The secretary of state was heavily criticised in the recent High Court judgement to quash his decision to block the redevelopment of Marks & Spencer’s store on Oxford Street. Mrs Justice Lieven held that Michael Gove’s decision was...

Planning analysis: In Marks and Spencer plc v SSLUHC, the High Court quashed the Secretary of State’s decision to block the redevelopment of Marks & Spencer’s (M&S’s) store on Oxford Street, finding that there was no presumption in favour of repurposing and re-using buildings in the...

Martha Grekos on the pull of civic responsibility, City of London regeneration, and getting more women into politics and governance 

I have always believed and participated in meaningful civic engagement – where we, as...

The news that Rachel Maclean has been ousted as housing minister the day before she was due to introduce the government’s Renters Reform Bill to committee sums up the problem with government housing and planning policy at the moment....

Sometimes you are given something so beautiful that words will not do justice to the work. And this is what I feel about Niki Gorick’s photographic book, which illustrates the rich mix of personalities and activities in St Katherine Docks, the Surrey...

Is the government taking the challenges that local planning authorities face seriously? The simple answer is “no”.

I had high hopes this February when the government...

In its October 2021 Net Zero Strategy, the Government said that “devolved and local government play an essential role in meeting national net zero ambitions” because it “is best placed to integrate activity on the ground” and to inspire “action by, local businesses,...

There are many challenges being faced by tall building planning applications in London. One  major challenge is the issues surrounding heritage harm, as evidenced by the recent refusal on 22 September 2023 by the Secretary of State for...

On 13th July 2023, Aldermanic (i.e. Leader of the ward) elections were held in the Castle Baynard Ward. 

The City of London Corporation runs the Square Mile. Not only does the Corporation look after local services such as roads,...

Post pandemic, the City is facing a unique set of challenges. The dual challenge of the impact of  online shopping on our high streets alongside what hybrid working means for office space means that  the City is grappling with a sense of...

The Fleet Street Girls, by Julie Welch, is a marvellous read of the inspiring and evocative story of the female journalists who broke down barriers in the 1970s and 1980s as women moved up the ranks in Fleet Street for the first time.

Julie Welch, the only “girl in the press box”...

Why infrastructure applications will now have to be assessed according to the impact of the housing schemes they would support

A Court of Appeal judgment has reminded planning officers considering...

For International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month 2023, Fleet Street Quarter has announced its campaign to celebrate the Wonder Women of the Fleet Street Quarter area. FSQ asked people to nominate an innovative, inspirational colleague, friend, or family member who works or lives in...

The City of London Law Courts development provides an opportunity to reflect on the sorry state of the rest of the court estate, says Martha Grekos

The construction of a state-of-the-art combined court is under way in the heart of London’s...

The City of London faces a unique set of challenges, with the dual impact of online  shopping on our high streets and hybrid working on our offices. In a way, it is facing an identity crisis.

The identities of places change over...

The Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill was created with the aim to drive local growth, empower leaders to regenerate areas and ensure people across the UK can share in the success.

The Bill intends to improve the planning system...

Martha Grekos has been appointed on the Cambridge Land Economy Advisory Board.

The Cambridge Land Economy Advisory Board was established in 2012 to provide support, and advice to the Department of Land Economy at the University of...

On 24th March 2022, elections for 100 Common Councillors were held across the Square Mile to decide who will represent City workers and residents for the next three years, as we work to rebuild from the pandemic. 

The City of...

Today is a historic day as the business community within Fleet Street Quarter (FSQ) has voted overwhelmingly in favour of establishing a Business Improvement District  (BID) for the area. The area which will now see substantial inward investment and...

New vision launched to create a greener, more welcoming area as London gears up for recovery

A partnership representing businesses across Fleet Street and its environs has launched an ambitious blueprint for enhancing public...

We are delighted to be supporting Crisis At Christmas this year, by volunteering at their Christmas hotels.

2021 has continued to be difficult for lots of us due to the ongoing pandemic. More than ever, we have been reminded how much...

Cities should work for everyone. Everyone living in a city should have access to essential urban services within a 15 minutes walk or bicycle ride from their home. A good place to live, work and spend time where the essentials of daily life are within a gentle...

