January 2012 - Issue 130
Clark urged to restore brownfield provisions
A group of planning, development and environmental bodies await decentralisation minister Greg Clark's response to their call for him to amend the proposed National Planning Policy Framework to support spatial aspects of brownfield policy and promote reuse of previously developed land.
MPs' regeneration charges rejected
The Government has flatly rejected most of the criticisms of its regeneration policies made by the Commons Communities and Local Government Committee last autumn (BB, November 2011) and says it is for local partners to work out local solutions for local challenges.
Threat to brownfield statistics
DCLG is consulting on proposals to cut back collection of Land Use Change Statistics which have long provided underpinning data for brownfield progress and damage due to sprawl to minimise the burden on data producers to align them with its policy priorities.
Qualititative risk assessment guide
New industry guidance on Qualitative Risk Assessment for Land Contamination, Including Radioactive Contamination has been published by the Nuclear Industry Group for Land Quality.
A Sobra affair
BB makes a flying visit to the annual SoBRA conference.
Re-imagining garden cities
Last month, BB looked at the dangers in reviving the garden city idea. Here, TCPA cheif executive Kate Henderson sets out why she believs these ideals still have a critical relevance for high-quality place making and delivering housing and jobs.
