Despite the number of skyscrapers going up in the City of London, few planning applications have generated as much controversy as the application for 1 Silk Street for a 21-storey, £450 million office block.  The site and proposals   Located next to the Barbican Estate, the proposals have highlighted the clash …

In conjunction with Vail Williams, we are hosting a breakfast briefing in May 2026 on the likely impacts on planning and development in Surrey and Sussex of local government reorganisation and devolution. This will be after the May elections for the two new unitary authorities in Surrey, which will be …

The government is implementing by far the biggest shake-up of local government in over 50 years. The aim is to abolish the two-tier system of county and district councils replacing them instead with larger unitary authorities to combine and deliver all local public services. Before being elected to government in …

National Update.  Economy: Inflation rates – As of 16 April, the national inflation rate was 3%, with the Bank of England (BoE) target being 2%. At its last meeting on 19 March, the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) said that the inflation rate was higher than expected due to the Iran …

  Martha Broderick is studying politics at Cornell University in New York State. She joined Chelgate Local for an internship to understand planning and local government in the UK Although I’ve studied politics in the UK for A-level and my degree is in the USA , my experience of it …

National Update Economy: Inflation rates – As of 04/03/26, the inflation rate is 3%, with the Bank of England (BoE) target being 2%. At its last meeting on 05/02/26, the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) said that they were expecting inflation ‘to be back to our 2% target this spring’. However, the …

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 …

Guy has a background in town planning and stakeholder engagement, with experience working in local government, planning consultancies and public affairs. He studied for a Master’s degree in City and Regional Planning at Oxford Brookes University before beginning his career as a planning officer at Ealing Council. In this role …