Government Announcement – 7 September 2026 The Government has today announced a pause and review of its local government reorganisation programme, following updated legal advice. Peter Collins explains what you need to know. Decisions affecting Essex, Hampshire, Norfolk and Suffolk have been withdrawn, while proposals in a further 14 areas, as well as Cambridgeshire and... Read more
As the government consults on national section 106 templates for medium-sized housing sites, Emily Knowles, Rachel Lee and Katie Millar explain what this means for local planning authorities. Section 106 agreements are essential to the delivery of housing and infrastructure- they secure the planning obligations that make otherwise unacceptable development acceptable in planning terms. Yet... Read more
Announcements today show that government at both national and London level is moving beyond simply setting housing targets and is focusing on removing barriers to delivery. Emily Knowles, Gemma Duncan and Katie Millar explain what you need to know. The UK Government has announced close to £10bn in funding for 33 Strategic Partners: councils, housing... Read more
With the opportunity to adopt new supplementary planning documents now over and a new National Planning Policy Framework in force, local planning authorities face a fundamentally changed landscape. In this article, James Goldthorpe, Rachel Lee and Emily Knowles from our planning team consider the implications for local planning authorities seeking to secure developer contributions through... Read more
With the NPPF 2026 now in force, the planning rulebook has shifted decisively. Rebecca Stewart takes a first look at what some of the changes mean for LPAs and developers. On 17 August, the Government published its much-anticipated new National Planning Policy Framework (“NPPF 2026”), introducing a suite of changes to national planning policy. Through... Read more
The CMA published its first periodic monitoring report on the UK's subsidy control regime at the end of June this year - a weighty 168 pages of it. Oliver Slater, Beatrice Wood and Aakash Vadher break down what this means for public authorities and businesses alike, including what we can expect a the regime continues... Read more
The Court of Appeal has dismissed Westminster City Council’s appeal in Westminster City Council v GEMS House Residences Chiltern Street Ltd and another [2026] EWCA Civ 937. Rebecca Stewart considers the implications of the recent decision. The case concerned 16 flats which had been secured as affordable housing under a section 106 agreement linked to planning... Read more
