At Norton Mayfield Architects, we have been lucky enough to have dealt with a number of projects requiring biodiversity protection and net gain ahead of the implementation of the new national BNG policy.  Below I share the benefit of our experience with a delve into the intricacies of the new rules and how might developers look to navigate them on small sites.

Typically, as architects, we have a good sense of what a well lit space should look like and how this can be achieved with good positioning of windows and/or roof lights of the right size and type. However, we are often asked to work on projects where a site is affected by nearby buildings, structures or trees, or restrictions on the size and location of openings, that can have an impact on internal levels of daylight.

On December 6, 2023, a significant change in the planning fee scale was implemented with the primary intention of increasing investment in planning services. Fees increased by 35% for major applications and 25% for other types of applications and crucially, planning applications that have been refused or withdrawn no longer benefit from a ‘free go’.