I’ve been thinking about how we can make planning even more accountable and predictable too. I would love to hear your thoughts on my ideas.
Some places might not be able to support a full time shop, pub, or post office, but could support a unit that operates as all three at different times of the day
We could see a revitalisation of smaller towns as people spend more of their time – and more of their money there.
If, that is, interest rates carry on at rock bottom rates. But we have to take a chance on growing our way out of this crisis.
One area that has had relatively little attention, but could get much more, is the behaviour of commercial landlords across the country.
We can make our village, town, and city centres better places than they were before the crisis: more humane, more beautiful, and more liveable.
We could reduce or waive fees for applications that relate to business development. Virtual meetings can reduce delays.
More staff are being recruited in the town hall. We would give priority to free parking to boost our high streets.
The Lib Dems have thrown £1m of taxpayer money, around 20 per cent of the Council Tax receipts, at new hobby projects, with no defined benefits for the coming year.
Part two of our weekly series on the local election, focusing on the district council contests.
The decision illustrates how previous parliaments have freighted the process of policy-making with an increasingly onerous lattice of ill-defined obligations.
The author of the final piece in our mini-series identifies corporation tax, stamp duty, national insurance and investment allowances as targets for action.
We must level-up the country. By providing the funds we need, the Government will send a vote of confidence in the power of local decision-making.
Allowing developers to negotiate at a very local level to provide compensation directly to the community would factor in beauty, practicality and social costs.
By using the new grant as an incentiv those who are looking to buy would be more likely to buy a new build, enabling supply to continue.