By Michael Hardware, Director of Planning and Property Everyone complains about the planning system: developers and planners complain because it is too long, complicated and has uncertainty; residents complain because their voices are never heard or taken into account; councillors …

By Michael Hardware, Director of Planning and Property  The future of the car has been debated ad infinitum in recent years but the pandemic has perhaps added a new dimension. As new homes and communities being designed now will have to serve its …

By Michael Hardware, Director of Planning and Property Is the Brentwood Borough Council (BBC) local plan going to go down the same path as others where there is a reliance on garden communities for a large proportion of housing numbers? …

By Kasia Banaś, Account Director  It is clear by now that the COVID-19 pandemic will have long-lasting effects on how we live, work and travel. What we don’t know yet, and probably won’t know for some time, is what exactly …

By Alia Khan, Consultant  The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has appointed Joanna Averley as its new chief planner. She is the first female chief planner and assumes her post from September. Averley joins Whitehall from the …

By Alia Khan, Consultant  Following the Government’s announcement last month to reopen estate agents, data sets emerging from the industry show a significant release of pent-up demand in both the housing and rental market in the UK. Although this was to …

By Michael Hardware, Director of Planning and Property The joint Chiltern and South Bucks local plan has joined the growing list of failing local plans in the south east. It joins Uttlesford, St Albans and the joint north Essex local …

The guest of Chelgate Local’s sixth Live Planning Event was Deputy Leader of Guildford, Cllr Jan Harwood, who presented an optimistic outlook on council’s future as it progresses its local plan and climate change priorities. Cllr Harwood credits Guildford council’s …