New permitted development rights have been approved in London SE1 that will change the way conversion developments are approved. In fact, the new rights will allow developers to convert office buildings into homes without any type of planning permission at all. Presently, the large majority of SE1 is exempted from this new measure and developers are required to get planning permission, however, the remaining areas, mostly located east of Tower Bridge Road, will be subject to the new rules.The new rules and measures could impact a large portion of London, especially Central London, in the area known as the central activities zone. London’s Mayor, along with members of the Southwark Council for planning permissions have been working hard to get the central activities zone exempted from the new measures and rules to protect the area from being turned into a residential zone. The central activities zone is made up of a large portion of central London. This includes all of SE1 that exists in Lamberth along the Albert Embankment and around Waterloo. It also includes all of the properties on the SE1 riverside that is in the boundaries for Southwark. The East boundary of the central activities zone is located at Tower Bridge Road. There are many supporters for the exclusion of the central activities zone from the new measures and rules. In addition to the Southwark Council, other supporters include the Team London Bridge and Better Bankside business improvement districts. Other areas have also been proposed for exclusion from the new measures and rules. These other areas include multiple business areas in the SE1 borough. Mandela Way and Willow Walk, both located in and around industrial business areas, are among those business areas proposed for exclusion. These industrial areas have been proposed for exclusion because of their significant risk of conversion into residential housing. According to some estimation reports, more than 32,000 square metres of warehouse and industrial space in Mandela Way alone would be at risk of being converted for residential use. Currently, planning permission rules force developers to seek permission before beginning development projects, including conversion projects, before breaking ground, to ensure that it is right for the community and will not cause inherent harm. Under the new rules conversions from industrial or business use to residential use could be executed without planning permissions or approval of any kind. The London communities secretary issued a statement indicating that there are currently many unused buildings throughout London that could be used in ways that are more beneficial to the community and that the council is considering all options and proposals. The communities secretary is in favour of the new rules and measures, which relax the planning process and cut the costs of starting a new business or developing new residential areas. The relaxed rules will also allow easier conversion of unused buildings into schools and other businesses, and will make use of city space, protecting the countryside from excessive development.

A three thousand seat ice arena located in the International Sporting village of Cardiff Bay has received the planning permissions that it requires to get construction underway. The construction for the ice arena is expected to get started in August. The costs for the arena will be a staggering £16m, housing two separate ice rinks inside of it.  The arena will be the new home for the ice hockey team the Cardiff Devils to play in. It will be open for game play hopefully before the end of 2014. The initial phase of the building will be a £250m investment. During the first phase of construction, an outdoor ski slope along with a shopping centre will be erected.  Plans also include building a thirty two storey tower, luxury flats and hotels. Office spaces are also being planned for, and will begin being constructed in future planning phases. Work regarding the initial phase will include putting in two ice pads, along with the primary ice rink. The primary ice rink will be used for matches carried out by the Cardiff Devils. The smaller rink will be used for practices, and may also be opened up to the public, on days when the hockey team is not using it.  Temporary parking spaces along with public spaces are also going to begin construction during the first phase of planning. The development director for the arena, who is bust working behind the scenes during the construction process, Mr. Jonathan Smith is hoping that the costs associated with building the arena can be recouped through the latter commercial phases.  Smith states that the project has the support from many different parties, who show an avid amount of interest in utilizing the rink. Of course, one of the primary supporting parties is the ice hockey team the Cardiff Devils. Smith is hoping that with building the new rink that they can start a national centre for excellence when it comes to brining winter sports to the area.  Smith boasts that the arena can be used for many different types of ice sports, aside from hockey. A few possibilities that he was not shy to bring up are using the arena for speed skating as well as for curling. Perhaps the arena could also be used for figure skating competitions. The possibilities are endless.  The Cardiff council broke its deal that it had with Planet Ice, who had won the initial tender for developing their arena in the area. Presently, the sports village only has a 50m pool along with white water facilities and an ice rink that has been temporarily erected for the public and the hockey team to use conjointly.  The town can benefit from having this arena in the area. The previous National Ice Rink that once existed in Wales, was originally opened in 1986. Unfortunately, the rink was closed off to the public in 2006. The closing was done to allow the area to be redeveloped, no additional rinks have been put in since that time. 

