December was a hugely significant month for planning as the government introduced the English Devolution White Paper and the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) revisions. First to be announced was the NPPF revisions on the 12th of December. The document outlines significant changes to the national and local planning decision-making …

  Key Issues: The publication of the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government’s (MHCLG) Planning Reform Working Paper on Planning Committees on the 9th December, 2024, opens the way to the streamlining of planning application decision making in England through centralised changes. The Government may take forward any or …

  Key Issues: On the 13th December, the Labour Secretary of State for Energy and Net Zero, the Rt Hon Ed Miliband MP, set out a plan, (Clean Power 2030 Action Plan: A new era of clean electricity, which can be seen here , to work with the clean power …

  Key Issues: On the 22nd September 2024, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) published it’s Planning Reform Working Paper on the Brownfield Passport: Making the Most of Urban Land (which can be found here): Its focus is on making the most efficient use of brownfield land …

Mayoral strategic plans, call-in powers and development corporations all on the horizon, as well as unitary planning authorities following the abolition of county, district and borough councils As we have been briefing for several months, local government reform is not only on the horizon, it is now a huge juggernaut …

Consultant Clare works as a policy, communications and engagement specialist and is a champion for local politics and community development. As an active political campaigner, Clare is a councillor for both Milton Keynes City Council and Huntingdonshire District Council, and stood as a Parliamentary Candidate in 2024. Her background involves …

Key points: LPAs must now review Green Belt boundaries where unmet housing needs exist. Grey Belt definition introduced for land that does not ‘strongly contribute’ to key Green Belt purposes and meets certain criteria. Development within the Green Belt is permissible where it utilises Grey Belt, meets unmet needs, and …

Key Points: All district, borough and city councils to get abolished and become either a Foundation Strategic Authority (FSAs, which will include non-mayoral combined authorities, combined county authorities, and any local authority designated as a FSA without a mayor), or a Mayoral Strategic Authority (MSA). This will end the current …