Conference: Evidence base and monitoring best practice

9:00 - 17:00
London, Avonmouth House (etc. Venues)

Cristina Howick, will chair this one day conference which will help you make better evidence bases to inform more robust policies. It will draw on the lessons from already tested evidence base documents and best practice in collecting and handling data.

Chris Bowden, Andrew Clarke and Richard Pestell, will lead sessions throughout the day on Housing, Infrastructure and The Employment Evidence Base.

For further information please visit RTPI.

Time to take a radical approach to plan making

Plan making, traditionally the Cinderella of planning practice, is set to take centre stage. Whatever messages some have taken from planning statements, the government is pro growth. It is emphasising planning's role as part of this agenda. But is plan making ready for a starring role?

Local planning authorities need to put local plans in place fast, not least to achieve the right fit with potential neighbourhood plans. So far, and after six years, only 30 per cent of authorities have a sound core strategy, the document which forms the heart of the local development framework. Three years ought to be plenty of time. 159 authorities have yet to submit their core strategies.

If this wasn’t enough of a headache, the Localism Bill, when enacted, will bring further potential complications and distractions. The Bill introduces a new tier of plans at neighbourhood level. Communities can choose to prepare their own neighbourhood plans, which the local authority will then adopt. These plans will have to conform to the existing development plan at the district level. If communities do not produce plans, there will be places where the local plan is all there is to the statutory development plan – a temptingly simple prospect.

The Bill abolishes regional planning. It will be up to local authorities to decide on the level of housing provision for their areas, according to evidence. They will have to tackle strategic issues by working together. But for now, as the Cala Homes court cases have established, local plans should be in ‘general conformity’ with Regional Strategies where these were adopted. The timing of applications, and the tactics for promoting development, are more critical than ever, demanding wise advice.

Local authorities are coping with these changes at the same time as deep cuts to their funding. But plans will still need to be found ‘sound’ when examined, with good reasons for what they say, and confidence that they will work.

So how can local authorities succeed? They need to take a radical approach to plan making. They need to be ruthless in designing a plan that does what is needed for the place, in distilling the plan-making process, and in sticking to a clear project plan. They should ensure they have the right evidence by asking the right questions, and preparing this on a ‘just-in-time’ basis, using resources efficiently.

Planning authorities and their partners should view plan making as a series of facilitated, inclusive workshops where critical decisions are made in a progressive fashion, informed by evidence, and tested through appraisals. Engagement should have both informing and testing roles. This way, local authorities can make good and sound plans fast, with the best use of resources.

Local authorities who put a plan in place will have the best chance of attracting infrastructure and investment to their areas, and succeeding in competitive times.

John Baker chaired a workshop on ‘Plan Making’ at the Royal Town Planning Institute’s Planning Convention on 15 June, 2011. For more information on this topic, please contact us.

RTPI Planning Convention

Date: 13th - 15th June 2011
Time: 14.00 - 18.00
Venue: The Grand Connaught Rooms, London

The 2011 RTPI Planning Convention: Planning in the Big Society? will be a radical convention for a radical agenda.

John Baker, Partner, Peter Brett Associates will deliver a workshop on the role of Planning within the Localism Agenda exploring radical approaches to plan making and tackling the taboo of costs.

Greg Callaghan, Partner, Peter Brett Associates will deliver a workshop on Transport and the Community Infrastructure Levy and exploring the relationship between CIL and 106 Agreements.

RTPI: Economic development and the new localism agenda

Date: 25th May 2011
Time: 09.00 - 16.30
Venue: Prospero House, London

Keith Mitchell, Chairman, will chair this one day conference, where planners, developers and others involved in economic development will think and learn about how to respond to the challenges of Planning for Economic Development.

Cristina Howick, Partner will speak on planning for the economy under localism and Helen Bowkett, Senior Associate will speak on delivering infrastructure to support economic development.

For further information please visit the RTPI website.

Plymouth Roundtable

Date: 17th May 2011
Time: 12:30 - 15:30

Richard Swinden, Partner will host a roundtable debating the issues of how our coalition government continues to shuffle the routes to infrastructure funding, has shifted the budget for local authorities to payment for performance and optimistically seeks to reward communities for taking a positive view of development.

