- Planning for a second Crossrail rail link running from the south-west to the north-east of London must start now, according to a new report.
- A scheme to introduce the country's first 'tram trains' which run on both rail and tram lines has been given the go-ahead by the government.
- Communities minister Bob Neill has admitted that it is unclear whether 'town centre first' policies apply to lawful development certificates (LDCs) as well as planning applications, during a Westminster debate about 'subterfuge' efforts by a developer to redevelop an out-of-town retail park.
- Developers should not fear the new community infrastructure levy (CIL), a leading planning consultant told a Royal Town Planning Institute conference.
- Proposals for a new airport in the Thames Estuary should not be taken any further because of cost and timescale, according to a new report by Kent County Council looking at aviation in the UK.
- Hull City Council has adopted a local development order (LDO) for its port which aims to attract large-scale developments in the renewables and low-carbon industries by relaxing planning rules.
- The government 'messed up' the opportunity of promoting city mayors, according to a think-tank, after nine out of 10 cities rejected the idea in referendums held last week.
- Guidance for councils to check how well their local plans comply with the government's National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) has been published by local government adviser the Planning Advisory Service (PAS).
- Plans to build a new town of 3,450 homes near Edinburgh have been given the green light by West Lothian Council.
- Plans to create a new West End theatre and 46,000 square metres of shops, offices and homes above the new Tottenham Court Road Crossrail station have been approved by Westminster City Council.
- A council has been accused of an 'extreme and most serious' failure of planning control by the Local Government Ombudsman (LGO) for allowing an airfield to operate without proper permission for more than two decades.
- Transport minister Theresa Villiers has moved to quash speculation about a possible policy U-turn over a third runway at Heathrow airport.
- Total shop floorspace in out of town shopping centres grew last year, according to a new report.
- The new NPPF could lead to 'uncertainty and chaos' because of a lack of clarity over transition arrangements and decision-making, according to the shadow communities secretary.
- Wildlife campaigners have complained to the European Commission over the government's decision to support the High Speed Two (HS2) rail link.
- Three-quarters of planning and regeneration officers in London believe that the government's approach to localism is 'not coherent', according to a survey by a regeneration think-tank.
- Town centre shop vacancy rates have reached their highest level since research firm the Local Data Company began compiling its shop vacancy index four years ago.
- The fact that local people will not be able to use neighbourhood plans to block housing growth may come as 'a profound disappointment' to residents' groups, according to leading planning lawyers.
- The government will provide £56 million of funding for a new link road between Bexhill and Hastings in East Sussex, the chancellor George Osborne announced in his Budget.
- The government will 'confront the lack of airport capacity in the south east of England' with an announcement on its aviation strategy this summer, according to chancellor George Osborne.
