Planning - passivehouseplus.co.uk

More UK councils adopt passive house standard

Local authorities across the UK are starting to embrace the passive house standard by formally encouraging its use in their planning policies and local area plans. This follows confirmation from the government last year that councils were entitled to set higher building energy efficiency standards locally than is mandated by Part L of the building regulations.

Planning granted for new passive house in listed parkland

Casa Architects has achieved NPPF 55 statusfor the development of a new passive housein a listed parkland near Frome, Somerset.NPPF 55, recognised as one of the mostdifficult planning applications to achieve, setsstrict planning restrictions to allow only trulyoutstanding or innovative architecture of thevery highest quality and standard to be built in the English countryside.

Social Climber

Fingal Council Housing pushes up energy standards
With some of the most impressive moves toward sustainability over the last few years coming in the form of planning requirements, it should come as no surprise that many local authorities are pioneering energy efficient housing in their own housing stock. Jason Walsh visited a site in Oldtown, County Dublin, to see how Fingal County Council is putting sustainability into practice with help from Keenan Timber Frame, Ecological Building Systems, Nutech Renewables and others

Renewal of inner city areas left high and dry

Dublin City Council's decision to grant permission for a high-rise cluster in Ballsbridge has no real basis in planning policy, writes Frank McDonald .

Rock of Cashel houses allowed to remain

A DEVELOPER who built 52 holiday homes close to the Rock of Cashel has been granted "retention planning permission" for 32 of the houses.

Developer appeals Causeway rejection

Developer Seymour Sweeney is appealing against the planning refusal for his controversial Giant's Causeway visitor centre scheme, it can be revealed today. The move opens the way for another round in one of the most high-profile battles ever waged in Northern Ireland's planning system.

First oral hearing under new fast-track planning system opens

The first public hearing to be conducted under a new fast-track planning process for major infrastructural developments will begin today.

A €500 million gas terminal at the Shannon estuary in Co Kerry is the first project to be advanced to An Bord Pleanála oral hearing stage under the new Strategic Infrastructure Act.

Macroom Mayor tackles eco minister on SAC delay to bypass

THE Mayor of Macroom delivered a sharp message to the visiting Minister for the Environment last week to fast-track through the new section of the proposed bypass road to replace a former section controversially declared a special area of conservation (SAC) by the Minister during the summer.

Council putting 250 jobs at risk, says Cashel developer

The row over the threatened demolition of 52 holiday homes overlooking the Rock of Cashel in Co Tipperary escalated yesterday when the builder accused the county council of a "blunder" which is putting 250 jobs at risk.

Cork Council takes legal action against quarry operators

THE owners of a quarry alleged to be illegal have been told to halt all operations. Cork County Council has initiated legal proceedings against the operators of a large quarry at Curraglass, near Conna.

Green light for major Enniscrone development

PLANS for a major housing development in the West Sligo seaside resort of Enniscrone, which attracted some intense local opposition and critical observations from a number of public bodies, have been approved by the board members of An Bord Pleanala.

Limerick Civil Trust

Construct Ireland tracked down the busy director of Limerick Civil Trust to talk about the sterling work already done, current projects and to ponder the implications of recent FAS cutbacks.

Telling it Like it is

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Iain Douglas, President of the Irish Planning Institute reveals his views on the state of planning in Ireland, and the factors which could not only damage the environment in Ireland, but also cause social segregation, and aid unsustainable development across Ireland

Heritage and Development

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When the two worlds of heritage and development collide opinions frequently become polarised and fraught with difficulty. There are few more vexed issues, as Tim Carey, Heritage Officer with Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council reveals

Planning for the Future

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A marked lack of adequate central government action to promote sustainable house building in Ireland has been recently counteracted by planning authorities such as Fingal County Council taking action into their own hands, and setting standards geared to protect their constituents in an oil and gas scarce future. However, as sustainable building consultant Will Woodrow discovered from surveying planning authorities around the country, local government willingness is not always met with a full grasp of the issues needed to make sustainable housing happen.

Force of Nature

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In this adapted extract from his new book Natural Building: A Guide to Materials and Techniques, seminal eco architect Professor Tom Woolley outlines some of the reasons why natural building is necessary.

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