Right to challenge yellow lines and unfair parking charges

30 August 2014 12:01am

A new right could allow local residents or local firms to raise-up a petition that will require a council review of the use of yellow lines and unfair parking charges, Local Government Secretary Eric Pickles announced today (30 August 2014).

The Secretary of State believes the changes will give local people a direct and democratic say over yellow line road restrictions in their area and the power to challenge existing council parking policies. A minimum of 50 council tax payers’ signatures or at least 10% of the residents or businesses in the affected local areas is being proposed.

This new right will give local residents, a simple, fair and transparent mechanism for all road users, including pedestrians, cyclists, people with disabilities, shop keepers and local business men and women, to raise concerns about the placement of yellow lines.

Following a wider consultation on over-zealous parking the government will now amend statutory guidance to introduce a system that will mean a petition triggers a local authority review of any aspect of parking policy.

In response to a petition, local authorities will be required to review their parking policy in a specified location, and produce a report for consideration by councillors in an appropriate public council meeting. If needed, the government is ready to consider the case for entrenching in legislation.

This approach combines direct democracy (the right to petition and call a review) with representative democracy (elected councillors taking a decision, and then being held to account at the ballot box).

Eric Pickles said:

Too often yellow lines are imposed on neighbourhoods or the high street without fair consideration of the livelihood of residents, local shops or the availability of parking spaces. Now local people will have a direct and democratic right to trigger a formal council led review of road restrictions in their area.

Town centres need to allow for proper traffic flow, but incessant yellow lines, CCTV spy cars and trigger happy parking wardens make everyday life unbearable for drivers looking for somewhere to park when shopping locally.

This government is standing up for hard working people and tackling over-zealous parking enforcement practices and unfair parking charges that force people away from the high street and into out-of-town shopping centres or online.

Further information

A discussion paper published today proposes that the arrangements for responding to petitions should be determined locally. However, the government is proposing that local authorities should ensure their arrangements include:

a public statement on how they will manage any challenges to their parking policies. This statement could cover how reviews will be carried out, low long they will take, public consultation requirements, and how the final decision will be taken and communicated following the review. The statement should also cover any circumstances where a petition will not be considered (e.g. vexatious petitioners, within a stated minimum period after a previous review in the same area)

publication of the details of all petitions received, with clear information on what aspects of parking policy are being challenged, the timeline for reviewing the challenged policy and how local residents and businesses can engage in that review

the report of the review, and any recommendations, are considered and voted on by councillors

the organiser of the petition should be kept updated on progress, and notified when the report is due to be considered and the outcome of the challenge

publish the outcome of all reviews

Any petition submitted must also include the following:

a clear description of the geographical area covered by the petition (which could be a road, a series of roads, a polling district, a ward or indeed, the whole council area)

a clear description of which aspects of parking policy are being challenged, with justification

names, dates and addresses for all people and/or businesses signing the petition contact details for the organiser of the petition, who shall be the first point of contact

for follow up questions, and for notification of progress

The Operational Guidance to local authorities on the Traffic Management Act 2004, states that, in appraising its local parking policy, an authority should take account of the:

existing and projected levels of parking demand availability and pricing of on- and off-street parking justification for and accuracy of existing Traffic Regulation Orders accuracy and quality of traffic signs and road markings that restrict or permit parking

In June 2014 the government published a range of measures designed to help local shops, support drivers and give communities a greater say on parking policies include:

make it illegal to use closed circuit television (CCTV) ‘spy cars’ alone to enforce on-street parking ending the plague of parking tickets by post

introduce mandatory 10 minute ‘grace periods’ at the end of on-street paid for and free parking; councils and parking adjudicators, who rule on penalty charge notice appeals, would be obliged to follow the new statutory guidance; any breach would be deemed an illegal fine and trigger a refund

trial a 25% discount for motorists who lose an appeal against a parking ticket at tribunal on the full price of their parking ticket

change guidance so motorists parking at an out-of-order meter are not fined if there are no alternative ways to pay

reform operational parking guidance so it is less heavy handed with motorists, prevents over-aggressive action by bailiffs, positively supports local shops and clearly reinforces the prohibition against parking being used to generate profit

propose a widening of the powers of parking adjudicators. This could include, for example, measures to protect drivers where adjudicators have repeatedly identified a problem at a specific location, such as inadequate signage, and parking tickets have repeatedly been issued - in such circumstances, potential measures could see adjudicators allowed to direct an authority to stop issuing tickets or direct the authority to change the signage, or indeed both

update guidance so the public know when they can be awarded costs at tribunals increase parking transparency so councils are required to publish how income from

parking charges is being used, including a new statutory Transparency Code maintain a freeze on parking penalty charges for the remainder of this Parliament

