Lichfields UK

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Data Centres: No Longer the Planning Ugly Duckling https://lnkd.in/ea8XkKVW From his first day at Lichfields, Henry Gomm has been involved in some way with the promotion of data centre projects through the planning system. Faced with a lack of enthusiasm from Planning Departments, superficially referencing low job generation and power-hungry credentials of the sector, this has not been an easy gig. But things are changing, and the pace of change is rapid. In the midst of the Labour government’s push for increased rates of house building, recent reform has sought to unlock other investment opportunities to support the modern digital economy and nowhere is this more relevant than the data centre industry. #datacentres #CriticalNationalInfrastructure #Infrastructure #NPPF #PlanningandInfrastructureBill

This insight highlights the urgent need to retrofit existing social housing to meet the UK's Net Zero targets. Newlon Housing Trust's Old Barnsbury Estate showcases both the challenges and opportunities of improving energy efficiency in older buildings, particularly where traditional methods are impractical. While innovative solutions have been proposed, a lack of government funding has stalled progress, reflecting a broader issue in the UK's approach to deep retrofitting. View Insight: https://lnkd.in/gtHhV-7Z Insight Authors: Jonathan Hoban, Josh Hymer, Warrick Thomas Partner organisations: Pollard Thomas Edwards and Martin Arnold Ltd

The English Devolution White Paper, signalled a profound change in approach to local economic growth across England; in terms of geography, governance and delivery of public services. Read the latest blog from Lucie Bailey and Ed Welch [link in comments]

Read UK Property Forums article, which highlights Sarah Moorhouse's recent promotion to Planning Director and the contributions she has made to the Thames Valley region. https://lnkd.in/gftRxqAJ

The much-anticipated London Growth Plan published last week sets out how the London Mayor and London Councils aim to grow London’s economy by ￡107 billion by 2035. In doing so, the Plan aims to increase productivity growth rates by an average of 2% per year whilst increasing the export value of London’s services by 6% per annum. Central to these aspirations is the targeting of and investment in four ‘super sectors’, two of which are creative industries and the ‘experience economy’. Read Richard Coburn's latest blog [link in comments]

The awaited update to planning practice guidance on Green Belt has landed and, on initial review, generally provides useful, albeit brief, guidance on the steps to be applied when identifying grey belt land and how this should be applied to plan-making and decision-taking. We focus here on the clarified process for Green Belt Assessment to identify grey belt land and its implications for existing Green Belt assessments as part of the plan making process. Read Judith Livesey, Jennie Baker & James Fennell's latest blog: https://lnkd.in/gw7pUevA

A decade ago, we made the move from working?in?Scotland to working?from?Scotland. In 2015, we put down roots on George Street, Edinburgh—bringing the same proven approach that has driven our success across the UK: rigorous research, strategic insight, and a relentless focus on delivering results. It wasn’t a leap of faith; we did our homework. Read Nicola Woodward's latest blog [link in the comments]

Next week, we are looking forward to hosting BPF Futures for a breakfast briefing. Georgia Crowley, Associate Director in our London office, will present our recent co-living Insight – linked below. Three speakers will then join us for a panel discussion to give their perspectives and experiences of working on co-living projects throughout the planning process: Emily Newton from Assael Architecture, Abigail H. from Amro Partners , and Adam Donovan from our London office. Learn more about A New Way to Live: Co-living in London https://lnkd.in/gQqfgwGZ