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Aqualand takes charge at Central Barangaroo as Scentre exits
Property developer Aqualand will take on full responsibility for the Central Barangaroo development after the exit of Westfield shopping centre empire owner Scentre amid uncertainty about the outlook. The Sydney Harbour project is yet to get off the ground amid a tortuous fight over designs. The move by Scentre to exit leaves 100 per cent of the Central Barangaroo project in the hands of Aqualand.
Pallas Group puts Double Bay site up for $45m sale
A venture associated with Sydney property player Pallas Group has put a flagship site in up-market Double Bay on the block, in a move some industry sources said signalled a need for cash. Sales documents were sent to industry contacts last week promoting the sale of the site at 2 Guilfoyle Ave, which is adjacent to Pallas House the headquarters of the Pallas Group, and features celebrity chef Neil Perry and Baker Bleu as anchor tenants.
England's roads receive £50m safety boost
David Ross, Editor Thu, 13 Apr 2023 The Department for Transport has announced a £47.5 million boost to enhance the safety of some of the most high-risk roads in England. Through the third round of the Safer Roads Fund, 27 new schemes will be delivered, benefiting road users around the country by driving forward safety improvements such as re-designing junctions and improving signage and road markings.
Pinsent Masons advises CSG Chemical Solutions on Celtic Water Care Solutions acquisition
Operating across Ireland and the UK, CSG brings over 40 years of specialist chemistry expertise across potable water, wastewater, environmental and hygiene applications. It’s also the parent company of GI Chemicals and Chemifloc, the largest supplier of coagulants used in water treatment in Ireland. Celtic Water Care is a wastewater and effluent treatment chemicals specialist, serving private sector customers across Ireland.
Pinsent Masons advises Nichols plc on Vit Hit acquisition
Founded in Manchester in 1908 and best known for the iconic Vimto brand, Nichols has evolved into an international soft drinks business with an owned and licensed brand portfolio that also includes Myprotein, ICEE, Sunkist and Levi Roots. The company is listed on the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange and features in the FTSE AIM 100 Index. Founded by former Irish rugby player Gary Lavin in 2000, VITHIT has grown by an incredible 18 per cent annually, on average, since 2020.
MMA flags tough 2019
Shares in MMA Offshore have fallen today, after the marine logistics company forecast a challenging year ahead as part of its 2018 financial report, which also included a $36.3 million loss. Login below or For first time subscribers, our monthly payment starts at $1 + GST for the first month. To read more, pleasebelow or Subscribe For first time subscribers, our monthly payment starts at $1 + GST for the first month.
MMA signs 3-year contract
Marine logistics company MMA Offshore has secured a three-year contract to charter one of its vessels with a subsidiary of UK-based contractor Subsea 7.
MMA buoyant as losses cut
Marine logistics business MMA Offshore has cut its net loss in the half year to December as conditions in the oil and gas market stabilised.
MMA steers towards peaceful seas
Marine logistics business MMA Offshore has cut its net loss in the half year to December as conditions in the oil and gas market stabilised.
MMA defends capital raising
MMA Offshore chairman Andrew Edwards has defended the timing of the company’s recent $97 million capital raising at its annual meeting today, saying the oil and gas firm needed a solution to its debt problems. The company announced last month it would raise the funds to repay debts and repair its balance sheet, however major shareholder Halom Investments requested the Takeovers Panel revise the raising, claiming the deal was designed to entrench the incumbent board.
Halom abandons MMA meeting resolutions
MMA Offshore major shareholder Halom Investments has withdrawn its annual meeting resolution to remove the oil and gas company’s managing director Jeff Weber one day before the meeting. Halom had been seeking to dump Mr Weber and appoint two of its own nominees to the board, however the investment group said this morning it would not proceed with the resolutions at tomorrow’s meeting.
Halom takes MMA to panel
Halom Investments has asked the Takeovers Panel to revise MMA Offshore’s planned $97 million capital raising, claiming the deal is designed to entrench the control held by the incumbent board. MMA announced the capital raising yesterday, just two weeks ahead of a shareholder meeting where Halom will be seeking to dump managing director Jeff Weber and appoint two of its own nominees to the board.
MMA $97m raising in debt repayment
Struggling marine services company MMA Offshore will raise nearly $100 million to repay debts and repair its balance sheet, despite opposition from major shareholder Halom Investments. The $97 million share placement includes a one for one $74.6 million non-renounceable rights issue at 20 cents per share, a 14.9 per cent discount, and a $22.4 million institutional placement at the same price.
