The long anticipated Planning Bill is due for its Third Reading in the House of Lords this evening. The Bill is highly controversial as it is seen by NGOs and environmentalists as a mechanism for central Government to force through locally unpopular schemes such as new roads, airports and coal and nuclear power stations, thereby reducing local democratic input into the planning process. The Government’s objective is to ensure that schemes of major national strategic importance are not delayed for many years by local planning processes and inquiries, or obstructed by hostile local authorities.

Key points include:

ØThe establishment of an Infrastructure Planning Commission that has the power to determine major applications relating to;

-       Energy – including generating stations, electric lines, underground gas storage facilities, LNG facilities,  gas transporter pipe-lines and other pipe lines.

-       Transport – including highways, airports, harbour facilities, railways and rail freight interchanges.

-       Water – including dams and reservoirs and the transfer of water resources.

-       Waste water – including treatment plants.

-       Waste – including hazardous waste facilities.

Ø  Under the act development consent will be required for development which are or form part of a nationally significant infrastructure project.

Ø  If development consent is required from the Commission then other forms of consent such as regular planning permission, and consent under section 8 (1), (2) or (3) and section 74 (1) of the Listed Buildings Act are no longer required.

Ø  The Secretary of State can refer an application made to a local authority to the Commission if they deem it necessary and can direct the local authority to take no further action towards consent for the development themselves.

Ø  The applicant must prepare a statement that sets out the consultation programme that they are going to undertake throughout the pre-application process. Each local authority in the development area must be consulted on what should be in the statement. In short – the applicant and local authorities must agree who should be consulted, when and how before the consultation takes place.

Ø  The Bill states that must ‘have regard’ to any relevant responses from the consultation process that are received within the consultation period - which can be no less than 28 days from the day after the consultee was notified of the development proposals. Relevant responses are from any person responding to consultation or publicity of the development.

Ø  The Chair of the Commission can decide whether an application is to be handled by a panel or by a single commissioner. In the event of a panel the Chair of the Commission must appoint three or more members of the commission to form the panel.

Ø  The decision of the Commission can be challenged in court if judicial review proceedings are brought by a claim made up to six weeks after the decision has been made.

ShareThis

The University of Ulster Quarterly House Price Index is out this morning which will show that the average house price in NI has fallen over £46k in 12 months. Sam McBride in today’s Newsletter has written a great article which outlines that you would have actually saved money staying in some of Belfast’s 5 star hotels for the year. Not a bad idea considering:

• You get all the free shampoo you could ever want and have some left over to swipe
• Fresh towels and the carefree attitude of just throwing them where you like
• Chocolate on your pillow every evening
• Someone to come in at 6pm and turn your bedsheets down (because nobody should be made to endure this labour intensive chore)…I could go on, Sam has a point.

I’m off now to check into the Merchant…

ShareThis

Last night the Belfast Telegraph Property Awards were held in Belfast last night - here are some of the winners:

Young Property Agent of the Year: Alana Simpson from Osborne King

Commercial Property Agency of the Year and Commercial Letting Agency of the Year: BTWShiells

Residential Property Agency of the Year: Halifax Estate Agents

Commercial Property Developer of the Year: Cusp

Residential Property Developer of the Year: Carvill Group

Property Development of the Year: Victoria Square

Residential Property Development of the Year: Riverside Mill in Antrim, and eco village Woodbrook in Lisburn

Investment Deal of the Year: Victoria Place in London by Ewarts

Pictured above: Julie Boyd from Savills and Mary-Kim Doherty from Carson McDowell

ShareThis

 Some of the Weber Shandwick team L to R: Kevin Neilan, Sonya Cassidy, Alison Park and Chris Brown

Weber Shandwick’s Managing Director with Conall McDevitt, Minister for Social Development Margaret Ritchie MLA and David Ferguson from the Department for Social Development.

Philip Gilpin and John Robinson meets the Minister for Social Development, Margaret Ritche MLA at the recent Weber Shandwick business breakfast in Belfast

ShareThis

ShareThis

 Social Development Minister Margaret Ritchie MLA has emphasised how urban regeneration must be linked to improving the local economy.

The Minister was the first guest at a Belfast business breakfast organised by International PR Company, Weber Shandwick.

Margaret Ritchie said: “Urban regeneration is one of many important paths in our route towards a shared culture and a shared future. When regeneration is done right, it transforms not just buildings and architecture, but the way people feel about public space and how we use it.

What I want to focus on today is my Department’s priorities for the successful regeneration of our towns and cities. I want to make the most of the benefits we have achieved in recent years.

If I can sum up my message to you, it is, that in today’s environment where the economy is the key political driver, social and environmentally-responsible urban regeneration must also be linked to improving the local economy.”

The Minister made it clear that the current economic climate presents a significant challenge for urban regeneration and said that she will continue to work to tackle disadvantage in Northern Ireland’s communities.

Weber Shandwick has offices across the UK and today’s meeting was the first business breakfast meeting addressed by a Northern Ireland Assembly Government minister.

The invited audience representing developers, planners, legal firms, financial institutions and the voluntary and community sector enjoyed the breakfast at the Belfast Holiday Inn.

ShareThis

Environment Minister Sammy Wilson today revealed a review of the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) would take place in 2011 but not in the lifetime of this Assembly due to elections in May that year.

The Minister insisted during an Assembly debate on environmental governance that time needed to pass for a proper assessment of the agency to take place.

However he insisted in the four months since it had been in operation, NIEA had already forged a strong record which stood proud against the performance of independent environmental protection agencies.

ShareThis

Belfast artist Brendan Jamison has used 11, 000 sugar cubes to make a model of a building that is to be built in the Catherdral Quarter in the city. Great PR for the the property development team and a very fresh approach.

Rumour has it that at over 11, 000 lumps the building still contains less sugar than a can of red bull.

ShareThis

Development Minister Margaret Ritchie MLA is to address an audience of business leaders on Wednesday 12 November in Belfast. The event will look into Urban Regeneration in Northern Ireland and has been sponsored by Weber Shandwick. If you would like to attend please contact Chris Brown at chbrown@webershandwick.com.

ShareThis

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.

ShareThis