England round-up: Cambridgeshire councils to outsource planning application processes; Not enough is being done to address housing crisis

Cambridgeshire councils to outsource planning application processes

South Cambridgeshire District Council and Cambridge City Council have announced that they will be outsourcing the processing of household planning applications to a private company.

The Planner

Poll: Not enough is being done to address housing crisis

More than 50 per cent of the British public think that housing has not been discussed enough in the past few years, according to the results of an Ipsos Mori survey.

The Planner

Work paused on Hereford bypass

Herefordshire County Council has suspended work on the £129 million Hereford bypass and Southern link road following a change in administration.

The Planner

Local plan draft approved in the North East

South Tyneside Council’s cabinet has approved the pre-publication draft of the area’s local plan, which should facilitate the delivery of 7,000 homes by 2036.

The Planner

Housing association to build ‘plastic-free’ homes

Accord Housing Association has committed to building ‘virtually plastic-free’ housing as it attempts to reduce the amount of plastic used during construction.

The Planner

Help us celebrate 60 years of the RTPI’s Royal Charter

This year is a particularly special one for the RTPI, which next month will celebrate the 60th anniversary of the granting of its Royal Charter. And you can help The Planner to mark the occasion.

The Planner

Golf course should be ‘community forest’ instead of 800 homes

Plans for 800 homes and a school on a former golf course in Birmingham should be dropped and a ‘community forest’ built on the land instead, councillors have argued.

Express & Star

HS2 forced to rethink £1.5bn track contract

HS2 Ltd has said ‘increasing concern’ from industry over risk transfer has forced it to reconsider its approach on a £1.5 billion track construction contract covering London to Crewe.

Transport Network

Truro retail park would ‘breach planning conditions’

Plans to relocate fashion retailer Next from Truro city centre to an out-of-town retail park would breach planning conditions, according to a business group.

Cornish Stuff

Sir Edward Lister resigns as Homes England chair

The chair of Homes England, Sir Edward Lister, has resigned to concentrate on his new role as the prime minister's chief strategic adviser.

Infrastructure Intelligence

Major upgrades planned for Trans-Pennine route 

Major upgrades to a northern Trans-Pennine route at the A69 Bridge End junction near Hexham are being planned to reduce congestion, and improve journey times and safety for thousands of drivers. 

UK Government

Opinion: Britain’s infrastructure is breaking down

There’s no lobby for public assets like the National Grid. That also goes for our libraries, youth clubs, parks and pubs.

The Guardian

Planning permission granted for major Solihull care home

Octopus Real Estate has announced that it has secured planning permission for a major care home development at Blythe Valley Park in Solihull.

Care Homes Professional

Midlands Metro’s extension delayed by HS2

A £137 million extension to West Midlands Metro has been delayed by HS2. It is still waiting for government approval.

BBC News

Developer slammed for behaviour over scheme to replace doctors’ surgery with homes

A developer has been slammed for the ‘unpalatable’, ‘cavalier’, ‘deceitful’, and ‘atrocious’ way it has behaved over plans to remove a doctors’ surgery from a new housing development.

Devon Live

Hub offers local people construction training and jobs at Perry Barr residential scheme 

Hundreds of local people will have the chance to learn valuable construction skills and help build more than 1,400 new homes on one of Birmingham’s biggest construction sites, thanks to a new training hub.

West Midlands Combined Authority

Owners told to remove swimming pool at Norfolk home

An enforcement notice requiring the demolition of a two-storey building has been served on the owners of a property in north Norfolk.

North Norfolk News

Local communities back neighbourhood plans

Two local communities in Dorset are just one step away from having approved neighbourhood plans for their area.

Dorset Council

Cheshire council acts to strengthen its planning framework

Cheshire East Council is to move forward on the next phase of Cheshire East’s development plan. The site allocations and development policies document has been considered by members of the authority’s cabinet.

Knutsford Times