For further information please contact Danielle Allen

Baker Associates merges with Peter Brett Associates LLP and Roger Tym and Partners

Peter Brett Associates LLP, Roger Tym & Partners and Baker Associates have merged to create one practice that provides planning, economic, regeneration and technical consultancy services across the full breadth of the development cycle.

Peter Brett Associates LLP is the registered name of the newly-combined practice. It retains all three brands and continues to trade as Peter Brett Associates, Roger Tym & Partners and Baker Associates in its respective markets. These include housing, retail, employment, energy, infrastructure, regeneration and development.

Keith Mitchell, Chairman of Peter Brett Associates LLP, says: 'In the context of the current market and the emerging localism agenda, we believe there is a need to bring planning and development strategies together within a robust economic and delivery framework. This is the core rationale for combining our consultancies: to focus on increasing the deliverability of regeneration and viable ways of bringing development and infrastructure forward.'

For Peter Brett Associates, the merger enables the practice to extend its technical regeneration, planning and economic skills base, creating new routes to market for its technical services. Through Roger Tym & Partners' and Baker Associates' roles as lead consultants, the practice can offer clients an expanded planning, economic and development service and strengthened presence in its regional markets and across the UK.

For Roger Tym & Partners and Baker Associates, the merger is an opportunity to couple their high value planning and economic advice with Peter Brett Associates' technical services to serve a greater range of clients and sectors. It enables them to collaborate with colleagues who can contribute technical advice to their work, and help them follow through as they deliver.

Nora Galley, Cristina Howick, John Parmiter and Chris Quinsee from Roger Tym & Partners become Partners at Peter Brett Associates LLP; Dave Lawrence and Nick Skelton join as LLP Directors.

John Baker, a founder of Baker Associates, joins the combined practice as Partner.

Keith adds: 'We are excited by the potential the merger brings for innovation. Having collaborated on diverse projects, we share a mutual respect and a common culture of independent thinking and entrepreneurialism.'

John Parmiter, Partner, says: 'The agenda is now about delivery, efficiency and making projects work in challenging times. We see this merger as a way of delivering seamlessly a greater breadth of advice and more creative solutions.'

John Baker, Partner, says: 'Our mix of skills offers a distinctive blend, which we feel clients will find attractive. Together with the increased scale and geographic coverage of services, we have significantly increased the resources we can offer to our clients.'

Coinciding with the combination of the three consultancies, Paul Reilly takes up the role of Managing Partner for Peter Brett Associates LLP, from 1 April, 2011. Paul succeeds Malcolm Cleaver, who steps down at the conclusion of his five-year term of office, during which he steered the practice through a period of unprecedented market change. Malcolm remains a partner of the firm, and looks forward to re-engaging with client teams and projects in the areas of civil engineering, energy and utilities.

RTPI Localism Seminar

Cambridge

On Monday we held a seminar with the RTPI East of England and No.5 Chambers in Cambridge on the Localism Bill.

To see the presentations click on the links below:

Baker Associates presentation

No.5 Chambers presentation

Steve Ingram's presentation

For more details contact Judy Morgan - 0117 933 8950

Sharing the Streets Conference

Taunton Town Centre Pedestrianisation

Chris Dadds made a presentation to the 2nd Annual Sharing the Streets Conference in Derby on March 3rd. Chris shared the stand with Emma Cockburn of Somerset County Council in presentng the findings of a study investigating the impacts of pedestrianisation on retail areas in Taunton. The report was produced as part of a project to increase the extent of pedestrianisation in the town and looked at why a previously pedestrianised street was considered to be failing.

Click on the links below to view the presentation and full report

Sharing the Streets Presentation

Taunton Town Centre Report

For more information email Chris Dadds or phone 0117 933 8950

Nottingham RTPI Seminar

Localism Bill Presentations

On Friday we held a seminar with the RTPI South East and No.5 Chambers in Nottingham on the Localism Bill.

To see the presentations click on the links below:

Baker Associates presentation

No.5 Chambers presentation

For more details contact Judy Morgan - 0117 933 8950

Winchester RTPI Seminar

Localism Bill Presentations

Yesterday we held a seminar with the RTPI South East and No.5 Chambers in Winchester on the Localism Bill.