RWE Npower Renewables, an energy company responsible for alternative wind power sources, has been given planning permission allowing them to repower the first wind farm located in the United Kingdom. With the granted planning permissions, the energy company will reduce the amount of turbines used to one third, while doubling the amount of energy given off in the process.  The Taff Ely Wind Farm has been operational since 1993. It is one of the oldest wind farms in the area. The energy company is planning one building one hundred ten meter turbines in the place of the existing twenty turbines that were originally erected in 1993.  The farm was acquired by RWE NRL in 1998. This change will allow the wind turbines to be repowered. Thus replacing the old wind farming equipment with new larger turbines. These turbines will be more effective, and ultimately double the amount of energy that is being generated in the area.  The new wind farms will be installed with a capacity of 17.5MW. The energy that these new turbines will be able to provide will be strong enough to successfully power 9700 average United Kingdom homes, with an allotted amount of power.  RWE NRL has made a pledge to increase the communities benefit fund. Dependent upon the capacity of the newly installed site, this could include the energy company contributing up to £87,500 invested into the local communities throughout the amount of time that the wind farm remains operational. It is expected that the wind farm will remain operational for the next twenty five years.  The company has hosted local supply chain events in May 2012. The event was hosted to roughly two hundred local delegates. The company is hoping to build on its relationships with these delegates by hosting additional related events within the upcoming months.  In an interview, one of the developers for the renewable company, Rob Kerr-Bonner stated that by achieving planning permissions local authorities are always welcome. He paid tribute to the Borough Council and their ongoing commitments to helping them bring a source of renewable energy to the next generations residing in the area.  By eliminating the twenty wind turbines that were initially installed in 1993, there will be room made to embark upon a new era. The wind turbines that have been adopted today, are significantly different from the ones that were installed in 1993. The new turbines are more much efficient and they are a lot more reliable than their predecessors.  The team is looking forward to progressing construction on the project that has been given the appropriate planning permissions to go forward. The decision to approve the redevelopment of the area is an vital step in the right direction. It will ease the concerns that the renewable sector has for the area. Planning permissions have struggled to be recognized for the renewable energy sector in the past. Only eighteen percent of Wales utilizes alternative energy sources, forty percent of England is using alternative energy, and sixty seven percent of Scotland has adopted an alternative approach. 

Mobile phones have taken the world by storm. They have become an electronic chain that allow people to keep up with their peers, regardless of location. These days, it is considered absurd if you do not own a mobile phone. In fact, people look at you as if you’re from another planet, if you do not have a phone attached to your ear while you are out, or aren’t consistently returning text messages like everyone else.  Planning permission rules in the UK are a lot more relaxed when it comes to building cellular towers to make it easier for individuals in the area to be able to get a signal on their cellular devices. Telecommunication companies do not have to abide by all of the planning permission rules when deciding to erect eighteen feet tall cellular towers in the UK. After a proposal that took place on April the 26th 2013, telecommunication companies are able to set up their masts without receiving planning permissions. Of course, the mast that they do set up, has to fall within specific guidelines. The masts, which used to only extend up to twelve feet, are now being increased to eighteen feet. The eighteen feet masts are presently the only masts that do not require planning permission before they can be erected.  Ministers have stated that they want to encourage cellular phone companies to attempt to install shorter masts that have less capacity and offer shorter ranges. They also are trying to get the cellular companies to provide faster broadband speeds to many of the scattered rural areas.  Nick Boles, the planning minister stated in an interview that the technical changes that they are proposing do not need planning permissions, will allow new technologies that are required for improving the coverage of mobile services and speeds for local residents. With this change taking place, local residents will be able to have a way to use their technological devices, without any issues.  There are some campaigners that are concerned about these larger towers being built, without the proper planning permissions. Adam Royle, who is the spokesperson for CPRE supports improving the mobile communications industry for people that reside in rural areas. However, he believes there is a way to improve the services for individuals that reside in these areas, without altering the safeguards of the countryside and the rural towns.  If the planning rules could be changed to safeguard the rural areas, he believes that this will ensure that the beauty of the countryside is not tarnished in any way. He states that if any piece of the countryside is to be damaged by erecting these eighteen foot masts for cellular coverage, that he will scrutinize every aspect of the proposals that are sent to the committees offices.  To subside some of the concerns with mobile telecommunication companies not requiring planning permissions to set up their masts, a SCLG spokesperson has added to the debate. The spokesperson states that the local communities will still be able to have control over where masts are going to be located in their area. 

