news > New Urban Design Compendium published
news > Draft planning application validation guide
news > gcp goes to Eden
advice > Homes for the Future - Housing Green Paper
news > South West RSS Examination in Public
news > Planning White Paper - Sustainable Future
advice > PPS3 - New policy - time for change
advice > Housing - Design Quality Standards explained
news > Carbon Zero Taskforce - gcp ready

New Urban Design Compendium published

National regeneration agency English Partnerships and the Housing Corporation have published an updated manual on urban design. The manual (Urban Design Compendium parts 1 & 2) is complemented with an interactive web version.

For further advice please contact Lisa Pritchard, Urban Designer on 0117 932 8888.

Draft guidance issued on validating planning applications

Draft best practice guidance has been issued to local authorities by the Department of Communities and Local Government for the validation of planning applications.  

The guidance is designed to support the standard application forms and outlines the new procedures for the validation of planning applications by local planning authorities. It provides guidance on the scope of material that should be supplied with planning applications and outlines the benefits of 'validation checklists' in helping local planning authorities achieve good performance. The guidance is intended to provide both local planning authorities and applicants with greater certainty as to the nature and extent of information required in order to validate applications.  

The guidance replaces the Best Practice Guidance on the Validation of Planning Applications published in March 2005. For further advice please contact Lisa Pritchard, Urban Designer on 0117 932 8888.

gcp goes to Eden

In September Nicola Thorogood and Elaine Olphert of gcp attended the 3rd annual Architecture sans Frontières-UK (ASF-UK) Summer School at the Eden Project. The ASF-UK International Education Programme raises awareness worldwide about International Development. They teach the essential participatory tools and techniques that enable people living in poverty to improve their living conditions. This is done by training and sending people to assist with suitable knowledge, skills and expertise to engage appropriately with communities, helping to create successful, highly relevant projects within vulnerable communities by empowering them to bring about change from within.

The workshop titled 'Building Communities, Sustainable Livelihoods and Social Enterprise', explored the strategic role that building professionals 'must' play in building sustainable livelihoods when working with vulnerable communities.

The course will ultimately lead to the construction of the first permanent building in the UK made entirely from waste. It will use initial concepts designs and building component prototypes put together by participants of the Summer School.

We hope that by attending the ASF- UK Summer School gcp will be more aware of how the building industry can help to bridge the gap, and provide a better understanding as building professions into the requirements and processes involved in long-term development and post-disaster reconstruction worldwide. We sincerely hope that this will be the start of gcp's understanding of the issues surrounding this complex and very important subject.

For more information on Architecture sans Frontières-UK or their Future Workshops, visit their website: www.asf-uk.org or contact Elaine Olphert, Architect on 0117 932 8888.

Homes for the future - Housing Green Paper

Yvette Cooper, Minister for Housing and Planning has announced the launch of the Government's Housing Green Paper - Homes for the Future: More affordable, more sustainable.

The paper introduces a raft of measures on affordable homes, planning, funding, strategy and more. Built around three key principles:

• Increasing housing supply, setting aside £8m to help local councils to find and develop land;
• More affordable homes;
• Greener, better-designed homes.

The Government consultation on the proposals ended on 15th October 2007. If we can help or advise further please contact Lisa Pritchard, Urban Designer on 0117 932 8888.

South West RSS Examination In Public

The EIP on the draft Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS) ended on 6 July 2007, where the independent panel heard evidence from a wide range of participants on the main issues raised in the Summer 2006 consultation.

Under the new planning system introduced under the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 the regional tier of planning has enhanced status. The RSS will set the strategic and long-term development plan context for the Local Development Frameworks prepared by local authorities across each region.

Amongst other policies in the plan the RSS requires that all new and refurbished buildings achieve at least Level 3 above minimum building standards in the Code for Sustainable Homes and Level 5 for all larger scale developments. The final RSS is due for publication early 2008.

Planning White Paper - for a sustainable future

On 21st May 2007 the Government published its long awaited Planning White Paper - Planning for a Sustainable Future, setting out proposals for the further reform of the planning system. Key proposals include

• a new system to deal with major infrastructure projects with new approaches to community engagement, the use of independent decision makers and inquiry procedures;
• simplification of the planning system for householders to make it easier for home improvements where there is little or no impact on neighbours;
• proposals to ensure planning plays a bigger role in climate change;
• changes to the development plan system to enable plans to be prepared more quickly; and
• adjustments to the appeals system.

Consultation on the proposals ended on 17th August 2007. If we can help or advise further, please contact Lisa Pritchard, Urban Designer on 0117 932 8888.

PPS3: The Time for change

Since April 2007, planning authorities have been required to have regard to Planning Policy Statement 3 (PPS3), which sets out how the planning system will support the growth in housing completions needed in England. With greater emphasis on Brownfield development, affordable family housing, good design and tougher environmental standards, the policy has caused a stir throughout the industry.

Through initially site evaluation we can make an assessment to determine the most appropriate form of development encompassing the objectives of PPS3. Alternatively, if you are experiencing problems with an existing planning application we may be able to help.

Contact Lisa Pritchard, Urban Designer on 0117 932 8888 to find out more.

Housing Corporation launch Design and Quality Strategy and revised standards

Housing Corporation launch Design and Quality Strategy and revised standards In April 2007 the Housing Corporation released their Design and Quality Strategy and revised Standards. These set out the Corporation's requirements and recommendations for all new homes that receive Social Housing Grant. Thus ensuring that affordable housing providers produce well-designed, good quality housing to meet the needs of people in places they want to live.

These standards replace the Scheme Development Standards (SDS) for the new funding round 2008-11 and follow sustainable development thinking such as the introduction of the Code for Sustainable Homes and reaffirming the commitment to Lifetime Homes principles.

Carbon Zero Taskforce

The 2016 Zero Carbon Homes Taskforce was established in February 2007 in the context of the 'Building a Greener Future' consultation. This is working towards delivering the UK government's commitment to achieving zero carbon standards for all new homes by 2016. The Code for Sustainable Homes is an integral part of this drive and gcp Consulting are ready to get going on carrying out assessments under this new scheme.

To find out we can help contact Nicola Thorogood, Sustainability Projects Coordinator on 0117 932 8888.