Planning application for Passive homes in Havering

Posted on: 20 March 2013
By: mackene
No Comments »
Filed under: News

A new partnership between Circle Housing Group and Climate Energy Homes is to lead to the creation of a new 51-home Passive House compliant development in the London Borough of Havering. The development designed by Maccreanor Lavington Architects comprises 51 Passive houses and apartments together with amenity space, car and cycle parking, landscaping, pumping station and associated works. The scheme pioneers the provision of 51 affordable Passive homes as one of the largest Passive House projects in the UK and Europe. This is the report to Havering’s Regulatory Services Committee on 21 February 2013.

Read more online

Localism in London

Posted on: 20 March 2013
By: mackene
No Comments »
Filed under: News

Michael Ward, a researcher, writer and consultant who works on public policy, spoke on the issue of localism in London at the London School of Economics on 18 March 2013. He outlined progress on neighbourhood planning, parish councils, and community rights in London, but argued that localism was neither the most interesting nor the most important thing that was happening in London government.

Read more online

Mega events and the UK events industry supply chain: Lessons learned from 2012

Posted on: 19 March 2013
By: mackene
No Comments »
Filed under: News

This report presents the results of two rounds of surveys and face-to-face interviews in October 2011 and October 2012 with professionals in the events industry. The survey explored the three main elements of event production: manpower, equipment and venues. The outcomes of the project related to organisational lessons learned over the period, and from an economic perspective, the legacy that the industry inherited from staging three  successful mega-events (Diamond Jubilee, Olympics and Paralympics, Cultural Olympiad) over the summer in 2012.

Read more online

New aviation capacity for London

Posted on: 14 March 2013
By: mackene
No Comments »
Filed under: News

As part of ongoing work regarding the Mayor of London’s campaign to ensure that London has the aviation connectivity to meet its future economic needs, the Mayor has published a set of criteria against which Transport for London (TfL) will assess options for increasing aviation capacity. These cover the following six categories: economic, airport infrastructure, airspace, surface access, environmental impacts and deliverability. The criteria were consulted upon between 21 December 2012 and 8 February 2013 and TfL has also published a report that outlines the responses that were received.

Read more online

Conversion of offices into housing: Impact on London

Posted on: 14 March 2013
By: mackene
No Comments »
Filed under: News

This is a webcast of the London Assembly’s Planning Committee which met on 12 March 2013 to discuss Government plans to allow developers a free hand to convert offices into housing without planning permission. Concern has been expressed that this could see central London lose a quarter of its office space and make it impossible for many small firms to remain in the capital.

Find out more online

Housing Moves policy framework

Posted on: 14 March 2013
By: mackene
No Comments »
Filed under: News

The Mayor of London’s Housing Moves scheme facilitates cross-borough housing mobility for social tenants who wish to move around London. The policy framework underpins the scheme and informs the operational policies and procedures of Housing Moves. All partners commit to delivering and participating in Housing Moves according to this document.

Read more online

Open for business: Empty shops on London’s high streets

Posted on: 13 March 2013
By: mackene
No Comments »
Filed under: News

A report from the London Assembly’s Economic Committee sets out a package of emergency and longer term measures to break the vicious cycle on the high street which has led to an increase in empty shops across the capital. It claims that outer London high streets are particularly struggling, predominantly because of tough economic conditions and because people increasingly shop at out-of-town centres and online.

Read more online

Changes to affordable housing in London and implications for delivery

Posted on: 11 March 2013
By: mackene
No Comments »
Filed under: News

This paper presents an overview of the London housing market, focusing on affordability and the impact of recent policy reforms on affordable housing.

Read more online

The Mayor’s Vision for Cycling in London

Posted on: 11 March 2013
By: mackene
No Comments »
Filed under: News

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, will create a ‘Crossrail for the bike’ as part of his plans for a nearly £1bn investment in London cycling. Details are set out in his Vision for Cycling in London.

Read more online

Preparing Borough Tree and Woodland Strategies

Posted on: 28 February 2013
By: mackene
No Comments »
Filed under: News

This Supplementary Planning Guidance is a joint publication between the Greater London Authority and the Forestry Commission. It sets out an approach to trees and woodland that: covers the audit, protection and management of trees and woodland in line with Policy 7.21 of the London Plan; highlights the asset value of trees and woodland, both in financial terms and the broad range of economic and environmental benefits they provide; considers all the trees in a borough as a single unified resource, an ‘urban forest’; extends the concept of an ‘urban forest’ across boundaries so that the cumulative benefits of trees to Londoners can be enhanced; and takes a step by step approach to the management of trees and woodland. Two case studies, showing the approach taken by one inner and one outer London Borough, are attached as these may be helpful to other boroughs.

Read more online