To see the presentations click on the links below:

Baker Associates presentation

No.5 Chambers presentation

For more details contact Judy Morgan - 0117 933 8950

Further Localism Events

London, Winchester and Nottingham

We are holding further Localism seminars with regional RTPI areas. The events are as follows:

• Winchester - Monday 14th February
• Nottingham - Friday 18th February
• London - Tuesday 8th February

For more information see the RTPI website or contact Judy Morgan.

Planning for Housing

The Government is handing plan making over to councils and communities more than ever. This is a terrific opportunity to plan for your place. You will be able to get there quicker and better if you seek our help.

Housing targets are no longer imposed from the regional level, and planning authorities are now required to have evidence on the housing requirement to be met by the plan.

There is a need to put good plans in place - plans which display a compelling link between what the evidence says and what the plan proposes. More than that, plans have to demonstrate that there is a good chance that what they say should happen, will happen. There is every reason to put plans in place to help change places from as they are to what the community wants them to be.

Baker Associates has always helped local authorities make good plans and to understand the sources and supply of housing. We are now well established as helpers to local authorities in understanding the requirement for housing that plans should address, with an approach that will stand any scrutiny and counter argument. We have robust techniques, we watch all developments in this area, and we have a track record of unquestioned success.

We have already established the housing requirement in several situations:

- For Sedgemoor, the Council's quick involvement of Baker Associates has provided what's needed and the effects of the toing and froing on the RSS have been managed with less than 7 weeks change to the programme

- In South Somerset, we followed our work on the role and function of settlements with work on the housing requirement, and the Core Strategy is proceeding to submission in the confidence of this justification

- In Conwy (where there was no imposition of a housing target in any case) we worked with the elected members to develop a coherent spatial strategy where concerns for economic growth, retail investment, environmental protection, population change, migration, and affordable housing needs are all addressed, with housing binding the mix

- In Torbay, acting for PAS, we helped design and then facilitate a big stakeholder event where the different perspectives of different parties on the different issues that should influence housing provision were brought together with broad consensus

- In the West of England to assist in making representations for the four emerging core strategies we have prepared a comprehensive approach to housing provision, a recognised functional economic area and now the home of a Local Enterprise Partnership.

Leading the Localism Debate

Baker Associates working with No 5 Chambers and the RTPI organised two events on the Localism Bill, held with immaculate timing in Bristol and Birmingham in the same week that the Bill came out. So we are very familiar with it and are able to draw out the implications of the changes, as well as to suggest what should be done to move things out of uncertainty and on to action.

There is nothing more to wait for (apart from considerable regulations!). Though the Bill has to make its way through Parliament, we know the shape of the emerging planning system now. The Government is not intending to produce much guidance, leaving it, to those who want to, to get on with planning.

Supporting Local Communities

Wye with Hinxhill Parish Council

Baker Associates has been working for Wye with Hinxhill Parish Council in Kent to help prepare spatial planning policies for the village as part of the development of the Tenterden and Rural Sites DPD. The work has involved support for the local community throughout the DPD process and culminated this summer in Baker Associates representing the parish council and a local community group at the public examination into the plan. The Inspector has now reported on the soundness of the plan and has supported the parish council and community on the way forward for the future of Wye College, a key strategic site within the village. Planning support through this period has extended to commenting on individual planning applications on behalf of the local community, assessing how these relate to the wider vision for the future of the village.

Changes to planning application fees

The Government yesterday (16th November) announced options for significant changes to the way in which planning application fees are set.

The three options which the government are considering are:

Option 1 Local Authorities set their own fees Option 2 Local authorities set their own fees up to a maximum increase of 25% Option 3 The current system of centrally determined fees is retained and fees rise by up to 15%.

The proposals come after research indicated that Council's do not recover all of their costs from planning application fees.

As you will be aware, the Government is encouraging locally made decisions (Localism) and therefore it is no surprise that the preferred option of Government is for local planning authorities to set their own fee structures.

No mechanism to set fees is included in the consultation but the Government make it clear that Councils should not 'over-recover' their costs, i.e. make a profit. However they do acknowledge that there is a danger that Councils could set excessive fees on the basis of inefficient service.