New funding to reward families for recycling - not fine or bully themPublished 29 August 2014

Eric Pickles announces new fund to help families recycle, without facing the threat of unfair bin fines or cuts to bin collection services.

Local Government Secretary, Eric Pickles, announced a new £5 million fund today (29 August 2014) to help families recycle, without facing the threat of unfair bin fines or cuts to their bin collection services.

The extra funding will help councils with weekly collections increase their recycling rates, by giving incentives - such as shopping vouchers and loyalty rewards - to households who recycle. This follows a commitment in the Coalition Agreement to help support such schemes.

This move comes as the Deregulation Bill before Parliament is set to abolish the powers that hit households with unfair bin fines for breaching complex and arbitrary waste rules. The new fund will only be open to councils offering weekly collections, with ministers sending a clear signal that councils only offering fortnightly collections will lose out on government funding.

The scheme builds on the success of around 40 projects already supported by government money to trial and pilot reward programmes. The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead’s reward scheme was the first of its kind in this country when it launched in 2010. The council lets thousands of residents earn points for recycling, which they can then spend at local shops. This has been a big success and boosted recycling in the borough by more than a third (35%).

Eric Pickles said:

It is a myth that fortnightly bin collections or unfair bin fines are needed to increase recycling. Rewards for recycling show how working with families can deliver environmental benefits without the draconian approach of punishing people and leaving out smelly rubbish.

This government is protecting the local environment by supporting recycling, as well as championing weekly collections which protect local amenity and public health. Councils with fortnightly collections will not receive government funding and are short-changing their residents with an inferior service.

There is an alternative to the town hall bin barons who pushed through fortnightly bin collections and are now trying to move to monthly bin collections by stealth.

Further informationAbout the fund

The fund is open to all councils in England operating free weekly bin collections (of residual waste and/or weekly food/organic waste). Councils with fortnightly collections are not eligible.

Bids to the fund close on 7 November 2014. Successful bids will be announced in January 2015 and the money will be paid from April 2015.

See more information on this website.

Supporting frontline services

To date, this government in England has:

issued the first ever Whitehall guidance on weekly bin collections, demolishing the myths that fortnightly bin collections are needed to save money or increase recycling

stopped Audit Commission inspections which marked down councils who do not adopt fortnightly rubbish collections, and rejected Audit Commission guidance which advocated fortnightly collections

abolished the Local Area Agreements and National Indicator 191 imposed by Whitehall which created perverse incentives to downgrade waste collection services

scrapped the Whitehall requirement for municipal Annual Efficiency Statements, which allowed a reduction in the frequency of a household rubbish collection service to qualify as a ‘valid efficiency’ and allowed revenue from bin fines to be classed as a ‘cashable efficiency gain’

scrapped the imposition of eco-towns which would have had fortnightly bin collections and/or bin taxes as part of the ‘eco-standards’

safeguarded weekly collections for 6 million households through the Weekly Collection Support Scheme as well as championing innovation and best practice

supported over 40 innovative reward schemes to back recycling through the Weekly Collection Support Scheme (as pledged in the Coalition Agreement)

through the Localism Act, revoked the 2008 legislation that allowed for the imposition of new bin taxes

issued guidance to stop the imposition of illegal ‘backdoor bin charging’ on households bins

removing powers of entry and snooping powers from inspectors and scrapped guidance telling councils to rifle through families’ bins

changing building regulations to tackle ‘bin blight’ changing the law through the Deregulation Bill to scrap unfair bin fines

Pilot reward schemes are operating in:

