We are delighted to welcome Dr James Weir to our team as Associate Director in Heritage.

James has 18 years’ experience working across Britain in the public and private heritage sectors, having worked on a wide range of heritage projects spanning industry sectors and for a wide range of clients and stakeholders, from private individuals to historic estates. He is passionate about the historic environment, both in ensuring its sympathetic conservation and in successfully integrating high-quality modern design and development.

His specialisms include integrating heritage into strategic planning, such as in site allocations, estate masterplans, Local Plans/SPDs, and Neighbourhood Plans; analysis and interpretation of historic buildings and landscapes; and utilising assessments of the significance and setting of heritage assets to identify scope for change.

Before joining tor&co, James worked for Dorset Council as a Senior Conservation Officer, where his responsibilities included the provision of heritage content for the Local Plan, and assessing heritage impacts of major planning applications for residential/commercial, renewables and minerals/waste.

tor&co’s Technical Director of Heritage, John Trehy, said “We are pleased that someone so qualified in architectural heritage with recent conservation officer experience has joined our growing heritage team at tor&co. His particular skills and experience will bring an extra dimension to the services we can offer our clients.”

Well, the government has at least kept one promise this year…the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) consultation has been published before Christmas! Firstly, the consultation period runs until 2nd March 2023, so there is adequate time to consider the 58 questions once you are back in the swing of things at the start of the new year.
 
That said, there is a sense of urgency from this government to implement these changes (we can all take a guess why) with an intention to adopt the proposed indicative policy wording ‘immediately, subject to the results of this consultation’, in Spring 2023 so that policy changes can take effect as soon as possible.
 
Many of the proposed changes will not come as a surprise if you have been keeping up with the news of late. Here is the general direction of travel, for now (expect further updates following the Levelling up Bill & wider changes to the planning system):
 
1.  Seeking to emphasise that housing need should only be met, through plan making, if it can be achieved in a sustainable way, including:

   a.  changing the soundness test to remove meeting need ‘as a minimum’ to ‘so far as possible’

b.  removing the requirement to meet need in the Green Belt

c.  placing emphasis on ‘beautiful’ buildings and local character, with pressure to take forward local design codes

d.  making the standard methodology Local Housing Need (LHN) figures advisory, and enabling some consideration of previous over-delivery. Note needs for retirement housing, housing-with-care and care homes all need to be established

2.  Removing the ‘justified’ soundness test, which had included testing of reasonable alternatives. This will not apply to plans that have reached at least pre-submission consultation stage (or reach that stage within 3 months of the policy being adopted).

3.  Plans must still demonstrate a 5-year Housing Land Supply (HLS), but the plan will only be ‘out of date’ by virtue of HLS shortfall if the housing requirement is more than 5-years old and even then, if the requirement has been reviewed and needs updating – see footnote 9 (although this is not entirely clear when cross-referencing new para 75 & footnote 44). Transitional arrangements (re only requiring demonstration of 4-years HLS) apply to plans that have been submitted or subject to Reg 18 or 19 consultation provided those plans included a policy map and allocations to meet need.

4.  Reducing pressure to meet need through speculative applications, where there is an up to date plan and by removing the buffer from the HLS, also amending the consequences of the Housing Delivery Test (HDT) if sufficient permissions have been granted (HDT will now measure homes delivered and permissions granted). Note also that the Local Housing Need (LHN) ‘uplift’ authorities must meet the uplift within the Local Planning Authority (LPA) area – with an emphasis on the use of previously developed land – unless in so doing there is conflict with the NPPF & legal obligations – Duty to Co-operate does remain for now (Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill (LURB) changes could have alignment policy instead).

5.  Providing greater protection to neighbourhood plans – aligning the period that they stay up to date for with local plans i.e. 5 years, and during this five year period removing the HLS and HDT test.

Currently there are no draft National Development Management Policies. These are expected to be consulted upon from Spring 2023 and will be in a separate document to the NPPF. They intend to broadly cover existing policies aimed at decision-making already provided within the NPPF, selective new additions to reflect new national priorities (for example net zero policies) and selective new additions to close ‘gaps’ where existing national policy is silent on planning considerations that regularly affect decision-making across the country.