Developers submit planning application for redevelopment of Brixton Town Centre
The proposal covers a total of 1.68 hectares and it involves the demolition of several buildings and affects areas of conservation. The scheme states that both Hambrook House and Olive Morris House will be demolished in addition to the refurbishment of Ivor House. The plan includes up to 194 new homes with 40% being allocated to affordable housing. Hambrook House will contain 94 homes, Ivor House will have 26 homes and Olive Morris House will have 74 homes.
Government mulls over Lodge Hill call in
Medway Council resolved in September to approve the plans, in the face of widespread opposition from local people and environmental groups. The site had been designated as an SSSI by government conservation adviser Natural England prior to the Council's decision, due to the presence of a nationally significant population of nightingales and the presence of special grassland and woodland.
Research reveals extent of office to homes conversions in England's cities
The UK government introduced a temporary permitted development right in May 2013, allowing developers in most parts of England to convert offices into homes without having to apply to local planning authorities for full permission to do so. The Planning Magazine research showed that approval was granted for the creation of nearly 17,500 homes from office space in London and eight other English cities between May 2013 and July 2014.
UK government and opposition back devolution of strategic powers to city regions
Speaking on behalf of housing minister Brandon Lewis at a conference this week, the government's chief planner Steve Quartermain said that the government hoped other city regions would seek to follow the example of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) and reach agreements over the devolution of strategic powers.
Mayor of London indicates intention to create strategic plan for London and South East
The report said Greater London Authority assistant director of planning Stewart Murray announced the plans at a conference last week. Murray was reported to have said that the mayor intended to meet with Home Counties council members in spring 2015 to discuss the possibility of introducing a "plan which embraced the needs of London and the South East and could be taken forward by the new London mayor after the 2016 elections".
Ocubis displays plans for Vauxhall towers
The plans for 36-46 Albert Embankment, currently occupied by a petrol station and two office buildings known as Vintage House, include the demolition of most existing structures and the construction of two new buildings up to 25-storeys high. According to a website for the proposed development, "around 200 new homes" are proposed for the site. The homes would be "a mix of one, two, and three bedroom apartments" and would include affordable housing.
Residential development proposed for 'Quill' tower in Southwark
Southwark Council granted planning permission in 2010 for Bilford's and Investream's proposals to demolish a 10-storey 1960's office building known as Capital House at 40-46 Weston Street and replace it with a 109 m Sparcc Architecture-designed tower known as "the Quill", containing accommodation for 470 students.
UK government announces £23m in additional funding for neighbourhood planning
The funding, announced by the department for communities and local government on Friday, means that a total of £22.5m will be available from 2015 to 2018 for the provision of "expert advice, grant funding and technical assistance" to community groups seeking to get involved in neighbourhood planning.
UK government opens consultation on Right to Build scheme
According to the consultation document (39-page / 826 KB PDF) the government proposes to allow councils to require that custom builders demonstrate a connection to the local area in order to register an interest in acquiring a serviced plot. This connection could be through residency in the area for a specified period of time to be decided by the council, or through the residency of close family members, the document said.
Taylor Wimpey to deliver new phase of development at north London former RAF barracks
The London Borough of Barnet granted outline permission in 2009 for the comprehensive, phased redevelopment of the 34 hectare site to provide a new district, named Millbrook Park. The wider plans include: 2,174 homes; a primary school with community facilities; 1,100 square metres of 'high street' retail space; 3,470 sq m of office space; an energy centre; and a new public park. Taylor Wimpey was selected to deliver one of the next phases of the scheme: the 114-home "Phase 4A".
Mayor opens London Housing Bank investment scheme
Under the scheme the Housing Bank will offer low cost loans to developers to build homes which will be rented to Londoners at a low cost rent for seven years. Once the loan is repaid, the developer will have the option to sell the homes to current occupiers, put the homes onto the market, or retain them as long-term affordable rental homes. The scheme is being launched at the same time as a national investment scheme is launched by the government to help boost house building.
CPRE calls for return to 'brownfield first' housing development
In a paper called "Removing obstacles to brownfield development" (30-page / 3 MB PDF), the CPRE examined obstacles to housing development on brownfield land and recommended a series of "policy mechanisms" it said could be adopted to overcome them. Among the recommendations in the paper, the CPRE said that "it is essential that national planning policy sets out a sequential approach to land allocation that prioritises brownfield land".
