Prop-arazzi

Social Development Minister Margaret Ritchie MLA, will publish today the final Regeneration Masterplan for the Westside of Belfast City Centre.

The masterplan has been finalised following extensive consultation with stakeholders on the draft proposals for the revitalisation of the Greater Castle Street area which the Minister published last year. The Minister also revealed that a landscape architect has been appointed to produce designs to renew Bank Square.

Margaret Ritchie said: “I am grateful to all those who responded to the consultation. I hope that they will share my view that this final plan will strengthen existing businesses trading in the area, attract new investment and provide the potential to reinforce community links from the city centre through to the west of the city. It also holds the prospect of promoting new homes at the heart of Belfast.

“The final plan emphasises the importance of a revitalised Bank Square. A landscape architect has now been appointed to produce designs for this area.”

The proposals in the masterplan build on the area’s existing strengths, including a well developed independent trader sector and a strong and unique historic character. The historic street pattern will be preserved while new sustainable development, sensitive to the character of the area, will be promoted.

The Minister continued: “This means delivering ground-level street frontages complemented by a network of streets and squares. The plan proposes to revitalise the core of the area by creating a new pedestrian-only route linking Fountain Lane and Chapel Lane. This has the potential to increase retail, café and restaurant activity.”

At one end of this new street a new city centre square, to be called ‘Fountain Square’, is proposed. This ambitious development would significantly increase the numbers of shoppers and visitors into the area boosting tourism, economic development and the evening economy.”

In addition, several strategic development opportunity sites are identified which could be brought forward in separate phases to improve linkages to neighbouring areas.

The Audit Office is set to report to the NI Assembly’s  Public Accounts Committee next year on the current state of the planning system in Northern Ireland at the same time as an internal departmental review by the Department of the Environment is to look into efficiency issues at the service. With the Planning Service in NI being critcised on a weekly basis the reviews will hardly contribute to its already tarnished image.

Caroline Flint was on sparkling form as she addressed a packed audience at Weber Shandwick this morning. 

Speaking to a room full of industry experts she outlined the Government policy on eco-towns, refurbishment, local government, use of government land and much more.

Watch this space for future event information.

American Kazillionaire Donald Trump has jetted in again to speak at the first day of the public local inquiry on his plans to create a $1 billion golf course at the Menie Estate in Aberdeenshire - however one local stands in his way right slap bang in the middle of the proposed course…lets see how this pans out. Otherwise he’s ‘off to Northern Ireland’ he says.

63 Labour MPs have signed a Commons motion opposing plans for the creation of an independent panel - the organisation at the very heart of the Planning Bill.

The MPs, led by Clive Betts, are concerned that the planning system will become skewed and (even more) illogical.  The point to the fact that an application for a new football pitch may go to the Secretary of State while a new airport can fly through(!)

With Gordon Brown in serious trouble on all fronts, there is now a concern that something has to give, and the Planning Bill could be an early victim.

Just one day after David Lock claimed in the Sunday Times that the Government were planning to crash the planning process for eco-town, Caroline Flint has announced an expert panel of advisors.

The “Eco-Town Challenge Team” is made up of fourteen experts who will lay down the challenge to bidders today and ensure that as well as being eco friendly, all houses are well designed, are sensitive to local surroundings and create homes people want to live in.

The fourteen members of the Eco-Towns Challenge Panel are:

1. John Walker (Chair) - Former Chief Executive, British Urban Regeneration Association. Expert in delivery of large mixed use development

2. Dr Liz Goodwin - Chief Executive, Waste and Resource Action Programme (WRAP). Expert in use of natural resources and recycling

3. Stephen Hale - Director, Green Alliance. Environment expert

4. Sir Peter Hall - President, Town and Country Planning Association. Expert in urban issues, housing and planning

5. Wayne Hemingway - Founder, Red or Dead. Expert in design and social issues

6. Stephen Joseph - Executive Director, Campaign for Better Transport. Transport expert

7. Nick Mabey - Chief Executive, E3G. Expert in energy issues and economic development

8. Kris Murrin - TV presenter, expert in sustainable transport and children’s issues

9. Sunand Prasad - Royal Institute of British Architects President. Expert in design and architecture

10. Liz Reason - Director, Reasons to Be Cheerful consultancy. Expert in innovative approaches to energy issues and climate change

11. Sue Riddlestone - Director, BioRegional Development Group. Expert in sustainability and sustainable development

12. Joanna Yarrow - TV presenter, green-lifestyle specialist and founder of sustainability company Beyond Green

13. Richard Simmons - Expert in architecture and the built environment.

14. Lynda Addison - Managing Director of Addison & Associates. Transport and planning expert.

The Competition Commissions final report into the groceries market was released this morning - and calls for the introduction of a new competition test for grocery stores at the planning stage.

In a report which focused on the needs of customers, the Commission concluded that while grocers are providing a good value, action is needed to improve local markets and relationships between suppliers and supermarkets. 

For the supermarkets this will mean:

• a “competition test” for larger planning applications (a recommendation at the moment)
• action to prevent land agreements which prevent competition - most notably restrictive covenants on other sites
• the creation of a grocery supply code
• the introduction of an independent ombudsman to police the code.

In practice, this will mean the OFT becomes a statutory consultee on planning applications and will judge and report to the planning authority on an application’s ”competition test”.

The report will not mean any immediate sales of sites by big supermarkets chains, but in specified areas, there will be a requirement to release restrictive covenants within 6 months - and new restrictive covenants will be prohibited.  These measures are designed to encourage the development of new supermarkets in areas previously dominated by a single supplier.

For more details - please contact Weber Shandwick on 020 7067 0341

Decisions on almost 30,000 planning applications were made in 2006/07, according to statistics released today by the Department of the Environment.