Of note, there are new measures proposed to encourage developers to build out as soon as possible, including publishing data to highlight developer build out rates, requiring an explanation of how they propose to increase the diversity of housing tenures to maximise absorption rates; and include delivery rates as a material consideration in decision-making. There will be “a separate consultation on proposals to introduce a financial penalty against developers who are building out too slowly”. Once again, it is the private developers who are being made the scapegoats for the housing crisis.

Make no mistake, these are proposed changes of great significance which if adopted, will have lasting impact on the way the planning system currently functions. We expect that LPAs with draft local plans out for consultation or at examination will likely pause or withdraw them so they can reconsider their housing needs, particularly in cases which propose green belt release, which will cause more delays to plans being adopted and the delivery of new housing. On the face of it, it appears that the likely affect is that housing delivery will stagnate and decline as a result of these changes.

If you would like to discuss the proposed planning reforms in more detail and in the context of any of your land interests, we would be happy to assist so please do get in touch.

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas.

tor&co has secured another planning permission for Gleeson Land. This time in relation to a 200-dwelling proposal, including 72 affordable units, on land to the south of Billericay in the Basildon Green Belt.

We had been working very closely with the Council to develop a well-designed scheme for the site, which had been an emerging allocation in their draft Local Plan. On this basis we submitted an outline planning application to run concurrently with the adoption of the draft Plan. However early in 2022, during the applications determination period, the draft Plan was withdrawn by Members.

Despite all technical issues being agreed with officers, leaving the principle of development within the Green Belt as the only outstanding issue, we appealed to the Inspectorate based on non-determination of the application.

The resulting six-day Public Inquiry took place in September / October 2022 with the decision issued on the 9 December 2022.

tor&co were able to prove that the Borough’s housing land supply was 1.76 years, whilst the councils supply assertion was reduced to 1.89 years at the appeal due to our evidence. The Inspector acknowledged the persistent shortfall in delivery and that due to the Council’s recent decision to withdraw the emerging Local Plan the poor delivery would continue for the short to medium term. It was agreed that the proposal would bring forward the delivery of much needed affordable units, significantly more than the Council’s upper required range, with tor&co proving that only 2% of the 5-year completions within the Borough were affordable.

The Inspector also acknowledged the character and appearance of the site and its surroundings, including the proposal’s moderate harm to openness and limited harm to other green purposes. However, the Inspector accepted our case in every aspect and concluded that we had successfully demonstrated very special circumstances and that these clearly outweighed any harm identified by reason of inappropriateness to the Green Belt.

Consequently, very special circumstance existed to justify allowing the appeal. The decision will help deliver much needed market and affordable housing in the Borough.

For more information on the appeal see here to view the Decision Notice.

Images courtesy Richards Urban Design

tor&co has submitted a full planning application for the alteration and re-use of a vacant town centre department store.

The building is a local landmark in the heart of the town that has been empty since the closure of Beales in March 2020. A fresh approach to building function and use is proposed to avoid it becoming redundant.

Commercial, business and service use is proposed at ground level with windows and doors opening onto the street to create interest and activity. Residential apartments are proposed at upper levels, with balconies and landscaped roof terrace areas to provide private amenity space.

The proposals involve the retention of the main existing building structure and its adaptation and retrofitting to accommodate new uses. The replacement of the existing building façade enables the building to meet modern requirements and standards, including enhanced energy performance.

The application is set to be determined in 2023.

tor&co’s Associate Director of Heritage, Guy Kendall, has been admitted as a full member of the Institute of Historic Building Conservation (IHBC).

Guy has worked for over 24 years in Britain and Ireland as a field archaeologist and heritage consultant. His area of specialism is field archaeology within the environmental and heritage sector and Historic Building Surveys. He brings significant expertise to the early assessment of built heritage to help guide clients’ development opportunities.

