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An estimated 6.5 million took part in the second event, down about 10 per cent on last year

On Thursday the Supreme Court in London ruled that planning bodies must account for burning of extracted fuel when considering site proposals.

With support from Friends of the Earth, Sarah Finch, a local resident, brought the case against Surrey County Court who had given the greenlight for a new development on land close to Gatwick Airport. Ms Finch claimed the project was given the go-ahead without conducting a sufficient environmental assessment.

The new development was an oil drilling project at Horse Hill and was originally granted planning permission in 2019.

As well as highlighting environmental damage, Ms Finch also drew upon the council’s previous declaration to the climate emergency – when a local authority acknowledges they need to act on the causes and impacts of climate change – in her case.

Friends of the Earth, who acted as a legal intervener, said the landmark ruling means the landscape around the granting of planning permission for fossil fuel extraction has been changed. As we advance, it will become increasingly difficult for developers to get consent – individuals must now consider indirect effects that could come from emissions with new developments.

It should be noted that the decision from the Supreme Court does not prevent public bodies from approving new schemes with a big climate impact, but it strengthens the case for refusal.

Katie de Kauwe, Friends of the Earth lawyer, said: ‘Gas, oil and coal companies have been fighting tooth and nail to avoid having to account for all the climate-harming emissions their developments cause. Now, the highest court in the country has ruled that planning permission for an oil project was granted unlawfully because there was no consideration of its full climate impact.

‘This judgment will make it harder for new fossil fuel projects to go ahead. They can no longer claim that downstream emissions are someone else’s problem. Now, when fossil fuel companies apply for planning permission, it follows from the Supreme Court’s judgment, that the end-use emissions must be considered by the planning authority.’

Going forward, the future of previously proposed developments such as a new coal mine in Cumbria hang in the balance. More about such affecting the environment can be found at our sister title’s Air Quality News and Environment Journal.

Image: Francais a Londres

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Analysis of government data shows the number of pubs closing has skyrocketed during the first three months of this year, prompting campaigners to call on the next government to save our watering holes.

The figures show the number of pubs in England and Wales – including vacant ones and those being offered for let – dropped to 39,162 at the end of the first quarter of 2024 to 31st March. At the end of last year, the figure stood at 39,401.

Commenting on the statistics, Sacha Lord, the night-time economy advisor for Greater Manchester, told The Morning Advisor: ‘Our pubs are vital to our communities, our tourism and our economy and this data is a stark reminder of the devastating impact that the cost-of-living crisis is having on venues, particularly the smaller, independent pubs.’

‘Food inflation, increasing supplier costs, unsustainable energy bills, rising rents – the financial burden on hospitality is all-encompassing,’ Lord added. ‘Customers may be coming in, but the costs of operating are simply too high, and we must continue to bring attention to the plight of landlords across the country.’

Experts found that establishments in the North West are among the worst affected. During the first quarter of 2024 the region lost 35 pubs, and some were converted into other services such as offices, day nurseries or homes.

Lord said that loosing pubs in this area is particularly upsetting as the North West ‘has one of the most vibrant night time economies in the UK’.

Lord remarked: ‘This is a clear signal that the current package of support being given to the sector is unsustainable. The incoming government must recognise this as an urgent priority or risk further significant job losses across the sector.’

Sacha Lord isn’t alone in her worries for pubs across England and Wales. Following the publication of the figures, Campaign for Pubs – the UK grassroot campaign speaking for institutions – launched #PledgeforPubs which is calling on candidates in the upcoming General Election to save pubs should they get into Parliament.

The campaign group have outlined six key policies that the next Prime Minister should prioritise, which include:

• Giving pubs better protection
• Introducing an energy cap for businesses
• Create fair tax for pubs
• Stop the pubco rip-off and the abuse of the tie
• Introduce a community right-to-buy
• Create a competition and markets authority review of the UK beer and pub sector

Dawn Hopkins, vice-chair of the Campaign for Pubs and a publican in Norwich said: ‘Now is the time for election candidates of all parties to make a commitment to pubs, publicans, and small brewers. With 80 pubs a month closing, it cannot be denied any longer that pubs and publicans are not receiving the help and support desperately needed.

