LABA’s Post

The latest changes to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) are set to shape the future of development in Bristol and the West of England. From revised housing targets to the growing emphasis on sustainable, place-based design, these reforms highlight both challenges and opportunities for the area. Our regional director Ric Hampton has explored these updates in his latest blog for Insider Media, diving into what they'll mean for development strategies and how they might help unlock vibrant, connected communities. Find out more from Ric on how we can help clients navigate this evolving landscape. To learn more, read the blog here: https://lnkd.in/gYjvRM7c #NPPF #Planning #Sustainability #Bristol #WestofEngland

The announcement of changes to environmental assessment systems yesterday raises some interesting points. While cutting red tape is welcome, it's worth noting that environmental impact assessments only apply to certain large-scale developments. If the focus were shifted toward simplifying the process for small to medium residential schemes, we believe it could significantly speed up the planning process and provide a real boost to housing supply! 🏡📈 Many elements currently entangled in the planning system might be better addressed through building regulations or other specific processes, streamlining efforts for all stakeholders. Read more about the planning reforms: https://lnkd.in/end4R_HK #PlanningHouse #TownPlanning #EnvironmentalImpactAssessment

𝐀 𝐂𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐜 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐭 𝐞𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐰 🏙️🌱 An election is an opportunity to shake up business as usual. We put our heads together to produce some suggestions for whichever incoming PM sets up to work on delivering their promises of national renewal: 🏠 𝐀 𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐦𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲 (𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐰) - that focuses on quality, community making and sustainable living 🏙 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐨𝐥𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 – for decision making and capital to go to the regional city regions in order to invest in health, transport and green infrastructure 🌍 𝐌𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐛𝐨𝐧 𝐄𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐁𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐥𝐚𝐰 – to bring about the meaningful change that is needed to meet the UK’s Net Zero 2050 commitment 🏢 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐞 𝐕𝐀𝐓 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐟 𝐨𝐧 𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐢𝐭 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐬 – to incentivise more in the industry to reuse and revitalise the building stock we already have 🌧 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐥𝐞 𝟑 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐖𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐀𝐜𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐒𝐮𝐃𝐒 - to allow these innovative but simple design decisions to be more widely rolled out in towns and cities that are increasingly under threat of severe weather like flash flooding 📜 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝟑 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐫 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐦 - to provide guidance on how to design, construct, adopt and maintain new and existing residential streets in a holistic and sustainable manner 🔗 Read more: https://lnkd.in/e-Y67A2y #Engineering #thrivetogether #renewal #positivechange #community #sustainability #groundengineering #geotechnical

Simpson Grierson has confirmed its role in the approval of the Beachlands South private plan change, the first to consider GHG emissions from development. A milestone for sustainable housing growth. https://hubs.la/Q02_HD1J0

𝐀 𝐂𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐜 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐭 𝐞𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐰 🏙️🌱 An election is an opportunity to shake up business as usual. We put our heads together to produce some suggestions for whichever incoming PM sets up to work on delivering their promises of national renewal: 🏠 𝐀 𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐦𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲 (𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐰) - that focuses on quality, community making and sustainable living 🏙 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐨𝐥𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 – for decision making and capital to go to the regional city regions in order to invest in health, transport and green infrastructure 🌍 𝐌𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐛𝐨𝐧 𝐄𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐁𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐥𝐚𝐰 – to bring about the meaningful change that is needed to meet the UK’s Net Zero 2050 commitment 🏢 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐞 𝐕𝐀𝐓 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐟 𝐨𝐧 𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐢𝐭 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐬 – to incentivise more in the industry to reuse and revitalise the building stock we already have 🌧 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐥𝐞 𝟑 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐖𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐀𝐜𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐒𝐮𝐃𝐒 - to allow these innovative but simple design decisions to be more widely rolled out in towns and cities that are increasingly under threat of severe weather like flash flooding 📜 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝟑 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐫 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐦 - to provide guidance on how to design, construct, adopt and maintain new and existing residential streets in a holistic and sustainable manner 🔗 Read more: https://lnkd.in/e-Y67A2y #Structural #civil #transport #engineering #thrivetogether #renewal #positivechange #community #sustainability