The Government is certain that this won't happen, as the system will be transparent and Councils will therefore be directly accountable to residents and applicants. We wait to be reassured on this fact.

The Government intend to lay draft regulations in parliament in January and commence this new system in April 2011 with a 6 month transition period to October 2011, when Council's will be expected to have their fee structures in place.

The prospect of locally set fees is a very interesting one and one which throws up a number of concerns and not just how you set the fee level in the first place.

The Government is clear that Councils will have the ability to set their own fee categories which means that the costs for retail floorspace may be different to office and/or warehouses, potentially reflecting the priorities of the council involved. We may even see different fees for brown field and green field development maybe?

Also there is no mention of the existing maximum fees. At the moment large applications are capped. There is no reference to this in the consultation but the concern will be that fees may be unlimited.

There are two other proposals identified by the Government

Removal of the 'free go', so that applications made following a refusal or withdrawal will be required to pay a fee

Higher fees for retrospective applications, which currently attract the normal fee.

The consultation period stretches to 7th January but given the timetable for implementation it would appear that we should expect significant changes to application fees during 2011.

cdadds@bakerassocs.com - 0117 933 8950

Making the Most of Localism

Events in Birmingham and Bristol

Baker Associates is teaming up with the RTPI and No 5 Chambers to run events in Birmingham and Bristol following on from the publication of the Decentralisation and Localism Bill expected later this month. The sessions will present expert analysis of what the Bill says and its practical effects on making development plans, communities and delivering housing.

Monday 6th December - Birmingham (for further information and booking please contact westmidlands@rtpi.org.uk)

Tuesday 7th December - Bristol (for further information and booking please contact southwest@rtpi.org.uk)

Select Committee

Abolition of Regional Spatial Strategies

On Monday 18th October, John Baker gave oral evidence at the Communities and Local Government Select Committee inquiry into Abolition of the RSS. Matters discussed included the impact of the change on strategic planning, the implications for house building and the proposed new homes bonus.The Baker Associates submission can be read by clicking here .

Stakeholder Event

Torbay

We continue to work with the Planning Advisory Service to help local authorities with plan-making in all sorts of ways, and planning authorities continue to get great value from this support in these changing times. The underlying message for planning authorities is that the need to have a plan to attract and direct the right kind of development integrated with infrastructure is greater than ever. There is now a very positive opportunity for authorities and communities to own every part of the plan.

With Torbay Council we helped design a stakeholder event for around 90 people. John Baker chaired the day which included a lively combination of presentations and group tasks as well as a quiz. The event was really about going back a step given the removal of the RSS imposed housing figure, taking stock, and moving forward with clear purpose and greater confidence. The theme was about making a real connection between levels of growth and delivering on the Council's and the community's priorities, recognizing the need to balance inevitable tensions and the need for an integrated and hence sound plan. Workshops explored different priorities and views emerged on the appropriate development levels for the plan. A round of Core Strategy consultation will now take place, informed by this event.

Dorset Gypsy, Traveller and Travelling Showpeople

All of the local authorities in Dorset, including unitary authorities Bournemouth and Poole, are working together to produce a joint Development Plan Document which will allocate permanent and transit sites for Gypsies, Travellers and Travelling Showpeople to meet identified needs for the next 15 years. Baker Associates has been commissioned to undertake this work over the next 2-3 years.

The DPD was launched at a stakeholder conference in June 2010 and initial engagement is currently taking place with both travelling and settled communities to identify site needs and to establish site assessment criteria. A Request for Sites exercise is also underway and site surveys will take place later this summer to identify potential sites for allocation. An Issues and Options public consultation exercise is expected in spring 2011. Options will look to identify both private and public sites across Dorset to meet needs identified in the published Dorset Traveller Needs Assessment and will consider a range of delivery models and future management arrangements.

Bristol Core Strategy Examination

Bristol City Council Core Strategy Examination got underway on 21st June amid daily announcements about changes to the planning system as we knew it. On behalf of LandTrust Developments we attended some of the sessions and took part in some interesting discussions. Topics included the likely delivery of development across the city, which is increasingly in jeopardy due to the recent 25% budget cuts. This will have a particular impact on infrastructure schemes and HCA funding.

