Tag Archives: planning
Localism at Risk: one year on, is the NPPF delivering planning for people?
Our identification with place is a fundamental part of our humanity. We all care deeply about the places that we live and work in. But we also want different things from them. On the one hand we want them to …
Localism at Risk: Is the NPPF delivering planning for people?
A new report from the LGiU, in association with the National Trust, examines how well councils think that the NPPF is helping them meet the planning needs of local communities.
Last orders? How councils can protect local pubs from closure
Iris Murdoch once wrote of pubs as ‘universal places, like churches, hallowed meeting places of mankind’. This leads you to two inevitable conclusions: 1) she had a lovely turn of phrase and fully deserved that DBE, and 2) she had …
Local authorities and economic development in 2013 – can local dynamism counter a national low growth economy?
The global economic outlook is uncertain. National forecasts show a continuation of a lengthy period of low growth (at best). The need for local authorities (LAs) to contribute to and lead local growth has, arguably, never been greater.
Doing this effectively requires LAs to understand, plan and manage both their local economy, and the major changes the coalition government has made to the sub-national economic development landscape since 2010.
During the latter half of 2012, LGIU produced a number of briefings on key aspects of this changed landscape – LEPs, city deals, autumn statement etc. This briefing builds on these to provide a checklist of considerations for LAs in terms of economic development as we enter 2013.
Understanding the local economy, a vision and strategy for the future, strategic relationship management, capacity and capability to intervene effectively, and engaging with national and EU opportunities are each examined as key components of a local approach. Pulling these together in a ‘city deal’ or an economic chapter of a ‘whole place community budget’ is a major undertaking, but can arguably provide a coherent foundation for 2013 efforts and energies.
This briefing will be of particular interest to LA leadership and policy teams with economic responsibilities, their partners especially in LEPs (local enterprise partnerships), and to economic development and related professional teams.
This briefing is also part of a series where we are looking back and looking ahead at key issues – health and social care and planning briefings will be published shortly.
How local authorities can reduce emissions and manage climate risk: Committee on Climate Change report
The Committee on Climate Change (CCC) is an independent government advisory committee and it was asked by Greg Barker, the Energy Minister, to issue advice to local authorities on how they can be incentivised to show leadership, and what scale of ambition they should set themselves.
* The CCC report summarises the national context of carbon budgets, before outlining the quantity of emissions local authorities could potentially reduce via policy levers under their influence. It details measures that can be taken by local authorities, by sector (focusing on buildings, transport and waste), and recommends all local authorities produce carbon plans, and for the government to consider a new statutory duty for them to do so.
* The report is useful for all staff and elected representatives working in local authorities who have some degree of control over the way in which climate change is approached in their department or office. The report can be read in conjunction with a second LGiU briefing entitled “Requirements on Local Authorities: household energy efficiency”, which outlines local government responsibilities to deliver a report to national government by March 2013 detailing measures to improve household energy efficiency.
Measuring National Well-being : Where We Live
Measuring National Well-being – Where We Live explores the way in which our homes and the areas in which we live influence our well-being. This briefing provides a summary.
* The report forms part of the Measuring National Well-being programme which aims to measure the nation’s well-being and promote its importance to policy and decision makers at all levels.
* It draws on a wide range of subjective and objective evidence to consider headline measures including housing tenure, provision and quality, the housing market, the local area and access to services and amenities.
* The report has particular relevance for officers involved in housing, community and neighbourhood planning, as well as local members.
This briefing provides a summary. It follows a briefing we published on 19 September with an overview of the National Well-being Programme – see below.
Measuring National Well-being
This briefing brings local authorities up to date on the Measuring National Well-being Programme. It introduces the early thematic reports and highlights those of immediate interest to local authorities.
* This four year programme aims to measure the nation’s well-being, using subjective and objective data, and accessible to local authority level.
* A series of thematic publications explores the key subject areas and the headline measures and influences. They assert the importance of and potential for well-being to become a policy and decision making tool.
* Officers and members involved in corporate policy, strategic and community/neighbourhood planning, and partnership work will find the programme and reports of particular relevance.
The Coalition’s housing and planning reform package
Why is planning in the news again? In March 2012 the government launched its National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) with a clear, if ambitious, timetable for LPAs to work to, and a sense that the dust had settled after months …
Neighbourhood planning update summer 2012
During 2012 the legislative framework and funding context for neighbourhood planning has continued to develop:
• neighbourhood planning regulations came into force in April 2012
• referendum questions have been revised
• £17 million has been made available over three years to help develop community right to build orders.
Neighbourhood planning practice is also beginning to take shape:
• there is considerable enthusiasm for neighbourhood planning
• the first neighbourhood forum has been designated (Balsall Health in Birmingham)
• sustaining the momentum for neighbourhood planning faces two main challenges: aligning neighbourhood plans with local plans, and matching neighbourhood capacity and funding with the resources required to prepare a neighbourhood plan.
This briefing will be of interest to elected members from all levels of local government (including town and parish councils), planning and community development officers, and neighbourhood forums and community groups.
Avoiding Community Infrastructure Levy-induced legal headaches
Cash-strapped local government has been eyeing the Community Infrastructure Levy with considerable interest. Put simply, CIL will allow local authorities to impose a levy on developers to fund infrastructure projects around the local area. It is an additional revenue stream to Section …