Preferred bidders announced for 1,200-home Newham private rented sector schemes
The Silvertown Way and Pontoon Docks sites were among 670 hectares of public land inherited by the Greater London Authority following the Localism Act in 2012. Increasing the supply of private rented sector housing in London is a stated aim of the Mayor's Housing Strategy and the two sites were marketed by the GLA with the specific aim of providing homes for long-term private rent.
DCLG opens technical consultation on house building standards
According to a consultation document (33-page / 298 KB PDF) published on Friday, the DCLG intends to consolidate existing rules into a core of five standards, covering home security, space, accessibility, water efficiency and waste storage, which will be contained within an amended version of the Building Regulations. The DCLG has proposed in the document to introduce a mandatory national security standard applicable to all new homes.
Lend Lease submits plans for 137-home Chiswick scheme
The proposals include the refurbishment and recladding of a vacant 11-storey office block on Chiswick High Road, known as Empire House, to provide 66 residential units. A further 71 homes are planned in the wider scheme, including a new seven to eight storey apartment building and four red-brick terraced townhouses on Essex Place. According to the planning statement submitted with the plans, affordable housing provision will be subject to further discussions with Hounslow Council.
Islington to continue fight against office-to-residential permitted development rights
In a statement yesterday the Council said that the decision made by the then planning minister Nick Boles in July to cancel the 'Article 4 direction' made by the Council was "based on a mistake of fact giving rise to unfairness" and that he "failed to act fairly when considering whether to modify the ... direction". The Council said that it had written to the SoS "asking him to agree to the quashing of his decision".
Increased number of homes approved on Green Belt land, says report
According to figures in the report, a total 1,061 residential projects on Green Belt land secured full planning permission in England in 2013/14, compared with 744 projects in 2009/10. These projects represented approval for 5,607 homes in 2013/14, more than twice the 2,258 approved five years earlier. The report said that the overall number of Green Belt projects approved, including both residential and non-residential schemes, was up 16% on 2009-10 levels, but had decreased by 7% since 2011/12.
Essex village green challenge rejected by High Court
Richard Naylor, a resident of Walton-on-the-Naze, had applied for judicial review of the County Council's decision in 2011 to refuse to register a piece of land in the town, that had been used by members of the public for dog walking and recreation since at least 1954, as a village green.
Luton Borough Council challenges 5,000-home Bedfordshire urban extension, citing neighbouring council's 'failure to co-operate'
The Localism Act created a legal duty for councils to actively engage with one another in relation to sustainable development issues with cross-border impact on neighbouring planning areas. The issues on which councils must co-operate include housing, and LBC considers Luton to be part of a single housing market with much of central Bedfordshire and the western edge of North Hertfordshire, according to the strategic housing land availability assessment (SHLAA) produced by LBC in April.
Neighbourhood development order for Cumbrian town passes referendum
The NDO proposes to permit the change of use of the ground floors of commercial properties along Main Street and Station Street in the centre of Cockermouth into restaurants, cafes and drinking establishments and to allow tables, chairs, parasols and heaters to be positioned along the streets for the consumption of food and drink.
Wandsworth local plan withdrawn to allow for consultation on key changes
The Council consulted on the 2013 version of its local plan documents in autumn 2013. Changes were made to the document in response to the consultation and a new version incorporating the changes was submitted for examination in March 2014. The schedule of changes made to the consultation version of the plan extended to more than 180 pages and included an increase in housing numbers proposed for the borough and changes to the sites allocated for development.
Pickles approves land deal for Tottenham stadium scheme
Haringey Council granted planning permission for THFC's plans for the redevelopment of the site of its White Hart Lane football stadium in September 2010 and approved revisions to the scheme in February 2012. Proposals include the demolition of the stadium and several buildings and their replacement with a new 56,250 seat stadium, 200 homes and a 150 room hotel. A food-store, a club shop and an enlarged public square are also included in the proposals.
Plans submitted for office-to-residential redevelopment of Lloyd Webber's Covent Garden offices
The five-storey, Grade II listed former boarding school at 22 Tower Street in London's WC2 is currently unoccupied, having been vacated by Lloyd Webber's company 18 months ago. The proposals include the change of use of the building from office to residential use, with 22 apartments in a mix of studio, one, two and three bedroom units.
