SOLTYS BREWSTER’s Post

Livingstone Shire Council is proud to announce a major milestone in the redevelopment of the Yeppoon Aquatic Centre, with Woollam Constructions awarded the contract. This transformative project is made possible through collaboration, including a $13 million Australian Government contribution, with additional Council funding of $2.87 million for community-driven enhancements. In addition to upgraded amenities, accessibility improvements, and a state-of-the-art 50-metre pool, the project will now also include: - Pool heating and thermal covers for year-round usability - Extended shaded roof for comfort and versatility - A submersible swim wall for multi-use flexibility Construction begins this month, with completion expected by December 2025. This redevelopment reflects our commitment to investing in infrastructure that fosters health, wellbeing, and recreation. 📢 Learn more: Yeppoon Aquatic Centre Facilities Upgrade. https://lnkd.in/g4E7naaa

We are pleased to receive planning consent from Camden Council for a new environmentally ambitious office building led by Allford Hall Monaghan Morris, to replace a multi-storey NCP car park on Saffron Hill in Clerkenwell. At street level, a new café will animate the corner of Saffron Hill. The pavement is extended to invite a moment to pause, with a new pocket garden and re-activated public realm with new seating, planters and street trees that will improve the local environment through SUDS and increased biodiversity. The building will provide amenity terraces on four floors. The planting strategy takes into account insight from our microclimatic studies for this site. This allows the introduction of distinct habitats and ecology to serve the buildings' inhabitants and local wildlife. The proposed planting will also help shelter terrace users from prevailing winds and screen sightlines from nearby neighbours. DP9 Limited Radcliffes Construction Consultants https://lnkd.in/dF7PzbP7 Image: AHMM

So, if you’ve followed us for some time, you'll probably already know what a big project Waterbeach New Town East is to us. This proposed new settlement in #Cambridgeshire has #wellbeing and car-free living at its heart. It’s contextual and designed to be both distinctive and at one with its Fens environment and ecology. It’s also been a massive team effort over two decades that has drawn in members of the LDA Design team from EIA specialists to masterplanners, landscape architects to environmental planners and ecologists. And now to the good news … it has just secured #planning approval! 👏 This news has made it a really special end to the year for us and for everyone that worked so hard to make this happen. Most importantly, we hope that Waterbeach NTE will become a fantastic place to live, one that delivers richly on its promise with the right mix of housing and density – a place that is playful, healthy, well connected and where it will be easy to get to know your neighbours. We talk about putting wellbeing at the heart of the Government’s 1.5m homes drive – Waterbeach NTE is it. Full story here: https://lnkd.in/e5X3zYDE Our news story here: https://lnkd.in/ePDVSGsm The list to congratulate and thank is long, but it includes all who make up the Waterbeach Development Company, a joint venture between Turnstone Estates, Royal London Asset Management and Aquila Investments, and including Turnstone Estates MD Tim Deacon. Well done to the project team including LDA Design I Boyer I Town Legal LLP I Carter Jonas I Clewlow Consulting Limited I WSP in the UK I Mott MacDonald I BSG Ecology I Headland Archaeology (UK) Ltd I Concilio and more. From LDA Design, the list to cheer is long, and includes Colin Goodrum Bernie Foulkes Robert Pile David Wesselingh Ian Houlston Ruth Knight Tom Perry Frazer Osment Nick Atkinson and many more. #landscape #landscapearchitecture #environmentalplanning #biodiversity #placemaking #masterplanning #planning #newsettlements #wellbeing #Cambridgeshire #homes #healthylifestyles #activelifestyles #betterplaces #connectivity #WaterbeachDevelopmentCompany

#TeamTaylors have secured Council endorsement of the Development Plan for a 3.3 ha commercial site at Bungower Road, Mornington. Located at the corner of Racecourse Road, this site is intended to be the future home of a variety of commercial facilities and services such as a medical centre, preschool and childcare centre. The Development Plan was produced and subsequently reviewed, modified and submitted to Council and after consultation and negotiation we were able to achieve a quality outcome for the client, council and community in what was a challenging site.   The project was contributed to by several teams at Taylors – Urban Design, Landscape Architecture, Engineering, and Planning – ably supported by a small team of specialist consultants (transport, biodiversity and arboriculture). The outcome involved various negotiations which saw the benefit of Taylors integrated services in the negotiation of road reserves, pedestrian and equestrian connectivity paths which achieved an improved commercial opportunity whilst at the same time delivering a positive urban design outcome.   The next step is to obtain a planning permit for the subdivision, which will be accompanied by a Section 173 Agreement for the delivery of various infrastructure works. #DevelopmentPlan #UrbanDesign #Planning #UrbanPlanning #LandscapeArchitecture #Engineering #CivilEngineering #Transport #Biodiversity #Aboriculture #Subdivision #Mornington #UrbanDevelopment #Expertise #Solutions #OneTeamOneTaylors

Does your attic count as a storey? In a landmark decision that sheds light on the complexities of heritage conservation and design excellence, the New South Wales Land and Environment Court ruled in favour of the applicant in Blainey North and Associates Pty Ltd v Council of the City of Sydney [2024]. Read more below. #property #renovate #developmentapplication #construction #proposal

