Edgars

With Oxford Brookes University confirming the next graduation dates; we are thrilled for Charlie Bowyer who has been awarded his MSc in Spatial Planning from Oxford Brookes University Charlie joined Edgars after completing his BA (Hons) in Planning and Property Development at Oxford Brookes University in 2022, and has been working towards his Masters ever since. We are thrilled for Charlie! All the hard work over the past two years has finally paid off and we are excited to see him continue with his progression and develop into an excellent Planning Consultant. Charlie said -  “Completing my academic studies whilst working at Edgars has been a rewarding challenge. The course has equipped me with advanced planning knowledge, whilst my role here has allowed me to put this into practice daily. Thanks to the team's support, I've been able to develop both academically and professionally. It's fulfilling to work for a company that sees apprentices as an integral part of their future growth” 

In 2019, the Food, Farming & Countryside Commission called for a Land Use Framework. At the end of January, central government launched a consultation on a 'new strategic approach to managing land use' in balancing food security, nature restoration and building those promised 1.5m homes (and associated infrastructure). https://lnkd.in/evfzEj-F Part of the government's wider Plan for Change, the proposed Land Use Framework will use 'the most sophisticated land use data ever published'. Safeguarding the most productive agricultural land, the ongoing consultation (running for 12 weeks) seeks engagement with farmers, landowners, businesses and nature groups. Target publication of the Framework is the end of this year, and it will sit alongside spatial strategies for energy, housing and food. The full interdepartmental press release can be read here. https://lnkd.in/es9yQkXA Our Graduate Heritage Planner, Alexandra Green  - herself a farmer - says "I must be one of the many people in this country concerned about how we will balance nature recovery and major development with food security. While I do not feel that hard barriers should be drawn between these land uses, I am pleased to see that a sustainable future for our rural environment is being taken seriously." This is an emerging area of strategic planning, and Edgars will be keenly engaged with the outcome. If you are a stakeholder who will be affected by the Land Use Framework, and wish to make representations in your interest - please do get in touch with us to discuss your options.

Amy Powell attended the Good Homes Alliance Conference yesterday on the invitation of Bioregional.   Not only does attendance at these conferences provide key learning opportunities for our staff but it also raises the Edgars profile and allows us to connect with like-minded organisations. Connecting over the shared goal of more sustainable, healthier and happier buildings is a core part of what we do and why we do it.   Amy's key takeaways from the conference were:   - We should be planning our buildings for 50 years ahead where a 2 degree warming is likely to be the norm. Overheating and water scarcity will be a real concern and have a day to day impact on the population.   - Government regulation is needed but local policy that is contextual remains key. For example polices for overheating are crucial in the south and east where sunlight is greater and temperatures warmer.   - Density is key in both urban and rural locations.   - Water efficiency is energy efficiency, the two should not be removed from each other. Water efficiency in new buildings will support future capacity and housing growth in our regions.   - make SuDS not DuDS - multifunctional green space is key to creating desirable, healthy and resilient places.   And lastly, Cambridge was heralded as a leader in supporting growth and in creating a collaborative and effective environment for growth and investment. So it was welcome news from the Chancellor in setting up Oxford's Growth Commission to follow the Cambridge model. 

Some good news to start the week, in the form of planning permission for the redevelopment of a light industrial premises in East Oxford to nine residential apartments.    The approved development will secure 2 x one bedroom and 7x two bedroom apartments in this highly sustainable location just off the Oxford Road. The apartments make use of the generous proportions of this former Victorian building known as 'The Printworks'. The apartments which are split level enjoy first floor balconies with westerly views of Oxford and adjacent Boundary Brook, and large Crittal windows on the ground floor flooding the apartments with light.    We took the project on following the refusal of two previous applications and we worked closely with the client, architect and project team to revise the scheme to address previous concerns, as well as providing a robust suite of reporting to support the application. We we proud to lead the project team and work alongside Peter Njuguna from PROJECT 51 ARCHITECTURE LTD, Cole Easdon , ERS Consultants Ltd and Windrush Ecology.

Some good news tho start the week, in the form of planning permission for the redevelopment of a light industrial premises in East Oxford to nine residential apartments.    The approved development will secure 2 x one bedroom and 7x two bedroom apartments in this highly sustainable location just off the Oxford Road. The apartments make use of the generous proportions of this former Victorian building known as 'The Printworks'. The apartments which are split level enjoy first floor balconies with westerly views of Oxford and adjacent Boundary Brook, and large Crittal windows on the ground floor flooding the apartments with light.    We took the project on following the refusal of two previous applications and we worked closely with the client, architect and project team to revise the scheme to address previous concerns, as well as providing a robust suite of reporting to support the application. We we proud to lead the project team and work alongside Peter Njuguna from PROJECT 51 ARCHITECTURE LTD, Cole Easdon , ERS Consultants Ltd and Windrush Ecology. 

We’re delighted to announce that the application for extensions to Bloxham School’s Dewey Sport Centre, including floodlighting, 5 new netball/tennis courts and parking improvements was approved in line with the officer’s recommendation at the Cherwell Planning Committee yesterday evening.   The proposal will deliver a number of significant benefits both to Bloxham School and the local community through the provision of a range of new and enhanced sports facilities. The approval follows extensive engagement with the Cherwell District Council, the Parish Council, Sport England and other local and national stakeholders. This forms part of the Bloxham School masterplan, which provides a coordinated and logical spatial framework to guide the School over the coming years.   We took on the project following the refusal of several previous applications for floodlighting and one failed appeal. Our success this time comes down to an excellent and collaborative project team whose robust technical reporting to address all previous concerns carried us through. We’re proud to have worked alongside Thinking Buildings, Cole Easdon , HCUK Group, Tree Frontiers Ltd, RPS, DSA Environment + Design Ltd, Signify, Designs for Lighting and Aurochs Ecology to deliver such an outstanding project

We were delighted to bring our winter Breakfast Briefing to The Old Fire Station in Oxford. The theatre was packed with colleagues from all sectors of the built environment who had gathered to hear Morwenna Slade share invaluable insights about climate resilience in historic buildings. Her presentation was illuminating, sobering and motivating in equal measure and it was hard not to leave even more determined to think proactively and constructively about implications for our sector, despite the magnitude of the challenge before us. Thanks to all our guests, to Ingleton Wood and to Morwenna for a great morning

An exciting start to the week for Jon Westerman and some lovely sunny weather too. Not our usual mode of transport to a client site visit but essential for this one.

We are so pleased to announce that at the end of 2024, Hua Feng was promoted to Planner. Hua joined Edgars as a graduate planner in September 2022, after completing her bachelor’s degree in China before moving to the UK for her Master’s degree in Urban Design and Planning at the University of Sheffield. We are so thrilled to have Hua as part of the Edgars team and are excited to see her continue to learn and grow and develop her expertise, and evolve into an even more excellent Planner. Hua said - "It has been my pleasure to start my planning career in such a talented and fantastic team. I'm really grateful that everyone has been supportive over the past two years and I'm happy to feel my progress is being recognised. I look forward to continuing my journey and to climbing the ladder in the planning world"

A snowy start to 2025 and what a beauty it was! It has been great to be back in the office this week catching up with colleagues and clients, hearing all about what they got up to over the festive holidays. We hope everyone had a restful break with loved ones and is ready for many more exciting opportunities to come this new year!