‘There needs to be targeted help for to get through the cost-of-living crisis, starting with an energy cap for businesses to deal with extortionate energy bills as well as a complete overhaul of business rates, to deal with the unfair way pubs are taxed.  The next Government must also reform the planning system, to stop the cynical buying and selling of pubs as development opportunities and to allow pubs to continue as a pub, where there is a buyer at the independently assessed value as a pub.’

Paul Crossman, chair of the Campaign for Pubs and a publican in York, added: ‘The Campaign for Pubs is calling on all election candidates to back the #PledgeforPubs and to commit to the key policies that will actually help pubs through the cost-of-living crisis and stop the unnecessary closure and loss of viable pubs up and down the country.

‘We need a government that will act to end to the systematic corporate profiteering and wealth extraction that continues to afflict thousands of pubs across the UK, and that will put real planning protection in place to end the pillaging of our remaining precious national pub stock by rapacious developers whose only interest is a quick profit.’

Image: Dovlet Hojayev

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The debate over the Green Belt, and the newly branded ‘grey belt’, has made the headlines a lot recently and will remain at the forefront of development decisions due to the two major parties’ diametrically opposed views on the topic. 

For the time being, however, the Green Belt (rightly or wrongly) will remain sacrosanct as the current government prioritises ‘gentle density’ in urban areas in preference to greenfield development.

So what impact is this likely to have on cities? Can a renewed approach to densification support regeneration, especially for those areas which may lack the necessary quantum footfall?

Density – more specifically, ‘gentle density’ – a central theme of the revised NPPF, which is currently being consulted upon. The changes to the NPPF were in large part a response to a rebellious group of anti-development backbench Tory MPs who threatened to torpedo the progress of the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill. And so some big-ticket changes, including removing mandatory housing targets and tightening up on Green Belt development, were made. 

Many in the development sector question whether the rather vague and unquantifiable concepts of ‘beauty’ and ‘gentle density’ were thrown into the NPPF as a means of stalling proposed new developments for political purposes. For stall them they will; they are terms open to such subjective interpretation that they will tie decision-makers in knots even more than they already are. 

To understand whether ‘gentle density’ can help, rather than hinder, the quality and quantity of new developments requires a definition – as it hasn’t had a place in the planning lexicon until now. That’s where the problems start. ‘Density’ is relatively straightforward as it can be measured in quantifiable terms; a relatively simple function of homes and site area. ‘Gentle’ means very little in a planning context but its function, on any plain reading, is clearly to limit density rather than increase it. The deceit in the wording is it purports to enable a higher volume of housebuilding, while also giving leeway to appease the ‘beauty brigade’ as necessary. (‘Beauty’ however, is even more problematic in planning terms: it is subjective, unquantifiable and very much in the eye of each beholder). 

The notes which accompany the NPPF make some attempt to quantify ‘gentle density’: they state that, ‘Small sites play an important role in delivering gentle density in urban areas, creating much needed affordable housing, and supporting small and medium size (SME) builders’. They go on to be more specific about density, ‘Local planning authorities should identify land to accommodate at least 10% of their housing requirement on sites no larger than one hectare; unless it can be shown, through the preparation of relevant plan policies, that there are strong reasons why this 10% target cannot be achieved.’

The guidance also places renewed importance on upwards extensions: ‘Building upwards in managed ways can help deliver new homes and extend existing ones in forms that are consistent with the existing street design, contributing to gentle increases in density… local planning policies and decisions should consider airspace development above existing residential and commercial premises for new homes. This includes allowing upwards extensions where the development would be consistent with criteria relating to neighbouring properties and the overall street scene, as well as being well-designed and maintaining safe access and egress for occupiers.’ More specifically, it encourages the introduction of mansard roof windows: ‘In some locations, local planning authorities have been reluctant to approve mansard roof development, as it has been considered harmful to the character of neighbourhoods. As a general approach, this is wrong – all local planning authorities should take a positive approach towards well designed upward extension schemes, particularly mansard roofs. It is proposed that a reference to mansard roofs as an appropriate form of upward extension would recognise their value in securing gentle densification where appropriate.’ In my view, this continued idea that building mansard roofs, or indeed the fascination with ‘airspace’ development can make any significant dent in the housing shortage is a wishful/fanciful case of burying heads in the sand and a means of avoiding the tough conversation about proper development on the ground. There is scant evidence that airspace development is actually working.