Members of Planning & Design Practice’s heritage team, including RIBA accredited Specialist Conservation Architect Lindsay Cruddas and Heritage Consultant Ruth Gray, attended the launch of a new app designed to help preserve Derbyshire’s most vulnerable buildings at risk. Derbyshire Historic Buildings Trust hosted a session to provide training on the new app at the Strutts Community Centre in Belper recently. The Trust aim to empower a volunteer task force to help identify and monitor the condition of hundreds of vulnerable listed buildings in Derbyshire. The new B@R app has been developed by the Trust as part of their ‘Saving our Heritage for Everyone’ project that started in March 2024 with funding by The National Lottery Heritage Fund Fund to help the Trust to build organisational resilience. The app will be used to survey Grade II listed buildings and monuments which can then be recorded in order for the trust to have an idea of their condition. For more information, and details on how you can get involved:

Oaktree School has officially received planning permission for a much-needed expansion project. This development addresses the growing demand for Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) placements within the London Borough of Enfield. Previously, due to a shortage of local SEND placements, many students had to attend schools in other boroughs, resulting in higher costs and significant disruptions for families. The planned expansion will increase the school's capacity from 137 to 170 pupils and the staff from 55 to 67 members. This will ensure that more children in Enfield can access the quality education and support they need, right in their own community. The project will unfold in several phases, including the construction of new classrooms, a Multi-Use Games Area (MUGA), and enhanced facilities for both students and staff. #Enfield #SEND #Education Planning Potential Rolton Thomson environmental consultants Cudd Bentley Consulting Ltd Osborn Associates WH Stephens Waterman Group Camlins NOVA Acoustics Ltd The Urban Forest Consultancy

Michael Rhimes successfully represented Buckinghamshire Council in a six day appeal against the refusal to grant outline planning permission for up to 93 homes. It was common ground between the parties that there was a lack of five year housing land supply (paras 12 and 63).  The Inspector considered that the proposal was inconsistent with the spatial hierarchy, which sought to avoid development in the open countryside outside settlement boundaries (para. 66 – 67) and would result in landscape and visual harm (para. 68). He found the proposal contrary to the local development plan as a whole, and material considerations did not justify granting planning permission (para. 70).  In addition, the Inspector would have, in any event, have dismissed the appeal on the ground of adverse impacts on the integrity of the Beechwoods Special Area of Conservation, such that the test for granting planning permission under the Habitats Regulation was not met. The proposed Sustainable Alternative Natural Greenspace (designed to absorb recreational pressure from the development) – in this case Kingsbrook SANG – was not certain to come forwards. Kingsbrook SANG had not been granted planning permission, but was at reserved matters stage; there was an extant objection from the Environment Agency; and it was being brought forwards third party developer and not the Council itself (para. 49). The “rigorous test” in the Habitats Regulations was not met (para. 52) because of “a range of factors” including technical matters yet to be overcome in the planning process (para. 55).  The decision can be found here: https://lnkd.in/gHwKpxRr #PlanningLaw #PlanningAppeal #Housing

It's been great working with Somerset Council on a new strategy that gives #Taunton’s waterways a strong #placemaking role in the town's future. As Somerset’s first Garden Town, Taunton is planning for #regeneration that celebrates its history and its culture, as well as making the town greener, improving its transport network and creating high-quality neighbourhoods. Fantastic partnering with CALM ENGINEERING and EAD Ecology on a #strategy that redefines Taunton's waterways – the River Tone, the Bridgwater and Taunton Canal and multiple tributaries – as a substantial linear #park serving the whole town. LDA Design Director Paul Connelly said that the strategy brings all kinds of opportunities into focus. "For example, it will help with regeneration of the multiple #brownfield sites which are linked by the river corridor. The linear park will be realised incrementally over time through targeted investment, creating a series of connected spaces that enrich life across the town.” Consultation is open until Thursday 28 November. Let us know what you think. Details here ➡️: https://lnkd.in/e_vmf447 More information here ➡️: https://lnkd.in/eu_Mzr3b. Our story here ➡️: https://lnkd.in/edqPcQX2 A hugely detailed piece of work. Well done to all involved, including Paul Connelly Catherine Ham Benjamin Adams 👏 💪 #Somerset #blueinfrastructure #Taunton #rivers #rivernetwork #landscape #planning #framework #strategy #placemaking #SomersetCouncil #RiverTone #BridgwaterandTauntonCanal #landscapearchitects #planners

Our head of BNG and NN Jack Potter took part in the Pro Landscaper event yesterday held in London. A series of workshops, talks and panel discussions. Jack was joined as an expert panellist by David Griffiths the event organiser, Nina Mason who chaired the panel, Fiona Ross from Pinsent Masons offering some interesting legal insights, Richard Jackson CBE from Joe's Blooms delved into small site service logistics and John Wyer a landscape architect with great insights to where the metric is delivering real world change and where it is not hitting the mark. 💡 Across all of the interesting conversations had with landscape professionals, we came away with some clear steps to make BNG more efficient and successful. 1️⃣Ecology and landscape needs to be brought earlier in the process to inform design - It can no longer be an iterative process for developers. The new BNG requirements and integration of process and stakeholders is becoming increasingly important. 🌱 2️⃣Communication with communities is key to empower the communities, who will have to live with these obligations on-site for the next 30 years, to feel a sense of ownership and stewardship for the nature outcomes promised. 🗣️ Jack also had a special mention for Sam Bower from Balfour Beatty plc who is 'knee deep' in BNG every day. He found it heartening to hear how his projects are not just tick box exercises and the ecology input is genuinely delivering gains for nature driven by BNG. Which is what it is all about. 👍 These conversations, and sharing of experience and knowledge is what helps define a new market such as this. So it's important to keep the conversation going. ❓What do you think would help the successful deployment of BNG across the UK?❓