Barking & Dagenham Barnet Bath & North East Somerset Bedford Bexley Birmingham Blaby Blackburn with Darwen Bournemouth Brent Camden Cornwall Coventry Dudley Ealing Havering Lambeth Lewes Lewisham Manchester Medway Middlesbrough Northamptonshire Waste Partnership Nottingham Poole Portsmouth Reading Sandwell South Holland Southampton Southend-on-Sea Sunderland Sutton Watford Windsor & Maidenhead Wolverhampton

Stephen Williams pays tribute to the bravery of Douglas Reynolds VCPublished 26 August 2014

Communities Minister Stephen Williams today (26 August 2014) paid tribute to the bravery of Captain Douglas Reynolds VC, as a commemorative Victoria Cross paving stone was laid in his honour in Bristol, 100 years to the day after Captain Reynolds, serving in the 37th Royal Field Artillery, led 2 teams of volunteer drivers to recapture British guns at Le Chateau in France.

Last week saw the start of the nationwide campaign to honour those who received the Victoria Cross, Britain’s highest military honour, during the First World War. Over the next 4 years on the date corresponding to when they were awarded the VC, commemorative paving stones will be laid in their place of birth or where they lived following the war. The first stones were laid on 23 August because the first Victoria Crosses were awarded on this date exactly 100 years ago.

Speaking ahead of the ceremony at St Peter’s Church, Castle Park, where he will join representatives of the armed forces and the Royal British Legion Stephen Williams said:

Reading the citation to Douglas Reynolds’s tremendous act of bravery, reminds us of our duty to remember all those who gave their lives fighting in the Great War.

The stones being laid across Bristol over the coming years will provide a lasting legacy to the gallantry of the brave men of this city and will enable residents to gain a greater understanding of how local heroes played a key role in the history of the First World War.

469 stones will be laid in communities in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. The programme will also see 35 VC recipients commemorated in the Republic of Ireland. 145 stones will be laid in the National Memorial Arboretum to commemorate those born overseas. The commemorative stone for Douglas Reynolds VC is the first of 8 that will be laid in Bristol each marking the anniversary of the action of VC holders either born in or with a connection to the city.

Lord Mayor of Bristol, Alastair Watson said:

Every one of us owes a huge debt to all those people who served and lived through the First World War and it is fitting that, as a city, we can commemorate Douglas Reynolds and the 7 other men whose individual acts of bravery were recognised with the Victoria Cross.

The citation to Captain Douglas Reynolds VC reads:

On 26 August 1914 at Le Cateau, France, Captain Reynolds took up two teams with volunteer drivers, to recapture two British guns and limbered up two guns under heavy artillery and infantry fire. Although the enemy was within 100 yards he managed, with the help of two drivers (Job Henry Charles Drain and Frederick Luke), to get one gun away

safely. On 9 September at Pysloup, he reconnoitred at close range, discovered a battery which was holding up the advance and silenced it.

Douglas Reynolds went on to achieve the rank of Major, but was wounded in action, and died in the Duchess of Westminster’s hospital in Le Touquet, France, on 23 February 1916.

Major Reynolds is buried in Etaples Military Cemetery in Northern France, while his Victoria Cross is displayed at the Royal Artillery Museum in Woolwich, London.

Further informationFollow the laying of the commemorative stones on Twitter #VCpavingstones, and on Pinterest.

See the dates of upcoming paving stone laying ceremonies.

The decision about the site of each stone has been taken by the relevant local authority. Guidelines to local authorities encouraged them to site the stones in a location that would have had resonance with the VC recipient, such as outside a house that they lived in or near their old school. Most importantly, the stones should be part of the community and sited in a position where they will be visible to members of the public. Efforts to trace Douglas Reynolds VC’s relatives have been unsuccessful so the stone is being laid at St Peter’s Church, already a focal point for war commemorations with 2 memorial plaques for the Blitz and 1 for evacuees.

A public competition was held to choose a design for the paving stones and this was judged by a panel of 7 experts. The competition was won by Charlie MacKeith from London whose winning design will feature on all the paving stones that will be laid in communities across the country. The circular design seeks to ‘make one pause and remember’ and uses the material, form and lettering of the family of memorials used by the War Graves Commission.

