Planning news – 23 March 2023

Our planning news is published in association with The Planner, the official magazine of the Royal Town Planning Institute.

Housing minister announces skills boost for planning authorities
Housing minister Rachel Maclean has announced the allocation of £1 million in funding to recruit more skilled planning professionals to local councils.
Laura Edgar, The Planner

Hunt announces 12 ‘refocused’ investment zones
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has committed to establishing 12 investment zones in the Spring Budget (15 March).
Laura Edgar, The Planner

Ports need adapting to deliver floating offshore wind
Eleven UK ports need to be transformed ‘as fast as possible’ into industrial hubs so floating offshore wind can be rolled out at scale.
Laura Edgar, The Planner

Toads Hole Valley housing plans approved
Brighton & Hove City Council’s planning committee has approved plans to replace a proposed secondary school with a further 182 homes – 40 per cent of which would be affordable.
Prithvi Pandya, The Planner

Plan to address river pollution agreed in Wales
Wales’s First Minister Mark Drakeford has confirmed the details of an action plan to reduce river pollution, including delivering short-term solutions to address current planning constraints.
Laura Edgar, The Planner

News round-up
– Community hospital approved in Consett
– Councils consults on CIL and planning obligations
– Hillingdon grants St. Andrew’s Park housing approval
– Phase one of Alkerden Village plans to go ahead
– LDO updated for Milton Park
– And more stories…
Laura Edgar and Prithvi Pandya, The Planner