Historic docklands to receive £233m of infrastructure funding
05/07/2022 The Government today pledged £233m of infrastructure funding to drive the regeneration of one of the largest brownfield sites in London’s historic docklands. |
Homes England announces new strategic partnerships
29/06/2022 Homes England and GMCA have entered into a new partnership to drive the delivery of affordable housing and town centre regeneration. |
Council adopts land transfer policy to ‘kick-start a grassroots revolution’
24/06/2022 Liverpool council is set to launch a radical new scheme that will make council land available to voluntary groups in order to encourage local regeneration. |
Bristol City Council launches consultation on plans to build 1,500 houses
26/05/2022 Bristol residents are being asked to give their views on a development that promises to deliver 1,500 homes and employment space for over 500 jobs. |
The need for Green Belt reform
20/05/2022 With only four references to the Green Belt in the Levelling Up White Paper, Karen Charles asks if a change to the Green Belt is inevitable? |
Levelling Up Bill to ‘empower local people’ published
12/05/2022 The Government has published the levelling up Bill which promises to transform struggling towns and support local leaders have more control of regeneration. |
Queen's Speech: Levelling up bill unveiled for planning reform
10/05/2022 The Queen’s Speech has confirmed a levelling up Bill will include legislation on planning and regeneration reform. |
Why so many heritage and grant-led projects are stalling
21/04/2022 Andy Rumfitt discusses how local authorities can prepare for and handle stalled projects. |
Four places shortlisted to be UK City of Culture 2025
21/03/2022 Bradford, County Durham, Southampton and Wrexham County Borough are the four locations shortlisted to be UK City of Culture 2025. |
Post-pandemic placemaking: building better towns through public sector investment
21/03/2022 Mike Salter explains how local authorities can maximise the impact of investment. |
Plans to level up Blackpool are unveiled
18/03/2022 Blackpool will receive a beefed-up inspection regime to tackle rogue landlords and a King’s Cross style regeneration programme under the Government's levelling up plans. |
Homes England recommits to joint venture to deliver 6,600 houses
17/03/2022 Homes England has recommitted to a joint venture that will deliver 6,600 homes and 2 million sq ft of innovation and commercial space over the next 10 years. |
Funding allocated to develop derelict brownfield sites
25/02/2022 Three regions will share £30m funding to regenerate brownfield sites and create 2,500 new homes, the Government has announced. |
A blueprint partnership for success
18/02/2022 Richard Pearce argues that while working partnerships between developers and councils take time and effort, it does pays off. |
Approval for 4,000 homes in new Cambridgeshire town
03/02/2022 Planning approval and funding has been granted for the next phase of the largest new town since Milton Keynes. |
Wolverhampton and Sheffield will be first to benefit from levelling up plans
31/01/2022 The Government has announced Wolverhampton and Sheffield will be the first two places to benefit from its new regeneration programme. |
Hull council approves £96m city centre development
21/12/2021 Hull City Council’s cabinet has approved a £96m development aimed at transforming the city’s centre. |
Top 100: Our most popular local government stories of 2021
06/12/2021 From the ongoing dispute over council pay, to how local government is adjusting in the wake of the pandemic, here are the most popular 100 stories on LocalGov from 2021. |
Five ways markets can spark the regeneration of our towns and cities
15/11/2021 Hayden Ferriby outlines how local authorities can use markets to lead regeneration and be a catalyst for change. |
Heritage Development Trusts: Helping create distinctive futures for our towns and cities
12/11/2021 Matthew Mckeague explains how in Coventry a pioneering new model – known as a Heritage Development Trust – is helping revive historic buildings in the city and take community ownership and asset transfer in an ambitious direction. |
Council launches new placemaking company
10/11/2021 Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council has launched a new placemaking company to drive forward stewardship-led regeneration. |
Commission calls for shift of focus in levelling up
20/09/2021 The Commission into Prosperity and Community Placemaking has concluded investment should be made in local neighbourhoods rather than grand infrastructure projects. |
Sheffield and Milton Keynes win £1.4m housing funding