The early Pickles pronouncements on the revocation of Regional Spatial Strategies caused some of the more interesting sessions relating to housing numbers, the greenbelt and urban extensions to be postponed to September. These future debates look set to be a lively and will focus the mind on what housing figures should be met, the requirement or not for joint working across boundaries and how strategic housing need will be interpreted. This will be the first test of how a city can provide for its populations' needs when it is so physically constrained within its administrative boundaries.

We look forward to the next part of the examination in September, the spending review in October and the Inspectors report after that. All eyes will be on the Inspector, as he has the unenviable job of interpreting what the 'localism' agenda and its initial offerings mean for the soundness of the Core Strategy. It must be likely that soundness as we know it is up for grabs, and there is plenty of time for many more announcements over the summer.

Hot Housing

We are always there with the hot topics and there is none hotter at the moment than how to arrive at the housing provision to be made through the LDF in the absence of an imposed figure from the Regional Strategy. We have been doing this job for authorities in Wales where there was never a top down target and now with the revocation of the RS we are being called upon by authorities in England. We ran a session on the subject at a SW RTPI meeting on 14 July too. Whatever else can be interpreted from all of the statements (and speculation) on the changing planning system, it is clear that it is for local authorities to decide on their housing numbers and they should expect to be challenged if the figure doesn't fit with evidence. Sedgemoor District Council has been the first to use our skills. Demographic projections have a role of course, but the interesting and complicated stuff comes from deciding how housing provision works to deliver the vision everybody has for the place, and how the district fits with the districts around. This is real spatial planning with no excuses

Planning for Housing

Out with the RSS, in with local decision making and accountability

The coalition government seems determined to remove the current form of strategic planning without addressing the inevitability of something having to take its place.

One consequence will be the absence of a target for the housing provision to be made through the LDF.

This is not a reason for work on LDFs to end. Quite the contrary. In this and every other matter for the LDF it will be for the planning authority working with its partners to decide what should go in the LDF. Subject of course to sufficient justification. A compelling link between what the plan says and what the evidence says is a fundamental requirement of a sound plan, and of a good plan. Making these links is what we do.

Planning authorities will have to show the evidence for the housing provision figures in their LDFs.

We know how to make this work and we have done many times over several years.

• For the Plymouth and Taunton areas we prepared joint area studies to inform contributions to the RSS. We took economic potential and demographic change and worked with functional relationships and settlement roles to promote the appropriate level and distribution of growth



• With Mendip we made a case for the housing provision looking at the growth in the economy and the distribution of jobs, with the objective of achieving a better balance to manage travel, together with how to meet the needs of smaller settlements.



• With Kerrier we did something similar, looking at planned and progressive regeneration of the main settlements as well as all of the demographic and demand factors



• In Wales, already in the absence of imposed figures, we have worked with the elected members in Conwy, to develop a coherent spatial strategy where concerns for economic potential, retail investment, environmental protection, population change, migration and affordable housing needs are all integrated. The housing provision is part of this mix.
In future the basic building blocks of the LDF will have to come from the planning authority. Unless the justified level of housing provision fits with everything else it won't be possible to put in place the plan your area needs. This is a terrific opportunity to plan properly for your place. You will be able to get there quicker and better if you seek our help.

Community Infrastrucutre Levy and Local Economic Assessment

Two important new requirements and opportunities come into effect this week. Either side of easter LEAs and CIL will be enacted.

Local Economic Assessments

From April 2010 LEAs are a requirement of the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009, and are explained by PPS4 Planning for Sustainable Economic Growth, as intended to: 'provide and maintain a robust evidence base to understand both existing business needs and likely changes in the market'. Local authorities should take the requirement as a very positive opportunity, and prepare LEAs with economic development officers and the spatial planning leaders working to mutual advantage.

Community Infrastructure Levy

Local authorities are now empowered to collect a CIL. This combination of evidence and intent will enable some of the uplift in value from planning permission to be directed towards the provision of physical and social infrastructure, and pooled to maximum benefit in delivering the area strategy. Local authorities don't have to have a CIL and we know that soundly based tariffs and bespoke s106 agreements work and provide all that the best authorities want. But the Regulations provide for the use of s106 agreements to diminish and CIL may well become essential if funds are not to be missed.

