England round-up: House of Lords raises questions about Housing and Planning Bill; Cities and Local Government Devolution Act receives Royal Assent

Housing and Planning Bill: House of Lords raises questions about its policies and its ‘denial of localism’

The Housing and Planning Bill this week underwent its second reading in the House of Lords, with starter homes, the right to buy, and the centralising of powers all coming under scrutiny.

The Planner

Cities and Local Government Devolution Act receives Royal Assent

As the Cities and Local Government Devolution Act receives Royal Assent, new laws will see powers devolved to cities and regions.

The Planner

Government puts land up for sale

The government has published details of 600 acres of surplus public sector land as part of its plans to deliver new homes and boost local growth.

The Planner

Growth forecast for UK construction

The Construction Industry Training Board is calling for more apprentices as it releases new figures that forecast an average annual growth of 2.5 per cent for the next five years.

The Planner

Tunnel proposed for Lower Thames crossing

The government has announced a proposal for a new multi-billion pound road link to cross the River Thames between Essex and Kent.

The Planner

Register of public land in London published

The London Land Commission has published a register of public land in the capital, listing 40,000 sites with the capacity to deliver a minimum of 130,000 homes.

The Planner

House building grew in 2015 – NHBC

The number of homes registered to be built in the UK in 2015 topped 156,000, according to figures released by the National House Building Council.

The Planner

Green party calls for London to establish a mayoral energy company

New green energy company owned by Transport for London could use solar power to run London Underground and sell clean electricity to Londoners.

Business Green

Affordable homes approved for Ebbsfleet Garden City

Planning approval for 125 'affordable' homes within the new Ebbsfleet Garden City has been given to a leading Kent social housing provider.

24dash.com

St Modwen secures warehouse planning consent

St Modwen has secured planning consent to speculatively develop four detached warehouses ranging from 5,000 square feet to 30,000 square feet in Merseyside.

Insider Media

RSPB and Ecotricity to build new wind turbine in green energy partnership

Work begins in Sandy, Bedfordshire, on Monday 25 January, and the 100-metre tall wind turbine will generate around two million units of green energy a year, equivalent to over half of the electricity the RSPB uses across its 127 UK locations.

Royal Society for the Protection of Birds 

Traffic lights are damaging the economy, says Institute of Economic Affairs

The proliferation of traffic lights and other so-called journey controls slows down the workforce and reduces job opportunities within reasonable travelling distance, the report suggests.

The Planner

Anger over bid to turn South Shields ‘eyesore’ into homeless project

People living next to an “eyesore” building in South Tyneside say they feel they have been ignored over plans to transform it into a groundbreaking social enterprise for 15 homeless people.

The Shields Gazette

British public ‘overwhelmingly NIMBY’, finds survey

A survey conducted by a political strategy consultancy has found that the British public is "overwhelmingly NIMBY”.

Out-Law.com

Harpenden tennis club appeals over expansion plans

Elliswick Lawn Tennis Club in Browning Road, Harpenden, asked St Albans City and District Council to give the green light to replace its junior tennis court and practice wall with two junior courts, positioned adjacent to its main courts.

The Herts Advertiser

Controversial Staffordshire golf club plans to go ahead

Controversial plans to expand Stafford Castle Golf Club from nine holes to 18 will go ahead again after an expired time limit to carry out the work was deemed ‘unreasonable’.

Express and Star

Slough to delay local plan

The new local plan is to be delayed by Slough Borough Council to prevent objectors to a proposed third runway using it to “rehearse their arguments”.

Colnbrook Views

PM pledges £2m for Lake District flood repairs

A £2 million flood repairs package for the Lake District and a tourism campaign to promote the North of England have been announced by the prime minister.

BBC News

Preferred plan for town layout in Northumberland

Residents and businesses in Ashington have this week had the chance to look at plans for the future layout and use of the town’s Station Road.

News Post Leader

East Yorkshire waste energy gas plant plans rejected

A plant that would recycle organic waste into energy will not be built after councillors refused planning permission.

BBC News