Protecting public spaces
Local Government News finds out why local community organisations and councils must work together to save public spaces.
Council announces joint venture worth £1bn
22/03/2019 Brentwood Borough Council has announced a new contract with Morgan Sindall Investments to deliver new homes and commercial facilities. |
Review finds lack of due diligence over council's commercial workspace project
21/03/2019 King’s Lynn & West Norfolk BC should ‘build on the lessons learned’ from the construction of a state-of-the-art commercial workspace, the council’s chief executive has said. |
Stevenage BC signs ‘major’ development deal worth £350m
15/03/2019 Stevenage Borough Council and Mace have signed a ‘major new agreement’ to work in partnership on the long-term transformation of Stevenage town centre. |
Five areas chosen for Future Places scheme
13/03/2019 Five areas have been announced to take part in a programme to recognise and support 'high quality placemaking'. |
Opening doors on the High Street
11/03/2019 Can the government's pilot scheme open doors on the High Street? Fiona Sawyer and Frances Edwards report. |
Historical guildhall to undergo first ‘major restoration’ in decades
11/02/2019 York's Guildhall, one of the city’s most historically significant buildings, could be in line for its first major restoration in more than 60 years. |
Glasgow could move council offices to regeneration areas
30/01/2019 Plans to move council offices from the city centre to key regeneration sites are being considered by Glasgow City Council. |
Whitehall announces £1.5m for Midlands digital map
14/01/2019 Local authorities across the Midlands will benefit from a new digital map which will identify the best investment and regeneration opportunities across the area. |
Burnham launches plan to make Greater Manchester an ‘ambitious hub’
07/01/2019 Greater Manchester’s leaders are today announcing ‘radical plans’ to deliver more affordable housing and better transport across the region. |
Launch of the 2019 Street Design Awards
07/12/2018 The Street Design Awards, celebrating innovation and best practice in street design schemes across the UK, have been relaunched by Local Government News magazine. |
Liverpool launches council-owned housing company
05/12/2018 Liverpool City Council has today launched a new housing company which aims to help residents onto the housing ladder through a Rent to Buy scheme. |
Coastal communities awarded £1m to restore historic landmarks
26/11/2018 Over £1m of Government funding has been awarded to 25 projects to restore coastal landmarks and bring economic growth to seaside communities. |
Report calls for 'reset' of Public Private Partnerships
16/11/2018 A strong leadership role from local government is essential for ensuring the success of regeneration schemes involving the public and private sector, a new report has argued. |
Redefining public-private partnerships
09/11/2018 David Mawson explains how an age-old term could conceal a new solution. |
Plans to make empty high street premises ‘community hubs’
07/11/2018 The communities secretary will today announce plans to support the conversion of empty high street premises into homes and community hubs. |
Historic high streets get £40m boost
31/10/2018 Councils will be involved in a £40m project to revive historic high streets, Historic England has announced. |
Plan to revive town centres in the West Midlands launched
26/10/2018 A new plan to unlock ‘funding, expertise and support’ in order to revive high streets across the West Midlands has been launched. |
The future of the high street
16/10/2018 Tiffany Cloynes and Gillian Duckworth explore how councils can support the increasingly fragile high street, finding out why Sheffield City Council has put itself at the forefront of centre shopping development. |
Gloucester CC consults on £50m regeneration scheme
28/09/2018 Gloucester City Council has launched a consultation on a £50m regeneration scheme designed to provide support to the city’s creative industries. |
Government investment to ‘fast track’ 16 coastal projects
17/09/2018 A further round of seaside resorts have been given a share of a fund to help them develop and provide jobs. |
Birmingham loses control of £1bn project as costs double
11/09/2018 Birmingham City Council has been forced to hand over control of its £1bn city centre regeneration, amid spiralling costs and governance criticisms, The MJ can exclusively reveal. |
Plan submitted for 2,500 new homes in York city centre
15/08/2018 York Central Partnership has submitted plans to transform one of the UK's largest city centre brownfield sites, creating 6,500 new jobs and up to 2,500 new homes. |
London council to hold ballot on estate regeneration plans