The paving stones are made of Scoutmoor Yorkstone a hard-wearing British stone that is quarried near Ramsbottom. Each stone will include the name of the individual, the rank and regiment of the individual (at the time the VC was awarded) and the date of the action for which the VC was awarded.

Read more about all 8 people with Bristol connections awarded the VC during the First World War.

Bristol 2014 is co-ordinating a large programme of events to commemorate the First World War.

Bristol and Avon Family History Society have located relatives of some of the VC holders to find out more about their lives and update relatives on the commemorative stone project. They are keen to hear from anyone related to any of the VC holders and anyone wishing to get in touch should email bristol2014@btopenworld.com.

Search for the Great British High Street moves up a gear in final weekPublished 25 August 2014

High Streets Minister Penny Mordaunt today (25 August 2014) urged town and cities across Britain to get their applications in for the Great British High Street competition before it closes on 30 August 2014.

The minister has written to all town teams and the local community to encourage them to take part in the competition, run by the Future High Street Forum, to find Britain’s best high streets. Many town teams have already entered the 7 separate categories: city centres, town centres, market towns, coastal communities, villages, parades and London.

The minister said this national competition was a fantastic way to celebrate the nation’s greatest high streets and it was essential that all parts of the United Kingdom were represented.

The winners will win £50,000 of prize money and dedicated support and mentoring from industry experts. This could range from one to one coaching to advice on creating business plans to attending workshops on digital marketing.

The government is committed to high streets as part of it long-term economic plan. It is supporting local shops and businesses with a billion pound package of investment that includes targeted business rate discounts, sensible planning changes and action that reins in over-zealous parking practices.

High Streets Minister Penny Mordaunt said:

This competition is about celebrating the work local people do to make their high streets great places to live, work and shop.

Our high streets are bustling again and we want to find the hidden gems the country has to offer and share their tips for success.

So if your area hasn’t entered already then get cracking and don’t miss the chance to be named the Great British High Street.

Further informationDetails of how to enter the competition can be found at www.thegreatbritishhighstreet.co.uk. The deadline for entries is 30 August 2014.

Download and display a Great British High Street poster.

Recent research by the University of Southampton shows, high streets are proving themselves increasingly resilient and able to adapt and innovate for the modern shopper by embracing new technologies like click and collect.

Communities ministers attend first commemorative paving stones ceremoniesPublished 23 August 2014

Communities Ministers are leading tributes to the bravery of World War One heroes.

Communities Ministers are this weekend (23 and 24 August 2014) leading tributes to the bravery of World War One heroes at the first ceremonies to mark the laying of commemorative Victoria Cross paving stones.

The stones will provide a lasting legacy to their gallantry in towns and cities across the United Kingdom and will enable residents to gain a greater understanding of how their area fitted into the history of the First World War.

In August 2013, Communities Secretary Eric Pickles announced a nationwide campaign to honour those who received the Victoria Cross (VC), Britain’s highest military honour, during the First World War. As part of this, over the next 4 years on the date corresponding to when they were awarded the VC, commemorative paving stones will be laid in their place of birth or where they lived following the war.

469 stones will be laid in communities in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. The programme will also see 35 VC recipients commemorated in the Republic of Ireland. 145 stones will be laid in the National Memorial Arboretum to commemorate those born overseas.

The first stones will be laid on 23 August because the first Victoria Crosses were awarded on this date exactly 100 years ago. The last stones will be laid in November 2018.

On Saturday ceremonies will be taking place to honour:

Private Sidney Godley VC - East Grinstead, West Sussex Corporal Charles Garforth VC - Brent, London Lieutenant Maurice Dease VC - Dublin, Ireland Corporal Charles Jarvis VC - Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire

On Sunday ceremonies will be taking place to honour:

Major Ernest Alexander VC - Liverpool Captain Francis Grenfell VC - Guildford, Surrey

Speaking ahead of his attendance at the laying of the paving stone to honour Private Sidney Godley VC, Eric Pickles said:

One hundred years ago today these brave young soldiers were rightly awarded Britain’s highest military honour for acts of exceptional courage in the cause of liberty.

