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24.03.2025
Building Safety Levy LatestFrom Autumn 2026 Developers will be required to pay a building safety levy for homes they build. Rates will vary across local authorities in England and will be charged on a £/sqm basis, with schemes on brownfield sites will receive a 50% levy discount. For example, this will mean a new 200 sqm home on a greenfield site, in Sevenoaks in could cost around £8,500 a unit, in addition to any CIL or Section 106 Contributions which might be due. DHA’s head of development viability Danielle Lawrence takes a closer look at what this means.
18.03.2025
Vacant Building Credits - What is it and how can it be used?The Vacant Building Credit (VBC) came into force through the publication of planning guidance on 28 November 2014. Since then, it is becoming more widely recognised as a useful mechanism for boosting the viability of brownfield sites. In this article, DHA's Viability Lead, Danielle Lawrence looks at what Vacant Building Credit (VBC) is and how it can be used to make substantial savings.
11.03.2025
Planning and Infrastructure Bill introduces radical planning reformsThe Government first announced in the King’s Speech in July 2024 that the Planning and Infrastructure Bill would be introduced in this parliamentary session. And in January, the Secretary of State for Housing Angela revealed the bill was likely to be tabled “around March”. However, the landmark Planning and Infrastructure Bill has now been introduced to Parliament and DHA looks at some of its key planning reform measures.
06.03.2025
Court of Appeal clarifies status of Planning Practice GuidanceA Court of Appeal judgment has confirmed that National Planning Practice Guidance (PPG) has “equivalent” legal status to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). The ruling means that planners are going to have to pay more attention to the former, say legal experts, and clarifies how councils and developers should approach the flood risk sequential test.
25.02.2025
Government's Grey Belt plans starting to take effectThe new NPPF has been in effect for a couple of months now, and we are starting to see more and more appeal decisions reference the ‘grey belt’, including DHA Planning's own appeal decision for land at former Court Lane Nurseries, Hadlow.
12.02.2025
Government plans to make it easier for nuclear power plants to be allowedAs part of the Prime Minister’s ‘Plan for Change’ to grow the economy and deliver cleaner, more affordable energy, reforms to planning rules have been announced to allow nuclear reactors, known as Small Modular Reactors.
05.02.2025
'Landmark' ruling has ramifications for Section 73 ApplicationsAccording to experts, a recent Court of Appeal ruling quashing a council’s consent for changes to a solar farm and electricity substation permission is a “landmark” decision that has major implications for the scope of variations that can be made under section 73 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990. DHA Planning's Laura Jackson considers this further below.
30.01.2025
Government's commitment to national infrastructure and economic growth continuesAfter Rachel Reeves announced government support for a third runway at Heathrow in a bid to create 100,000 jobs, DHA Environment's Tim Spicer looks at what else the government is doing to deliver their 'Plan for Change' milestones, which include 150 decisions being issued on major infrastructure projects by the end of the Parliament.
22.01.2025
Biggest Shakeup to Kent Parking Standards in 18 years...Kent County Council has recently adopted new Parking Standards for developments in Kent.
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