Southwark Council resolves to grant planning permission for mixed-use redevelopment of London Centre for Contemporary Music
Real estate advisers Deloitte Real Estate submitted proposals in November 2013 on behalf of the LCCM, housebuilder Taylor Wimpey Central London and building subcontractor Sherwood Property Holdings for the construction of a 14-storey building to house the LCCM and 55 residential units. Prior approval for the demolition of the existing three-storey office building on the site was granted in February.
Mayor of London publishes character and context planning guidance
The mayor's draft character and context supplementary planning guidance (97-page / 22.8 MB PDF) details the approach to be taken by planning decision-makers and applicants to ensure that they meet existing requirements in the London Plan, the London View Management Framework and the Opportunity Area Framework for considering the impacts of proposed developments on their local areas.
Help to Buy scheme provides a lifeline to first-time buyers, says Treasury
The new figures, released on Thursday, show that 27,861 homes have been purchased under the scheme to date, representing around 3% of overall house sales. Under the equity loan branch of the scheme, the government offers loans of up to 20% of the property's value to buyers of new-build homes. The data shows that 20,548 properties have been bought using equity loans since their launch in April 2013.
Park Royal study to inform regeneration strategy
The Park Royal Atlas (86-page / 22.31 MB PDF) is the result of a mapping exercise and a five week door to door survey of every business in Park Royal, which it says is the largest industrial area in the capital. The Atlas said that businesses in the area employ an estimated 31,000 people, with sectors ranging from the film industry to food manufacture. 75% of businesses are micro businesses, employing fewer than 10 people, and a further 20% are small businesses.
DCLG publishes working paper on £400m affordable rent to buy scheme
Under the proposals, investors would receive a loan from the government to fund the building of new homes, which must be let for at least seven years at affordable rent. Following the seven year affordable rent period and the repayment of the government loans and interest, the investor would be free to decide whether to retain the properties as affordable housing or to offer them for sale or rent on the open market.
NPPF 'safeguarding' terminology to be reviewed, says Boles
The NPPF states that local authorities should, where necessary, identify in their local plans areas of ‘safeguarded land’ between the urban area and the green belt, in order to meet longer-term development needs stretching well beyond the plan period. In a House of Commons debate this week conservative MP Julian Sturdy said that there was confusion about the nature of safeguarded land and what its position within the local plan process should be.
PINS receives first 'special measures' application
Blaby District Council was designated by the UK government as underperforming in November last year under a policy which allows developers to submit major planning applications to PINS instead of the local authority. The 'special measures' designation policy was introduced by the Growth and Infrastructure Act in May last year.
Hopkins announces £8.7m Build to Rent deal
Mill Group will work alongside housebuilder Bovis Homes to build 110 houses and 80 apartments across six sites in locations including Horsham, Bristol, Southampton and Cambridge. The government set up the Build to Rent fund in 2012 to cut risk for developers looking to invest in homes built specifically for private rent. The scheme gives management companies the chance to invest in new rental developments and developers can then repay the government investment.
London estate redevelopment plans backed by residents
According to reports, property consultant GVA, working in partnership with Wandsworth Council, presented four options to the residents of the York Road and Winstanley estates. The preferred option was formulated by architects Levitt Bernstein and would see most of the existing buildings dating from the 1960s and 1970s demolished. The plans involve the demolition of around 700 properties, with between 700 and 1,050 new homes being constructed in their place.
Pub's Asset of Community Value status behind refusal of planning permission for homes conversion
The four home scheme involved the conversion of the existing building to provide two apartments and the construction of two four bedroom houses in the beer garden and car park. The proposal retained a smaller pub on the ground floor. Planning officers said that the pub's ACV listing was a material planning consideration. However, they considered that as the proposals retained a smaller pub on the ground floor it only needed to be given "limited weight".
Plans to build homes on former RAF Cardington site approved
The approval comes despite the publication of a report advising that the developments would cause "substantial harm" to two Grade II listed giant sheds at the site, which were built for airships in the 1930s. When deciding to approve the plans the planning committee said that the developer's contribution to the preservation of the sheds was a significant factor enabling permission for the plans to be granted.
Vauxhall redevelopment given the green light
The 750,000 square foot scheme is a partnership between BT and Telereal Trillium and will see the existing Keybridge House demolished. 419 flats, a primary school and 26,500 sq ft of office space, as well as retail units, will be constructed on the site, as will 19 affordable homes. Lambeth Council leader Lib Peck acknowledged that the affordable housing provision fell short of the Council's usual expectations but the inclusion of a primary school within the scheme offset this.
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