Renewable energy has been a hot topic in the news, worldwide for quite some time. As the amount of natural resources that the world yields is slowly decreasing, something has to be done to keep energy that the world needs, operational. As a result, new renewable forms of energy are being introduced to the general public. One of these renewable sources is solar energy, which will allow us to feed our requirement for energy from the sun.  The British Solar Renewables Company has recently received planning permissions that it needed to be able to build an 11MW PV system at a sheep and llama farm, located in Cornwall, UK. Recent interviews have been conducted to determine what this large project will entail. The sister site of PV-Tech, known as the Solar Power Portal has mentioned its proposals to various media sites.  Solar Power Portal is planning on making a solar farm out of the area that will be comprised of 45000 solar panels, stretching across twenty four hectares. This wide array of panels, is going to provide the owner of the farm with an additional source of income. However, Tim Tripp, the owner of the farm is not going to get rid of his sheep so easily. He plans on leaving a portion of his land set aside, to allow his sheep to continue to graze across its home territory.  Tripp commented on the new project that is set to take place on his land as well. He is thrilled that the solar farm has been given the permissions that they needed to begin the project. Tripp has been a sheep farmer for the past twenty five years, and due to the new solar farm coming to his land, he believes he can continue to work in the sheep business for the next twenty five years. Tripp will also allow his sheep to graze across the solar farm, once it is complete.  The additional income that the farm will be provide will allow the farming business to maintain its daily tasks, ensuring that the future of the farm does not suffer. Tripp is planning on extending his llama trekking, therapy, and educational offerings, which are things that are important to him and his family.  British Solar Renewables is estimating that by building the solar farm in the area, that they will be able to generate a clean form of electricity for roughly three thousand one hundred twenty five households. The managing director for British Solar Renewables, Angus Macdonald, stated that the farm site was chosen based on its location. The area offers a high amount of sun irradiation, which is important for a solar farm. With building the solar farm in the area, Macdonald does not see that the farm will have a visual impact at all.  The developer has promised to minimize the environmental impacts of building the solar farm by focusing their attention on biodiversity. This includes planting five different species of the native hedgerow and some corresponding trees. 

Before the Easter holiday, the Communities and Government Secretary, Eric Pickles, granted powers to local councils so that they could give stop notices to travelers when they try to set up temporary camps. Currently, many gypsies and temporary travelers use loopholes in planning schemes to designates their camps and caravans as their primary residence so that they can avoid paying fines. Pickles pointed out the reason for making this announcement prior to the Easter holiday weekend is that more often than not, travelers take advantage of bank holidays to set up their camps before the holidays on land on which they are not authorised to do so and then apply for retroactive planning permission to remain on these camps once the local councils reopen after the holidays. Local councils often find it difficult to remove travelers from these camps and reluctantly grant these travelers the permission to stay there.  Statistics have shown that in England and Wales the total number of caravans from travelers and gypsy camps grew by 18,383 from 2000 to 2011, an increase of 39 percent.  With the power to issue temporary stop notices, local councils can then take immediate action against travelers in caravans and other temporary “residents”. Travelers can also be fined up to £20,000 and this amount can be increased by an unlimited amount if a stand-off occurs and the case appears before the crown court. Such a violent stand-off occurred at one of the traveler sites at Dale Farm in Essex. Mr. Pickles said that such stand-offs that get brought to court can get drawn out and cause the legal system to become disreputable. He is determined that with this new measure he can avoid such situations in the future. When travelers move into various sites, known as land grabs, they not only breach planning law but they can be there for years with all the protocol that local councils need to go through in order to remove them. In addition, the traveling community can earn a bad name from such incidents and tensions in the local community can be heightened. These new measures will help to ensure that those travelers who break the rules will pay the price for breaking the law and be stopped while those who heed the laws will be supported. In addition to the incident at Dale, there have been other examples of travelers using bank holidays to make their residence, according to the Department for Communities and Local Government.  Last year, over the bank holiday in August, some travelers placed their stake in Essex on a site in Thundersley and later applied for planning permission. It was months before the group was able to be removed, despite protests from hundreds of people in the local community, over a bank holiday in 2009, some travelers moved into a site in South Downs National Park. They also applied for planning permission after they took residence but the legal process took three years before they were able to be evicted.

