Monthly Archives: September 2014

The Department of the Environment Northern Ireland (DoENI) has now published the ‘Living Places’ urban stewardship guide, a UK first. DoENI writes: Environment Minister Mark H Durkan has today announced the publication of the UK’s first urban stewardship and design … Continue reading →

A reconstructed Anglo-Saxon village is to get a new house to replace one built 40 years ago. St Edmundsbury Borough Council is spending £20,000 on a replacement timber and thatch building at West Stow, Suffolk , which should take a … Continue reading →

A public house in the Bradford City area which is of outstanding historic interest has been the subject of legal challenges by the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA). CAMRA writes: A historic pub of national importance has been the subject … Continue reading →

Local and central government are the industries least trusted by their own staff, with ‘budget cuts and upheaval’ causing employee concern, claims a report by the Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM). A survey of 1,600 UK managers by found … Continue reading →

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) is advertising for the appointment of a Chair for the Theatres Trust, with a closing date of 27 October and interviews on 8 December. DCMS writes: The Department for Culture, Media and … Continue reading →

The Welsh Government announced the intention to offer incentives for any of the 22 Local Authorities to merge voluntarily. The Welsh Government writes: Minister for Public Services, Leighton Andrews today outlined how he will take forward plans to create modern … Continue reading →

A future Labour government would reintroduce a ‘brownfield first’ policy for house building. This was the message confirmed by the Shadow Planning Minister Roberta Blackman-Woods MP at the joint FMB/CPRE fringe event at the Labour Party Conference in Manchester. FMB … Continue reading →

The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland (RCAHMS) has issued an online archive of golf courses charting the history of lost courses and taking new aerial images of current courses. RCAHMS writes: Hundreds of Scotland’s golf … Continue reading →

Ordnance Survey and The Land Registry have launched an open challenge to answer the question ‘How can we enable people in Britain to live in better places?’ with a closing date set for 19 November. Ordnance Survey writes: The best … Continue reading →

A Commons Library Briefing Note has been issued on planning reform proposals which summarises planning reform announcements in England. UK Parliament briefing papers

The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) is seeking expressions of interest from local planning authorities and neighbourhood planning forums in becoming development benefits pilots, with the deadline for expressions of interest of 24 October. DCLG writes: Budget 2014 … Continue reading →

The Department for Business Innovation and Skills (DBIS) has updated guidance for the Regional Growth Fund with the deadline for the next round of applications being midday on 30 September 2014. DBIS writes: The £3.2 billion Regional Growth Fund (RGF) … Continue reading →

Albion Stone, one of the two quarry companies on the Dorset island of Portland extracting the famous limestone, has been given planning permission that should secure the company’s production of the stone for the next 30 years, at least. Natural … Continue reading →

The Welsh Government is seeking views on proposed changes to Local Government (LG), in a consultation closing on 1 October. The Welsh Government writes: In his newly appointed role as Minister for Public Services, Leighton Andrews AM has issued a … Continue reading →

DEFRA and DCLG are consulting on proposed changes to the delivery of sustainable urban drainage systems (SuDS) in the planning system, with a deadline for responses of 24 October 2014.  DCLG and DEFRA write: The independent review into the causes … Continue reading →

A new report by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), entitled ‘Property in politics’, calls for a new designation of land entitled ‘amberfield’ to address housing shortages, where local authorities work together to promote development opportunities. The report includes … Continue reading →

The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) has announced that empty office space in Islington can continue to be changed into housing under an article 4 direction. DCLG writes: Housing Minister, Brandon Lewis, today (17 September 2014) took steps … Continue reading →

The latest issue of English Heritage (EH) Research News, is online magazine on research updates, focuses on the links between heritage and the economy. The current issue features an article by Duncan Melville on methods for assessing the economic value … Continue reading →