Planning
House of Fraser pulls out of major council development
Troubled department store House of Fraser has pulled out of a major retail development led by Cheshire West & Chester Council.
Community asset transfer is a public policy win-win
Community asset transfer reduces the burden on the public sector while capitalizing communities, writes Tony Armstrong.
Manufacturing park to create 7k jobs and draw £400m investment
An ambitious project to create thousands of jobs and generate hundreds of millions of pounds of investment has been given the green light.
Planning Bill progresses despite opposition
Scottish opposition parties have called for changes after expressing concerns about the Government’s proposed Planning Bill.
LGA in homes warning
Up to 165,000 homes could be built without council support if the Government ploughs ahead with controversial planning policy changes, town halls warned today.
Public practice makes perfect
Sarah Cary says public planners are doing a herculean job, but there simply are not enough of them.
Raynsford: Planning system not fit for purpose
The UK planning system is ‘not fit for purpose’ and needs reforming in order to be more focused on the interests and wellbeing of citizens, according to a former local government minister Nick Raynsford.
A new approach to joined-up planning
Philip Atkins calls for a county-wide perspective on housing and planning policy.
Three councils face intervention over local plans
Three councils are facing government intervention over their failure to produce a local plan.
We need a level playing field between councils and developers
The Government’s recent launch of its revised strategy to tackle the housing crisis was well reported in the media, as were councils’ frustrations in their lack of powers to help build more homes people deserve.
Cities need to up their game to make devolution a success
Devolution is not just about gaining new powers, it is about using the powers you already have. Andrew Carter believes cities are not as doing as much as they can.
There is a shortage of construction expertise in local government
If we are to get the right homes in the right places, we need councils to have the right people in the right positions, writes Karen Cooksley.
Councils need skills as well as cash to boost housing
Despite the initial rhetoric around ‘nimby’ councils’ planning decisions, Theresa May’s housing announcement this week is a step in the right direction – but it needs to go further, argues Heather Jameson.
LGA criticises May's land banking crackdown
Government plans to tackle the housing shortage by ending land banking are not enough and should be accompanied by fresh borrowing powers for councils, Smith Square has warned.
Write strategic planning back into the system
John Wood outlines how he believes counties can do more to exploit their strengths in housing delivery.
Councils told to improve strategic planning
Cherwell and South Northamptonshire DCs have been told they must improve strategic planning as they intensify their joint working.
More powers needed to unlock land for housing - LGA
Councils should be allowed to charge developers full council tax where land is left after securing planning permission, the Local Government Association (LGA) has argued.
Javid says he needs 'stronger case' on HRA
Local government secretary Sajid Javid has urged the sector to use headroom in the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) to boost his case for further action.
Councils and housing associations collaborating: More than the sum of their parts
A joint venture between Gateshead Council and a housing association is a prime example of why the two sectors need to work together if they are going to help address the growing housing crisis in the country.
How do we properly measure the social impact of planning decisions?
We need to work together to construct a tool to measure the impact of developments on communities, argues Colin Crooks.