Insights & Reports

Welcome to Bidwells' spring 2022 Scotland Newsletter.

On 16 March 2022, Natural England increased the list of habitat sites that are considered to be in an unfavourable condition due to excessive nutrient levels. The extended list includes both the River Wensum and large parts of the Broads, and the ‘National Map of Catchments’, provided by Natural England, suggests that a significant area of Norfolk will be affected by the change.

If 2021 was a crucial year for our global response to climate breakdown, then maybe 2022 can be the biodiversity equivalent?

I recently purchased my son a play mat for his newly acquired toy cars. As a planner, it immediately struck me that the mat showed a car-dominated environment with little room for pedestrians, cyclists and other non-motorised users. It was perfect for his fleet of cars, but it got me thinking…

In 2019, the UK and Scottish Governments made their commitments to net zero, with target dates of 2050 and 2045 respectively. Relatively, both countries are progressing well, with emissions falling faster than in other major developed economies. However, with 326m tonnes of ‘carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e)’ emitted in 2020, there is still a long road ahead.

Three of our current apprentices answer some of the most commonly asked questions about their roles.

The political football that is the Green Belt is letting emotion rule logic when it comes to future growth in Hertfordshire.

Robert Love delves into Northamptonshire's plan-making by questioning new strategic plans and their challenges, as well as sustainable development opportunities.

Many farmers and landowners will see an increase of up to 30% in payment rates under environmental conservation schemes, as the government seeks to increase participation in its schemes. These levels of payments emerged during Secretary of State, George Eustice’s speech at the Oxford Farming Conference in early January.

The launch of Active Travel England, as inspectorate and funding body, will ensure the enforcement of new guidance by local authorities to help people make more shorter journeys by bicycle or on foot. Developers would be wise to accommodate the expectations of such guidance when designing their schemes to avoid potentially lengthy delays and/or the need for a re-plan.

The Housing Delivery Test (HDT) 2021 results were published on Friday 14th January 2022 by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC). Robert Love gives his commentary on the results and what this means for development in our region and across England.

Both carbon sequestration and biodiversity enhancement are becoming increasingly necessary to reduce emissions and offset environmental impacts generated by development in the UK.