Infrastructure
Grounds to be optimistic - but let's not get carried away
Andrew Carter says there are reasons to be optimistic about an urban policy renaissance under this Government - but the most significant intervention Boris Johnson could do for cities is to agree a deal with the EU.
Collaboration is the default way in Herts
Broxbourne BC and Hertfordshire CC are moving towards final approval process on a £400m scheme to create a new town centre at Brookfield Riverside. Scott Crudgington and Jeff Stack discuss the key elements of the close collaboration.
West Midlands scrap plans for business rates hike
The West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) has ruled out a rise in business rates for the region.
Dear Chancellor
As the dust settles on the Conservative leadership announcements, the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy’s (CIPFA) Rob Whiteman writes an open letter to the new Chancellor Sajid Javid hoping for bold, transformative action.
We need to invest in community action to deliver on environmental promises
Graham Duxbury says Michael Gove’s recent speech on the Environment Bill missed out the education, infrastructure and peer pressure that’s needed to make change happen.
Kier dropped from major infrastructure project
The construction firm’s role in the King’s Dyke crossing project has ended following discussions with Cambridgeshire CC and Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority.
MPs: Government waste strategy overly-prescriptive
The Government’s proposed waste strategy is ‘overly-prescriptive’ and local authorities should be given the freedom to tailor their approach, MPs have said.
Harnessing the best of the West
Ann McGauran reports on the launch of Metro Dynamics’ report making the case for the creation of the UK’s next wealth generator – the Great Western Powerhouse
Promised housing cash withdrawn
Millions of pounds of housing investment announced with great fanfare by the Government has been withdrawn.
The South East can deliver just when the UK needs it most
Productivity in the South East is the same as it was a decade ago, says David Covill. It’s a trend that needs to be reversed, he argues.
£65m Growth Deal is 'game-changer' for Moray
Moray has secured £65m for its Growth Deal in an agreement that has been heralded as a ‘game-changer’.
Sovereign Centros appointed to £400m Hertfordshire development
Broxbourne BC and Hertfordshire CC have selected Sovereign Centros as their development partner for a £400m development.
‘We need to evolve our model of the economy’
Mike Emmerich says if housing, transport and education all ‘pile on pressure for success’ in some wealthy and well-connected areas and leave others behind, then ‘we really are facing a national policy failure’
Jobs cull for Kier
Kier Group is to cut around 1,200 jobs and make savings of £55m over the next two years amid a planned sell-off of many of its commercial interests.
Pensions Infrastructure Platform optimistic despite Brexit
A vehicle designed to encourage council pension schemes to invest in UK infrastructure will not launch a fresh fund this year but remains optimistic.
We’re making Slough a springboard for the UK
Centre for Cities research has identified Slough as the second largest contributor to UK GDP after London. Josie Wragg outlines how a strategic property partnership has been central to a long-term plan to transform the town
Municipal bond grants launched
Grants to help councils invest in a new type of municipal bond for funding environmentally-friendly, low-carbon infrastructure projects have been launched.
White Van Man on... public inconveniences
I parked the motor the other day to make a visit to a public khazi.
Delivering on the cities challenge
Cities face the huge task of boosting their economies and creating places where all can thrive post-Brexit. Chief executives from some of the UK’s largest cities joined a round table debate with PwC and Core Cities to discuss progress.
Northern Power Towns have found a voice
Several key towns along the M6 corridor should be brought together to co-ordinate their planning and development, because they have a crucial part to play in the Northern Powerhouse story, says Steven Broomhead