The North East Combined Authority’s Post

🎉 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development plan policies did not recognise the intrinsic character and beauty of the countryside and were based on outdated housing requirements.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run contrary to the Framework’s objective at paragraph 60 of significantly boosting the supply of homes and are out of date.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

🌳 Protecting our major green spaces for a sustainable future is an ongoing Council commitment. The Regional Inter-urban Break (RIUB) extends from the hinterland and rural areas surrounding the Glass House Mountains in the west to the Pumicestone Passage and to the coastline in the east. It covers over 32,000 hectares of the local government area. The RIUB plays an important role in preserving our region’s distinctive character, identity and valued lifestyle. It's the gateway to the Sunshine Coast, separating the Sunshine Coast from the Greater Brisbane area. Our successful advocacy efforts have resulted in a large portion of our RIUB being protected in the South East Queensland Regional Plan 2023 (ShapingSEQ). While it's a positive step forward, Halls Creek (south of Stockland’s Aura development) is located outside of the Queensland Government protected area and is identified as a Potential Future Growth Area - it remains at risk of development. We are asking for a Queensland Government commitment that Halls Creek will be removed as an area for potential future urban growth from their South East Queensland Regional Plan 2023 and protected forever. ..because once it’s gone, it’s gone forever. #sunshinecoastpriorities

YOU’RE INVITED! A public forum: WHAT'S NEXT FOR WAVERLEY? From the high-rise buzz of Bondi Junction to the leafy quietude of Queens Park and the celebrated coastal delights of Bondi and Bronte, Waverley is a very diverse electorate. Many people believe Waverley is “full”, yet the NSW government’s housing targets propose an extra 2,400 dwellings by 2029. How and where should these be accommodated? We know our cities and neighbourhoods must densify to end sprawl, fight climate change and enhance affordability. But how can we balance this need, and the relentless demands of coastal tourism, against the need to protect local ecosystems, increase tree canopy, nurture biodiversity and generate walkable lifestyles? What’s Next for Waverley is a first step in this process, a free public forum with no agenda, where everyone is welcome to discuss these important issues. Head to the link below to register your attendance. #citymaking #planning

We’re delighted to have submitted an outline planning application for up to 270 new homes in Ashtead, Surrey, with our Vistry Group partners. Our plans for the site will bring forward vital, high-quality homes – 108 of which will be affordable – and include a new community building and public green spaces on land south of Ermyn Way. This will be a critical development for Mole Valley District Council (MVDC), where 833 new homes a year are required to meet Government targets. Only 163 new homes were added in the year to March 2024, so our development in Ashtead will be significant, in delivering a third of MVDC’s annual target. Our proposals are in full accordance with the adopted Mole Valley Local Plan (MVLP), which allocated the site for development – making effective and efficient use of the land with new homes, gypsy and traveller pitches, community space including nursery provision and public open space. We have shaped our proposals carefully to ensure there is no significant impact on Green Belt land, and are committed to providing a high-quality, Net Zero development that reduces carbon emissions and enhances the resilience of the development to a changing climate. Discover more: https://lnkd.in/dbU-9KVq #NewHomes #Housebuilding #AffordableHomes #WatesDevelopments #Planning #NetZero #ThrivingPlaces

100% Social Rent urban medium/high density homes on non complex sites in London and without cross subsidy certainly need above £300,000 (before accounting for land) as a subsidy. This is an open “secret” amongst anyone involved in housing development. That and the other “secret” which is the significant level of cross subsidy that is generated by housebuilders and residential developers by taxing the land value at source and investing that tax into affordable housing ultimately owned by an RP at a price which is a massive discount to its development cost.

Want to live in rural Ontario? Here's an example of what might be best described as "affordable prosperity." It's out of the way, but not too far away. Quiet and secluded, yet close to amenities. And it's why more and more people are making the move away from crowded urban centres. #livinginruralontario #wellingtoncounty #countryliving #CountryRealEstate #pikelake #acreage #MountForest #harriston https://lnkd.in/gW8M7WC6

We’re delighted to have submitted an outline planning application for up to 270 new homes in Ashtead, Surrey, with our Vistry Group partners. Our plans for the site will bring forward vital, high-quality homes – 108 of which will be affordable – and include a new community building and public green spaces on land south of Ermyn Way. This will be a critical development for Mole Valley District Council (MVDC), where 833 new homes a year are required to meet Government targets. Only 163 new homes were added in the year to March 2024, so our development in Ashtead will be significant, in delivering a third of MVDC’s annual target. Our proposals are in full accordance with the adopted Mole Valley Local Plan (MVLP), which allocated the site for development – making effective and efficient use of the land with new homes, gypsy and traveller pitches, community space including nursery provision and public open space. We have shaped our proposals carefully to ensure there is no significant impact on Green Belt land, and are committed to providing a high-quality, Net Zero development that reduces carbon emissions and enhances the resilience of the development to a changing climate. #NewHomes #Housebuilding #AffordableHomes #WatesDevelopments #Planning 

🏡 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

Phase 3 of the Marleigh development in the east of Cambridge has been granted planning approval by Cambridge City Council. TEP has worked collaboratively with JTP LLP and WSP in the UK to develop proposals for the parks and green spaces for this final phase of the Marleigh development. TEP’s proposals include the neighbourhood’s primary park, Beta Park, a new naturalistic urban park and green haven. Beta park offers naturalistic planting, play areas, outdoor café seating, playful topography and a diverse wetland area. The wetland area also provides flood protection for 1 in 100 year flood events. Further greens spaces include a new community garden for Marleigh and the neighbouring Fison Estate and the landscape setting for new homes. #greenspace #landscapedesign #urbanpark #community

"We can’t have a situation where a newt is more protected than people who desperately need housing." Wow. Just when I think there's some progress being made, a prominent politician trots out this sort of nonsense. Contrary to what our Deputy PM has been told, newts are not prioritised over building affordable homes. There are plenty of examples of projects being poorly planned and councils are too poorly resourced to make solid decisions about development that affects nature and people. But it's never, in my experience, been a case that newts, bats or any other protected species actually held up essential development. Basic program management will get your housing development application in on on time, with your ecology surveys in hand. Decent training and funding of councils will mean more effective decision making for communities. This sort of "nature Vs people" approach has got to go out of our thinking now. The UK is one of the most nature depleted countries in the world. The Green Finance Institute links a 12% loss of GDP to biodiversity decline. Nature supports flood alleviation, carbon storage, soil health and helps improve air quality - all ways we can secure better health outcomes and less burden on the NHS. Not to mention better soils for producing our food, and fewer devastating floods in our homes. Quite frankly, anyone who can't see that restoring nature will create a better environment for people to live in has no business talking about the subject. The DPM apparently thinks the balance between protecting nature and people is wrong. She's right - neither are well served by this. Nature's needs ARE people's needs! But nope, let's not join those dots and invest in nature. Let's blame the need to protect it for the housing shortages we see... let's ignore the lack of support for councils, the lack of will from government or the housing industry to actually provide genuinely affordable homes where everyone has access to nature, and blame some newts.