Today communities are gathering to lay the first paving stones in their honour as a fitting tribute to their bravery. We remember that these men were not born heroes. They came from towns and cities just like ours, but went on to carry out astonishing acts of valour in service of their country.

Secretary of State speaking at launch in East Grinstead.

Memorial to Private Sidney Godley VC in East Grinstead high street alongside the paving stone.

Commemorative stone to Private Sidney Godley VC.

Royal fusiliers getting ready to honour Sidney - and the headlining photo shows the band of the Royal Logistics Corp marching in East Grinstead.

Communities Minister Penny Mordaunt speaking ahead of her attendance at the ceremony to honour Corporal Charles Garforth VC in Brent, London said:

This weekend we remember the first soldiers to be awarded the Victoria Cross in the First World War for their acts of valour or self-sacrifice. And over the weeks and months to follow from Allerdale to Wolverhampton great local events will be taking place to honour and celebrate local heroes.

I hope that these ceremonies will not only bring communities together, but will encourage people to find out more about the men who fought and died for this country and those men and women who contributed so much to the effort on the home front.

Sergeant Johnson Beharry VC with Penny Mordaunt at ceremony at Brent.

Communities Minister, Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon speaking ahead of his visit to Dublin where he will join Heather Humphreys, Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht to honour Maurice Dease VC said:

It is a tremendous honour to be able to pay tribute to the courage of Maurice Dease, the first recipient of the first Victoria Cross in the First World War.

As his moving citation reads, his selfless acts of bravery at the Battle of Mons called for ‘no ordinary courage’.

Today in Dublin we commemorate this supreme act of valour. Over the next 4 years we will pause and remember the sacrifice that was made throughout Ireland and the commemorative stones will ensure that there is a permanent memorial to all these bravemen.

Further informationSee the dates of upcoming paving stone laying ceremonies on this website.

Follow the laying of the commemorative stones on Twitter #VCpavingstones, and on Pinterest.

The decision about the site of each stone has been taken by the relevant local authority. Guidelines to local authorities encouraged them to site the stones in a location that would have had resonance with the VC recipient, such as outside a house that they lived in or near their old school. Most importantly, the stones should be part of the community and sited in a position where they will be visible to members of the public.

2014 marks 100 years since the start of the First World War. See details of commemorative events to mark 100 years since Britain entered the First World War.

Captain Theodore Wright VC (15 May 1883 – 14 September 1914) was also awarded the Victoria Cross on the 23 August 1914. A paving stone will be laid in his honour on 3 September in Brighton.

A public competition was held to choose a design for the paving stones and this was judged by a panel of 7 experts. The competition was won by Charlie MacKeith from London whose winning design will feature on all the paving stones that will be laid in communities across the country. The circular design seeks to ‘make one pause and remember’ and uses the material, form and lettering of the family of memorials used by the War Graves Commission.

The paving stones are made of Scoutmoor Yorkstone a hard-wearing British stone that is quarried near Ramsbottom. Each stone will include the name of the individual, the rank and regiment of the individual (at the time the VC was awarded) and the date of the action for which the VC was awarded.

All Victoria Cross recipients that were born overseas will be commemorated with a paving stone in the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office will also place commemorative plaques in countries around the world for men from overseas who received the Victoria Cross, for service in the First World War.

BiographiesMaurice James Dease VC (28 September 1889 – 23 August 1914)

Maurice Dease was one of the first British officer casualties of the war and the first posthumous recipient of the Victoria Cross. Born in Ireland, he attended the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, and became a lieutenant in the 4th Battalion, The Royal Fusiliers.

He died defending the Nimy Railway Bridge with Sidney Godley while the rest of the section retreated, on 23 August 1914, at Mons, Belgium, the first day of the first significant British encounter of the war. Maurice Dease was the first recipient of the first Victoria Cross in the First World War.

