Blog and Bulletins Archive
Entries from 2020
Aurora Spotlights - December 2020
This month’s Spotlights has been written by our intern Martin, wrapping up what has been an eventful year to say the least (and very much uneventful in another sense!). In this year, there have been significant changes to all aspects of life and the world of planning is no different. For more on this month’s highlights and what we might see in 2021, carry on reading…
The ghosts of planning - past, present and future
While we would definitely not characterise the planning system as a Scrooge, recent proposals for reform have been underpinned by a belief that the system is failing to deliver the development that it should, and is somewhat miserly in that regard. So, getting into the festive spirit with Dickens’ three Christmas ghosts, here are some reflections on planning past, present and future…
Aurora Spotlights - November 2020
November means World Town Planning Day, with events to mark this taking place across the world. Of course, the coronavirus pandemic means that many of those took a different form than in previous years but, pandemic or not, planning affects many different areas of our lives, in many different ways, throughout the year… And this month has been a particularly busy one!
Sowing the seeds
Recently, there has been a surge of interest in opportunities for people to grow their own food and, with that, demand for structures such as sheds, greenhouses and polytunnels to support this. The question that then arises is whether planning permission is required for any of this, and what might be done in planning terms to encourage more food growing?
Aurora Spotlights - October 2020
With just a few days to go until the US presidential election, it’s hard to avoid any mention of Trump in the news. And this month’s Spotlights is no different, although we’re just looking at his planning interests here! For more on which, and on other planning news from October (including news on the planning status of donkeys!), read on…
“Presumption is our natural and original malady” - Michel de Montaigne
The presumption in favour of sustainable development is one of the most often quoted elements of Scottish Planning Policy (arguably, so often so as to have become meaningless). The Scottish Government has however been consulting on proposals to remove this, along with other policy changes, but will this actually address the malady that the presumption is thought to currently represent?
Aurora Spotlights - September 2020
As we move into autumn, we are starting to brace ourselves for the end of the Brexit transition period in just a few months’ time, we have learned that there are sharks in Regents Canal in London, and this all makes us really want a beer! These aren’t just passing observations, but reflect some of the diverse matters having an impact on the built environment this month. For more on which, read on…
Planning for the future
In July, we mentioned that our Director Maggie had been getting some insight into anticipated planning reforms in England through her role as a member of the British Chamber of Commerce’s expert planning panel. Now, we are delighted to be able to share some of that insight with this blog from one of Maggie’s fellow panel members, Amanda Beresford, Partner and Head of Planning at Schofield Sweeney LLP…
Aurora Spotlights - August 2020
Extreme weather events have again been in the news this month, with some devastating impacts. At the same time, our built environment needs to be resilient not just to a changing climate environmentally, but also socially, economically, and in terms of public health. And of course, planning is central to this. So, for what’s been happening in the world of planning this month, read on…
Heart versus head: some insights from a planning committee clerk
We often describe planning as being more of an art than a science and so, for an insight into the planning decision making process, including what can sometimes be a tussle for Councillors between the heart and the head, we are delighted this month to have a guest blog from a former committee clerk. Here are his reflections from 3 years in a planning committee clerk’s chair.