A record of press was kept until 2022 and is included here, after which a record was no longer kept.
Housing Today – Councils more able to refuse schemes on design grounds under new NPPF
Councils have been much more able to refuse planning applications on design grounds since alterations to national planning policy made in 2020, according to the latest research. A study by the Place Alliance found that since changes to the National Planning Policy...
The Planner – Housing developments more likely to be rejected for poor design
The Planning Inspectorate is now three times as likely to back local authority rejections of housing developments for poor design following last year’s revision of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). A University College London (UCL) study reveals a “sea...
Matthew Carmona – Appealing Design – The Tide Turns On Poor And Mediocre Housing Design
A Housing Design Audit for England revealed that three quarters of new housing developments were mediocre or poor when assessed against a broad basket of urban design considerations. Given that, why isn’t more of it simply rejected by the planning system? Answers can...
The Guardian – Councils in England are failing to use new powers to block shoddy housing schemes
Housebuilders are churning out substandard housing schemes with poor living conditions despite councils having the power to block them, according to new research. The National Planning Policy Framework was amended in July to allow councils to refuse “development that...
Matthew Carmona – Ending the lottery of design-based planning appeals (mediocre is not enough!)
For over two years I have been helping local residents fight a planning battle against a new development opposite my former home. The fight is not against the principle of development but solely on its design merits. The site, a two storey ex-warehouse used for many...