Kanda Consulting

Kanda were delighted that our client Kaz Hotels achieved unanimous approval from Lambeth’s Planning Committee last week for their application to extend a hotel at 87 South Lambeth Road. Jasmine Ruhiu supported post-submission public engagement and committee preparation work for this application, which sensitively increases the number of hotel rooms, creates a new public entrance and ground floor facilities, and removes car parking. It was a pleasure to work with Hanif Bhimji, Simon Fowler and Steve Fox. This was Kanda’s fourth successful Lambeth committee decision in six months. We continue to support dozens of clients with their work in the borough, and offer an unparalleled understanding and experience of Lambeth. Please get in touch if you would like to find out how we could help your work in the borough: info@kandaconsulting.co.uk

Yesterday’s elections in the Square Mile saw 11 out of 25 wards contested, with active campaigns in wards such as Castle Baynard, Vintry, and Portsoken, with the remaining 14 wards seeing members return unopposed. Some of the key takeaways from the election so far include: 🔴 Contested Elections Several high-profile figures lost their seats, including Graham Packham, Deputy Chair of the Planning & Transportation Committee, as well as, Judith Pleasance, Randall Anderson, and Luis Tilleria. ✅ Unopposed Wins A number of seasoned councillors were returned unopposed, including:  ➡️Deputy Chris Hayward (Broad Street) – expected to be re-elected for a fourth year as Chair of Policy & Resources committee ➡️Deputy Shravan Joshi (Bishopsgate) ➡️Tom Sleigh (Bishopsgate) ➡️Deputy Keith Bottomley and Hugh Selka (Bridge & Bridge Without) ➡️Deputy Alastair Moss (Cheap) ➡️Deputy Marianne Fredricks (Tower) ➡️Deputy Henry Colthurst (Lime Street)   🌹Party Politics  Labour fielded a strong slate of candidates and ran an active ground campaign, particularly in wards such as Portsoken, Cripplegate, Vintry, and Farringdon Without, securing seven seats. Despite this, the City of London has retained its position and reputation for independence, resisting the influence of party politics in the Square Mile. 🏗 Planning & Transportation Committee Looking ahead, the City will formally confirm the new membership of the Planning & Transportation Committee in late April. The first meeting will take place in early May, during which a new Chair will be elected to succeed Shravan Joshi, who has completed his three-year term. There will also be a significant number of changes to the committee, as several long-standing members have either chosen not to stand again or were unsuccessful in election. To read the full briefing note with in-depth analysis of ward areas or to find out more about what’s happening in the Square Mile and what the election means for your investment, get in touch with simon.gartshore@kandaconsulting.co.uk or luke.jebb@kandaconsulting.co.uk.

Following the much-anticipated Planning and Infrastructure Bill, conversation has intensified around the removal of councillors' involvement in planning decisions for developments below a certain threshold. This raises key questions about where decision-making powers will lie and whether local communities will have less influence over proposed developments.   In her piece for Property Week, Kanda’s Managing Director Karen Alcock, delves into how these changes will impact the dynamics between officers, local government and the electorate. She emphasises the importance of ensuring that the industry and local communities both understand the role of the community in the process, as consultation remains crucial to planning, noting the following key takeaways:   ➡️ Navigating the dynamic between officers and elected members will be essential to avoid tensions between decision-makers and their electorate.   ➡️ Developers must continue to engage with local communities and stakeholders as local politicians are often the most compelled to respond to opposition and bring concerns forward to officers.   ➡️ Transparent and accountable forums for local engagement are crucial to ensure that all decision-makers can build consensus around proposed developments, smoothing the planning process.   ➡️ Whilst devolution will likely absorb the voices of localised members as housing delivery is prioritised over local plans, developers cannot ignore local influencers and must still engage early to avoid NIMBY opposition and ensure smoother outcomes.   ➡️ Although the bill aims to reduce the role of statutory consultees, heritage and environmental groups will still have a voice. Proactive consultation remains essential to gain the support of groups highlighting these concerns and avoiding delays.   In this evolving landscape and with the nature of planning engagement changing, there is still a clear need to proactively engage with stakeholders and ensure the community is brought along the planning process for success.   To read the full article click here 🔗 https://lnkd.in/ekvrR9aE   If you’re looking for support on engaging with communities and navigating these changes, reach out to Kanda consulting at info@kandaconsulting.co.uk Image source: Property Week

We were thrilled to work with The Crown Estate to facilitate a site visit to Cambridge Business Park from Daniel Zeichner, MP for Cambridge and Minister of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. It was a pleasure to have Cambridge’s local MP visit the site and better understand the significant value it will bring not only to the community of North East Cambridge, but the Government’s wider innovation ambitions. The project will create an innovation-led ecosystem, creating a diverse and inclusive space for businesses and the community to thrive. Engaging with the local community and key local stakeholders is central to The Crown Estate’s vision to support the creation of a truly inclusive ecosystem, aligning and supporting the needs of the local area. Following November’s initial consultation, we are excited to continue engaging with a range of stakeholders to help shape this vision. With innovation and growth at the forefront of government priorities, and Cambridge positioned as a core hub for the UK’s innovation development ambitions, engaging with decision-makers is more important than ever. If you're looking to build strong relationships with key stakeholders, get in touch to discover how we can help you drive meaningful engagement.

