We hosted a seminar at Harlow College, on behalf of Willmott Dixon, in November. It looked at the connections between public procurement, planning gain, social value, and skills and training. Speakers included The Rt Hon Robert Halfon MP, minister for skills and apprenticeships, Ruth Gilbert, head of employability and skills …

The Department for Levelling Up Homes and Communities (DLUHC) did promise to publish the NPPF consultation before Christmas and, they were good to their word, the consultation was sneaked out on 22 December. The industry has until 2nd March to respond to the proposals. The Government really is between a …

It is difficult to remember a time when we did not have political turmoil – we had Brexit and COVID, the invasion of Ukraine, and then three leaders inside a few months. Hopefully, we will see a period of relative stability as we progress into 2023. The Conservatives have understandably …

This is true, and we have failed to meet their needs for many years. Local plans produced by districts, boroughs, and cities across the country rarely have provision for housing for older people, and where they do, it is usually unsophisticated and limited to care homes or sheltered accommodations. Councils …

By Michael Hardware, Director of Planning and Property The Government has decided that legislation to hold council meetings virtually will not be extended. This means all future meetings will have to be exclusively physical in nature, held again in council chambers and committee rooms across the country.  The lockdown last year to …

By Ruby Burdett, Consultant  In March 2021, our client, Inspired Villages, hosted a workshop entitled ‘Housing-with-care’ at the Conservative Councillor’s Association (CCA) Local Government Conference. The presentation highlighted the current lack of provision of housing for older people, the limited choice and flexibility, and the impacts this is having on society.   Currently, living options for older people are limited: they can stay in their own home, they can move into retirement …

  Chelgate’s Michael Hardware has been appointed Vice President of the Chartered Institute of Journalists (CIOJ). The CIOJ is the world’s oldest journalism professional body, having received its first Royal Warrant, from Queen Victoria, over 140 years ago.  Michael, who heads up Chelgate Local, has been a member of the …

Chelgate Local’s work for Redrow Homes South East on a project in Maidstone, Kent, was a finalist in the Public Relations Consultants Association (PRCA) awards in December. Springfield Mill was shortlisted in the PRCA Planning Project of the Year category recognising Chelgate Local’s political and community engagement role with the …