News in brief: Vehicle access plans for Teesside freeport approved; CHP appoints HTA Design for Chelmsford regeneration project

Vehicle access plans for Teesside freeport approved Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council officials have approved plans for new transport facilities to support the growing number of vehicles entering the Teesworks site on Teesside. The plans feature car and HGV parking areas with a re-fuelling station, bus stops, new access roads, associated facilities and landscaping.

They will be developed on a 7.3 hectare plot of land north of the A1053/A66 Tees Dock Road roundabout and south of the former Lackenby Works. The Sui Generis Transport Hub intends to deliver improved parking facilities at Teesside freeport, offering around 150 articulated HGV parking spaces and 204 car parking spaces for vehicle users. New security fencing with gatehouses controlling onward access into the Lackenby and British Steel sites, and a footpath enabling HGV drivers to access nearby retail and leisure facilities, will also be built.

Permission comes after the Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen approved funding as part of a GBP1 billion transport vision earlier this year. Lichfields’ Newcastle office secured approval for the scheme. CHP appoints HTA Design for Chelmsford regeneration project

Essex-based housing association CHP has appointed housing practice HTA Design for a community-led regeneration in Chelmsford, following an extensive public procurement process. HTA Design will work on redeveloping Andrews Place and Rainsford Lane, replacing 69 bungalows from 1949 with affordable homes for local residents. CHP involved local customers in the architect selection panel, highlighting its commitment to resident participation.

HTA’s proposal focuses on understanding the community and site-specific needs. It met with residents at a recent community event and will continue to engage with stakeholders. The project aims to create a multi-generational community with zero-carbon homes ranging from one to four bedrooms, plus new green spaces, social areas and improved connectivity to the River Can and nearby parks.

Housebuilder chosen to deliver development in North Warwickshire The Church Commissioners for England has selected housebuilder Bloor Homes and land promoter St. Philips to deliver part of a 2,000-home development on a 160-hectare site east of Dordon and Polesworth in North Warwickshire.

The planned development will also create new community infrastructure, including a two-form primary school, retail and health facilities, a network of footpaths and cycleways, and formal playing pitches. “As both site promoters and housebuilders, and with an extensive track record in the region, it was clear that Bloor Homes and St. Philips shared the Church Commissioners’ interest in long-term stewardship,” said Matthew Naylor, team lead – strategic land at the Church Commissioners for England.

“With a strong track record of high-quality developments in areas of housing undersupply, the pair will deliver a best-in-class scheme in North Warwickshire that aligns with our vision for the site.” The site forms Allocation H4 of the North Warwickshire local plan. The Church Commissioners own approximately half of the site’s land.

Dr Geraghty becomes president of POS Dr Peter Geraghty has been inaugurated as president of the Planning Officers’ Society for 2024-2025. The inauguration took place in Lambeth, London.

Dr Geraghty is a past president of the RTPI, serving in this role during 2013-2014. He is the first person to be president of both organisations. Dr Geraghty currently works at Hertsmere Borough Council as Executive Director.

During his presidency, Dr Geraghty intends to advocate for public sector planning under the theme public sector matters. Speaking at the inauguration, he said: “Urban planning is the art of city making. It is a profession for the optimist, for the ambitious and for the public-spirited.

Great places and cities are the consequence of sound planning. I am proud to be a professional planner and to be part of a profession that has the public interest at the very core of what it does. “From the moment I joined the planning profession, I have never been a by-stander just prepared to let events pass me by.

I have always tried to play an active part in all aspects of promoting the profession. Throughout my career, I have stood up to the criticism of the planning profession and planning believing in its power to do good and improve peoples’ lives. “We need to stand up for public sector planning and planners and continue to make the case as to why they are important to our future prosperity.

I want planning to be the go-to profession for young people … During my year as POS president, I want to continue tocollaborate with other organisations such as the Town and Country Planning Association, Royal Town Planning Institute and the UK Planning Schools and our own Young POS Network to make the case for planning, raise the status of the profession and importantly inspire a future generation to become chartered town planners.” Dr Geraghty takes over from Rob Bristow, director of planning, transport and sustainability at the London Borough of Lambeth.

Permission sought for strategic redevelopment of Drayton Manor Business Park A hybrid planning application has been submitted to Tamworth Borough Council for the expansion and strategic redevelopment of Drayton Manor Business Park in Tamworth, Staffordshire. FI Real Estate Management (FIREM) submitted the application.

The existing site is four miles south of Tamworth town centre and extends over 41.61 acres. It currently offers 46,000 square metres of floor space, accommodating 27 tenants. The plans include 168,500 square feet of new, targeted BREEAM ‘Excellent’ industrial units and extensive green space and ecology investment to promote wellbeing on the site.

FIREM’s plans could create 1,400 permanent jobs and 659 construction jobs within support services, increasing employment in surrounding communities such as Mile Oak, Bone Hill, Fazeley, Tamworth, Lichfield, Sutton Coldfield and Wilnecote. Tim Knowles, founder and managing director of FIREM, commented: “As a team, we’re committed to investing here and are eager to breathe life back into the business park, uniting sustainability and quality to bring a new wave of opportunity to this established industrial location.” Wolverhampton council partners with ECF for regeneration

The City of Wolverhampton Council has entered a development agreement with ECF to deliver the City Centre West regeneration. ECF (formerly The English Cities Fund) is a joint venture between Homes England, Legal & General and placemaker Muse. Identified in October as the preferred partner, ECF has now agreed terms with the city council.

City Centre West, featured in the Wolverhampton Investment Prospectus, is the city’s largest regeneration opportunity. The 12-acre area links School Street and Darlington Street, including Market Square. The project aims to deliver 800 to 1,000 homes, alongside leisure, retail and public spaces.

ECF will first develop a detailed proposal, including the precise area, before submitting planning applications later this year. The plans will undergo public consultation in the coming months. Green light for redevelopment of Brooklands College site

Elmbridge Borough Council has approved plans by Brooklands College and Cala Homes to redevelop and refurbish the college’s Weybridge campus. The project includes 320 residential properties, with 128 affordable homes to address local housing needs. The multi-million-pound development will feature a new building providing specialist accommodation for those with special educational needs and disabilities and those with autistic spectrum disorder, as well as a sports hall, gym and community hub on the 27-hectare green belt site.

Existing college buildings will be refurbished, and the grade II listed mansion will undergo restoration, enhancing the historic gardens. The plans also include new publicly accessible woodland, open spaces, landscaping and pedestrian and cycle routes, aiming for a significant local biodiversity net gain. Planning consultancy Lichfields secured planning and listed building consent, presenting a ‘Very Special Circumstances’ case to mitigate green belt impacts.

The project aligns with Elmbridge’s development plan and national policy. Views sought on DPD for Gypsy and Traveller communities Calderdale Council is consulting on a Gypsies and Travellers and Travelling Showpeople Development Plan Document (DPD), which would sit alongside the local plan.

The document aims to help ensure that suitable, specific pitches are provided in sustainable locations to meet the needs of the Gypsy and Traveller and Travelling Showpeople communities, so that everyone has access to a decent home and local services. Communities are being asked to have their say on the processes for how sites could be identified and assessed, and to suggest potential sites that might be appropriate to accommodate Gypsy and Traveller pitches. The consultation will run until Friday 23 August.

More information can be found here on the Calderdale Council website.[1]

References

1. ^ here on the Calderdale Council website. (calderdale-consult.objective.co.uk)