Contents:

  • April 23rd 2015 NPN quarterly notes
  • Next quarterly meeting
  • SCI review: consultation
  • Planning application refused on design grounds
  • Affordable housing viability assessments

April 23rd NPN quarterly notes: 
have been uploaded to the website here

Quarterly meeting July 22nd:
the main item will be the many development projects in and around the Enterprise Zoneincluding the emerging Design guidance documents and works around Temple Meads station, the Bristol Arena and Paintworks. Please let me know if you intend to come to this meeting.

SCI review:
As discussed at the Quarterly meeting on April 23rd, the Statement of Community Involvement is being revised and the draft document is now available on Bristol City Council website here

The 10 ground rules for community involvement are unchanged . Changes include some information about what form of community involvement is expected for groups who are Neighbourhood Development Forums bringing forward a Neighbourhood Development Plan.
The consultation is open until 31st July 2015.

Recent planning decision:
refusal on grounds of poor design.

Your attention is brought to this case to remind groups that poor design is a ground for refusal and that if you have concerns about the design of proposed development in your area, it is worth raising this in your response. Link to officer’s report for application 14/04500/F

Affordable housing provision:
Bristol published their document Affordable Housing Practice note in April 2014. This set out the justification for the levels of affordable housing required across the city and the viability assessment standards that will be expected if a developer seeks to justify a lesser level.
The government gave prior approval for conversions from offices into residential without setting an affordable housing provision. see article in The Planner.
It also allowed developers to renegotiate affordable housing provision under s106 agreements in April 2013. See document
Affordable housing is not required for all classes of development, so it is in the developers’ interest to argue that their particular development comes under Use Classes that do not require affordable housing.

Is it something that has affected your community?

Is this something that you would like to discuss at a future meeting?