Commenting on the Planning Service’s first annual statistics report, the Environment Minister, Arlene Foster said that Planning Service processed and issued almost 30,000 decisions, including 3,000 applications carried forward from previous years.

Minister Foster announced in November 2007 her intention to bring forward proposals on wide ranging reform of the planning system. A public consultation on these will take place later in 2008. In the meantime, a number of short-term measures are being put in place to contribute positively to the economy by expediting the processing of planning applications. These include the establishment of multi-disciplinary teams to expedite the processing of strategically important planning applications; arrangements for pre-application discussions between Planning Service, key consultees and applicants to assist the process of major applications, improved application validation and appeals handling; looking to improve consultation arrangements with councils.

Housing Minister, Caroline Flint, has announced the short list for Gordon Brown’s ten eco-town’s this morning.  The towns are designed with the twin aims of addressing the housing shortage and creating low - or zero - carbon communities in the UK.

The areas on the short list are:

- Pennbury, Leicestershire: 12-15,000 homes on a development incorporating brownfield, greenfield and surplus public sector land. Four miles south east of Leicester. This proposal could include 4,000 new affordable houses in an area of high affordability pressure.

- Manby and Strubby, Lincolnshire: 5,000 homes put forward by East Lindsey District Council on two sites, with large elements of brownfield land including a former RAF base. The proposal complements the strategic plan for the phased relocation of communities on Lincolnshire coast because of high flood risk, and could include 1,500 affordable homes in an area of very high affordability pressure.

- Curborough, Staffordshire: 5,000 homes on the brownfield site of the former Fradley airfield, ten miles from Burton. The proposal could include 2,000 affordable houses in an area of very high affordability pressure.

- Middle Quinton, Warwickshire: 6,000 homes on a former Royal Engineers depot which has a rail link to the Worcester-London rail line. Six miles South West of Stratford upon Avon. The proposal could include 2,000 affordable houses in an area of very high affordability pressure.

- Bordon-Whitehill, Hampshire: 5-8,000 homes on a site owned by the Ministry of Defence. A significant number of ex-MoD homes are already on the site, west of Whitehill-Bordon. The proposal could include 2,000 affordable houses in an area of very high affordability pressure.

- Weston Otmoor, Oxfordshire: 10-15,000 homes on a site adjoining the M40 and the Oxford-Bicester railway. Three miles south west of Bicester, the site includes a current airstrip. The scheme could include between 3,000 and 5,000 affordable homes, in an area of extreme affordability pressure.

- Ford, West Sussex: 5,000 homes on a site which includes brownfield land and the former Ford airfield. Close to rail line linking London and the Sussex coast. The scheme could include 1,500 affordable homes, in an area of very high affordability pressure.

- Imerys China Clay Community, Cornwall: Development of around 5,000 homes on former china clay workings, industrial land and disused mining pits no longer needed by owner Imerys. Close to St Austell. The scheme could include 1,500 affordable homes, in an area of extreme affordability pressure.

- Rossington, South Yorkshire: Up to 15,000 homes regenerating the former colliery village of Rossington, three miles south of Doncaster. The scheme could include 1,500 affordable homes, in an area of moderate affordability pressure.

- Coltishall, Norfolk: 5,000 homes on a former RAF airfield, eight miles north of Norwich. The scheme could include 2,000 affordable homes in an area of very high affordability pressure.

- Hanley Grange, Cambridgeshire: 8,000 homes on land adjacent to the A11 designed to improve the severe lack of housing in and around Cambridge. The scheme could include 3,000 affordable homes in an area of extreme affordability pressure.

- Marston Vale and New Marston, Bedfordshire: Up to 15,400 homes on a series of sites, including former industrial sites, along the east-west rail line to Stewartby and Millbrook. The scheme could include 2,000 affordable homes in an area of high affordability pressure.

- Elsenham, Essex: A minimum of 5,000 homes north east of the existing Elsenham village. Close to M11 and the London to Cambridge rail line. The scheme could include 1,800 affordable homes in an area of extreme affordability pressure.

- Rushcliffe, Nottinghamshire: An eco-town proposal was submitted for Kingston-on-Soar, to the south of Nottingham. In response to representations from Rushcliffe Borough Council, this site is not to be pursued. However, the Government is proposing to carry out a further review in partnership with RBC to consider whether there is a suitable alternative location with the potential to be viable within the Rushcliffe local authority area.

- Leeds City Region, Yorkshire: A number of eco-town proposals were submitted for locations within the area of Leeds City Region partnership of 11 authorities and principally between Leeds and Selby. The Leeds City Region Partnership has indicated support in principle for an eco-town within the sub-region. The Partnership has proposed a further study to compare the best alternative locations across the Leeds City Region partnership area. The Government has agreed to support this approach, on the basis that it will allow a further announcement to be made shortly of one or more sites for consultation

All the sites are expected to be deeply controversial - and Weber is on standby to help!

Following a successful report and third reading in the House of Commons yesterday, the Housing & Regeneration Bill will now go on to the House of Lords for further scrutiny and consideration.

 The Bill:

• Aims to reform social housing and social housing regulation to promote better services for tenants
• Supports the delivery of three million new homes by 2020 to meet growing demand and rising aspirations
• Provides for the establishment of new settlements like eco-towns, and for simplifying the ways in which the Homes and Communities Agency would facilitate delivery of these projects
• Introduces sustainability certificates
• Changes the ‘Right to Buy’ legislation
• Implements a European Court of Human Rights ruling on Gypsy and Traveller sites.

It is expected that Baroness Kay Andrews will lead the Bill through the Lords on behalf of the Government. No date has been set for 1st Reading in the Lords.

The Planning Bill, which focuses on major planning and infrastructure developments remains in development following the Commons committee stages.  No date has been set for report and third reading in the Commons chamber.