Summary: Justice Abdul Sattar Asghar of the Lahore High Court, in his judgment (2015 PLD 112), addressed the concept of sustainable development in relation to the construction of a signal-free junction at Azadi Chowk, Lahore. He referenced the term "sustainable development" from various sources, including the Pakistan Environmental Protection Act (PEPA), the Stockholm Declaration of 1972, the Brundtland Report, and the Urban 21 Conference (Berlin, July 2000). The central issue before the Justice was determining the greater public interest: whether to prevent the demolition of certain facilities at Lady Willingdon Hospital or to allow the construction of the junction. After reviewing all the facts and circumstances, the Justice concluded that the project had adhered to all necessary legal and environmental procedures, including an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) approved by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). He determined that the project aligned with the principles of sustainable development and did not violate the Doctrine of Public Trust. Justice Asghar held that the project's goal—to provide safe, congestion-free, and smooth traffic facilities—was in the public interest and outweighed the concern of demolishing parts of the hospital. He emphasized that the project was well-considered in terms of sustainable development, as it aimed to reduce traffic hazards and minimize inconvenience for commuters and road users. The Justice allowed the project to proceed with specific directions: the hospital's facilities affected by the project must be reconstructed before any demolition occurs. Note: In the case addressed by Justice Abdul Sattar Asghar, the term "sustainable development" was crucial in balancing the competing public interests involved in the construction of a signal-free junction at Azadi Chowk, Lahore, and the preservation of facilities at Lady Willingdon Hospital. Sustainable development, as referenced by the Justice, involves meeting present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own. This principle guided the court in determining that the construction project, which aimed to reduce traffic congestion and enhance public safety, was in line with sustainable development goals. The project was deemed necessary for improving urban infrastructure while adhering to legal and environmental protocols, including a thorough Environmental Impact Assessment. The court's decision reflected the understanding that sustainable development is not only about environmental preservation but also about promoting economic and social well-being. By ensuring that the hospital facilities would be reconstructed before demolition, the court balanced the need for urban development with the obligation to protect public health services, embodying the essence of sustainable development in its ruling.

The free to access book on the sustainable housing transition I co-authored with Dr Andreanne Doyon, RRP, MCIP was recently reviewed in Australian Planner by Andrew Allan. If you want to know what Andrew thinks of our book you can access the review below. Some key quotes: "The book is a strong call to action...however, whilst the sense of advocacy drives the argument throughout, the discussion does not come across as 'preachy', largely because the argument is backed by meticulous research." "...the book aims to provide a non-technical overview of the challenges faced in achieving genuinely sustainable housing and what societal and policy changes would be needed to accomplish sustainable housing" "This book is an important contribution to this debate, offering a potential solution as to how sustainable housing can eventually be taken as a given across the whole housing market." https://lnkd.in/gM4R_ceP

The new UK government will have plenty of challenges to tackle in its first year. We have set out some suggested priorities for Built Environment below. Particularly close to my heart is #housing and #carbonemmissionsbill. In the inevitable rush to increase housing stock, let’s not accept low quality design in the planning and delivery of new homes, and keep front of mind the significant stock of existing buildings that are ripe for #retrofit and #repurpose. Design of new housing should avoid a nostalgic yearning for housing typologies and styles of the past, but instead focus on being fit for the next hundred years. The Carbon emissions Bill (2022) needs reviving and resuscitating in the House of Commons. The necessary and urgent changes to Building Regulations to regulate whole life carbon in new buildings is fundamental to driving change in our industry. #lowcarbonfuture #uknetzero

📣 📄 COMMENT LETTER: Request to be Added to Stakeholder's Outreach on San Mateo County's Safety / Resiliency Element Planning 📣 📄 To: San Mateo County Office of Sustainability Read the full letter at https://lnkd.in/ggyPbd3r. "We understand that the County is approaching this planning through the County's Office of Sustainability and for several cities. We'd like for SLU to be included in any future stakeholder's outreach regarding the County's progress on this Element. We are very concerned that many of the approaches to resiliency that municipalities are considering do not acknowledge the potential impact on the environment. We believe there are vital environmentally sensitive solutions to consider in the Safety / Resiliency Element, and would like to engage further with the County in detail on each of the following topics." . . . #sierraclub #sierraclublomaprieta #lomaprietachapter #lomaprietasustainablelanduse #resiliencyplanning

Helping More Buildings Go Green The NYC Mayor's Office of Climate & Environmental Justice has released a request for proposals to expand NYC Accelerator, the free program that offers trainings, one-on-one guidance, and technical resources to building stakeholders who are working to reduce carbon emissions and improve energy efficiency at their properties. Expanding NYC Accelerator aims to reduce 1 million metric tons of carbon dioxide from Local Law 97-covered buildings by 2030, the equivalent of taking around 250,000 cars off the road per year, and accomplishes another goal set in PlaNYC, the administration’s climate plan. As extreme rainfall continues to pose a climate threat to the city, the expanded NYC Accelerator will also begin to track resiliency metrics. “NYC Accelerator is the single most important resource for New Yorkers decarbonizing their buildings, and it’s become a model for other cities worldwide,” said Commissioner Rohit Aggarwala. Since the start of the Adams administration, this popular sustainability program has assisted 22,000 buildings and helped start 25,000 retrofit projects, reducing carbon emissions by 19,400 tons and saving building owners more than $5 million in avoided penalties. #NYCWater #Sustainability #Resiliancy #ClimateChange #CarbonEmissions