01/08/2018 Kingston Council in south west London is to ask residents if they agree to plans for regeneration of their estate. |
Haringey to scrap £2bn development
19/07/2018 Haringey councillors have voted to scrap the borough’s controversial £2bn regeneration project despite the threat of legal action from the developer. |
Westminster CC approves 342 new ‘affordable’ houses
12/07/2018 Westminster City Council has given the go ahead for the building of 342 new affordable houses as part of its Ebury Bridge estate development. |
Whitehall announces £67m town deal for Greater Grimsby
06/07/2018 The Government has announced what it describes as a ‘landmark’ town deal for Grimsby in an effort to deliver thousands of new jobs and homes to Lincolnshire. |
Local authorities and retail
19/06/2018 Tiffany Cloynes explores the points councils should consider when bidding for new retail schemes. |
Council buys shopping centre for £14.8m
14/06/2018 Bolton Council has completed the purchase of the Crompton Place shopping centre for £14.8m. |
From ghost town to go-to town
21/05/2018 What can local authorities learn from Altrincham to help regenerate Britain's town centres? Conor Leyden reports. |
Councils urged to bid for latest Coastal Revival Fund
18/05/2018 Councils have been invited to bid for a share of £1m to help restore coastal landmarks that have fallen into disrepair. |
York terminates £9m Interserve contract
10/04/2018 York City Council has terminated a £9m contract with Interserve to redevelop the historic Guildhall after it judged the firm’s cost estimates to be too high. |
A new world of housing delivery
03/04/2018 Fraser Wells explains how a new type of partnership with the private sector is helping councils to share the risk of delivering new housing. |
Government announces £15m in cultural regeneration funds
23/03/2018 The tourism minister today committed to giving Blackpool, Bradford and the Lake District £15m in cultural regeneration funds for the North. |
London council regeneration scheme to create ‘mini-Manhattan’
15/03/2018 Barking and Dagenham Council is seeking to create a ‘mini-Manhattan’ in its area with a regeneration scheme that promises thousands of new homes. |
Oldham launches search for £350m masterplan partner
14/03/2018 Oldham Council is looking for a development partner to help deliver its Town Centre Masterplan. |
Leeds announces plans to ‘double the size’ of the city centre
13/03/2018 Leeds plans to double the size of its city centre with the development of 16,500 new homes, the council tells delegates at a real estate conference. |
Havering selects Wates for £1bn scheme
13/03/2018 Havering LBC has announced construction firm Wates as its joint venture partner in a regeneration project being touted as London’s ‘biggest social housing regeneration’ scheme. |
What does the NPPF mean for our town centres?
07/03/2018 Dr Steven Norris explores how the revised planning rules could help strengthen the government's 'town centre first approach. |
Five recruitment trends in local government
05/03/2018 Jes Ladva argues that local authorities are embracing genuine transformation in recruitment as the austerity freeze continues. |
Coastal communities awarded £40m of funding
27/02/2018 A multi-million pound round of funding designed to transform the UK’s coastal communities is now open for bids, minister announces. |
Welsh Government moves ahead with vacant land tax
13/02/2018 The Welsh Government has decided to move forward with proposals for a vacant land tax to encourage regeneration and tackle the housing crisis. |
Haringey postpones controversial £2bn housing scheme
08/02/2018 Haringey Council has decided to postpone any final decision on their controversial £2bn housing regeneration scheme until after the local elections. |
Residents on London estates will be balloted over regeneration plans
02/02/2018 Residents in London will be balloted on any new regeneration plans affecting their estates, under plans announced by the mayor today. |
Haringey leader to step down amid controversy over regeneration scheme
30/01/2018 Cllr Claire Kober has announced she will be stepping down from her position as the leader of Haringey Council in light of the controversy surrounding the borough’s regeneration plans. |
Lambeth to lend £300m to new housing company
23/01/2018 Lambeth LBC will lend at least £300m to its new housing company over the next five years to kickstart an ambitious plan. |
Shepway District Council agrees to name change
18/01/2018 Councillors have voted to change the name of their district council in order to strengthen the area’s ‘geographical identity’ |
Councils lack PFI management skills, claims report