Thames Freeport will turbocharge the region’s green energy credentials, inject billions into the economy and help level up the region by creating jobs and opportunities for local talent.

Thames Freeport has opened for business and...

An office-led development on Holborn Viaduct has been given the green light by the City of London Corporation. The scheme sits across two levels on Holborn Viaduct and Farringdon Street. The scheme will stand 10 floors tall on Holborn Viaduct and 12 floors on...

Martha Grekos was invited by the Port of London Authority to moderate the annual Thames and London Waterways Forum where more than 100 people came together both in person at the Museum of London Docklands and...

The London Legacy Development Corporation Board and the Mayor of London has appointed Martha Grekos on the London Legacy Development Corporation Planning Decisions Committee. 

The...

The City Corporation’s planning and transportation committee supported the plans by CO-RE for a new 21-storey office development at the former Daily Express building on Fleet Street which will transform this building into a place for social and educational outreach,...

Cities should work for everyone. A good place to live, work and spend time where the essentials of daily life are within a 15-minute walk or cycle ride rather than a drive away: that’s the fundamental principle of the 15-minute...

The Fleet Street Quarter was delighted to hear that plans by Fletcher Priest for a 13-storey office building have been given the green light by City of London’ s Planning and Transport Committee

Martha Grekos, Chair of Public Realm...

The go-ahead has been given for the refurbishment of Northcliffe House, the former Fleet Street home to the offices and printing presses of the Daily Mail newspaper until the late 1980s – sitting within the Whitefriars Conservation Area as a Grade II listed...

Martha Grekos has been shortlisted in the category of 'Entrepreneur of the Year' for the Property Awards 2021. 

The Property Awards, a Property Week event, are the UK’s leading and most prestigious annual awards dedicated to the...

Cities should work for everyone. Everyone living in a city should have access to essential urban services within a 15 minutes walk or bicycle ride from their home. A good place to live, work and spend time where the essentials of daily life are within a gentle...

A business improvement district is a business-led and business-funded body formed to support economic growth in a geographical area and to create a vibrant destination for those who work, visit or live there.

Government legislation...

Today, the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) published a new global guidance on the measurement of development land from purchase to planning, construction and sale. 

The...

The new Local Plan, called City Plan 2036, is a plan for the future development of the City of London, setting out what type of development the City Corporation expects to take place and where. It sets out the City Corporation's vision,...

The Local Government Act 1972 requires councillors to be present to decide applications.

Since 4 April 2020, under emergency legislation, the Coronavirus Act 2020 (section 78), planning committee meetings have been authorised to be...

Martha Grekos, Chair of the Fleet Street Quarter Public Realm & Environment Steering Group, is delighted to announce the exciting news for Fleet Street Quarter with today's planning approval for the new development between Fleet Street and...

In Trent, R (On the Application Of) v Hertsmere Borough Council [2021] EWHC 907 Mrs Justice Lang handed down her decision setting out the consequences of non-compliance of the CIL Regulations by a charging authority.

The...

As a trustee, Martha Grekos was invited to chair the London's Society's event on 'Architecture and Tradition: the buildings and designs of the Inns of Court'. The guest speaker,  Kate Davey, explored the buildings from the 12th century to the 21st century and discussed continuity and...

The two ports which make up Thames Freeport received more new enquiries from businesses looking to relocate to the site this month than at any point in the last decade, following the shortlisting of the bid by the Government on 3 March 2021.

After declaring...

International Women’s Day on 8 March is a world-wide celebration of the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. The day also calls for action for women’s equality.

We are delighted that Kate Willard, Chair of the Thames...

Introduction

Londoners will head to the polls on 6 May 2021 to elect a mayor and 25 London Assembly members. So what planning powers does the Mayor actually have and can he (or maybe a ‘she’ in the future) shape the physical...

Martha Grekos has been appointed as Chair of Fleet Street Quarter Public Realm & Environment Steering Group.

The Fleet Street Quarter Partnership has been established to take a leading role in accelerating a vision that will shape...

