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Councils and developers ‘must’ work together to improve housing quality
The UK Green Building Council (UKGBC) has launched two new resources that aim to help developers and local authorities boost housing standards and improve social value outcomes.
Laura Edgar, The Planner
Land reform could save ‘billions’ for councils building homes, says think tank
Reform of the land market could reduce the upfront cost of an affordable housebuilding programme by more than a third, according to cross-party think tank Civitas.
Laura Edgar, The Planner
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Historic farm buildings receive a £2m grant
A £2 million grant scheme is being rolled out this year in five national parks, offering funding for land managers to restore their historic farm buildings, the government has announced.
Prithvi Pandya, The Planner
Government failing rural communities, say Lords
There has been a ‘consistent failure, over a number of years, to prioritise the ‘rural affairs’ element of the remit of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs’ (Defra), according to a report by the Lords Select Committee on the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006.
Laura Edgar, The Planner
No matter what kind of development you are involved in, working safely should always be a top priority. At the Planning Portal we are committed to providing our users with the information they need to complete projects safely. That’s why we are delighted to announce our new partnerships with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and the Construction Industry Advisory Committee (CONIAC).
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Raab announces changes for permitted rural development
Housing minister Dominic Raab has announced changes to permitted development rights that mean up to five houses can be created from existing agricultural buildings on a farm, rather than the current maximum of three.
Laura Edgar, The Planner
Updated guidance for applications affecting playing fields
Sport England has updated its policy and guidance on planning applications that affect playing fields, with the goal of protecting and enhancing the opportunities for people to take part in sport and activity.
Laura Edgar, The Planner
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English cities regeneration fund doubles in size
The English Cities Fund has announced that it will double its investment in English towns and cities to £200 million as it looks to deliver five schemes that have a total value of £1.6 billion.
Laura Edgar, The Planner
Khan announces £24m funding for community regeneration
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has awarded £24 million from his Good Growth Fund to help projects across the capital to enable local people to take an active role in the regeneration of their communities.
Laura Edgar, The Planner
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Stansted submits plans to raise passenger cap
London Stansted Airport has submitted to Uttlesford District Council a planning application seeking to raise the current cap on passengers by eight million a year.
Laura Edgar, The Planner
Khan calls in Hounslow development
The Mayor of London has called in a 427-home development on the Citroen Site on Capital Interchange Way, Brentford.
Laura Edgar, The Planner
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Raab announces cash to speed up planning decisions
Housing minister Dominic Raab has announced that £15.8 million will go towards speeding up planning decisions to help to deliver new homes.
Laura Edgar, The Planner
Construction growth sees a slowdown in January
The value of construction contracts awarded in January 2018 was £5.4 billion, 10.6 per cent lower compared with a year earlier.
Laura Edgar, The Planner
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Backlog of more than 400,000 homes with permission, says LGA
According to research by the Local Government Association (LGA), there are more than 450,000 homes with planning permission waiting to be built in England and Wales.
Laura Edgar, The Planner
Khan gives green light to factory-built scheme
The Mayor of London has approved plans for a 21-storey residential building in Croydon that will be constructed off-site in a factory.
Laura Edgar, The Planner
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Quartermain: Revised NPPF to be published in draft in spring
A letter to England’s local authorities from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government’s (MHCLG) chief planner states that the government intends to publish a draft revised National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) before Easter.
Laura Edgar, The Planner
Javid proposes extending upwards in cities
Housing secretary Sajid Javid has confirmed that the government supports the creation of a new generation of town houses in cities in an attempt to ease pressure on ‘valuable’ open spaces and to help growing families.
Laura Edgar, The Planner
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