Baker Associates completely understands the connection between sources of evidence, knows how to put positive strategies in place, and is implementing development aligned with developer-funded infrastructure. We have prepared successful tariff and s106 schemes and negotiated developer contributions, undertaken infrastructure studies as the basis for implementation plans, prepared economic potential and employment land reviews alongside SHLAAs as the guidance suggests, and worked out what is likely to be viable. We link all of this with good and sound spatial strategies as the UK's leading LDF consultants.

Whether you are trying to decide whether to use CIL, preparing a LEA as a basis for your strategy, reviewing whether the portfolio of land meets the characteristics sought by investors, seeking a change in the use of land, or want to talk to someone who has experience in all of these things, contact John Baker.

jbaker@bakerassocs.com

Celebrating 20 Years of Baker Associates

This year marks 20 years of Baker Associates, so to celebrate the occasion we invited some local friends and colleagues along to our office for drinks and nibbles. It was a great opportunity for us to celebrate a successful 20 years and think about what the future holds. Thank you to everyone who made it such an enjoyable evening.

Consent for Fitness Academy

in Weston-super-Mare

A new leisure facility in Weston-s-Mare has recently opened, following the grant of a planning application for change of use. The site was previously occupied by a series of retailers and benefited from an open A1 retail consent. Given the long term value of the retail use, the landowner was keen to retain the opportunity to return to the established use if the Weston Fitness Academy were to cease, or move on to bigger or better premises. Therefore, only a temporary change of use for the facility was achieved, allowing a reversion to the established use after 5 years.

Hopefully the revision to the previous use won't be necessary and the Fitness Academy will make the site its permanent home. But sometimes you need to be sure that you consider all eventualities.

Urban Design

Urban design plays a central role in our planning and regeneration work. Our approach is based on the principle of creating places and spaces that make it easier for people to live sustainable and healthy lifestyles. We seek to deliver places that are well connected, promote social contact, minimise the impact on the natural environment, and where people feel good, and want to spend time. At the same time we recognise that such places have to be economically viable and deliverable.

Our Urban Design work covers a wide range and variety of projects from strategic frameworks and concepts to more detailed site layouts and masterplanning work. We work for both public and private sectors. We support the public sector to demand higher standards of design, and set out strategies, principles and implementation routes to achieve this. We support the private sector in developing appropriate responses to sites, and demonstrating how the design of schemes works in an immediate and wider context.

Making changes to planning permissions

Baker Associates must have been one of the first to use changes in planning legislation in order to amend a planning permission. In October legislation was introduced which enabled the submission of applications for Non Material Amendments to planning permissions. Baker Associates utilised this new procedure to submit changes to an extant planning consent on behalf of clients. The very minor changes were required in order for the client to be able to sell the site to a Housing Association. Without the new provisions a fresh application would have been required resulting in significant delay and maybe even the failure of the sale. As it was, the authority agreed to the change and the sale of the site has now been completed.

The changes to legislation also provide for extensions to the time limits for implementing existing planning permissions. Therefore, anyone who has a consent nearing the end of its life may wish to consider their options in order to maintain the value of land and buildings.

Working with the Planning Advisory Service

Designing and delivering direct support training packages on plan making for local planning authorities across the country has been a key part of our recent work on behalf of PAS. Already our experience is demonstrating that with the right kind of hands-on support, local authorities have more capacity to deliver effective LDF's.

We provide tailored and practical training on project management for example; Baker Associates is assisting Dover District Council with project management support, to design their future LDS and detailed work programme, building upon their sound Core Strategy. We also work with members to increase their understanding of spatial planning.

Baker Associates is also working on a year long PAS pilot project with Bath & North East Somerset, South Somerset and Portsmouth councils and councils within South Worcestershire, to develop Infrastructure Delivery Plans (IDPs) to support their spatial plans. This project is emphasising the central role these IDPs can play in helping public service providers to align their capital programmes to deliver efficient, effective and joined up services for local communities.

New Addition to our Urban Design Team

We are pleased to welcome Daniel Black to Baker Associates this week. Daniel will bring additional expertise strengthening the team in the areas of economy, community consultation, sustainable design and construction and streetscape design.

