Our colleague Jeff Bishop has developed some really practical guidance for local authorities and design professionals on how to fulfil what is now a requirement to engage communities in work on design codes (guides etc.) – and that includes how to ‘pay’ for it! It was drafted in the summer of 2023, and comes in…
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Neighbourhood Priorities Statements: A Way Forward?
Journal Article 2 of 2… Jeff Bishop’s previous journal post raised alarm bells about the likelihood of Neighbourhood Priorities Statements (NPSs) failing if important lessons are not learned from the 1990s experience with, in particular, Parish and Town Plans. In this second linked journal article, he explains why, in his view, there is no positive…
Neighbourhood Priorities Statements: Avoiding Past Mistakes?
Journal Article 1 of 2… We are told that ‘those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it’- an important point given the introduction in the Levelling Up Act of Neighbourhood Priorities Statements. As some have noted, there are echoes here from the 1990s, mainly of Parish Plans but also Village Design Statements.…
Portishead votes for their Neighbourhood Plan
A few weeks ago, in mid-July just over 3000 people (15%) who live in Portishead voted on wether they think that North Somerset Council should use the Portishead Neighbourhood Plan to help it decide on planning applications in the Town. 87.55% voted yes. We really enjoyed working in this dynamic town, with local people who…
Hurrah! 83% vote in favour
Well this was a nice email to get on a Friday morning…. “Hurrah! 69 against & 358 for – a good turnout too – amazing really as it was a very wet day. Thank you all at Place Studios for making this happen – there definitely would not have been an NDP without your guidance,…
Community engagement on a Neighbourhood Plan Review
Work is well underway reviewing the Joint Melksham Neighbourhood Plan, we have been working hard with the steering group to expand the scope of the plan, making sure it is as up to date and comprehensive as possible to give it maximum weight in future planning decisions. A big part of this is community and…
Prioritising Green Infrastructure in Planning and Design
Last week, Natural England launched the Green Infrastructure Framework, which sets out key principles and standards for green and blue spaces in new development. The framework has a range of resources and guidance for protecting and improving our green and blue environment – which includes trees, rivers, woodland, recreation fields, wetlands, gardens and much more…
Local Distinctiveness is Crucial but is it at Risk?
Local distinctiveness is what makes all our towns, villages and neighbourhoods so wonderfully different and special; mainly but not only in terms of what they look like. That distinctiveness has been threatened for years by the relentless roll-out of ‘anywhere’ new housing from developers. By far the best way to prevent this ‘anywhereism’ is for…