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 …

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 …

The biggest shake-up of local government is well underway, with a distribution of power from central government in the form of new Mayoral Strategic Authorities; and a shake-up of local government via the creation of new Unitary Authorities. When people …

Chelgate has been providing political engagement and community consultation support to our clients for almost 40 years. Over the past decade, we have worked on over 100 projects totalling over 50,000 dwellings and, over the last 2.5 years, we have …

A few years ago, the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) published an article (https://www.rtpi.org.uk/research-rtpi/2020/september/planning-through-zoning/) regarding ‘Planning Through Zoning’. ‘Zoning’, common in other countries, such as in the USA and in Hong Kong, where regulatory zoning plans are used as the …

On Tuesday 11th March, the First Reading of the UK Government’s much publicised Planning and Infrastructure Bill was published, followed with a debate on the floor of the House of Commons (the latest version of the Bill is here. This …

We are all very aware of the financial barriers which are holding back first-time buyers for housing in the UK. Between rising house prices and stagnant salaries, it has become nearly impossible for most people to get on the property …

Chelgate Local helped obtained consent for two projects during February: a 480-home Redrow Eastern project west of Billericay in Essex was approved by Basildon Council, and a 45-home Bellway Thames Gateway project in Chipping Ongar, also in Essex, was approved …