Read about our news and latest updates. |
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Welcome to our latest newsletter, where we're excited to share the latest happenings and updates from DAC Planning. In this edition, we have a host of exciting news to share, ranging from receiving the RTPI East of England Award and the launch of our new website to important updates on planning reforms and our latest projects. |
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RTPI National Award Finalist We are thrilled to announce we have been shortlisted as finalists for the national RTPI Awards for Planning Excellence. This follows our regional success as RTPI Small Planning Consultancy of the Year for the East of England. The judges comments included, 'It's great to see a company that highly values communication, flexibility, and innovation.' The award recognises the hard work and dedication of our staff members and our place in the final marks a significant achievement for the team. |
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Happy Birthday DAC Planning April marked our 7th anniversary, a testament to our growth and success since 2016. We've expanded our reach, collaborating with over 100 local authorities and parish and town councils nationally. We are proud of our accomplishments and eagerly anticipate the challenges the future holds. |
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Welcoming a New Team Member We are delighted to announce that Vicki Willis has recently joined the team, bringing extensive experience in planning and local government. She is an experienced manager and team leader, having successfully led a Local Plan Examination process through to adoption in early 2023. You can read more about Vicki in our latest blog post. |
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RTPI General Assembly Elections We are pleased to announce that our Managing Director, David Coleman, has been elected to the RTPI General Assembly. Thank you to the RTPI members who voted for him and congratulations to the others who were elected. You can view the results in full on the RTPI website. |
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Planning Sans Frontières DAC Planning joined forces with Henry Adams - Development Land and Planning in June for the Planning Sans Frontières 2023 competition in Chichester. We had a great time meeting other planning professionals and look forward to future events. |
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Local Plan Examination Hearings Examination hearings continue in Wirral for the emerging Local Plan, which seeks to meet development needs primarily in Birkenhead and the wider ‘Left Bank’ of the River Mersey through what will arguably be the biggest and most ambitious regeneration programme nationally, whilst at the same time protecting the Green Belt. This makes the Examination both complex and challenging. We continue to represent and support the Council in all aspects of the progression of the Plan and look forward to a busy few months ahead. |
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Leverhulme Appeals In addition to the Wirral Local Plan hearings, Managing Director David Coleman acted as an expert witness on behalf of the Council for a major planning inquiry which considered 7 separate appeals for proposed residential development in the Green Belt that would be contrary to the strategy of the emerging Local Plan. The Inspector dismissed the appeals agreeing that the proposals had the potential to undermine the spatial strategy of the Local Plan and were premature. |
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Planning Advisory Service We have been working with PAS since 2019 to deliver local plan support to authorities across England and have worked on over 82 Local Plans to help authorities navigate the plan making process and support the progression of their plans in a timely and robust manner. Since we were re-appointed this spring to deliver a third tranche of project management support on behalf of PAS, we have worked with Dudley, Greater Cambridge, Harborough, Waverley and Winchester Councils, and we look forward to providing further support to councils into the autumn. If you are interested in the support and would like to find our more, you can contact Martin Hutchings at PAS: Martin.Hutchings@local.gov.uk. |
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Neighbourhood Planning We have been commissioned by St Helens Borough Council to promote neighbourhood planning. This has involved supporting the Council to carry out their neighbourhood planning responsibilities effectively, whilst working hard to entice local communities within the Borough to engage and produce their own neighbourhood plans. In terms of neighbourhood plan production, we have supported Hatfield Peverel and Steeple Bumpstead in progressing to Regulation 14 Consultation. We also produced and analysed community surveys for the emerging Witham Neighbourhood Plan, which received over 500 responses. For more information, contact Tim Parton: tim@dacplanning.com. |
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Developer Contributions Support for Local Authorities We continue to support local authorities across Essex to prepare CIL Charging Schedules and implement CIL on behalf of Essex County Council. Castle Point Borough Council adopted a CIL Charging Schedule in May, and we have been supporting them in preparing for and implementing the Levy. We also supported Brentwood Borough Council to produce and submit a CIL Charging Schedule for examination. We supported the Council at the CIL Examination Hearing in July, and on 21st August, the Council received the Inspector’s Report recommending that the Charging Schedule should be approved in its published form. We look forward to further supporting Brentwood as they move forward to establishing and implementing their CIL charging processes. Between Autumn 2022 and Spring 2023, DAC Planning offered capacity building to Lewes and Eastbourne Councils by joining the CIL and S106 Team in an overseeing and workflow management role. It was extremely rewarding working with the team on a weekly basis, responding to queries, developing the Infrastructure Funding Statement and ensuring key workstreams progressed. You can read more about the lessons learnt from the authority’s proactive stance on the requirements of the Act, in our blog post: Subsidy Control Act: Considerations for CIL Charging Authorities. |
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Research We researched local validation requirements for planning applications on behalf of The Housing Forum. Research findings will inform a report which The Housing Forum will use to campaign for changes needed to support the delivery of high quality housing developments. |
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We are pleased to announce the launch of our brand new website! We hope that the modern and user-friendly design will help you find what you need faster. You can read more about the team, explore the services we offer, read more about our projects and comment on our blog. |
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We would love to hear from you and discuss the ways we can best support you and your local authority. | | |
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