The local council of Coventry has granted planning permission to refurbish and renovate the Old Grammar School in Hales Street, one of the oldest buildings in the town. It is listed as a Grade 1 building, a designation that means it is on the Statutory List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest, a list that is maintained by the English Heritage in England. The building is primarily designated for public use but the Coventry Transport Museum is looking to spend £8 million to restore the building, which is in a very dilapidated condition, for education, exhibition and event use. The expenditure of these funds still requires approval for the project to move forward. According to the chief executive of the Transport Museum, Gary Hall, the first step in the process of restoring the historic building to what it once was is to get funding. He is pleased, however, that planning permission for the project has been approved but there is still a great deal of work to be done. He added that may know as early as next week as to whether the application for funding that needs to be submitted will be approved and whether the other application for other renovations to the Museum itself will be approved in about four weeks. With the two applications, there will then be sufficient funds for the Museum to renovate and refurbish the Grammar School as well as make significant changes to the Transport Museum. Having received planning permission shows those from whom the Museum expects to get funding that the Museum is serious about going ahead with the project. Once the funding is secured, the renovations are planned to commence in 2014. He added that the contractors still need to be appointed that will be doing the work. Some of the major work that will be done in the Grammar School will be to replace the floor in the main hall of the building and in a small extension so as to allow access for the disabled. A toilet block dating from the 1950s will be demolished and there will be a wide range of repairs done on the first floor, including replacement of the main door into Hales Street. A choir dating from the medieval times will be maintained. Originally dating back to the 12th century, the Grammar School began as a hospital in a different location from where it is now and the church part of the school lasted through the 14th century. At that time, John Hales was able to take it over and he was the one who changed into a Grammar School and decided to name it after King Henry VIII. It was not until 1885 that it moved to where it is currently located in Warwick Road and the building in Hales Street was put up for sale. In 1941, it was badly damaged by a blast and although it was restored in 1962, it was again closed and has not been used in over 20 years.

The government of China, under the auspices of two of its foreign arms is getting into the UK property investment in a big way. The two state bodies are the State Administration of the Foreign Exchange, SAFE and the China Investment Corporation, or CIC. Clearly the China sovereign wealth fund is overflowing to the extent that they are actively diversifying into investment vehicles in the UK property and infrastructure sectors.In January last year the CIC purchased a nine percent holding share  in Thames Water, while in November they picked up Winchester House, the London headquarters of Deutsche Bank It cost them a mere £250 million. The state property firm also took a stake in Songbird Estates, the big development company at Canary Wharf. This was 4 years ago and was it’s first foray into the British property assets sector.In just ten months since it opened for business in the, UK-registered Gingko Tree Investment Ltd, has a bold line of responsibility to SAFE, has poured more than £1 billion into a small number of development areas such as residence halls for students, and whole buildings of office space in the capital and Manchester.In one typical deal the China wealth is being swollen by a 49 percent holding in the Cooperative’s headquarters at number 1 Angel Square. This property was sold last month for £142 million. In on the deal and in an advisory capacity were RREEF Real Estate. They are a subsidiary of Deutsche Bank and took up the Angel square controlling balance of 51 percent. Gingko Tree Investment Ltd hit the investment trail running last May by picking up the Drapers Gardens office suites in the capital, albeit EC2 for £285 million. This was the highest water mark purchase price for a commercial office deal this year and yielding for China around 4.5% so far.Next on their shopping list was the purchase of 40 percent of the country’s biggest builder of student accommodation. Namely the University Partnerships Programme. Gingko paid £550 million for this to Barclays Bank. The other 60 percent went to PGGM, a pension fund based in Holland. University Partnerships Programme, have an impressive portfolio of campus based student halls of residence. Some 28,000 plus rooms and a rental stream of £89 million per annum. Consider too there is little worry about arrears and vacants since students have to pay in advance on a termly basis, with the money taken at source from loans and grants.Gingko Tree became a UK incorporated company in ‘09 and is based in the City of London offices belonging to the People's Bank of China. But why the big yen for UK investment from the BIG YEN? These investment vehicles may at first sight seem relatively less profitable to a western capitalist mind. But from the China sovereign wealth fund perspective they are very solid. The government of China, through these spending arms are clearly showing their intent to hold assets other than American treasury bills or bonds. These assets are definitely yielding relatively more than this as well as spreading risk across different currencies.

