An applicant who got permission for a new house has ended up in difficulties with the planning authority who have found the original plans were not accurate in showing the effect on the neighbour. A drawn-out process is now needed to resolve this, with the possibility of demolition.

The new Government has announced as part of their push for houses to be built the creation of a New Towns Taskforce. The members of the team are looking for locations for large new settlements, and will report back to the Government in 2025.

The long-running saga of the householder who built 'Britain's biggest man cave' has nearly come to an end. Despite losing appeals and being told to remove the building, he failed to do so and the Council were forced to take action to demolish - Councils have the power to carry out the terms of the enforcement notice and charge later for it. However, it seems the householder is reluctant to pay those bills.

A stand off between developers and the Council in trying to secure new housing in a village, but also to provide the required affordable housing as part of that, seems to have stalled any houses at all. A demonstration of the complexities of planning, and how delays can impact on delivery.

Permitted development rights allow householders and businesses to undertake works without needing a grant of planning permission from their local Council. The Government has widened these rights over the years, and they have recently announced intentions to widen these again: ideas include larger and taller rear extensions, removing limits on roof extensions, and increasing the ability for more outbuildings in gardens.

Fees for planning applications were increased in December, so are now applying to all applications made to Councils. See here for the updated rates.

The developers of the presitigious, and large, Fairmont Hotel near Windsor has found themselves with an enforcement notice to demolish the hotel as they built it larger than approved. The Hotel was host to the recent signing of the Windsor Agreement betwen Rishi Sunak and the European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen.