Pushing for real reform
The pandemic was a game changer for the central/local government relationship, says Joanne Roney, who has started her two-year stint as president of Solace.
Councils urged to update their Local Plans
20/01/2021 A small number of councils are failing to keep their Local Plans up-to-date, the housing minister has warned. |
Controversial statues to require planning permission before removal
18/01/2021 Individuals who want to remove any historic statue will now require listed building consent or planning permission, Robert Jenrick has announced. |
Coalition publishes new vision for planning reforms
15/01/2021 The Government has been urged to rethink its ‘damaging’ reforms to the planning system and put people, climate and nature at its heart by a coalition of 18 organisations. |
Could safe pedestrianisation secure a greener more prosperous future after COVID?
13/01/2021 Deborah Ainscough discusses the potential benefits of temporary pedestrianisation for local authorities and the safety considerations for pedestrianisation planning. |
Report finds data problems in Brownfield Land Registers
12/01/2021 More than 348,000 homes could be built on unregistered brownfield land, an investigation has revealed. |
Top 100: Our most popular local government stories of 2020
16/12/2020 Although the dispute over council pay caused the most stir in the local government sector this year, the impact of dealing with the pandemic obviously dominated the headlines as well. |
Jenrick announces revised plan for housing algorithum
16/12/2020 The Government has announced a raft of new measures in an attempt to provide much-needed homes in urban areas and on brownfield sites. |
Developers yet to apply for planning permission for over a million homes, councils find
11/12/2020 Developers have failed to seek planning permission for more than a million homes on land earmarked for development by councils, according to new research. |
Thousands of councillors call for rethink on planning reforms
10/12/2020 Over 2,000 councillors have called on the Government to rethink its planning proposals, warning the changes will lead to an ‘unacceptable loss’ of local democracy and scrutiny. |
Jenrick outlines fast track planning service for public buildings
04/12/2020 Councils will have a legal duty to make decisions on new schools and hospitals within 10 weeks under reforms to the planning system. |
London boroughs accused of ‘optimism bias’ on housing targets
04/12/2020 London could face a 86,000 shortfall of new homes over the next decade due to 'over optimistic projections', new research has argued. |
Shops to open longer in run up to Christmas
01/12/2020 Retailers will be able to extend their daily opening hours from Monday to Saturday in the run up to Christmas and through January, the communities secretary has announced. |
Garden communities – context and complexities
27/11/2020 David Churchill warns the Local Plan process could potentially cripple the delivering of ambitious long-term development projects. |
Future affordable housing must deliver big on space
25/11/2020 Local authorities are under pressure to deliver more affordable housing but while the focus is largely on quantity, this shouldn’t come at the expense of quality, writes Jonathan Pearson. |
Planning reforms could be a ‘set-back’ for affordable homes, survey warns
11/11/2020 The majority of social landlords (85%) have warned the Government’s planning reforms will lead to less social and affordable housing, according to the results of a new survey. |
Homes England funding rule undermines ‘levelling-up agenda’
02/11/2020 A disproportionate amount of Government funding for housing is being given to the UK’s most affluent areas, a property consultancy firm has calculated. |
Councils urged to approve more self-build homes
30/10/2020 Councils should grant enough planning permission to meet local demand for self-build, the Government has said today. |
Why digitising the planning process is a gamechanger
26/10/2020 There is a strong need for digital technology in planning to make it more efficient, speed up the process and de-risk decisions, argues Alex Tosetti. |
Taking planning and building control to the cloud
22/10/2020 Elena White explains how Isle of Anglesey County Council has been utilising the cloud to transform its planning and building control applications. |
Calls for collaboration to fill the ‘strategic planning void’
21/10/2020 Closer collaboration between councils, health bodies and businesses could ‘reinvigorate strategic planning’ a new report has argued. |
Capacity for 1.3 million homes on brownfield land, campaigners reveal
21/10/2020 There is enough brownfield land to deliver 1.3 million new homes, new analysis has revealed. |
Welsh councils given new powers to buy empty homes
16/10/2020 Councils in Wales will be allowed to compulsory purchase empty houses and vacant land under new planning rules. |
Housebuilders call to raise threshold for affordable homes
15/10/2020 Raising the affordable homes threshold would help boost smaller developments, the National Federation of Builders (NFB) has argued. |
Automatic planning
13/10/2020 The new reforms mean local authorities need to mobilise, but is this what’s really required? Paul Beaney reports. |
Community involvement in local planning - why Local Plans hold the answer
12/10/2020 Alex Yedigaroff argues the planning white paper presents a great opportunity for local authorities to promote the importance of Local Plans to their communities. |
The impacts of planning reform on employment land
08/10/2020 Where will the recent and proposed reforms to the planning system take us? Stuart Hardisty reports. |
Planning reforms risk delivery of affordable homes, council chiefs warn
07/10/2020 Communities could have missed out on 30,000 affordable homes in the past five years if proposed Government planning reforms were in place, local leaders warn. |
Jenrick: Permitted Development Right homes must meet space standards
01/10/2020 All new homes in England delivered through any Permitted Development Right (PDR) must meet space standards, the housing secretary Robert Jenrick yesterday announced. |
Planning proposals will 'disempower' councils
28/09/2020 The Lib Dems have used their autumn conference to warn that the Government’s planning proposals will ‘disempower’ councils. |
Tens of thousands of homes built after ‘bypassing’ planning system
23/09/2020 The Government’s approach to regulating the quality of new homes is ‘broken’, campaigners say as a new study argues that tens of thousands of homes have legally avoided the planning system. |
Councils warn of 'housebuilding fiasco'
15/09/2020 New government housing targets will lead to a north-south divide in England, the Local Government Association (LGA) has warned. |
Four in ten homes granted planning permission go unbuilt, research shows
04/09/2020 The backlog of unbuilt homes that have been granted planning permission has grown by 100,00 in the last year, new research has revealed. |
Mayor of Liverpool quashes zip wire plan
03/09/2020 The mayor of Liverpool has intervened to stop a plan to build a zip wire that would have ended at Liverpool Central Library. |
MPs call for evidence to support ‘suburban renaissance’
18/08/2020 The cross-party Suburban Taskforce has today launched a public ‘Call for Evidence’ to help chart a course towards what it describes as a ‘suburban renaissance’ across the country. |
Funding boost for neighbourhood planning groups
10/08/2020 Grants to neighbourhood planning groups in urban and deprived areas has nearly doubled, the Government has announced. |
Reforms to fast-track local plans
06/08/2020 Councils will face sanctions unless they draw-up local plans within 30 months under government proposals to overhaul the planning system. |
Councils urged to tackle corruption in the planning process
03/08/2020 Councils across England need to improve the way they manage the risk of corruption in the planning process, Transparency International UK has warned. |
Following Orders: five actions necessary for DCOs
29/07/2020 Matthew Spry and Nicki Mableson argue that approving large housing schemes under a Development Consent Order will need clear guidance. |
Majority of councils lack expertise to deal with flood risk, survey reveals
28/07/2020 Local authorities are facing a critical shortage of the expertise needed to plan for climate change, a new survey has found. |
New design toolkit to create 'healthy housing'
24/07/2020 New design guidance to ensure housing developments create healthier communities has been launched. |
Will ‘Build Build Build’ help construct council housing?
20/07/2020 Will ' Project Speed' helps councils to build more housing? Paul Butterworth reports. |
Planning system is failing housing for the elderly, report finds
14/07/2020 The vast majority of housing-with-care planning applications are speculative, new research has revealed. |
Planning reforms to boost renewable energy
14/07/2020 Planning rules have been relaxed to make it easier to build large batteries to store renewable energy from solar and wind farms. |
Planning changes to protect theatres and music venues
13/07/2020 New planning rules to protect theatres, concert halls and live music performance venues from being demolished or redeveloped will come into effect next week. |
It’s time to get building
10/07/2020 Arshad Bhatti explains how airspace can help hit affordable housing targets. |
Planning reforms present 'dangers' for disabled peopled, Lord Holmes warns
07/07/2020 The relaxation of planning rules poses 'serious dangers' for disabled people, Lord Holmes has warned. |
MPs refuse to back down on Westferry
01/07/2020 MPs have refused to accept the Prime Minister’s attempts to close down questions over Robert Jenrick’s decision on the Westferry Printworks planning application. |
Approval for Huawei’s £1bn research centre
26/06/2020 Approval has been given to Huawei's new research and development centre in Swaston, Cambridge. |
Planning rules relaxed to support outdoor dining
26/06/2020 The Government has temporarily lifted planning rules to allow pubs, restaurants and cafes to serve customers outdoors. |
Council criticised over loss of bat habitat
25/06/2020 Warwick District Council failed to consider bat habitats when approving a new development, an ombudsman has found. |
Calls for a flexible zoning system to end housing crisis
23/06/2020 A flexible zoning system would help build more homes in the UK and end the housing crisis, a new report has argued. |
Whitehall extends planning permission deadlines
22/06/2020 The Government has extended planning permission deadlines to ensure hundreds of construction projects do not run out of time during the pandemic. |
Council planning powers under threat
08/06/2020 Planning powers could be shifted from local authorities to development corporations as part of an economic stimulus package to be announced by Prime Minister Boris Johnson later this month. |
Council apologises for 'oversight' on processing 5G mast planning applications
28/05/2020 Sheffield City Council has apologised after failing to process planning applications for three 5G masts in time. |
Westferry Printworks scheme quashed after Jenrick accused of 'bias'
27/05/2020 The Government has agreed to revoke planning permission for the former Westferry Printworks on the Isle of Dogs after being accused of bias towards the developer. |
Rejection for two out of three garden communities in Essex
21/05/2020 Proposals for two new garden communities put forward by three district councils have been rejected by the Planning Inspectorate. |
Securing the best sites for future development
15/05/2020 Katja Stille explains why a more strategic approach is needed for site allocation. |
Councillors show support for remote planning consultations
23/04/2020 Nearly two-thirds of councillors are concerned about the impact Covid-19 will have on planning applications, a new survey has revealed. |
Councils report tensions over Public Right of Way
22/04/2020 A new survey has found 90% of councils have reported increasing tensions between landowners and the public over right of way. |
Planning for planning reform
14/04/2020 Karen Cooksley outlines the three proposals for planning reform that will have the most impact on local authorities and why they require further scrutiny. |
Video conferencing first at council meeting
02/04/2020 A council used software to help decide key planning applications in what is believed to be the first meeting of its kind in the country. |
Building beautiful
31/03/2020 Edward Nash argues the challenge of embracing beauty is an opportunity for communities. |
Councils to be fully funded for coronavirus costs
18/03/2020 Councils in England will be fully funded for implementing measures to tackle the coronavirus pandemic, the chancellor has confirmed. |
Inspector rejects planning appeal over obesity concerns
13/03/2020 A government planning inspector has supported a council’s policy of restricting new hot food takeaways in areas of high obesity by rejecting a planning appeal made by KFC. |
Jenrick outlines new proposals to reform planning process
12/03/2020 Developers will be able to demolish vacant buildings and turn them into new homes more quickly, under new proposals published today. |
Jenrick orders council to go ahead with 28,500 homes despite local objections
05/03/2020 An Oxfordshire council has said it is ‘disappointed’ by the Government’s decision to order the local authority to build thousands of new homes. |
Study reveals eight-year ‘time lag’ in delivery of large housing sites
26/02/2020 Large housing sites of 2,000-or-more take on average eight years to deliver their first home from submitting the initial planning application, study reveals. |
Environment Agency chief executive calls for more flood resilience
25/02/2020 A new ‘twin track’ approach focused on better flood protection and resilience is needed to deal with the climate emergency, the chief executive of the Environment Agency says. |
Time for planning appeals 'halved' since Rosewell Review
19/02/2020 The time taken to make decisions on planning appeals has halved since the publication of the Rosewel Review a year ago. |
Councils demand extra planning powers
19/02/2020 Councils have called on the Government to use its White Paper to give them powers to take action on unbuilt land that has planning permission. |
Cambridgeshire's new modular neighbourhood gets the green light
14/02/2020 Plans to build a new Fenland village and take forward the second phase of a new town in Cambridgeshire have been approved. |
Council criticises proposed Holocaust memorial on environmental grounds
12/02/2020 Plans for a Holocaust memorial next to the Houses of Parliament contravenes planning rules on size, design and location, city council says. |
Council stops Bristol Airport expansion
11/02/2020 North Somerset Council has rejected a planning application to expand Bristol Airport due to concerns over its impact on the environment. |
Permitted development ‘doesn’t work’ and needs an overhaul, architects say
10/02/2020 Permitted development requirements should be extended to ensure new buildings contribute to the wellbeing of residents, an architectural firm has said. |
Council ‘disappointed’ by decision to grant traveller camp planning permission
06/02/2020 East Herts Council has said that it is ‘extremely disappointed’ by the decision of a planning inspector to grant permission for travellers to remain on land where they set up an unauthorised camp. |
Councils to fast track 'beautiful buildings'
30/01/2020 Councils will be encouraged to speed up the planning process for ‘beautiful buildings’ through a new ‘Fast Track for Beauty’ rule. |
New guidelines are failing to boost number of homes, research finds
24/01/2020 Measures designed to boost housebuilding by councils have actually had the opposite effect, according to planning consultants’ Lichfields. |
Councils 'coming up short' in helping self-builders, say campaigners
22/01/2020 Campaigners have accused some councils of using 'dirty tricks' to stop people from building their own home. |
Council abandons joint housing plan after inspectors question its ‘soundness’
20/01/2020 A third west of England council has voted to withdraw from a joint regional plan for housing and growth. |
Think tank warns red tape is ‘strangling’ the high street
17/01/2020 National planning guidelines and local plans are failing to revitalise the high street, a new report by a think tank has warned. |
Former housing minister warns of ‘a new generation of slum housing’
16/01/2020 A former housing minister has warned that national planning policy needs ‘a radical rethink’ in order to promote the wellbeing of communities. |
Council approves £1m transit traveller site
16/01/2020 Wolverhampton Council has approved plans for a new transit site for the traveller and gypsy community. |
Rutland approves its first ever McDonald’s
15/01/2020 Rutland will no longer be the only county in England not to have a McDonald’s, after councillors approved plans for new restaurant on the outskirts of Oakham. |
Over 1,000 ancient woodlands at risk from ‘built development’, charity says
15/01/2020 The number of ancient woods under threat in the UK from built development has topped the thousand mark for the first time in two decades, charity warns. |
Council chiefs call for permitted development right to be ‘scrapped’
13/01/2020 Local authority leaders have warned that communities are potentially losing out on thousands of affordable homes due to office conversions which bypass local planning offices. |
Council ‘vows’ to defend local plan
09/01/2020 Sevenoaks District Council has vowed not to withdraw its draft local plan despite continued pressure from the planning inspector who they accuse of ‘ignoring evidence’. |
Council aims to make York city centre ‘car free’
02/01/2020 York city centre could become a ‘car free’ zone as part of a council effort to make the city carbon neutral by 2030. |
Welsh government bans combustible cladding
23/12/2019 Welsh government has banned the use of combustible cladding on high rise buildings following the Hackitt review into fire safety after the Grenfell tragedy. |
Maximising the benefits of One Public Estate
18/12/2019 Donna Heath says a new approach to construction could help boost the outcomes of the Government’s One Public Estate programme. |
Garden Communities set to deliver over 400,000 homes
09/12/2019 Garden city developments are set to deliver over 400,000 new homes, the equivalent to a city the size of Birmingham, new research has revealed. |
£131m sea defences given the go-ahead
05/12/2019 Permission for sea defences in Portsmouth has been granted in what has been described as an ‘important milestone’ for the city's flood protection measures. |
Planning system is ‘failing’ children’s rights, says report
29/11/2019 The planning system is neglecting the rights and needs of children, a new report has warned today. |
Sunderland receives £100m ‘vote of confidence'
22/11/2019 Sunderland City Council’s city centre masterplan has received a massive boost from a £100m deal with Legal & General. |
Survey warns housing developments are 'built too quickly'
21/11/2019 Planners and developers are failing to consider the infrastructure needed to support new house building, according to a report produced with the help of architects. |
Planners call for stronger direction to tackle climate change
18/11/2019 Stronger direction from the Government and more resources are needed to reduce carbon emissions to net zero by 2050, according to town planners. |
Council approves Santander’s £75m campus
21/10/2019 Sefton Council has formally approved plans for a multi-million pound investment to create a state-of-the-art campus in Bootle. |
Only 10% of recent homes built on the Green Belt are 'affordable'
14/10/2019 Only one in ten homes built on land released from the Green Belt over the past decade are considered ‘affordable’, a new report has found. |
Ashford BC’s local plan ‘legally sound’, court rules
11/10/2019 The High Court has rejected a case brought against Ashford Borough Council’s local plan, which the court concluded was legally ‘sound’. |
Oxford to lose out on millions due to planning rule changes
03/10/2019 Oxford City Council has warned that the city could lose out on hundreds of new council houses due to changes in the national framework which guides planning policy. |
Councils vs network operators?
01/10/2019 The Electronic Communications Code reduces red tape, but in doing so it cuts the potential revenue property owners stand to make and risks pitting local authorities against operators. Zoe Wright reports. |
This issue of Public Property examines how how flexible workspaces can lead the way in regeneration for local authorities, Why local authority intervention is key to successful urban regeneration schemes and if the Government’s challenge of embracing beauty is an opportunity for communities.
The March issue also takes a closer look at Blackburn with Darwen Council's first digital health hub to help people gain control over health and care services.