Shakespeare was from the West Midlands. But he did go to London to make his fortune. But would he say that a city by any other name can smell as sweet as London? Many overseas property seekers seem to think so. They are heading to Birmingham, the second city in the West Midlands, for their development opportunities, rather than the hyper inflated capital. This is the outstanding headline from a recent survey of real estate trends.If you are a property developer and still standing after the debacle since 2008, you are probably feeling pretty good about just still being in business. Your optimism is justified and according to Price Waterhouse Cooper you are among friends in seeing the growth potential in real estate investment. But as always it is about the location, the price and potential.The latest report, on ‘Emerging Trends in Real Estate Europe 2013’ has been compiled by, the Urban Land Institute (ULI) and Price Waterhouse Cooper, shows that many players in real estate development and property investors from outside the UK are buying up opportunities in the sector here.Many are searching continuously for investment areas and the British Isles, are turning into attractive possibilities. More than half, fifty four percent, of the investors questioned in this survey were of the opinion that the London bubble has expanded to a size where properties are priced beyond the reach of the average developer. So many are searching the market further afield and taking aim at Birmingham and the West Midlands conurbation. PWC’s expert in the region, based in Birmingham itself says, “Real estate investors have taken comfort from the fact that they have survived the turmoil of the past few years and are now turning their attention to the best bets for future investment. There are many reasons to be cheerful for those with access to capital and debt. These businesses are well placed to take advantage of the opportunities that exist in the UK marketplace and, specifically, here in the West Midlands.”Smart developers do not buy at the top of the market and PWC go on to say. “As the London market shows signs of overheating, we have noticed an upturn in interest from inbound investors, including some from the US, who are buying up Midlands-based stock, which is currently held by property holding companies and banks.”The post-crash landscape is unfortunately, for the previous owners, littered with property developments, left stranded in the cash drought. For those more future prepared real estate buyers and those firms with considerable skills in managing such assets can readily earn profit in the marketplace of repossessed assets. But for every borrower there is a lender and there does not seem to be a bottom in sight for many lending institutions are holding asset registers full of distressed properties. This is of course without buyer appeal and instantly recognisable as such by prospective buyers of the smart variety. It is a very much a buyers market.

It’s a definite flashbulb memory, David ‘golden balls’ Beckham in his designer boxer shorts. And then there is another picture for the first family of fashion in the Western World, album. David’s ‘missus’ Victoria in her lingerie. And right up to date we have the prince, young Romeo sporting a trench coat and representing the best of Burberry designs. Romeo Beckham is turning out to be a successor to that other teen idol, Justin Bieber. He is surely the next major fashion icon, as he takes centre stage for Burberry’s upcoming 2013 range and marketing campaign. Beautifully photogenic like his Dad, David has a worthy bearer to pass on his fashion torch to. Maybe when Romeo reaches retirement age, David is approaching the last games of his football career; he will have a portfolio of fashion moments to look back on like this; Being ‘oh so gently’ mocked by no less a personage than the president of the United States, for posing in his underwear for H&M.Getting up close and personal in front of camera with his love interest, almost as famous as him. Remember the Beckhams ‘in flagrante’ photo shoot? ‘Designer brand of the year’ award for Victoria Beckham at the 2012 British Fashion Awards. Wasn’t that one in the eye for all those so-called elite fashionistas? And how about that famous, in matching leather, feature?And who could forget, or perhaps even remember very accurately, the seemingly endless succession of image changing and trend setting hairstyles? Way back at the beginning there was ‘sarong gate’. It hasn’t all been plain sailing and success. Some fashion disasters take on legend status too.So Romeo has a bright future to look forward to too, even if he can’t bend it-like Beckham with a football just yet. Age is clearly on his side when you compare him to his famous peers and parents. His place in the fashion world is assured at 10, while Kate Moss was 30 something. Rosie Huntington-Whiteley was just 21, and Cara Delevingne was 20 when her career took off. Victoria ‘Posh Spice’ Beckham, even, was 26 when she first bursted onto the modelling scene. And are Burberry selling many more trenchcoats to young boys? You bet they are. Does the prince of celebrity even need to bother graduating from school, primary school that is? If charisma is the qualification one needs to succeed in life, young Romeo seems to have already got it made. He has style to spare, thanks to the young sophisticated designer wear provided by the British brand. The Burberry chief creative officer, made a beeline for Romeo. Picking him out of a crowd of paparazzi for what will surely not be his only 15 minutes of fame. Romeo looked like a pro, very much at ease. Clearly, he has fashion in his genes, or should those be jeans? Victoria herself says; “Romeo likes to get involved. He likes to go out in a suit with a bowler hat - he's a real fashion lover."

