Protecting the public realm without shutting it down
As Martyn's Law approaches, this free special report from LocalGov and Hill & Smith sets out how councils can protect public spaces without shutting them down.
Enfield pulls out of New Town scheme
29/05/2026 Enfield Council has formally withdrawn from the Government's New Town programme following the election of Conservative leader Cllr Alessandro Georgiou. |
Sean Bean backs green belt protest
24/09/2025 A campaign against plans to build on Sheffield’s green belt has been backed by actor Sean Bean. |
Rayner faces legal challenge over AI data centre on green belt
21/08/2025 Legal action has been launched challenging Angela Rayner’s decision to approve a major data centre on green belt land. |
‘Greater Oxford’ reorganisation proposal is ‘flawed’, charity says
31/07/2025 A charity has expressed ‘serious concerns’ about a reorganisation proposal for Oxford due to its environmental impact. |
Data centre development project sparks local strife
10/06/2025 Havering Council’s proposal to develop a data centre on green belt land has been met with resistance from residents and local Reform party representatives. |
Mayor of London unveils ‘ambitious’ green belt plans
09/05/2025 Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has announced plans to build tens of thousands of new homes on green belt land despite his previous opposition to green belt developments |
Hitting Housing Targets: How much Green Belt is needed?
02/12/2024 David Churchill, a partner at Carter Jonas, asks how much Green Belt must local authorities release to meet housing targets. |
Councils to have greater powers to compulsorily buy green belt land
12/08/2024 Councils will be handed powers to ensure landowners sell green belt land for housebuilding at a reasonable price under the Government's planning reforms. |
The Grey Belt: Is it the panacea that is needed?
10/07/2024 The new Government plans to ‘get Britain building again’ by releasing 'Grey Belt' land. William Nichols, Regional Director, Lanpro looks at what this means. |
NextGov: Resolving the housing crisis
28/06/2024 The Home Builders Federation’s (HBF) policy and external affairs manager, Laura Markus, discusses what the next government should do to tackle the housing crisis. |
Council rejects film studio plans despite Hollywood backing
31/05/2024 Buckinghamshire councillors have rejected permission for a proposed film studio despite the plans receiving the backing of Hollywood royalty. |
Avatar director James Cameron backs studio plans
24/04/2024 Oscar winning film director James Cameron has thrown his weight behind proposals for a new film studio in west of London. |
Thinking ahead: housing delivery in 2024
21/12/2023 With 2024 almost certain to be an election year, Colin Brown, head of Planning & Development, Carter Jonas discusses what policies for housing delivery we are likely to see discussed. |
Review of 2023: a year in planning
20/12/2023 Karen Charles, executive director, Boyer (part of Leaders Romans Group), takes a look back at developments in planning policy over the last year. |
Gove threatens to strip councils of planning powers
19/12/2023 Michael Gove has threatened to strip local authorities of their responsibilities for planning if they ‘drag their feet’ when coming up with housing plans. |
Think tank calls for housebuilding on ‘grey belt’
08/12/2023 London should address its ongoing housing crisis by building on low-quality parts of the green belt, a think tank focused on the capital has argued. |
Why green belt expansion requires a strategic review
25/05/2023 Ian Barnett, national land director, Leaders Romans Group (LRG) argues that a strategic approach can expand the green belt and deliver more houses. |
