Information Links
Planning Resource
Main Navigation
Environment
News and in-depth coverage of environmental issues and the effect of climate change on town planning.
Page Title RSS feedEnvironment News
Planners want post-Brexit flexibility in meeting environmental standards, says RTPI study
Brexit provides an opportunity to review the way planning policies protect the environment, according to a study by the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI).
Reporter overturns council's nine-turbine wind farm refusal
A reporter has granted an appeal against the decision of a Scottish council to refuse permission for a nine-turbine wind farm, after he concluded that there would be no significant landscape impacts arising from the scheme.
Councils lack 'collective awareness' of promoting health through planning, says TCPA
Local authorities suffer from a lack of 'collective awareness' of the potential for planning powers to promote better health, according to a report by the Town and Country Planning Association (TCPA).
Future of north Wales nuclear plant DCO application hangs in balance
The Planning Inspectorate's determination of a development consent order (DCO) application for the Wylfa Newydd Nuclear Power Station is set to continue while applicant Horizon assesses the future of the troubled project, it has been revealed.
Cornwall Council submits plans for new 6km link road
Plans have been submitted for a new 6.2km link road in Cornwall, which its promoters claim would 'support continued housing development' and enhance 'the viability of commercial land development and the generation of new employment space'.
Government admits 'flaw' in decision to not revoke consent for Durham coal mine
The government will reconsider a decision by the communities secretary last year in which he refused to revoke a developer's planning consent for an opencast mine in County Durham, after the housing ministry admitted there had been a 'flaw' in the minister's decision-making process.
Latest Environment Opinion
Legal Viewpoint: Causes for concern raised by draft environment bill
Beware collateral impacts for the planning system arising from a draft bill published by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) just before Christmas.
Court stiffens habitats protection, by Angus Walker
Two recent cases in the EU Court of Justice - People Over Wind and Sweetman v Coillte Teoranta and Sweetman v An Bord Pleanála, both relating to sites in Ireland - will affect all projects that have habitats implications.
Why NSIP route for shale projects may not ease consents process, by Angus Walker
The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) is consulting on whether, and if so how, shale gas or fracking projects - which term you prefer seems to indicate whether you are for or against them - should be brought within the Planning Act 2008 regime as a new type of nationally significant infrastructure project (NSIP).
In age of austerity, US-style philanthropy could help save parks, by Cliff Hague
Sack staff, cut pay, close libraries, sell off assets. Local authorities across the UK have got the austerity message.
- Principal Urban Designer / Landscape Officer Swale Borough Council Swale, Kent
- Principal Planning Officer - Spatial Planning Swale Borough Council Swale, Kent
- 2 X Planning Officer / Senior Planning Officers – Development Management Swale Borough Council Swale, Kent
- Spatial Planning Manager Lewis Davey CB Civic Centre, Wembley Park, London (Central)
- Planner/Senior Planner Turley Reading, Berkshire
Environment In Depth
What the government's biodiversity proposals could mean for planning
New proposals requiring developers to leave habitats in a better condition after their scheme is built have prompted some conservation groups to claim they could allow developers to pay to "destroy nature". However, commentators say such fears are misplaced.
Why the latest European Court habitats ruling further raises the bar for planners
The latest European Court ruling on protected habitats indicates that developers and planners should take a broader approach to assessing the impacts of plans and projects on such zones, though experts are divided on the significance of the ruling.
Policy Summary: Government seeks views on compulsory shale gas scheme pre-application consultation
POLICY: Compulsory community pre-application consultation for shale gas development.
How post-Brexit environmental rules could affect development
Government plans to leave environmental regulations virtually untouched after Brexit give welcome clarity to the sector but are unlikely to have much immediate impact on development activity, say observers.