PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT APPLICATIONS AND MAJOR INFRASTRUCTURE CONSENTS

March and August 2024 Medworth Energy from Waste Combined Heat and Power Facility, Fenland District Council (FDC)

This involved two short commissions: providing advice on JR options following a thorough review of relevant Examination documentation (subsequently used in an unsuccessful JR); and, providing FDC’s formal response to the promoter’s subsequent Correction Order.

September 2020 – December 2023 Lower Thames Crossing, Thurrock Council

For two years operating as Deputy Project Director in assessing all NH proposals, coordination and attending all consultation and technical engagement and preparing and coordinating technical responses to NH and for the Council. For all of 2023, preparing the Council’s Business Case for funding (under its S114 Notice) for continuing its engagement with PINS and NH during the Examination. During 2023 he became Project Director of all Council involvement in the Examination from April 2023 until December 2023, including coordinating and preparing key parts of all 31 main submissions, responding to all relevant ExA Questions, leading and attendance at some 20 Issue Specific, Compulsory Acquisition and some Open Floor Hearings, S106 and all CPO negotiations and all liaison with the Examining Authority.

July 2018 – March 2020 Lower Thames Crossing, National Highways (NH)

Assisting the External Affairs team as the frontline of all NH external consultation and technical engagement and responsible for such engagement and meetings with the six directly affected local authorities (Kent CC, Gravesham BC, Medway Council, Essex CC, LB Havering and especially Thurrock Council). Undertook preparation of key technical papers for NH decisions, led on all external consultee meetings and provided key advice to the external affairs team of 15 staff, including liaison with all other sections of the NH LTC team.

Thames Tideway Tunnel

A new 20-mile long storage and transfer tunnel for wastewater (Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP)) that gained development consent in September 2014 after a four year consultation, Development Consent application and finally Examination process.
The project has won a number of prestigious awards including: ‘RTPI Silver Jubilee Cup Winner in 2015’.

Chris, as Planning Manager, led a team of town planners responsible for the relationship with the local authorities in the western section of the route (five local authorities and ten key sites), including the Leaders, Members and other pan-London stakeholders. The process involved five stages of consultation from the early design phase through to the submission of the application for development consent, with integration on site selection, engineering and architectural design, environmental impact, property issues and impact mitigation throughout. He was responsible for negotiating 5no Statements of Common Ground, Section 106 Agreements (5no) and several Property and Asset Protection Agreements with western local authorities and other stakeholders; and he prepared, with his team, the documentation used during each stage of consultation and for the submission of the application for development consent and reviewing other DCO documents. He was responsible for co-representing the project’s technical and coordinating interface with Vauxhall Nine Elms Battersea regeneration area.

Subsequently, in the delivery set up stage he has delivered early works consents, ongoing key stakeholder involvement, Main Contract development, development of further stakeholder Agreements and continued and detailed involvement in Nine Elms Regeneration area.

Since November 2014, he was appointed as Stakeholder& Consents Manager (West) commencing in January 2015 responsible for managing 12 staff (covering the fields of planning, environment, third party infrastructure, communications and property/compensation) and was part of the Tideway West management team of 7 senior staff. This management team is responsible for assurance of the West contract of £450m, in particular assisting the West Joint Venture Contractor teams. He undertook this full time role for 2 years in the crucial period of main works contractor start up and the initial period of key consents, implementing the DCO that he had helped secure.

Then, in January 2017 he transferred that role and undertook the role of Stakeholder & Consents Advisor. This role is responsible largely for troubleshooting, strategic local authority liaison, representing Tideway at all community events, advice on compensation and communications, dealing with key issues and key stakeholders and overall team advice.

National Institute for Research into Aquatic Habitats (Nirah)

We led the team that secured outline planning consent for an International Visitor Destination (including all ancillary facilities) and Science Research Park in Bedford during 2006 over one year. The multi-disciplined team of planners, architects, engineers and transport, environmental and energy specialists prepared a planning application strategy and the outline planning application, including a Planning Statement, Design & Access Statement, Environmental Statement, Transport Assessment and Travel Plan Statement, Energy Statement and the Report of Community Involvement. The local planning authority were minded to approve the application in October 2007, but complex S106 negotiations have delayed formal approval. However, the S106 was signed and outline planning consent granted on 23 September 2009, which enabled the project to move forward to its financing and implementation stage.

