Town planning news & analysis

The latest UK town planning news, including development management, housing, retail & town centres, development plans, key appeal decisions, NPPF and changes to the planning system.

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Latest News

New household projections 'means we need to build less homes'

21 September 2018

Coverage of yesterday's publication of new household projections figures and the implications for government housebuilding targets features in today's newspaper round-up.

352,000 homes granted permission in year up to June 2018, new MHCLG figures show

By John Geoghegan, 21 September 2018

Almost 352,000 homes were granted planning permission in the year up to June 30 2018, new government figures show, a rise of six per cent from the same period last year.

High Court allows judicial review of Arundel bypass decision to proceed

By Colin Marrs, 21 September 2018

A crowd-funded environmental campaigner has been granted permission by the High Court to challenge Highways England's choice of route for a new bypass proposed for the South Downs National Park near Arundel, West Sussex.

Planning Officer (Career Grade) - Local Authority Leicestershire County Council Leicestershire
Principal Planning Officer - Local Authority Leicestershire County Council Leicestershire
Planning Manager London Borough of Waltham Forest Waltham Forest, London (Greater)
Senior Town Planner+ | North Yorkshire | Full or Part time | Flexible + Remote working Lewis Davey North Yorkshire
Planning Director / Planning Manager - Lancashire Lewis Davey Lancashire

Latest Features & Analysis

What councils can do about climate change

Planning authorities have plenty of tools available to tackle the impacts of climate change, but not always the resources or skills to employ them, reports Colin Marrs.

Policy Summary: The government's plan for strengthening Local Enterprise Partnerships

POLICY: Strengthened Local Enterprise Partnerships.

Is the green belt really under threat?

The latest report from the Campaign to Protect Rural England shows a huge jump in the use of green belt land for building. But is this accurate? Colin Marrs examines the figures.

How a court challenge to the revised NPPF could affect the system

Views vary on whether an environmental group's attempt to get the government's revised statement of national policy declared unlawful has a realistic chance of success.

Latest Comment

Legal Viewpoint: Report sets new directions on infrastructure for growth

By Roy Pinnock, 20 September 2018

This month's Commons housing, communities and local government select committee land value capture inquiry report highlights ways the planning system can anticipate and recover the costs of infrastructure needed to deliver growth.

Why we shouldn't abandon all hope (value), by Joey Gardiner

By Joey Gardiner, 20 September 2018

Hope value is the name attributed to value given to land by the prospect of a future planning permission - a permission that might be the difference between £10,000 per hectare agricultural value and £1m per hectare-plus residential price.

Ministers' timetable for spurring private sector housing delivery is unclear, by Richard Garlick

By Richard Garlick, 13 September 2018

This coming month will see the introduction of several measures intended to put more pressure on planning authorities to help meet housing need.

Legal Viewpoint: Ruling clarifies position on refusal to consider appeals

By Richard Kimblin, 6 September 2018

A telecommunications company's High Court challenge against a Planning Inspectorate (PINS) decision to refuse to consider a series of planning appeals raises both practical and technical issues for planning consultants, local authorities and lawyers.

Strategic planning has been key to Chinese economic development, by Cliff Hague

By Cliff Hague, 6 September 2018

Governments in the UK have fretted for four decades about ways to deregulate planning so as to speed development and economic growth. If they had looked through the other end of the telescope, and asked how they could strengthen the planning system to deliver growth, the results would have been more impressive.

Growth deals must be realistic as well as ambitious, by Catriona Riddell

By Catriona Riddell, 30 August 2018

The word 'ambition' has been used a lot in recent months, particularly in relation to the growth deals being negotiated between the government and local authorities.

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