Local Plans
Making strategic spatial planning successful
In Localis’s new essay collection, Catriona Riddell looks at developing agreement on housing supply: aligning community engagement and strategic spatial planning.
Former Cabinet minister laments lack of planning reform
A former housing secretary has said the Conservatives’ lack of action on planning to speed up housebuilding may cost the party in the General Election.
Striding towards a green future
South Derbyshire DC has declared climate and ecological emergencies, and the new Council Plan and Local Plan are placing climate and environmental action as highest priority, says Justin Ives.
Local Plans: Gove rejected St Albans MP’s request for resources
Leader of St Albans Council Chris White hits back at criticisms from Michael Gove that his council, along with a number of others, have not acted quickly enough to deliver Local Plans.
Ensuring a plan comes together
A genuine working partnership between central and local government is vital to the success of local planning, as Justin ‘Hannibal’ Griggs explains.
Lib Dems fail to scrap housing target
An attempt by the Lib Dem leadership to end the party’s support for national housing targets has been defeated by delegates at their conference.
National and local must work together to prioritise nature’s recovery
Oxfordshire CC’s Local Plan aims to ensure development supports nature's recovery, but the council is urging the Government to give greater weight to nature conservation, says Cllr Pete Sudbury.
What's next for regional planning? Discuss
Nearly two years after submitting its local plan Stroud DC is the latest district to get a letter from inspectors pointing to the 'absence of a meaningful strategic planning perspective to help us', says Kathy O'Leary.
Government must get its act together on housing supply
Homelessness rates will rocket unless the Government deals with the fundamental issue of housing supply, warns leader of Enfield LBC and LGA Labour leader Cllr Nesil Caliskan.
Forging consensus around tough transitions must be done locally
With the role of London's ULEZ in the Uxbridge by-election in the spotlight, Jessica Studdert says underfunded councils need 'skills and resource to enable more proactive engagement, deliberation and better forge consensus around trade-offs'.
Our vision, our future
Cllr Bridget Smith says if Michael Gove is to deliver his vision for Cambridge he will have to take communities and their locally elected representatives with him on the journey.
That Bill and the dead hand of centralism
Such new powers as councils are given are limited either on the face of the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill or in the actions ministers will or might take subsequently, says Ian Miller.
Labour pledges to reinstate housing targets
A Labour Government would reinstate housebuilding targets after a Conservative U-turn brought production of local plans to a halt.
'Gargantuan hole' in Government housebuilding approach, MP suggests
The Government’s U-turn on housebuilding targets has brought production of local plans to a halt, MPs on the Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Committee claimed yesterday.
Bid to give local plans primacy over national policies resisted
The Government has resisted efforts in the House of Lords to give local planning proposals primacy over national policies.
Planning for resilience
Localis’s Sandy Forsyth outlines the case for a national plan to ensure place-based best practice approaches to climate adaptation become the norm across the country.
Picturing a Local Plan for Elmbridge
A Local Plan has the potential to present the vision for an area, says Catherine Malloy. She stresses the importance of telling a people-focused story without any acronyms or legalese.
New council tax powers watered down
The Government is to curb proposed powers for local authorities to hike council tax on second homes.
Zero progress on climate but devo can keep things on track
The Levelling Up White Paper’s relative silence on net zero represents a huge missed opportunity – unless the devolution genie is quickly let out of the bottle, writes Grace Newcombe.
Section 106 agreements to be scrapped
Proposals for a standard Infrastructure Levy to replace the current system will be included in an overhaul of planning, it has been confirmed.