10/09/2021 Milton Keynes and Sheffield have been awarded £1.4m to help kickstart regeneration and deliver new homes and jobs in each area. |
Welsh government confirms £5m town centre funding
08/09/2021 The Welsh government has confirmed that £5m of loan funding will be made available to support the regeneration of town centres. |
UK’s first regional bank granted licence
26/08/2021 The UK’s first regional bank has been granted its banking licence and will open the doors of its first branch in Manchester later this year. |
Over a third of the most deprived areas will not benefit from Levelling Up Fund
25/08/2021 More than a third of England’s most deprived areas will not benefit from the Government’s £4.8bn Levelling Up Fund, according to new Salvation Army research released today. |
Building wealth from within
12/08/2021 Tom Lloyd Goodwin, associate director – policy at the Centre for Local Economic Strategies (CLES), looks at the history of community wealth-building. |
Council agrees land deal for Eden Project North
06/08/2021 Lancaster City Council has agreed to transfer land for the £125m Eden Project North. |
Council purchases mothballed theme park
03/08/2021 Lancaster City Council has stepped in to purchase Morecambe’s derelict theme park, Frontierland, in an effort to kick start its regeneration. |
Report outlines ‘innovative strategies’ for reviving town centres
16/07/2021 A new report has identified the ‘innovative strategies’ northern towns can draw on in order to revive struggling town centres. |
St Helens MBC: Dream team looks to a bright future
12/07/2021 St Helens is reinventing itself with a new breed of council and radical projects that will revitalise the borough |
High street regeneration to be key part of PM's levelling up agenda
12/07/2021 The Prime Minister will set out his 'levelling up' plans later this week, including unveiling a new High Streets Strategy. |
We need to put fun back into urban design – and councils are key
25/06/2021 Martin Bransby explores how to create better spaces that are geared towards improving both physical and mental wellbeing. |
Over £600m awarded to 26 new Town Deals
08/06/2021 The Government has announced the latest round of towns deals, which will see 26 towns across England share over £600m. |
Levelling up needs long-term approach, says report
10/05/2021 A shake-up of local government funding is required to achieve a levelling up of the country, a new report has concluded. |
Johnson announces £23.6m Truro Deal
07/04/2021 Truro has secured £23.6m from the Towns Fund to boost the local economy, create jobs and new homes. |
Unlocking the potential of the Oxford-Cambridge Arc
07/04/2021 Alex Robinson argues communities and the environment must be central to the Oxford-Cambridge Arc strategy to get local buy-in. |
Levelling up fund faces legal challenge
06/04/2021 The Government could face legal action over its ‘troublingly opaque’ allocation of the Levelling Up Fund. |
Jenrick steps in at 'dysfunctional' Liverpool
24/03/2021 Commissioners will be sent in to Liverpool City Council after an independent inquiry found serious mismanagement and a dysfunctional culture, communities secretary Robert Jenrick has told Parliament. |
Welsh government announces £15.2m ‘placemaking’ fund
04/03/2021 The Welsh government today announced a £15.2m ‘placemaking’ funding package to help revive Wales’ town centres in the wake of the pandemic. |
Council gives go-ahead to Everton FC’s new stadium plans
24/02/2021 Liverpool City Council have approved Everton FC’s plans for a new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock and a community-led legacy project at Goodison Park. |
New ‘Right to Regenerate’ proposals aim to turn derelict buildings into homes and community assets
10/02/2021 Matthew Feldman warns the new ‘Right to Regenerate’ proposals raise a number of unanswered questions for local government. |
‘Right to Regenerate’ to free up public land, Jenrick says
18/01/2021 The public will be able to convert vacant plots of land and derelict buildings into new homes or community spaces under ‘Right to Regenerate’ proposals. |
Jenrick announces £830m high street investment
04/01/2021 The Government has announced that millions of pounds of funding will be invested in 72 areas across England as part of the effort to help high streets recover from the impact of the pandemic. |
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. |
Liverpool mayor believed to be one of five arrested in police investigation
04/12/2020 Liverpool City Council Mayor Joe Anderson is believed to be one of five people arrested as part of an ‘ongoing investigation’, local newspaper reports have claimed. |
Are joint ventures still relevant in a post COVID housing sector?
