Insights & Reports

Planning Inspectors have dealt a blow to St Albans City and District Council (SACDC) by cancelling the remaining Local Plan examination hearings after just one week of initial discussions.

The early days of the general election campaign saw several overdue announcements in support of science and technology research. But places like Cambridge and Oxford played a bit part in the national debate.

Does your school building project seem to be dragging on? Are you having meetings about meetings, and not seeing any progress?

Almost 25% of the UK’s population is over 65 and by 2050, this proportion will have grown to an estimated 37%. While we have ambitious carbon neutral targets for this date, the planning for the care and housing of over a third of the population remains an area short in policy detail. Is this a tenable position for the new government who received votes from an estimated 60% of the UK’s over 65 population?

Bidwells' Alison Wright and Jonathan Bainbridge reflect on the priorities and commitments set out in this week’s Spending Review and long-awaited National Infrastructure Strategy, and highlight what they mean for the planning and development sector.

In October 2019, Historic England (HE) published an advice note, which provides guidance on the assessment of heritage assets. In Bidwells' latest planning alert, Chris Surfleet and Steven Handforth sets out the advice note's key points and how this affects the decision-making process relating to heritage assets.

New PM Boris Johnson used his first speech outside No 10 to deliver an energetic new narrative around the UK economy. Those listening with an interest in Oxfordshire and science and technology will have sat up a number of times, writes Head of Oxford, Richard Todd.

Oxford and Cambridge’s knowledge economies are both global successes, but their economic growth stories are now at critical junctures. The city’s constrained centres are pushing prime rents up to new highs at a time when their world-leading science and tech occupiers are demanding urban environments and easy access to London.

At present only a fraction of older households live in senior housing despite research finding far more people are interested in such options than actually live in them. This is an issue for the individuals involved, their families and capacity in the wider housing market.

In conjunction with Professor Michael Ball, we have released a report on the senior housing market as part of our recently launched retirement living service offering.

A year after submission, last week Plan:MK was adopted as the strategic Local Plan document to shape growth of the borough to 2031. Planning Associate, Mark Harris gives his insight into what is next for Milton Keynes.

Bidwells explains what Cambridge Science Park, and discusses its economic role and future growth.