A few months into the Covid-19 pandemic, many people started to talk about another pandemic - the 'loneliness pandemic'. The NHS and Red Cross were advising on how to cope with the isolation thrust upon us by the global health crisis and its accompanying lockdown....

Martha Grekos has successfully passed the selection and training by St John Ambulance and Barts Health NHS Trust to be part of their army of Covid-19 vaccination volunteers to help in the effort to get the country back on its feet. She is delighted to be able to help...

It is 20 years since London has had a directly elected Mayor and this book reflects on the setting up, running and workings in the mayor’s office, or as Tony Travers describes his chapters the ‘design’, ‘evolution’ and ‘operation’ - naturally ending with an...

Many of us are currently in the midst of the celebration of Advent, and the 12 days of Christmas which begin on Christmas Day (25th December) and end on Epiphany (6th January) are soon upon us. So what should those involved in planning law and policy need to note and...

Martha Grekos was invited by Chief Executive of Cratus, Nick Kilby, to be part of the webinar 'Our Christmas is Local - a Cratus Special'. 

Special guests included Lord Porter, Theresa Grant, Geeta Nanda, Vikki Slade, Sean Anstee, Gemma Gallant, Chris Blackhurst, Rob Boughton, Mairead...

A small act of kindness at Christmas.

We are delighted to be supporting the Fawcett Society and its Christmas Appeal this year. We are donating to this charity as it shares the same vision as us which is to create true equality for all women and...

Introduction

Covid-19 has been seen by many as an opportunity to transform our way of life and act in a more environmentally conscious way. America now has a President-Elect who is very pro clean energy, wants to deliver net zero by 2050 and has pledged...

On 3rd November 2020, the Court of Appeal dismissed an appeal against the decision of the High Court in Hillside Parks Limited v Snowdonia National Park Authority [2020] EWCA Civ 1440 which considered the question of whether a planning permission for 401 houses...

Intensification and contamination in granting planning permission (Smith v Castle Point Borough)

The issues before the Court of Appeal were whether the local planning authority had failed to consider issues of intensification of use,...

How to interpret planning conditions (DB Symmetry Ltd v Swindon Borough Council)

The question before the court was whether the access roads within the development could only be used by members of the public with...

Martha Grekos has been selected to participate in ‘Innovation Ambassadors’ programme that has been set up by the City of London Corporation. This is an exciting chance to work with fellow colleagues, clients, and new contacts in order...

Martha Grekos was invited by The Architecture Club to be part of their panel series discussing aspects of the Government's Planning White Paper which proposes significant changes to the way planning and therefore design will be administered in the future. The panel...

Martha Grekos has been part of a team drafting guiding principles for freeport proposals. These guiding principles were presented to the Thames Estuary Growth Board by Martha Grekos and were adopted this month. 

The 6 key...

We are delighted to have taken part in the City Giving Day to support the Lord Mayor’s Appeal to raise money for charities and good causes. Like many organisations in the City involved this year, we celebrate and showcase our...

Martha Grekos was a volunteer Steward at the UK Supreme Court for Open House London 2020. 

Open House London looked a little different this year, with a combination of building visits, guided and self-guided walking and cycling...

The High Court case of Norfolk Homes Ltd v North Norfolk District Council [2020] is a useful reminder of the importance of ensuring that when granting a section 73 application, previous section 106 agreements are not to be forgotten. The case suggests that it...

Introduction

The Government has published its long awaited White Paper ‘Planning for the Future’. The political rhetoric of ripping up England’s post-war planning rulebook and replacing it with a...

The prime minister, in his “build build build” speech of 30 June, has indicated a radical overhaul of the planning system, with the objective of ensuring speed, national infrastructure delivery and further deregulation to stimulate economic growth. The perception is...

Martha Grekos has been appointed by the Thames Estuary to their Growth Board. 

The Government-backed Thames Estuary is the UK’s number one growth opportunity. Full details of how the Growth...

This week Boris Johnson promised us the biggest planning system shake-up since the Second World War to help kick-start the economy. The announcement is still thin on detail, and a planning policy paper on this is expected later on this month. However, the radical...