02/12/2020 What impact will COVID-19 have on joint ventures in the housing sector? Mash Halai reports. |
Allocation of £3.6bn towns fund appears 'politically motivated', watchdog warns
11/11/2020 The Government has been accused of 'political bias' when allocating funding from its £3.6bn Towns Fund by the public spending watchdog. |
Hollywood firm agrees deal to build Dagenham studio
04/11/2020 Barking and Dagenham Council has signed a deal with a Hollywood developer to build a film and TV production centre in Dagenham. |
Rethinking local regeneration
02/11/2020 If we to truly 'build back better', local authorities need a new approach to regeneration, argues Hannah Vickers. |
The regeneration of transport-linked land
27/10/2020 Transport-linked land must form an integral part of new local plans, argues Nick Markham. |
Seven areas across England set to receive nearly £180m investment
27/10/2020 Communities in seven areas across England are set to benefit from up to £178.7m in new Town Deals, communities secretary Robert Jenrick has announced. |
Oldham Council buys shopping centre to 'kickstart' town centre recovery
20/10/2020 Oldham Council has bought the Spindles Town Square Shopping Centre to provide a catalyst for town centre recovery. |
Community ownership is key to revival of high street, says report
01/10/2020 Councils have been urged to help local communities take ownership of empty buildings in order to secure the future of Britain’s high streets. |
100 towns to share £80m regeneration funding
25/09/2020 Over 100 towns in England will be given up to £1m each to boost regeneration, the Government has announced. |
Northampton BC buys M&S building for £1.45m
23/09/2020 Northampton Borough Council has bought a former Marks and Spencer building for £1.45m as part of an effort to transform the town centre. |
Modular housing a 'game-changer' for housing and jobs, experts claim
22/09/2020 Modular housing is a ‘game changer’ and could deliver 75,000 homes a year, a report from experts has claimed. |
Manchester CC launches consultation on 270 home regeneration proposal
18/09/2020 Manchester City Council has launched a consultation on a regeneration plan that will see 270 new homes built in Collyhurst. |
Liverpool launches UK's first heritage-led development plan
11/09/2020 Liverpool is seeking to retain its World Heritage Status through the launch of the UK’s first heritage-led development plan |
Holyrood announces £30m regeneration fund
10/09/2020 The Scottish government has announced that Scotland’s local authorities will receive £30m of new investment for regeneration and town centres. |
Reinvigorating town centres through a root and branch redesign
12/08/2020 Ciara Keeling outlines how successful local authority town centre regeneration and development strategies should look like post COVID-19. |
Public back investment for ‘15-minute’ communities
07/08/2020 There is a growing trend to create '15-minute communities' through investment in public health, green infrastructure and town centres, a new survey has revealed. |
Solving the town centre regeneration puzzle
04/08/2020 A multi-disciplinary and data-driven approach to town regeneration is more important than ever, argues Brian Thompson. |
Turn high street shops into new homes, urges report
22/07/2020 The Government should stop trying to slow the ‘inevitable’ decline of the high street and instead embrace new ways of saving urban centres, a new paper has argued. |
Government appoints Arup-led consortium for £3.6bn Towns Fund delivery
15/06/2020 The engineering company Arup has been appointed to lead a consortium to help local authorities access the £3.6bn Towns Fund. |
Homes England agrees deals worth £300m
04/06/2020 Homes England has agreed three funding packages worth £300m to deliver 20,000 homes across the capital. |
Why recovery will bring a new healthcare estate
03/06/2020 Gareth Banks explains why Covid-19 will create a new impetus to revise healthcare estates and build a health infrastructure that can support new demands. |
Homes England to invest £61m for 6,500 new homes in Cambridgeshire
29/05/2020 Homes England has agreed to invest £61m with developer Urban&Civic to deliver 6,500 new homes at Waterbeach in Cambridgeshire. |
Building beautiful
31/03/2020 Edward Nash argues the challenge of embracing beauty is an opportunity for communities. |
Repurposing town centres
26/03/2020 Phil Mayall explains why local authority intervention is key to successful urban regeneration schemes. |
Making the most of empty spaces
23/03/2020 Will Kinnear outlines how flexible workspace can lead the way in regeneration for local authorities. |
Council puts forward plans for ‘digital city’
11/03/2020 Bolton Council is exploring joint venture options to create a ‘super connected digital city’. |
Lincolnshire council ‘delighted’ by £3.5m Grimsby investment
02/03/2020 The communities secretary today announced a multi-million pound funding boost for Grimsby town centre while on tour around the north eastern town. |
Club used in the film The Full Monty ‘temporarily’ saved
20/02/2020 The planned demolition of the working men’s club used in the film The Full Monty has been temporarily postponed. |
North disproportionately hit by housing cutbacks - research
19/02/2020 Increased funding and investment in planning skills are required to reverse disproportionate cuts to councils in the north of England, according to research published today. |
Only a month left to enter Street Design Awards 2020
30/01/2020 There is now only a month left to enter the Street Design Awards 2020, which celebrate best practice and innovation across the UK. |
Welsh government announces £90m package to revive ‘struggling’ town centres
27/01/2020 The Welsh government has announced a £90m investment package to revive struggling town centres across the country. |
New housing developments slammed for 'mediocre and poor' design
21/01/2020 Three-quarters of new housing developments should not have been approved due to their ‘poor’ or ‘mediocre’ design, a new report from campaigners has found. |
Council prepares to approve £306m investment strategy
20/01/2020 A multi-million pound investment strategy that will see the delivery of 2,000 new homes is set to be approved by Oldham Council. |
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 SSI steelworks secures £71m funding boost
10/01/2020 The Government has confirmed an extra £71m will be spent to get the former SSI steelworks in Redcar ready for redevelopment. |
Only one in 10 support ‘new towns’, study finds
08/01/2020 Just 10% of the UK population believes that the construction of new towns is the best way to tackle the UK housing crisis, according to a new report. |
Pilot areas announced as part of effort to ‘rejuvenate’ high streets
02/01/2020 The Government has announced 14 new pilot areas that will receive tailored expert support to assist in rejuvenating their town centres. |
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. |
Renewables at no upfront cost?