The 90ha application site was a brick-making clay pit south of Bedford, with an associated Bus Shuttle Park located on a separate 30ha landfill site. Key issues included alternative strategic sites assessment, complex and onerous site history, scale and type of development, planning policy compliance and promoting benefits of the proposed development.

BSkyB Headquarters

We led the team that secured both Outline Planning consent for the overall masterplan for BSkyB’s 8.5ha headquarters campus in Osterley, west London and full planning consent for the first main building (22,000 sq. metres), during 2005 and 2006. The commission included the preparation of the planning application strategy and the Outline Planning application, covering a Planning Statement, Design & Access Statement, Environmental Statement, Transport Assessment and Travel Plan Statement, Energy Statement, Construction Method Statement and Report of Community Involvement. The application involved over 70,000 sq. metres of new and retained floorspace, including several large new buildings. Key issues included ensuring planning policy compliance, attention to scale of development and height of buildings, transport impact and parking, public transport accessibility and energy and sustainability. The negotiation of the S106 Agreement was completed.

The work was undertaken by a multi-disciplined team of planners, transport planners and engineers, environmental, energy and utility specialists and architects over 18 months, including negotiations with the London Borough of Hounslow. Regular meetings with the client, including the CEO and senior officers of BSkyB and with the Chief Planner and senior officers of the London Borough of Hounslow.

Subsequently in 2010, as part of the overall Masterplan, the Arup design for the new BSkyB HQ was shortlisted as one of four in the World Architecture Awards.

London Sustainable Industries Park and Institute for Sustainability (IoS), Thames Gateway

We led a small team that provided input into the wider reports on the London Sustainable Industries Park at Dagenham Dock and the Institute for Sustainability in the Thames Gateway in December 2008. The work involved a review of planning policy (national, regional and local) as it applies to the area/site and then a review of options and a ‘route map’ to delivering planning consent for both projects. This involved a review of the then decision making processes, researching a detailed planning history of the area, proposing planning application options and recommendations for the way forward. The work was used to develop more detailed proposals for both projects.

Shellhaven Planning Appeal Document Review and Evidence Preparation

We led a team of planners, transport and environmental specialists undertaking the review, during 2002, of the Outline Planning application, Transport & Works Act Order (TWAO) and Harbour Empowerment Order for the redevelopment of the former 582ha Shell Haven Oil refinery and associated refinery expansion land, termed ‘London Gateway’. Redevelopment provided for a major road (and rail) linked logistics and commercial centre, including 1 million sq. metres of warehousing, general and light industrial development and ancillary uses; the provision of new railways and relocation of existing railway lines to carry freight to serve the commercial development; and, creation of a new deepwater port and roll-on roll-off terminal.
This commission culminated in a full report to Thurrock Borough Council evaluating all the issues, including a summary of priorities. Subsequently, we led the preparation of Statements of Case for the appeal against non-determination and for the TWAO; reports to Committee for Thurrock Borough Council; and, the preparation of evidence for the Council’s Planning witness.

This project, termed ‘London Gateway', was subsequently approved and commenced construction in 2011/2012. It has since commenced operations and the £1.5bn project will be fully completed over time.

Channel Tunnel Rail Link (High Speed 1)

Chris Stratford, (Director of HPC) was the Deputy Manager from 1997 - 1999, as part of a 30 staff team, responsible for gaining all c. 500 planning and heritage consents for CTRL within the agreed programme. This included extensive consultations with the client, 10 local planning authorities, English Heritage, Environment Agency, local community groups, statutory authorities, highway authorities and parish councils. Specific work covered management of the teams for the St. Pancras and Kent areas and the project’s relationship with the Environment Agency.

Channel Tunnel

From 1987 – 1991, Chris Stratford (Director of HPC) was part of the team responsible for the preparation of planning and technical submissions to obtain consents to complete the project programme for the UK terminal at Folkestone. This included extensive consultations with the client and the various contractors, local planning authorities, Government departments, English Heritage, Environment Agency, local community groups, statutory authorities, highway authorities and parish councils.

Specific work covered the preparation of a report on the consent requirements (planning and development) of all relevant legislation for the project, preparation of summary context documents, the preparation of submissions for consent and monitoring of the database.