Latest news about our work, and industry insights

We always end the year with a big thank you to all our clients and associates and wish them a prosperous New Year. Never has that been more appropriate than 2020. We, like many others, were swift to adapt to this year's new challenges so we were able to ensure business continuity across all our disciplines. Unfortunately, we were not able to celebrate our 15th anniversary in the ways we had intended, so let's hope we get to celebrate our 'sweet sixteen' with you all instead in 2021 !

Ipswich Borough Council voted unanimously today to grant planning permission for Plutus's proposed development of 173 new homes with A1-A5 commercial units on land adjacent to the River Orwell in Ipswich town centre. Entran worked with Mountford Piggott architects and Iceni planning to secure positive recommendations on transport, air quality and noise. The scheme includes a new footway/cycleway to provide the missing link between the station and the marina area. 

Last night, LB Barnet granted planning permission for Montreaux's proposed 204 new homes and discount foodstore in Friern Barnet. After initial objections from TfL and the local highway authority, Entran worked with Assael Architects and CBRE Planning to secure a positive recommendation from officers which, after some debate, was endorsed by members of the planning committee.

Mansfield Council has granted planning permission for 73 flats and 9 new townhouses on an edge-of-centre site in Mansfield, previously occupied by the Bombardier factory. Entran worked with Hybrid Planning and Development to secure permission for these new homes.

This week Richard Fitter gave evidence as an expert witness at his (and most others') first online S73 Public Inquiry. There were the usual technical glitches that we have all become familar with in 2020 but the process generally ran very smoothly. Being cross-examined by a barrister and addressing your responses to the Inspector is very different via MS Teams than it is in person. It will be interesting to see whether PINS continue to conduct some appeals using this process once things get back to 'normal'.  We eagerly await the decision! [APP/P1560/W/20/3256190] 

Last August we were successful at appeal, making the case that planning applications should not be refused on the basis of 'any increase' in traffic (see Entran News Aug 19). This week we received planning permission from PINS for another site in the same Borough. We made an almost identical argument and received a consistent decision from the Inspector. In both cases the Inspector agreed with us that although the existing historic road layout did not conform to modern standards, the modest increase in traffic would not cause harm to highway safety [3254159]