Breaking down England's fiscal devolution plans
David Phillips of the IFS tells LocalGov why England's regional finance reforms are modest by global comparison and what ministers still need to get right.
Affordable rural housing at risk from planning reforms
07/07/2026 Government proposals to ease affordable housing requirements could result in half of all affordable rural housing being lost, according to the NHF. |
Council leaders demand review of ‘MegaShed’ planning law
02/07/2026 The leaders of all three political groups on South Gloucestershire Council have called for urgent reform of historical planning consents. |
Report highlights £5.3bn in unspent developer funds held by councils
10/03/2026 MPs are set to be alerted to £5.3bn in unspent developer contributions currently held in local authority bank accounts, says Urban Mobility Partnership. |
MPs urge overhaul of developer levies
28/10/2025 The system for capturing developer contributions is failing communities, leaving vital public amenities like schools and GP surgeries underfunded, MPs say. |
Housebuilders call for ‘meaningful action’ on planning staff crisis
05/06/2025 The association representing housebuilders in England and Wales has called on the Government to tackle the staffing shortage in local planning authorities. |
Councils ‘sitting on’ £3bn from developer contributions
13/09/2023 Councils in England and Wales are reportedly 'sitting on' £3bn allocated for new community infrastructure. |
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. |
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Councils to publish deals done with developers
05/06/2019 Councils will be required to publish how much funding they are receiving from developers under new rules announced by the Government. |
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Developers encouraged to fund school places
11/04/2019 The Government has published new guidance which sets out how councils can encourage housing developers to fund the school places their developments create. |
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Scrapping the Levy: Why we need a change in approach to CIL
25/10/2018 Research finds councils are not spending on local infrastructure. With such a complex fund raising system in place it's hardly surprising, argues Hannah Vickers of ACE. |
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Planning and Ecology
01/05/2018 How can local authorities realize the environmental benefits required by new government legislation? Karen Colebourn reports. |
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Counties call for strategic planning reforms to tackle rising house prices
16/02/2018 County councils have called for strategic planning reforms after figures showed house prices in England’s counties rose at triple the rate of London last year. |
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Section 106 pricing developers out of market, research warns
07/08/2017 Costly Section 106 agreements are pricing some developers out of the market, according to the peer-to-peer lending website Lendy. |
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Court upholds Whitehall’s affordable housing contributions plans
12/05/2016 A court has ruled in favour of the Government’s small sites affordable housing contributions policy. |
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Cameron’s 106 reform: What it means for local authorities
06/11/2015 Mike Brogan gives his view on David Cameron’s recent announcement about Section 106 reforms and the implications for local authorities. |
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Time to take action on housing
28/09/2015 Marc Vlessing calls for more innovation in policy thinking to solve the housing crisis. |
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Spending review must tackle £10bn of unfunded council costs
01/09/2015 Councils will face around £10bn of unfunded costs over the next five years, according to analysis by the Local Government Association. |
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Joint venture signs affordable housing agreement
27/08/2015 Heylo Housing, a joint venture with Lancashire County Pension Fund, has signed an agreement with Bellway to deliver more than 1,000 shared ownership affordable homes over the next three years. |
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Councils win affordable housing court battle
04/08/2015 Two councils have successfully challenged the government’s reforms to the planning system. |
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Council approves new infrastructure levy
16/04/2015 A new Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) is expected to raise £18m for Peterborough City Council by 2031. |
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Lewis pledges to speed up Section 106 agreements
23/02/2015 Changes to Section 106 agreements have been proposed by housing minister, Brandon Lewis, following concerns late negotiations are delaying the planning process. |
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Councils deny 'sitting on' regeneration cash
07/01/2014 Councils have denied ‘sitting on’ millions of pounds of Section 106 money intended for social and community projects. |
