The Devon and Somerset Metro Rail Group held a constructive Zoom meeting earlier today to progress their ambitious plans to reopen rail stations in Cullompton and Wellington, which would create new, greener commuter options to Taunton and Exeter and the wider GWR network. This follows the announcement by Transport Secretary Grant Shapps in May that…
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With her financial PR background, no-one manages detail better than ‘our Lucie’. The recently published Smiths Group plc Annual Report for which she is the project manager is a case in point. This business-critical project saw Lucie working with members of the fantastic Smiths team from across the world and a range of functions to…
Since the lockdown in March, we’ve undertaken most of our consulting work in the virtual world. That’s certainly increased the quantity of feedback we’ve received, and has enabled us to keep the wheels on projects turning. But this sector is all about people and it’s hard to build quality relationships without face-to-face contact. So now,…
The Eden Westwood project is a partnership between Aviva Life & Pensions Ltd and the Eden Project’s international arm (Eden International) that is aiming to create a unique visitor destination which celebrates Devon’s food, farming and life. Located at the county’s northern gateway – Junction 27 of the M5 – Eden Westwood will be a…
Further to the Planning Inspector’s report on 26 June, the Mid Devon Local Plan Review 2013-2033 has been adopted at a Full Council meeting tonight, including the main modifications recommended by the Inspector, and a further minor modification regarding a settlement boundary. Click here for the Mid Devon Local Plan Review 2013 to 2033 Adoption Statement. This…
Mid Devon’s Local Plan Review 2013-33 has been assessed as sound by SoS Inspector Paul Griffiths (with some main mods). Read the Inspector’s report here: https://www.middevon.gov.uk/media/349506/local-plan-report-mdlpr-final.pdf This is great news for our clients with interests in the district such as Aviva Life & Pensions, Eden International and partners who have worked hard for five years…
Having been horrified to see the hordes descend on the UK’s open spaces over the last couple of weeks – not to mention the life-endangering and litter-bugging actions of the few – we’re delighted to see The National Trust, RHS Rosemoor and other responsible local outdoor attractions work out how to open safely. With the…
Thankfully, the planning industry has rallied really quickly to enable this vital sector to keep rolling forwards. It hasn’t been a smooth journey of course. Council meetings have been Zoom-bombed, and we’ve all had to scramble to learn unfamiliar technologies, juggle competing demands on our time or hunt down missing information stored in the personal…
In his last letter as Chief Planner, Steve Quartermain CBE urged Local Authorities to keep the wheels of the Planning machine turning, saying: ‘Be practical, be pragmatic and let’s plan for the recovery.’ He asked decision-makers to employ ‘all options available’, including the delegation of committee decisions where appropriate, and the use of technology-based discussions…
Thanks to the lockdown, ‘concalls’ and ‘vid-meets’ are the new norm and, by and large, many of us in the Planning world are managing to do ‘business as usual’. However, as much progress as there has been in IT systems, infrastructure and our collective tech-savviness, operating virtually can be frustrating at times. We’ve found the…
Seaxburh 2017