Chelgate Public Affairs has published the following briefing on news that No 10 sharpens no-deal rhetoric after gloomy European Council Summit conclusions on Brexit   In a video statement given by the Prime Minister on post-Brexit trade deal talks, Boris Johnson said that the UK is prepared to walk away from the negotiations unless there is a “fundamental change” in the European Union’s approach. If the European Union is not willing to offer the UK a Canada-style free trade agreement with zero tariffs and zero quotas, Boris Johnson said that the UK is prepared to “embrace the alternative” […]

  This month’s episode looks at the EU’s new greenhouse gas target and what it implies for businesses, examines Brussels’ ambitions to curb packaging and packaging waste, and reveals what’s behind the Brexit term “level playing field”.   State of the European Union: What does Von der Leyen’s new greenhouse gas emissions reduction target mean for Europe’s energy, environment and transport sector? On 16 September, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen delivered the much-anticipated 2020 State of the European Union (SOTEU) address. The presidential speech is one of the main events in Brussels’ calendar, setting out the Commission’s long-term […]

  Our Chelgate Local team has today published an article on plans by No 10 and MHCLG to bring root and branch reform of local government   It would seem that plans by No 10 and MHCLG to bring root and branch reform of local government have quietly fallen into the very very long grass. Following a robust reaction from many councils and districts Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (MHCLG) used the COVID-19 announcements by the PM on Monday to quietly publish a ministerial position statement. This was then also covered in a letter to councillors – which […]

The following article written by Michael Hardware has been published in Placemaking Resource, part of Planning magazine. The article can be viewed on this link (registration required).     By Michael Hardware, Chelgate’s director of planning and property. He is also a serving county and district councillor. Several counties have seen the emergence of developer groups in recent years. These should not be confused with developer forums which tend to focus on individual plan areas. Developer groups cover a county, appealing to housebuilders, developers and their consultants which operate there. They also work in partnership with Local Enterprise Partnerships, county […]

  This month we bring you our series of online seminars on forthcoming proposals on reorganisation of local government and planning reforms. Read on for news on the Sevenoaks and St Albans Local Plans, Maidstone’s gamble to keep housing numbers down, the future of Cambridge, and much more…   Sevenoaks to St Albans By Michael Hardware, Director of Planning and Property Not usually associated but these two districts are currently on a similar path: planning inspectors have found both wanting in their duty to cooperate with adjoining authorities. Sevenoaks was in the High Court earlier this month with a judicial […]