18/01/2018 Local authorities lack the skills necessary to manage Private Finance Initiative (PFI) contracts and risk not getting the best value for money, new research has warned. |
Government pledges to protect public services following collapse of Carillion
15/01/2018 One of the country’s biggest construction and facilities management companies, Carillion, has gone into liquidation after struggling for the last few months. |
Council proposes name change to strengthen ‘geographical identity’
10/01/2018 A district council is proposing a name change in order to stop people confusing it with ‘a housing estate in Maidstone’. |
Council vows to continue with £80m development
05/01/2018 Rochdale Borough Council has vowed to push on with its £80m town centre development despite a major retailer’s announcement that it intended to pull out of the scheme. |
A seaside success story
04/01/2018 Duncan Johnston explores how Bournemouth Borough Council is using a joint venture to help reinvigorate and change the perception of the town. |
District council set to spend £60m to regenerate city centre
19/12/2017 An Oxfordshire district council has purchased Banbury’s shopping centre and will invest an estimated £60m in delivering the town’s cinema and supermarket. |
Budget 2017: Housing Revenue Account cap lifted for some
22/11/2017 The Housing Revenue Account cap will be lifted for councils in ‘high-demand areas’ and stamp duty will be scrapped for most first-time buyers, chancellor Philip Hammond announced in his Budget speech today. |
Lord Adonis calls for 'ground-breaking' deal for economic growth
17/11/2017 Council leaders have welcomed plans for a major development in the area between Oxford and Cambridge which is estimated could add hundreds of billions of pounds to the national economy. |
Councils warn industrial strategy will fail without devolution
16/11/2017 The Government's industrial strategy risks failing unless a bureaucratic 'maze' of funding sources is streamlined and devolved to local areas, council leaders have warned. |
Croydon approves £1.4bn plans for town centre
15/11/2017 Plans to transform Croydon’s town centre promise to create up to 7,000 new jobs for local people and 1,000 new homes. |
Mayor to review plans for new Bristol arena
10/11/2017 Plans for a new arena in Bristol have been put on hold while the city council carries out a review. |
Tenants affected by regeneration in Haringey guaranteed ‘right of return’
23/10/2017 Residents of council estates earmarked for redevelopment in Haringey will enjoy a guaranteed right of return, council says. |
Corbyn sets out conditions for council regeneration schemes
27/09/2017 Jeremy Corbyn has called on councils to ensure regeneration schemes are for ‘local people’ and ‘not property speculators’. |
Compact living flats could inject over £200m into London, report finds
12/09/2017 Public bodies with unused land should support the private sector in developing compact living accommodation in central London, regeneration specialists say. |
Coastal towns get £40m funding boost
04/09/2017 The Government is injecting more cash into holiday resorts in England, which it says will help boost their economies and create jobs. |
Courts service move to listed building to help generate £32m
23/08/2017 Newcastle council has nearly concluded negotiations to move the courts services to the Civic Centre as part of a programme aimed at raising over £30m. |
Council awarded over £500,000 in EU funding to boost markets
16/08/2017 Basildon Council has been awarded €600,000 - nearly £546,000 - of EU funding as it takes the lead in a project designed to revitalise its town centre. |
Ayrshire regeneration scheme awarded £3.5m
10/08/2017 The UK government is set to invest £3.5m in a regeneration programme in Scotland as part of its new industrial strategy. |
New cultural fund launched for northern cities
04/08/2017 The Government has launched a new £15m fund to help towns and cities build a lasting regional legacy from the Great Exhibition of the North. |
Guide Dogs calls for dangerous street designs to be halted
01/08/2017 The charity Guide Dogs has called on the Government to end dangerous street schemes, which it claims are making some town centres ‘no-go zones’. |
Council considers purchasing stalled Chinatown development
14/07/2017 Liverpool City Council could be set to use Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) powers to kick-start the stalled ‘New Chinatown’ development site in Liverpool city centre. |
Councillors force review of controversial £2bn regeneration scheme
14/07/2017 Lib Dem councillors have forced a review of Haringey’s controversial £2bn regeneration scheme. |
Capture it if you can: the billion-pound opportunity for councils
29/06/2017 Christopher Brigstocke explores how councils can use a Development Rights Auction Model (DRAM) to unlock development. |