The National Trust, that guardian of ‘olde worlde’ England, does not like the coalition government’s plans for planning. They have fired a shot across the boughs by declaring that, changes to planning and building regulations, will lead to ‘war in the British countryside’’ between  rural communities and town planners. The charity, that is all about conserving the traditional buildings and gardens of the country, contend that relaxation of planning rules, aimed at getting the construction industry working again, will in fact cause dispute and discord. David Cameron captured the headlines with brave declaration to blow away the red tape in planning and building regulations and therefore speed up the projects that the economy so desperately needs. But the national trust say; "If you start trying to build houses where people don't want them, rural Britain becomes a warfare area, everywhere you go people are fighting applications for development." The government wants to swing the pendulum of permission in favour of housing developments in particular, but also road and rail infrastructure, wind farms and industrial zones. They make a conciliatory nod toward the ‘green’ lobby by adding the caveat, that any new building must be ‘sustainable’. But really this is just a label with no specific guidance as to how development will influence local amenities. Local councils are being pressed to complete their own local development plans by the end of march. They have to clarify their priorities after much consultation. However a survey of these authorities by the National Trust paints a sad picture of ill-preparedness. Around 50% of them will not meet this deadline, and require more time. An imposition of priorities from the centre with a bias towards development will, in the Trust’s opinion, declare a war of words. Again according to the Trust; "It will not produce more housing but just more conflict," he said. "Everyone will spend their time fighting, and fighting, and fighting. We spend our entire time in court". They also contend there has been a "virtual collapse" of effective town and country planning services as they try to come to terms with the changes to the rules on top of budget cuts. The National Trust is a powerful force for lobbying government. It is the largest and most reputable conservation charity in Europe. With 4 million paying members and many million more customers, it can be argued that it has a bigger democratic mandate than the Con Dems. It is not ordinarily a campaigning organisation and that makes it’s comments on the changes to planning law all the more significant. The National Trust does appreciate the dire housing shortage in the country and is therefore all in favour of sensitive development. It points out the sobering fact that there has been significant amounts of planning permission granted.  In fact, over 400 thousand homes in fact, yet many of them have not been started. All the while developers are pressing on to gain as much permission in the temporary window of opportunity afforded by the government attack on ‘red tape’.

If there is one town in the country that probably doesn’t need another art gallery it is St Ives in Cornwall. And yet the council there have given planning permission for a grand £12m projected add on at the Tate in the town. All of the councillors in the famous artists town voted in favour of the project. It does look like a notable project with several new show spaces and art exhibiting services. There will also be educational and community areas at the site on the Porthmeor Beach front. The latest annexe at the rear of Tate St Ives is projected to break ground in the autumn and be opened for business in 2015.Not all the funding streams have yet been finalized. Sponsors like the Heritage Lottery Fund and the Arts Council England have yet to confirm their contributions. The ultimate price for the new gallery is estimated at between £10.5 and £12 million. The design is by in-demand architect Jamie Fobert. There are an existing five hundred square metres of exhibition floor area, divided into 5 individual galleries. The Tate St.Ives gallery and it’s art exhibitors are a major attraction for the town. It is credited with bringing in excess of 200,000 browsers every year. This is estimated to boost the local economy to the tune of over £12 million and the delight of the good burghers of Cornwall Council. It was a formality for Cornwall Council's west sub-area planning committee to give permission for the outline plans. Especially since there were several favourable submissions including a personal one from a St.Ives councillor. The gallery extension will add on enough space for three discrete exhibition areas. It will allow the gallery staff to put on shows and displays all year round. In particular it will support the St Ives Modernists works. The top man at the gallery says; "This is an extremely positive moment for us. We have listened and responded to our community stakeholders. We have a fantastic project with well-designed proposals, reflecting the gallery's rootedness in St Ives and allowing us to continue to build new ways of working for the future." The Mayor of St Ives was particularly delighted by the granting of the planning permission. He says; "We have worked closely with the Tate and they've taken great care to inform the public at every stage. Ever since it opened it has received more visitors than it was designed for so it will be good to see them get the extra space. The added benefit is they won't have to close for re-hanging, which was always frustrating for visitors." In another historic town there is another piece of planning permission news. Skanska are to build a new housing development phase in Long Lane in the south of Cambridge, as part of the Great Kneighton development scheme. There will be 273 ‘Scandinavian’ style homes to blend in with the traditional ambience of the locality. The new housing will be functional, flexible and sustainable, and will incorporate a listed farmhouse.