023 and look forward to 2024,  we are pleased to share a collection of local and national planning updates and developments. Discover the details in our quarterly update below: National Planning The Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill received Royal Assent in October 2023 and changed into the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023 (LURA). While certain provisions of the Act will come into effect on 26 December 2023, there remains a significant amount that necessitates statutory legislation, which we anticipate will be introduced throughout the course of 2024. A new National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) was published on 19 December 2023. Amongst the changes there remains a requirement for Councils with a Local Plan that is over 5 years old to identify a Five Year Housing Land Supply.  However, a Council that has a Local Plan submitted for Examination only has to show [...]

As we look forward to 2024, there is an abundance of opportunities and anticipation in the air.  With continued growth in the UK Economy is the past 12 months, in excess of previous estimates, together with a fall in inflation, we can look forward to 2024 and beyond with continued growth forecast over the next 2 years. On 26 October 2023, the Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill was granted royal assent, officially transforming into the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023 (LURA). While certain provisions of the Act will come into effect on 26 December 2023, there remains a significant amount that necessitates statutory legislation, which we anticipate will be introduced throughout the course of 2024. This will include reform to Planning Enforcement, with revised time limits for Immunity. The response to the March 2023 revised draft National Planning Policy Framework consultation is anticipated to be published before the close of [...]

As we step into the final quarter of 2023, the local and national planning arena has been abuzz with constant change and exciting updates during Q3. Please read some of the latest news in our quarterly update below: National Planning The Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill had its final reading in the House of Lords on 21 September. The Bill will now go to the Commons for consideration of Lords amendments on Tuesday 17 October. It is hoped that the Bill will receive Royal Assent before November. An update to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) is expected to follow before the end of the year. The draft Regulations for the Planning Application fee increase were laid before Parliament on 20 July 2023. They are scheduled to be considered by the House of Lords during October and expected to come into force before the end of the year. Following [...]