Haringey's £2bn regeneration plans
16/05/2017 The privatisation of £2bn of council assets or an opportunity to deliver thousands of new homes and regenerate ailing estates? William Eichler investigates Haringey’s new Development Vehicle. |
Funding boost for stalled 'Winerack' building
21/04/2017 The redevelopment of the 'Winerack’ building on Ipswich waterfront has been given a £20m boost, eight years after work stalled following the recession. |
Leeds Council to broker £35m deal to redevelop stadium
20/04/2017 Leeds City Council has agreed to back a £35m deal with a private investor to redevelop Headingley Carnegie Stadium. |
Government announces £32m for estate regeneration
24/03/2017 Over 100 housing estates will receive regeneration cash from the Government in order to speed up the building of thousands of new homes. |
West Sussex councils sign partnership agreement
21/03/2017 Councils have signed a new partnership agreement designed to deliver thousands of new jobs and homes on the south coast. |
Lambeth officers recommend ‘full rebuilding’ of estate
16/03/2017 Lambeth Council officers have recommended the full rebuilding of the Central Hill estate after a consultation revealed the majority of council tenants supported the proposal. |
Council appoints Lord Kerslake to put ‘rocket boosters’ on regeneration plans
15/03/2017 A London council formerly announced yesterday that Lord Bob Kerslake has been appointed chair of its new, commercially-driven regeneration company. |
Disadvantaged areas to share £25m for regeneration
10/03/2017 Disadvantaged areas across Scotland are to share £25m to help regenerate local communities and create more than 2,300 jobs. |
Scotland’s towns get a data driven head start
23/02/2017 Gina Wilson explains how the Understanding Scottish Places tool is helping to make town's better places to work and live. |
Hull rides wave of optimism
15/02/2017 Cultural and economic buoyancy beckons for a city ravaged by the death of its docks but now seeking new-found status as a world-class visitor destination, renewable energy powerhouse and smart business hub. |
‘Army of activists’ urged to revitalise British coast
20/01/2017 Seaside areas have been given a boost with the creation of 38 new Coastal Community Teams. |
Councils: a new class of investor
20/12/2016 Caroline Walker explains why local authorities are steadily emerging as the ‘new investor class’ in the wake of Brexit. |
London Mayor announces £220m for improving public space
16/12/2016 The Mayor of London yesterday announced £220m of funding for boroughs in 2017/18 to deliver transport, town centre and public space improvements. |
Sunderland starts 20-year redevelopment
14/12/2016 Building work has started on Sunderland’s biggest ever regeneration project. |
Regenerating council estates could boost taxpayer by £140m
10/11/2016 The Government’s plans for estate regeneration risks a North-South divide that would leave behind deprived communities outside London, warns think tank. |
What can UK towns learn from Mississippi or Finland?
08/11/2016 What if a small rural town in England could learn from the fortunes of a town in Mississippi, USA? Or, a town on the coast of Scotland learn the secrets of a thriving town in Finland? Douglas White reports. |
Finalists for Britain’s best high street announced
18/10/2016 Twenty-seven high streets are finalists in the Great British High Street competition, the Department for Communities and Local Government has announced. |
Council to seize vacant land for developing
22/09/2016 Birmingham has adopted new powers to seize vacant plots from owners who refuse to develop housing as part of a plan to build tens of thousands of new homes. |
Council seeks judicial review over Aylesbury Estate decision
21/09/2016 Southwark Council has pledged to fight the ‘bizarre’ government decision to block a compulsory purchase order (CPO) on Aylesbury Estate. |
Council approves scheme to create hundreds of jobs
09/08/2016 A northern borough council has approved a new multi-million pound scheme to create hundreds of jobs. |
Leeds to invest £142m to regenerate neighbourhoods
06/04/2016 Leeds council has signed what it describes as a ‘landmark deal’ to develop brownfield land and regenerate three neighbourhoods. |
The December issue of Local Government News looks at the consequences a council may face if it is unable to provide statutory services, the launch of Liverpool’s housing company and how councils can best manage roles in local authority companies.
It also has a special section on green building and energy efficiency including what funding is available to enable councils to deliver heat networks and how councils can pay for ‘smart buildings’.