🗳️ One week to go to City of London elections 🗳️ This time next week, the #CityofLondon will be electing its Common Council on Thursday 20th March, and it promises to be one of the most contested elections in recent years.   With over half of the 25 wards being contested, and a growing #Labour presence in the Square Mile, it will be interesting to see if there are any significant shifts, particularly in the wards of Castle Baynard, Farringdon Within, and Cripplegate.   If you would like to find out more about the election or what this means for your project in the City of London, then please get in touch with Simon Gartshore or Luke Jebb. 

Kanda was thrilled to see proposals for Southwark Over Station Development approved by the London Borough Of Southwark last week.   The scheme is a joint venture between Places for London, Transport for London’s property company and developer Helical plc. It will see a 15 storey, 429 apartment purpose-built student accommodation scheme, and a 9 storey, 44 affordable homes building above Southwark station. The scheme is complemented by enhanced public realm, including a shared community garden and increased greenery along the Cut and Isabella Street.   Kanda supported the development with community and stakeholder engagement. Well done to the Kanda team of Adam McLaren, Oliver Lewis & Emily Badra. It was a real pleasure to work with Helical plc, Places for London, Rapleys, Allford Hall Monaghan Morris and others on this phase of the development!

Yesterday marked the unveiling of the highly anticipated Planning and Infrastructure Bill, a key step towards reshaping the UK’s planning and development landscape. The draft legislation aims to overhaul and streamline the planning process, with far-reaching implications for developers, local authorities, and communities alike. ⚙️ Delegating planning decisions One of the Bill’s key provisions is the proposal to delegate planning decisions for smaller-mid sized developments to officers, which could speed up the process. While the exact threshold is still to be defined, the aim is to reduce delays and depoliticise the planning process for some housing schemes and minor infrastructure projects. However, concerns have been raised by some local councils, who fear this could diminish democratic involvement and lead to less transparency, with decisions potentially being influenced behind closed doors. And while politicians will be removed from decisions, this won’t necessarily remove the politics from planning. 🗣️ Slimming statutory consultees The Bill proposes reducing the number of statutory consultees, seen as a way to speed up the planning process. However, the cause for delays usually stems from environmental and heritage issues, and with the Government committed to ensuring this still retains a formal role in consultation, it is unlikely to substantially speed up planning. Unless their role is clearly defined in the final Bill, the risk remains that they will be able to exercise significant influence over decision-makers. 🏗️ Strategic planning and development corporations   The Bill reintroduces strategic planning via spatial development strategies, a significant opportunity to speed up major regeneration projects. This will be critical to the Government's plans to remove barriers and streamline planning for large-scale projects, such as urban extensions and new towns.   To drive this, government will need to provide resources and expertise to local authorities while providing a strong drive from national government. Additionally, strengthening development corporations will help drive these projects forward, especially in areas where local opposition could slow progress. This approach could be a major tool for the government to deliver its pledge on new towns. 💬 What’s next? The Bill will continue through the consultation and legislative process, with many details still being refined. Key issues such as handling smaller schemes and the role of stakeholders in planning will remain a focus. The Planning and Infrastructure Bill signals a shift towards a faster, more efficient planning process, but there’s still work to be done. Developers, local authorities, and stakeholders will need to continue to collaborate closely to ensure smooth progress. Get in touch with us to discuss how the Bill might impact your projects and how to navigate these changes at info@kandaconsulting.co.uk

Last week, we celebrated two major consents, both for our client Berkeley Estate Asset Management, in two of London's busiest boroughs! On Monday night, we helped secure planning permission for 48 Chiswell Street in Islington after a long determination period and three appearances at committee. The next day, Westminster's committee approved plans for the reimagination of 1 Knightsbridge Green – a major and sensitive commercial site in the International Centre, representing one of the largest retrofit schemes consented in the borough to date. A huge congratulations to everyone involved in these milestones including the Kanda team John Greenshields Simon Gartshore If you’d like to find out more about our work in London click here: https://lnkd.in/e_RT3VzY

Great to be back at MIPIM, with Director of Insights Andrew Clark bumping into some familiar faces at BusinessLDN's event last night. Despite the rain, there is a real buzz at MIPIM this year and we're delighted to be busy supporting clients across the week. Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan | Jules Pipe | Howard Dawber | Tom Copley

We are proud to have hosted an #InternationalWomensDay lunch today in partnership with THE NIA PROJECT, a charity that has been delivering vital community-based services to end violence against women and children in several London boroughs for over 50 years. The purpose of the lunch was to bring industry and political leaders together to discuss how we can work together to explore meaningful solutions and long-term pathways to providing critical housing. We were honoured to welcome guest speakers Taryn Lister, Feryal Clark MP, Minister for AI and Digital Government, and Caroline Woodley, Mayor of London Borough of Hackney, as well as an inspiring group of women from across the industry. The group demonstrated shared ambition to be a part of driving forward solutions and provided invaluable insights into the role of the sector and local and national government as part of this conversation. Thank you to everyone who joined us and has donated to such an important cause Phillippa Prongué, Jo McDonagh, Suzi Rullo, Olivia Harris, Olaide Oboh, Laura Elias, Holly Farrow, Victoria Manston, Félicie Krikler and Katy Davis, as well as the Kanda team Karen Alcock, Kaylene Oliveira, Jo Dancy nee Sistern, Isabelle Price and Eleanor Monk. This is only the beginning and we’re looking forward to being part of enabling further progress for this crucial work. Nia is Kanda’s charity of the year, with various fundraising activities throughout the year to support the work they do. If you would like to donate to Nia, Kanda will match all contributions: https://lnkd.in/gEXC-Phv Find out more about Nia here https://lnkd.in/gQtMjEV