Economy: Inflation rate – Inflation rose to 3.4% for the year to December 2025, driven by higher tobacco prices and airfares, according to the Office for National Statistics. The Bank of England (BoE) target inflation rate is 2%. Interest rate – The BoE cut interest rates to 3.75% at its meeting on …

Michael Hardware was invited to present on local government reorganisation and devolution at the House Builders Federation East of England Planning Meeting on 22 October in Cambridge. It is a subject he was very familiar with as he is the cabinet member for local government reorganisation and devolution at Harlow …

On Friday 12th September 2025, Chelgate Local and Bidwells, in conjunction with the Essex Developers Group, co-hosted a Local Government Reorganisation and Devolution Breakfast Briefing at Pontlands Park Hotel near Chelmsford, in Essex. After attendees enjoyed a scrumptious breakfast buffet, the event was introduced by Michael Hardware, Chelgate Local’s director …

Senior Account Executive Sophie Coghlan graduated from Manchester Metropolitan University in July 2024 with a marketing degree and joined Chelgate Local in August 2025 as an account executive. She was promoted to senior account executive in February 2026. Sophie is passionate about growing her career in public affairs and public …

There are two Account Execuitve roles with Chelgate Local, our local government division. Our clients include many of the leading developers, housebuilders, land promoters and contractors which market to the sector or are navigating the local plan and planning systems. We are looking for a brilliant and hard-working person to …

This article was published in PlacemakingResource, part of Planning magazine, on 16 July 2025. It is behind a paywall All development sites need infrastructure, both soft and hard: it is the string that pulls a project together, that allows the ‘place’ to happen. Efficient infrastructure planning and delivery is vital …

There are two councils in the Devolution Priority Programme (DPP) in the North Thames region: Greater Essex and Norfolk and Suffolk. Both have submitted their approaches to local government reorganisation to MHCLG, and both are to submit detailed proposals by September. All the other top-tier councils in the region which …

By Michael Hardware, Director of Property & Planning, Chelgate Local I attended the UK Real Estate Investment and Infrastructure Forum conference in Leeds between 20 and 23 May. Unlike last year, the sun shone, and all was well in the world. New management This year’s event, which was organised under …