It seems a step too far for planning policy to identify specific architectural features such as mansard windows as ‘well designed’ and to state that considering them harmful to the character of neighbourhoods is ‘wrong’, as it is commonly accepted that whether any architectural feature is ‘right’ or ‘beautiful’ depends upon the context. 

My view is that good design is closely linked to good land use. In most situations, and especially in urban areas, density has many advantages. We have an indisputable shortage of homes which is best addressed by providing an optimal number of homes on all available land; that’s Chapter 11 of the Framework which seeks to make efficient use of land. Doing so helps create a mixed and balanced community, increases the potential for a range of facilities in close proximity, is economically advantageous (allowing resources to be spent on services and amenities) and can facilitate greater variety of uses, such as live/work and co-living. Denser schemes also have the potential to be more sustainable, not least in terms of sustainable transport, if located close to public transport or withing easy each of local services. Developable land, especially in cities such as London where I am based, is a scarce resource and it is essential that potential development capacity is not wasted.

I would like to think that these changes would have little bearing on my work because, working with my colleagues in Boyer’s design team, we already produce schemes which are well designed and make good use of available land. But I fear that tenuous terms such as ‘beauty’ and ‘gentle density’ despite meaning very little in planning terms, have the potential to result in major schemes being called in and refused permission, exacerbating our current housing crisis.

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With the General Election fast approaching there’s no doubt new levelling up pledges will soon make their way through Parliament. In light of this, Sarah cox, partner at Carter Jonas, examines current progress in Leeds. 

When the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill was published just over two years ago, the draft legislation – originally heralded in the 2019 Conservative Party manifesto as the answer to economic imbalances across the UK – was received with scepticism in the context of political hiatus and the Chancellor’s announcement of ‘eye-watering’ and ‘painful’ austerity. So in the days before a General Election, how successful has Levelling Up proved to be?

The levelling up objectives revisited

Following the sooner-than-expected enactment of the legislation in October last year, it is interesting to consider to what extent the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act (LURA) has met, or has potential to meet, its objectives.

The levelling up agenda began with twelve missions to be achieved by 2030: increased pay, employment and productivity; public investment outside the south-east; London-style public transport connectivity across the country; nationwide broadband; fixing the education gap; skills training; narrowing the life expectancy gap; increasing wellbeing; decreasing inequalities; a rise in first-time homebuyers; crime reduction, and devolution in England.

I am pleased to say, tentatively, that the Act has facilitated the potential to make a real difference here in Leeds.

While the majority of these objectives are yet to be met, the most important building block in now in place – devolution. Public transport connectivity is finally becoming a very real possibility and this (combined with other initiatives and investment) is set to result in economic growth.

Transport-led regeneration

In March this year, the strategic case for West Yorkshire’s Mass Transit Phase 1 was considered by West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA). The proposal maps the first of four phased corridor projects to be delivered by 2040. These are East Leeds, South Leeds to Dewsbury, Bradford to Leeds and Bradford to Dewsbury. Over time, it is intended that the new tram network will extend further, to Pontefract, Wakefield, Halifax and Huddersfield.

The creation of a greener, more inclusive and better connected transport system will undoubtedly support economic development. The benefit to the business community, specifically those business located on the new routes, will be considerable. And so too will be impact on local communities: it is projected that 675,000 people within the top 20% most deprived communities within West Yorkshire will benefit from significantly improved public transport.

There have been some concerns about the proposed route, primarily that it does not link the airport and other some neighbourhoods which were crying out for better connections. But hopefully this is just the start of a longer term investment in the region – which, overall, is pleased to finally have a strategic transport proposal.

An investment in economic growth

Another key component in Leeds’ journey towards levelling up is the announcement in the March Budget of A vision for Leeds: a decade of city centre growth and wider prosperity.

