Housing for Bellingham’s Post

This is 100% true and Eastern Shore Land Conservancy has the data to prove it. "Sprawl in rural areas often leads to higher infrastructure and service costs for local governments, which must extend roads, utilities, and emergency services further into the countryside. At the same time, farmland—the backbone of rural economies and a source of community identity—is often lost to poorly planned development. Protecting these critical assets requires a thoughtful approach to land use, which zoning reform can provide."

Balancing growth and preservation is at the heart of a heated debate in Longmont, Colorado, as the Somerset Village development continues to face opposition. For nearly four years, the proposed project has highlighted the challenge of meeting affordable housing needs while respecting environmental preservation. The Somerset Village promises 426 homes in a community designed with amenities like a bodega and early-childhood center, aligning with Longmont's vision for sustainable growth. However, this potential is threatened by concerns from local residents and groups about increased traffic hazards and losing open space. Recently, a court sided with the local commissioners to move the development forward, but opposition groups, potentially armed with an appeal, might prolong this complex dispute. This ongoing debate illustrates the broader challenges faced by growing regions where development pushes against the need to preserve green spaces. As this saga continues, the storyline of Somerset Village could set precedents for similar scenarios, influencing how communities navigate the tension between expansion and conservation. What do you think? How can communities like Longmont achieve a balance between growth and environmental preservation? #ColoradoApartments #LongmontGrowth #AffordableHousing #EnvironmentalPreservation #RealEstateDevelopment #BoulderCounty 🌱🏠🌍

Builders and developers strive to meet market demands, but local land use policies often create challenges that limit what can be built. Proposals for mixed-use, walkable communities frequently face significant revisions or rejection, often due to resistance rooted in community concerns. It’s important to foster a collaborative approach and recognize that developers share a desire for vibrant, thriving communities. Home builders can be valuable partners and voices in these important conversations.

🎉 APPEAL ALLOWED FOR UP TO 30 HOUSES IN BRAUNSTON-IN-RUTLAND! 🎉 We are delighted to announce that our appeal was allowed this morning granting permission for the development of up to 30 dwellings at Brooke Road, Braunston-in-Rutland. The Inspector concurred with our arguments that the locational development plan policies did not recognise the intrinsic character and beauty of the countryside and were based on outdated housing requirements. He also agreed that, as there had been a reliance on unallocated countryside sites to meet the housing requirement, were housing only approved in line with the constraints set out by policies CS4, CS9 and SP6, the Council would have been (and will continue to be) unable to deliver its required housing numbers. Polices CS4, CS9 and SP6 therefore run contrary to the Framework’s objective at paragraph 60 of significantly boosting the supply of homes and are out of date. In finding no harm to the conservation area or landscape setting he allowed the appeal which also delivers: 40% Affordable Housing; 2 Self-Build/Custom Dwellings; a 10% Biodiversity Net Gain; and support for the local economy and infrastructure. #PlanningSuccess #CommunityDevelopment #AffordableHousing #Biodiversity #SustainableDevelopment #UKHousing #HousingPolicy

Last week the State Government introduced a raft of planning regulations in regard to tree protections, that came into immediate effect. These changes to tree controls will serve as another impediment to addressing the housing crisis, adding delay, cost and complexity to much needed housing development. “We are in the midst of a housing crisis and what we need right now is Government doing all it can to help industry to build more houses faster,” says Liam Golding, UDIA SA Chief Executive. “Instead, what these new regulations will mean is that housing will ultimately cost more and take longer.” The development industry knows too well that trees and urban canopy are an important part of creating healthy and sustainable communities that people want to be a part of. “Our members regularly report converting plots of land that are completely devoid of trees into thriving communities with hundreds of well-located trees and lush canopy, on streets and in reserves. Just one of the new State Government regulations will see a reduction in the trunk circumference, with the trunk size for regulated trees reduced from two metres to one metre, while significant trees will go from three metres to two. “These changes that protect trees after they reach a certain size may have the perverse effect of incentivising homeowners to preemptively remove trees before they reach the one metre trunk circumference that triggers the tree becoming regulated." Read more about the changes https://loom.ly/UcBX5FU #udiasa #urbandevelopment #adelaide #southaustralia

