Housing minister Grant Shapps has today pledged nearly £1bn of funding for councils that give planning permission for new housing development.
In the proposals for the New Homes Bonus, which are now open for public consultation, the government will match the council tax raised from new homes for the first six …

What is it: Communities and Local Government chief planner Steve Quartermain has written to chief planning officers at UK councils about revisions to the Town and Country Planning (General Development Procedure) Order 1995.
When did it come out: 9 September 2010
Why is it important: On 1 October, a consolidated version of the …

The government has today published a list of the 56 bids it has received from councils wanting to create local enterprise partnerships (LEPs) to take on housing, planning, and regeneration powers.
If approved, each body [full list of proposals below] will take on responsibilities currently held by regional development agenies  (RDAs).
Yesterday …

Local government spending watchdog the Audit Commission has hit out at “misleading press reports” that accompanied the announcement of its abolition on Friday.
In a letter to communities secretary Eric Pickles, the quango’s chairman Michael O’Higgins said he had been “disappointed and dismayed” by reports that it had spent taxpayers’ money …

The coalition has today told UK fire services they no longer need to use asset management strategies or follow RICS best practice.
In a bid to devolve powers to fire services, it has made several changes to its National Framework, which forces fire services to be run via regional management boards …

What is it: CLG chief planner Steve Quartermain has written to councils advising them on how to proceed with regional planning following the revocation of regional spatial strategies.
When it came out: 6 July 2010
Why it is important: The letter includes a question and answer section for local authorities about how …

The government’s management of its 25 private finance initiative-funded housing projects has been weak and under-resourced, with 21 running over-budget, spending watchdog the National Audit Office has said today.
In its report on PFI in Housing,  published today, the NAO criticises the Department for Communities and Local Government for allowing the …

Property-related civil servants feature in a list of the government’s highest earners published today by the Cabinet Office.
The names of 170 mandarins earning more than £150,000 were released today, including Richard McCarthy, director general of housing and planning at the Department for Communities and Local Government, and Joe Montgomery, its …

Infrastructure Planning Commission head Sir Michael Pitt has confirmed the government is planning to scrap the IPC and overhaul planning powers in the Department for Communities and Local Government.
Pitt yesterday sent a letter to developers that said the government wanted to bring forward primary legislation to replace the Infrastructure Planning …

The Royal Town Planning Institute has backed government plans to bypass the planning system for some affordable housing schemes in rural areas.
The RTPI said it backed the plan by government department Communities and Local Government to consult on proposals to allow a limited number of affordable housing to be built …