Reforms have been proposed in The Business and Planning Bill which was introduced to the House of Commons on 25 June 2020. The planning reforms proposed in this Bill are in Part III.

The Bill provides that the permission extension...

Bias in planning has again been highlighted, but this time in a spectacular fashion that has caused a bit of a stir not just in the world of planning, but now on a national political platform too.

The Secretary of State for Housing had granted planning...

The link between good planning and good health is unequivocal. The quality of the built and natural environment has a significant impact on health and wellbeing.

Considering the health implications of a particular development is not new to the planning world....

The retention of the Green Belt continues to be a huge issue for councils and communities across the country, as it is an issue that councillors face regularly on the doorsteps of their electorate. Combine that with the UK crisis of housing supply and a call to...

This is a very beautiful photographic book. Niki artistically captures the vibrancy and diversity of faiths in the City of London through a collection of photographs of over 200 visits to most of the City’s places of worship.

The mention of “Faith in the City...

Martha Grekos, along with Stephen Hammond MP, Councillor Peter John OBE and Joanna Rowelle of Arup, was part of a webinar panel organised by Cratus discussing how to move London out of lockdown. Issues focused on whether development can jump start the London economy...

Martha Grekos, along with Richard Bowser, a veteran investor and editor of Property Investor News, which is one of the leading magazines for landlords across the country, provided advice for investors in their respective fields for how they can adapt to the current...

In early April, regulations were drawn up to change the time, frequency and location of all local authorities planning meetings so as to allow for local governance to become virtual. Across London, there have been differing responses. Some councils, such as the Royal...

Introduction

The Covid-19 pandemic has meant that the planning system has had to adapt quickly to meet the demands of the ‘new normal”. So what have been the immediate implications for the planning system and what are...

Martha Grekos gave her first virtual seminar conference as a speaker from her study at home to over 150 participants during the Covid-19 pandemic. This was with RICS, who for the first time ever put on the whole London CPD virtually. The day event was extremely...

Gentrification is a divisive and tainted term. It was coined by UCL academic Ruth Glass in 1964 while studying the movement of people in Islington. In her work London: Aspects of Change she described how the social character of many urban areas of London has changed,...

An interview by Marie-Gabrielle Williams. Stephen Morgan, barrister at Landmark Chambers, and Martha Grekos, barrister at Martha Grekos Legal Consultancy, discuss Policy Exchange’s report on ‘Rethinking the Planning System for the 21st Century’ (the Report). They...

It was Friday 13th and it was indeed unlucky for the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan. The Mayor received a letter from the Housing Secretary, Robert Jenrick, ordering him not to publish the London Plan in its current state, directing that a series of modifications need to...

Can you use a section 73 application to vary a planning consent when the changes to conditions you are seeking also entail a change to the description of development on the previous permission?

The answer, according to the Court of Appeal...

Who are the women working in and around planning who are having an impact - both on individual planners, teams and organisations; and on planning policy and practice? The Planner has listed its Women of Influence for 2020. Every year for International Women's Day, the...

Martha Grekos has been appointed as one of the panel members to judge the Property Awards 2020. The Property Awards, a Property Week event, are the UK’s leading and most prestigious annual awards dedicated to the full spectrum of the commercial property industry. In...

Introduction

Background

The Court of Appeal was required to consider whether the Divisional Court was wrong to conclude that the Government’s policy in favour of the development of a third runway at Heathrow was produced...

The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has set out plans to boost diversity in London’s infrastructure sector, as a new report commissioned by City Hall revealed women, people from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) backgrounds, disabled and LGBTQ Londoners are...

A recent Court of Appeal ruling on housing land supply highlights the fact that local authorities enjoy some latitude in exercising their planning judgment on whether a site can be considered to be 'deliverable', say legal experts.

Last month, the Court of...

The Next 100 Years is a project from the team behind the First 100 Years  dedicated to achieving equality for women in law.

 Over the next decade, they want to accelerate the pace of change by encouraging collaboration across the profession, improving...

The draft London Plan’s examination in public raised awkward questions about its blanket ban on green belt development.

Following the public examination of the draft London Plan in 2019, the inspectors reached an “inescapable conclusion”: if London’s...