Again the product of WYCA, together with Leeds City Council and the Department for Levelling Up, the document, the proposals include:

• A new Leeds Transformational Regeneration Partnership, bringing together national, regional and local government to deliver the vision and unlock the delivery of up to 20,000 new homes
• Plans for transformational regeneration across six key city centre neighbourhoods: Mabgate, Eastside & Hunslet Riverside, South Bank, Holbeck, West End Riverside and the Innovation Arc
• Investment in transport infrastructure to revolutionise connectivity across West Yorkshire
• Recognition of cultural anchor institutions for regeneration and growth in Leeds, including the British Library North and National Poetry Centre

These proposals are at an early stage. But are good news for our city and wider region because they clearly recognise its substantial untapped potential.

Carter Jonas has been closely involved in several of the projects referred to in the Government document, including the Old Medical School, a Grade II* listed Victorian building which is being redeveloped following the opening of a new pathology lab at St James’ University Hospital and The British Library North, which aims to deliver a new 8,000m2 British Library facility in a Grade I listed building, Temple Works, within the South Bank area of the city. We look forward to seeing the benefit of these, and other schemes as development inevitably picks up pace.

Addressing the housing crisis

In common with most of the country, West Yorkshire has a housing shortage. This has been compounded by frustrations within the planning system which have stalled development and impacted affordability, both in the sale and rental sectors.

But the commitment to deliver up to 20,000 new homes is genuinely deliverable, partly because communities the north are generally in favour of suitable, sustainable growth. Furthermore, the Mass Transit system will open up new inner city brownfield sites and make out-of-town schemes more viable, while also giving landowners greater confidence in releasing land for development.

The importance of devolved decision-making

There is no question that the West Yorkshire Combined Authority will be the main facilitator of economic growth. One of the key components of ‘levelling up’, devolution has strengthened the powers of the WYCA. In May 2021, Tracy Brabin was elected Mayor of West Yorkshire and together, the Mayor and WYCA have already demonstrated that they can provide the comprehensive overview necessary to enable region-wide discussions, joined up thinking and a strong force with which to lobby Government.

So is levelling up being delivered in Leeds?

The announcements to date are just a small step in the long process of bringing greater prosperity to the north. But devolution, a transformative public transport system and funding for homes, neighbourhoods, cultural investment and a regeneration partnership are the blocks upon which levelling up can succeed in the medium to long term.

Invariably there will be challenges, not least in relation to inadequacies in the planning system and a severe shortage in local authority funding. But 2024 has already seen some significant commitments to the north’s untapped potential and I look forward to it being realised.

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Despite inflation rates reaching the 2% mark the Bank of England have confirmed interest rates will remain at 5.25%.

Figures published by the Office of National Statistics (ONS) yesterday show inflation has fallen to 2% as a result of food prices increasing at their slowest rate since July 2021. In addition, officials added that core inflation, which executes volatile elements such as food and energy prices, fell to 3.5% in May.

Whilst this news seems positive on the surface, Martin Sartorius claimed many households will still experience squeezed budgets. When the inflation figures were released, Sartorius claimed it could encourage the bank of England to ‘cut interest rates’ but added ‘rate-setters will still need to weigh the fall in headline inflation against signs that domestic price pressures, such as elevated pay growth, are proving slower to come down.’

However, today at 12 noon officials from the Bank of England confirmed interest rates will remain at 5.25% – the highest they’ve been since the financial crash in 2008.

The decision from the Bank came as data from ONS found services inflation was 5.7% in May, which was only a reduction of 0.2% from April. Although the news will be welcomed by savers, it will come as a huge blow to people who are already struggling to pay back their mortgage loans and those who need to refinance their loans over the next few months.

In addition, analysts have revealed that prices for food, energy, clothing and rents are all around 20% higher than they were three years ago and for some, mortgage payments have doubled. The latest research from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation – a charity working to help people facing poverty – shows five million families on the lowest incomes have had to go hungry or cut back on food so they can afford household bills. The charity also found that seven in 10 low-income households in the bottom 20% were going without essentials in May this year.

On a more positive note, experts from the Bank have hinted at an August cut. A report from the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) read: ‘As part of the August forecast round, members of the committee will consider all the information available and how this affects the assessment that the risks of inflation persistence are receding.’

The news of inflation and interest rates has come just two weeks before the next General Election and, for the first time, British households are poorer in real terms at the end of a Parliament than they were at the start in 2019.

Image: William Warby

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