Gypsy and Traveller Article in Planning Magazine

Planning magazine issue 1848 (11 December 2009) features an article by Catherine Caudwell, planning consultant at Baker Associates. The article, entitled 'report highlights traveller site lack' reviews the findings of a new CLG progress report that local authorities need to increase the pace at which suitable sites are found for Gypsies and Travellers. Since 2006 there has been a requirement to identify and allocate sites for Gypsies and Travellers in DPDs. Baker Associates is currently working with a number of authorities to identify and allocate sites in consultation with the local settled and travelling communities.

Bath - Exhibition of the Odd Down Plateau Urban Extension

Bath and North Somerset Council have identified the need for a new neighbourhood for the City of Bath to accommodate up to 2000 dwellings. Baker Associates has for some years been working with the landowner at the Odd Down Plateau to the south of Bath to bring forward the site for development. The exhibition at the site is intended to inform the local community about the potential for this site for development. The Core Strategy for Bath and NE Somerset is currently out for public consultation.

Various Planning Applications

At a time when many are considering how best to invest, we are working with a number of clients to make best use of their assets.

In Weston-s-Mare a client with a vacant retail building has sought alternative uses and Baker Associates has recently submitted a planning application for a health & fitness, marital arts and boxing club within the building. It is intended that the application, for a temporary change of use, will maintain the long term value of the site to the owner whilst providing a return in the short term and a well needed local facility to establish and grow local clubs.

Meanwhile, in Epping Forest, a different client has a three storey office block which has remained vacant for over two years. Baker Associates are working with the client to submit an application for student accommodation which will utilize the building, drawing on the sustainability of the location in regard to services whilst using the excellent public transport links to the centre of London and the universities located there.

Some clients remain in the market to acquire assets and we are currently advising a client on the acquisition of 400 acres of land in Hampshire with a view to the strategic promotion of the site as an urban extension - sometimes you just have to take the long term view!

Plymouth Urban Fringe

We are pleased to be working with award-winning LDF pioneer Plymouth City Council and South Hams District Council in preparing an urban fringe development plan document. This is with the assistance of Devon County Council and Natural England as well as other stakeholders and local communities.

This is the kind of innovative planning we thrive on, taking an opportunity in an unproven area with a progressive client and making something good. The aim here is a positive plan to make the most from the management of the resource that the urban fringe represents. There are a lot of complementary and competing demands to consider. The urban fringe may be the place for some of the city's growth and to meet some of the development requirements of peripheral communities, and closely related settlements have their own development requirements which have to be met, taking account of the relationship with the city. At the same time there are huge expectations on the urban fringe for recreational use as the nearest big 'natural' space for people and there are the old and new expectations of the urban fringe as the place for local food and energy production. The project transcends the artificiality of administrative boundaries to be real 'planning for place'.

Reading Festival

A team from Baker Associates spent the weekend surveying at Reading Festival to collect data for the economic impact assessment. Festival Republic commissioned us to assess the direct, indirect and induced impact of the festival on the local economy.

Planning Permission Gained for Waitrose, Warminster

Working on behalf of Henry Boot Developments Ltd, we have gained permission for a new 25,000sqft Waitrose store in Warminster. The application was supported unanimously at the Western Area Planning Committee.

See the development page for more details.

Planning Application Submitted for South West Bristol Urban Extension

Ashton Park

The team behind Ashton Park, the proposed new city district to the south west of Bristol, has submitted an outline planning application for the scheme that is set to create more than 6,000 jobs for the area.

LandTrust Developments have been working closely with a number of industry specialists, including Baker Associates, to put together the application, which includes plans for around 9,500 new homes, up to seven new schools, a leisure centre, health centres, a library, a renewable energy plant and a modern rapid transit system.

The application was delivered to the planning offices of North Somerset Council and Bristol City Council on Friday, August 7th and will now face a period of initial checking before being made available for public comment.

For more information please see www.ashton-park.co.uk

East of Bristol Urban Extension Application

We have submitted a planning application to South Gloucestershire Council for land to the east of Bristol, on behalf of Strategic Land Partnerships.

The scheme comprises up to 450 market and affordable homes, access, open space, care home, local centre (circa 16,000 sqft retail and offices) associated infrastructure and land safeguarded for a primary school.

For more information please see the 'strategi land' page.