"But she is set to face pushback over her plan to allow building on more than 640 square miles of land, similar to the area of Surrey, Greater London or Hertfordshire. BBC presenter and environmentalist Chris Packham told the Times: 'The Green Belt is incredibly important, it was designed to stop urban sprawl and enhance the quality of people's lives." #LabourParty #classwar #sirkeirstarmer #economyslowdown #economics #ecommercedevelopment #citycouncil #economicrecovery #recession #planning #planningapplication #townplanning #town #costofliving #housingforall #housingcrisis #housing #construction #constructionjobs #angelarayner #Hypocrisy #keirstarmer #birmingham #london #publicopinion #surrey #environmentprotection #environmentaljustice #environment #climatechange #sustainable #angelarayner #greenbelt #countryside #countrylife #countrysidealliance #rural #ruraleconomy #ruralcommunity #ruralcommunities https://lnkd.in/eCQK8JPf

Planning for the Future: Why Rural Communities Need Strong Policies Strong policies are the foundation of sustainable and resilient communities. Whether it’s preserving farmland, revitalizing downtowns, or engaging residents in the process, rural towns thrive when planning is done right. 💡 Explore: How comprehensive plans guide growth Real-world examples of successful policies Tips for building community support 📖 Read the article: https://lnkd.in/gkfKXnZB 💬 What policies have made the biggest impact in your community? #RuralDevelopment #CommunityEngagement #SustainablePlanning

🏡 Balancing Development and Preservation: A Town Planning Challenge for Surrey? Elmbridge Borough Council’s Local Plan is being re-evaluated having been urged to reconsider its goal of 8,000 new homes, as using green belt land is “justified”. As expected, the council expressed disappointment, reaffirming its commitment to protecting the green belt from "speculative" development, focussing instead on brownfield sites for future housing. The debate over housing development on green belt land highlights a complex challenge: meeting housing targets while preserving undeveloped spaces. What are your thoughts on balancing sustainable growth whilst protecting our natural spaces? #HousingCrisis #GreenBelt #SustainableDevelopment #Planning

Restrictive land use regulations imposed by New York’s local governments artificially constrain the amount of housing available across the state. That constraint, in turn, reduces affordability and choice for residents, perpetuates or exacerbates existing racial and economic inequities, and harms the broader economy by limiting people’s ability to pursue jobs in places they would like to live. Further, depending on where people move when housing is not available in the location they would otherwise choose, restrictive land use regulations may result in more greenhouse gas emissions, habitat loss, and other environmental degradation. Read the NYU Furman Center’s brief, “Allowing More and Different Types of Housing,“ which assesses how lessons learned from the adoption, implementation, and impact of these strategies in other states can help New York consider which strategies may prove most useful to address New York’s increasingly pressing housing crisis. https://lnkd.in/eSX5xdeB

🌳 🌲 Hertsmere Council Approves 186-home Grey Belt Scheme with 80% Affordable Housing.. ❌ Hertsmere Borough Council has approved a 186-home scheme on what it describes as grey belt land after Planning Officers placed very substantial weight on its affordable housing provision policy in a decision the LPA said reflects Labour Government’s proposed policy of easing the release of low-quality green belt for development. ✖ Officers afforded significant weight to the schemes community benefits, including the provision of allotments on the application and improved accessibility for all users. The Officers also ascribed moderate weight to the enabling of the housing scheme development; improvements to the Public Right of Way (PRoW) network, and a biodiversity net gain (BNG) of 11.42% for habitats and 31.31% for hedgerows, with some of this BNG achieved on the site itself within the biodiversity area that would be inaccessible to the public. ✖ ❌ Consequently, the Officers concluded that the benefits of the scheme would comprise very special circumstances, which demonstrably outweigh the harm to the green belt and any other harm as identified. They therefore recommended for approval subject to the agreement of a unilateral undertaking and conditions.” #planning #newhomes #development #homes #houses