As a full member of the IHBC Guy can confidently advise on development proposals as an accredited conservation professional, giving clients and colleagues added confidence in the advice they receive.

This accreditation further enhances the services offered by tor&co, who also recently added Assistant Heritage Consultant Lorna Critchlow to their growing Heritage team.

More can be read via IHBC’s online journal:

https://ihbconline.co.uk/context/173/60/index.html

tor&co is pleased to add a further three new members of staff: Lorna Critchlow, Michaela Pozzetti and Samantha Powell.

Lorna joins as Assistant Heritage Consultant, having worked as a field archaeologist with AC Archaeology and Oxford Archaeology over the last few years. Her interests include research and the role of heritage within development.

Michaela is an Assistant Landscape Architect, joining tor&co from HDA. She is delighted that her new role will allow her to pursue her interest in designing thriving environments for both people and wildlife.

Samantha is tor&co’s newest Architectural Assistant, having recently graduated from Cardiff University with a First Class degree in BSc Architecture.

All three will be based in the Bournemouth office, working on projects throughout the UK

Blackbird House is a new build mixed use apartment building designed by tor&co that makes effective re-use of a redundant site on a busy arterial road through north-west London. 

Working together positively with the Council, stakeholders and the local community, the proposed redevelopment brings forward a high-quality, sustainable development on a brownfield site that has been vacant since the demolition of the former buildings in 2018.

Contributing to the borough’s need for growth and new housing, the scheme will provide 45 new homes as a mix of 1, 2 and 3-bed apartments in a single L-shaped building. A new community space is proposed at ground floor level for uses which may include a nursery / creche, community hall / meeting place or for medical / health.  

Situated in a transitional area surrounded by a mix of scales and building heights, the proposed scale and massing is a direct response to the site’s context. The height and bulk are concentrated towards the front of the site, providing a strong frontage to the street that follows the established six-storey building height. Towards the rear of the site, the proposed building steps down in scale and away from the boundaries to respond sensitively to the adjacent Conservation Area to the north and the lower scale of the surrounding context. 

Greg has over 17 years experience advising on planning matters in the private sector and has spent the last 14 years working principally on Central London projects. Greg has a proven track record of delivering planning consents on high profile and complex urban redevelopment projects for both private and public sector clients. 
 
He specialises in large scale, mixed use, urban regeneration schemes combining the residential and commercial sectors, and leading inter-disciplinary teams efficiently and effectively through the planning process. 
 
He has broadened his experience by working in a client-side role on a part-time basis over the last 3 years, overseeing the successful planning delivery of TfL and Grainger’s Build to Rent portfolio on multiple sites across London.  
 
Upon joining tor&co in July 2022, he said:
 
“I am thrilled to be joining a highly reputable consultancy in tor&co who share a client-first philosophy with a team of passionate and talented individuals who genuinely care about delivering the best possible outcome for our clients. I am excited by the huge variety of projects that we work on across the sectors and the range of complementary expertise we can offer.  
 
This is a great platform and opportunity to sustainably grow the planning team here in London, raise our profile and build for the future in what feels like an exciting new chapter for the business, particularly now we are an Employee Owned Trust. 
 
I am looking forward to working closely with Jacqueline Mulliner our Managing Director to bring continued success to the company, working collaboratively and proactively with our clients, stakeholders and fellow professionals to deliver commercially successful, design-led, award-winning projects that we can all be proud of”. 

On behalf of the national retailer, Pets Corner, tor&co has secured planning consent for a mixed use scheme on a prominent site on the edge of Newbury. The scheme comprises a retail store, veterinary practice and dog grooming salon with additional residential use. The proposals also include the sympathetic renovation of the former Old Bell Pub which has been derelict for several years, and will bring this vacant site back into much needed employment generating use

On behalf of Countryside Properties, tor&co working with HTA Design, secured unanimous approval at the London Borough of Barnet Planning Committee for the final phases of the Dollis Valley Estate regeneration. This comprises 223 homes and includes the creation of Dollis Brook Green which represents the largest area of public amenity space within the regeneration masterplan. 

