The government’s consultation on Universal Studios’ request for the grant of planning permission for a new entertainment resort complex in Bedford has come to a close. From a planning consenting perspective the consultation was fairly unusual: the subject of the consultation was for the grant of planning permission for a private commercial scheme by a special development order (SDO) and the consultation itself was part of a bespoke process adopted by the secretary of state for this particular proposal.
In an article for Estates Gazette, Michael Dempsey examines the power and process to make SDOs, the approach to the Universal Studios’ proposal and whether this may be a test case for a potential new consenting route for large-scale commercial schemes.
"The attraction of this consenting route from a 'build baby, build' perspective is one of the reasons why it would be potentially contentious to others."
Michael Dempsey
Partner
Read the full article on Estates Gazette.