16/12/2019 Rebecca Lawson explains why local authorities are embracing community energy. |
Cities of the past, for the future
12/12/2019 Dominic Manfredi discusses why taking learnings from ancient cities could provide the key to promoting wellbeing in the modern built environment. |
Top 100: Our most popular local government stories of 2019
10/12/2019 From calls to a 10% pay rise for council staff to declaring a climate change emergency, here is our countdown of the 100 most popular stories on LocalGov during 2019. |
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. |
PWLB hike: A rise too far?
09/12/2019 What impact will the increase to the Public Works Loan Board rate have on councils’ housing and other capital schemes? Neil Merrick investigates. |
Sky announces plans for ‘state-of-the-art’ studio in Elstree
04/12/2019 Sky’s plans to build a 32-acre TV and film studio at Elstree could lead to 2000 new jobs for the local economy, the telecommunications company says. |
Report highlights nine inspirational towns
29/11/2019 A collection of case studies to show how towns can prevent decline and create new opportunities for change has been published. |
Council buys town centre in £43m property deal
25/11/2019 Knowsley Council has completed a £43.8m deal to acquire 87 shops and over 12 acres of land from St Modwen. |
Best practice in resident ballots
06/11/2019 Residents on the South Kilburn Estate overwhelmingly voted in favour of council plans to regenerate their neighbourhood in October 2019. Brent’s strategic director for regeneration and environment Amar Dave shares the lessons learned for other landlords holding resident ballots. |
Whitehall announces £16.4m to ‘boost’ town centres
01/11/2019 Selected local authorities will receive a share of £16.4m to help them access a fund aimed at boosting town centres and improving infrastructure, Whitehall has announced. |
Restoring the glory days of the British seaside
29/10/2019 The traditional seaside resort is having a hard time, new figures on bankruptcies show. But experts say a combination of support and greater freedom could turn them around, as Mark Whitehead found out. |
Seaside towns dominate top 20 bankruptcy list
22/10/2019 British seaside towns dominate a list of the top 20 places for bankruptcies in the UK. |
South Kilburn residents ‘overwhelmingly’ back regeneration
17/10/2019 Residents of South Kilburn Estate in Brent have overwhelmingly backed council plans to rebuild their neighbourhood following the biggest ever resident ballot of its kind in London. |
Stockton’s reinvention of the high street
11/10/2019 A town in the North East with a proud industrial heritage is steaming forward into the 21st century with a bold and highly successful regeneration initiative. |
Public property hubs to be delivered in Birmingham and Peterborough
11/10/2019 Peterborough and Birmingham are the latest places to benefit from a government programme to regenerate city centre sites. |
Cambridge’s pioneering cohousing scheme
07/10/2019 Laura Sharman visits Marmalade Lane – Cambridge’s first cohousing development and the largest scheme of its type in the UK. |
Shell is helping power the journey towards a circular paving industry with Shell Bitumen LT R, a new product for roads that uses plastics destined for landfill as part of the additives to make the bitumen.
Effective Energy Group is now offering its support to the 40 Local Authorities who have received a share of the £430m to deliver their projects on the ground by surveying properties and installing measures.
Dougie Belmore explains how one of the main interfaces between you and Bacs is about to change.