After a productive year in 2024, our offices will close at 4:30 PM on Tuesday, December 24th. We will reopen at 8:30 AM on January 2nd. We look forward to serving both our esteemed existing clients and welcoming new clients in 2025. Wishing you a joyous holiday season and a prosperous New Year!

The Bedford to Cambridge section of East West Rail (EWR), including proposed new stations at Bedford St Johns, Tempsford and Cambourne, has been designated as a project of national significance. This means that an application will be made to the Secretary of State for Transport for a Development Consent Order (DCO), for consent to build and operate the new railway. As part of the pre-application stage EWR are consulting on the proposals and the consultation will be open until 24 January 2025. More details about the consultaion are set out on the EWR webpage. EWR are now holding a series of consultation events across the route to give people the opportunity to find out more about the  proposals as follows: Tempsford, Stuart Memorial Hall, 13 December 2024, 2pm - 7pm St Neots, St Neots Town Football Club, 7 January 2025, 2pm - 7pm Comberton, Comberton Village Hall, 10 January 2025, 2pm - [...]

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. An interactive map and dashboard, has been published to help understand the area and its social, economic and environmental characteristics.  All the authorities have now endorsed the [...]

The change of Government has sparked a wave of developments in local and national planning. Read our Q3 News update to learn more: National Planning On the National Planning scene the new Government launched a revised draft National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), including the introduction of Grey Belt land and a new task force to accelerate stalled housing sites. The consultation closed on 24 September and the final updated document is expected before the end of the year. A Written Ministerial Statement : Building the homes we need was made on 30 July 2024. A further consultation Brownfield Passport: Making the Most of Urban Land invites views on further action that could be taken through the planning system to support the development of brownfield land in urban areas. Local Plan Update Central Bedfordshire Local Plan Central Bedfordshire are progressing a Full Local Plan Review in accordance with the revised Local [...]

During the first half of 2024 there were interesting local and national planning updates and developments and there are more to come following the change of government.  Read our Q2 News update to learn more: National Planning On the National Planning scene the new Government have announced that Planning is at the heart of their Agenda and a Planning and Infrastructure Bill was included in the Kings Speech.  Further expected changes include a new National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), further resourcing for planning departments, review of Green Belt land and a new task force to accelerate stalled housing sites. The 10% Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) regulations came into full effect on 2 April 2024. However, there are exemptions for certain types of development. From 25 April 2024, changes to enforcement and lawful development certificate (LDC) appeals came into effect as a result of the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act [...]

In March 2022 Natural England announced emerging evidence which identified significant recreational pressure on Chilterns Beechwoods Special Area of Conservation (SAC), more specifically Ashridge Commons and Woods Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) component. Local Planning Authorities (LPAs) which were identified as partly or wholly with the 12.6km Zone of Influence (ZOI) were contacted and asked to find a strategy to mitigate the impacts of future residiential developments on the Chiltern Beechwoods. The following LPAs are working together to provide a solution: Buckinghamshire Council(Aylesbury Vale and Chilterns Districts); Central Bedfordshire Council; Dacorum Borough Council; St Albans City and District Council; Dacorum Borough Council have now produced a mitigation strategy and associated processes to satisfy the requirements of the Habitats Directive. The mitigation strategy includes the following elements: 1. Strategic Access Management and Monitoring (SAMM) 2. Identification of SANG sites to provide compensation 3. Identification of a Gateway Project Strategic [...]