Located on the northern outskirts of Chipping Barnet, near High Barnet, Dollis Valley originated as a post-war housing estate and was identified in the Council’s 2012 adopted Local Plan as a priority for regeneration. The design approach for the regeneration of the estate was based on garden suburb principles, with an emphasis on tree planting, pedestrian linkages through the estate connecting to surrounding areas, and a diverse range of house types. This Reserved Matters approval brings to a close what has been a long running project for tor&co, originating from the initial hybrid planning consent for 631 homes in 2013. With the first phases already completed and occupied, it has been exciting to see the vision for the regeneration of the estate coming to fruition.

Award-winning planning, design and environmental consultancy tor&co has established an employee-owned trust (EOT), giving its members of staff full and equal ownership of the company.

After 36 years in private ownership, owned substantially by the board, the directors decided an EOT structure was the best way to remain independent, better reward staff, maintain standards and ethics, and offer the best client care in the marketplace.

The directors wanted to secure a more sustainable succession strategy, removing financial barriers to future leadership, and embracing social enterprise and employee engagement in driving the business forward. An EOT structure offers the best-fit and an extension of the company’s existing inclusive characteristics, values, and culture.

Chairman Tim Hancock said, “The establishment of the EOT will provide comfort to clients regarding the long-term independence of tor&co whilst enabling employees to have collective control of their future, benefitting directly from the company’s success.”

Managing Director Jacqueline Mulliner said, “The EOT represents a fantastic legacy. All the current directors have been with the company for much of their careers and have appreciated the independence and support the company has been able to offer. Being able to secure these career opportunities for current and future staff is a significant moment in the company’s history and progression. Before finalising the EOT we spoke to our staff and gained unanimous support for the approach. Transition to an EOT is something of which we are all very proud.”   

The tor&co EOT will not alter the day-to-day management of the company, which will continue to be run by the board of directors. However, it provides assurance that the business will continue to be run by people with a passion for its quality and reputation, continuing to strive for excellence and success. 

tor&co is pleased to have assisted Pennyfarthing Homes achieve a resolution to grant full planning permission at New Forest District’s Planning Committee on 9 February 2022 for 64 homes and associated green infrastructure.

Councillors voted unanimously to approve the scheme, considering it was a well thought out development, and would offer future residents a nice place to live. The scheme includes a mixture of homes, including 30% affordable provision.
 
tor&co was able to offer an interdisciplinary team comprising Planning, Architecture, Masterplanning, Landscape Architecture, Environment and Graphics to overcome issues and help in achieving the high quality scheme which was supported by the council.
 
This is the first phase of Strategic Site 17 (SS17), which was allocated for development in the New Forest District Local plan (adopted in 2020). tor&co are continuing to work with Pennyfarthing Homes to progress their applications on the southern part of the SS17 allocation, as well as SS18 in Fordingbridge, and elsewhere in the district.

tor&co has contributed to key findings in a significant report published today by the UK Green Buildings Council.
 

UKGBC’s new report, titled ‘Building the Case for Net Zero: A case study for low carbon residential developments’, uses the case study of Trumpington South, Cambridgeshire, for which tor&co were architects and masterplanners. 
 

The study demonstrates how housing developers can achieve a 20% embodied carbon reduction across low-rise residential developments through simple masterplan-level design interventions, which tor&co were able to contribute to, showing these steps were both cost-effective and achievable today.

The full report can be downloaded here.

As part of continuing expansion plans, tor&co has moved its Birmingham team to new office premises at 3 Edmund Gardens on Edmund Street. 

The office is around the corner from the previous office but has a much larger capacity, offering increased space and additional facilities.

As part of this planned growth, Tom Ryan has joined the team as a Senior Planner. Tom comes from Coventry City Council and is already working on some high profile projects in the West Midlands and throughout the UK.

tor&co has helped Bloor Homes secure planning consent for 800 homes on Land East of Horndean. The permitted development will also provide employment, a primary school, local centre, a community building and biodiversity enhancement. tor&co provided planning, EIA, landscape architecture and heritage advice.