planning

National law firm Freeths has advised Keepmoat on the acquisition of an historic former Boots factory site in Nottingham. Located on Thane Road, Beeston, the land sits within the 286-acre Nottingham Enterprise Zone and Alliance Boots Campus, which formed part of the health and pharmacy chain’s operational headquarters where it developed and manufactured the Ibuprofen […]

National law firm Freeths has secured the grant of planning permission for award-winning care home operator Hallmark Care Homes in Ingatestone, Essex, following a lengthy process which included the removal of the site from the Green Belt and its allocation for employment generating uses. Freeths advised Hallmark Care Homes on the promotion of the site […]

We are only six months away from the implementation of biodiversity net gain (“BNG”) requirements in the Environment Act 2021, which will become mandatory at the start of November 2023 and will apply to most development sites with some limited exceptions. Secondary legislation and regulations, including exemptions, are still evolving, but the government has made […]

Following our successful initial webinar which covered the BNG regime, join our experts as they provide an overview on the following: Negotiations with LPAs to optimise grant of planning permissions Development plans and EiPs Promoting allocations and planning appeals Considerations for land purchase contracts, options and promotion agreements If you missed the initial session it […]

In this month’s Planning Freethinking edition, we discuss two recent cases involving Section 73 (S73) planning applications, and provide our views for applicants and decision-makers alike. Recent cases Armstrong v Secretary of State for Levelling-Up, Housing and Communities [2023] EWHC 176 (Admin) Cornwall Council refused a Section 73 application (“S73 Application”) to vary the plans […]

National law firm Freeths have further strengthened its market leading Planning and Environment Group with the appointment of director Ben Derrington in Bristol. Ben joins the team from Ashfords LLP. With more than 17 years’ legal experience and a technical background in environmental science, Ben advises listed companies, public utilities, environmental regulators and businesses on […]

Background On 22 December 2022 the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities published their proposed revisions to the National Planning Policy Framework through a consultation period that will end on 2 March 2023. The Government has advised that they will respond to the consultation in Spring 2023, adopting the NPPF revisions as part of […]

National leading law firm Freeths has appointed Alison Ogley as Partner in its prestigious planning and environment team. She joins from Walker Morris LLP. Alison has over 15 years’ experience spanning all aspects of planning and environment law. She brings with her an established advocacy practice, representing a wide range of developer clients in major […]

Background A Planning Inspector has dismissed an appeal for 71 dwellings at Toddington Lane in Arun. This is partly due to the risk that granting planning permission could jeopardise the delivery of the balance of the Hampton Park Urban Extension, which provides for a far greater number of dwellings, infrastructure, community and other non-residential uses. […]

It has been common on development sites (particularly large ones) to obtain an original planning permission and then pursue changes for part of the site, by lodging a subsequent planning application to “drop-in” alternative development submitted as a fresh, separate application. The Supreme Court has held that generally the implementation of one of these subsequent […]