Planning Ahead: news, views and insights – October 2022

In this issue of Planning Ahead we have five articles. We review the Conservative Party Conference, look at yet another local plan being delayed and provide insights into the new DLUHC ministerial team. We also have two interesting snippets from the Government on planning consents and the size of the green belt.  Please do feel free to get in touch and share your thoughts.

• Conservative Party Conference, Birmingham 2022 As always, the annual party conference was a hectic affair, but this year had the added spice of yet another new Government and Prime Minister, but all did not go to plan! We summarise the key elements relating to development and planning.  More…
• Another local plan pushed into the long grass Basildon Council agreed last month the new LDS for its local plan, having withdrawn its previous one back in April. It has the new local plan adoption in 2027! This is the latest in a long line of councils dragging their feet – Uttlesford, St Albans, Castle Point, Hertsmere to name but a few. More…
• New DLUHC Ministerial Team The new ministerial team at the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and communities (DLUHC) is led by new Secretary of State, The Rt Hon Simon Clarke MP. More…
• Planning consents fall The number of planning applications in England has fallen by 12 per cent, when compared with the same period in 2021. More…
• Green belt is actually growing According to latest government statistics the green belt has grown by 24,150 hectares, or 1.5 per cent of the total. More…

Skills Summit: Social value from planning and procurement

Willmott Dixon hosted a skills summit at Harlow College in October. Speakers included Rt Hon Robert Halfon MP, who is chair of the Education Select Committee, together with Brentwood Council, Essex County Council and Westminster City Council. A full write-up of this will appear in the next issue.

Local Plan updates

Chelgate Local brings you Local Plan updates for councils across the south east: Basildon, Brentwood, Epping Forest, Harlow, Medway, Sevenoaks and many more…