Sidney Frank Godley VC (14 August 1889 – 29 June 1957)

Sidney Godley was 25 years old, and a private in the 4th Battalion, The Royal Fusiliers. The citation for his VC reads: For coolness and gallantry in fighting his machine gun under a hot fire for 2 hours after he had been wounded at Mons on 23 August 1914, at Mons, Belgium. He was caught and was a prisoner of war until the Armistice. He received his VC medal from King George V in 1919. After the war he worked as a school caretaker in Tower Hamlets, London.

Charles Alfred Jarvis VC (29 March 1881 – 19 November 1948)

Charles Jarvis was a 33 year old Scotsman, and a lance-corporal in the 57th Field Company, Royal Engineers. Only 3 weeks into the war on 23 August 1914 at Jemappes, Belgium, Lance-Corporal Jarvis worked for 1½ hours under heavy fire, in full view of the enemy and finally succeeded in firing charges for the demolition of a bridge. He was wounded in the process.

He was presented with his medal in 1915. He was later promoted to second corporal and corporal before being discharged from the Army in 1917. He went on to work at the Naval Dockyard at Portsmouth.

Charles Garforth VC (23 October 1891 – 1 July 1973)

Charles Garforth was 22 years old, and a corporal in the 15th (The King’s) Hussars. He was born in Willesden Green, London.

On 23 August 1914 at Harmingnies, France, Corporal Garforth volunteered to cut wire under fire, which enabled his squadron to escape. On 2 September when under constant fire, he extricated a sergeant who was lying under his dead horse, and carried him to safety. The next day, when another sergeant had lost his horse in a similar way, Corporal Garforth drew off the enemy fire and enabled the sergeant to get away.

He was taken prisoner in October 1914 and was repatriated in November 1918. He later achieved the rank of sergeant. Charles Garforth died on 1 July 1973 at Beeston, Nottingham, and was cremated at the Wilford Hill Cemetery Crematorium. His ashes were scattered in the Garden of Remembrance.

Major General Ernest Wright Alexander VC CB CMG (2 October 1870 – 25 August 1934)

Ernest Alexander was trained at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst and commissioned into the British Army. At the age of 43, as a major in the 119th Battery Royal Field Artillery, during the First World War, he was awarded the Victoria Cross for gallantry.

On 24 August 1914, during the action of Elouges, Belgium, when the flank guard was attacked by a German corps, Alexander handled his battery against overwhelming odds with such conspicuous success that all his guns were saved notwithstanding that they had to be withdrawn by hand by himself and volunteers led by a Captain (Francis Octavus Grenfell) of

the 9th Lancers. This enabled the retirement of the 5th Division to be carried out without serious loss. Subsequently, Major Alexander rescued a wounded man under heavy fire.

Francis Octavius Grenfell, VC (4 September 1880 – 24 May 1915)

Francis Grenfell was 33 years old, and a Captain in the 9th (Queen’s Royal) Lancers, British Army during the First World War when the following deed during the Action of Elouges took place for which he was awarded the VC.

On 24 August 1914 at Audregnies, Belgium, Captain Grenfell rode with the regiment in a charge against a large body of unbroken German infantry. The casualties were very heavy and the captain was left as the senior officer. He was rallying part of the regiment behind a railway embankment when he was twice hit and severely wounded. In spite of his injuries, however, when asked for help in saving the guns, by Major Ernest Wright Alexander of the 119th Battery, Royal Field Artillery, he and some volunteers, under a hail of bullets, helped to manhandle and push the guns out of range of enemy fire. The citation was gazetted on 16 September 1914 and read:

For gallantry in action against unbroken infantry at Andregnies, Belgium, on 24th August 1914, and for gallant conduct in assisting to save the guns of the 119th Battery, Royal Field Artillery, near Doubon the same day.

He was killed in action on 24 May 1915 and is buried in the Vlamertinghe Military Cemetery, Belgium.

Flags of the Historic Ridings of Yorkshire fly above DCLG's new home

Published 22 August 2014

The flags of the North and East Ridings of Yorkshire will fly in the heart of government this weekend celebrating the important role they play in the nation’s cultural heritage.

Local Government Secretary, Eric Pickles, today raised the flag of the North Riding (22 August 2014) outside his department’s new headquarters in Westminster. The East Riding flag will be hoisted on Sunday (24 August).

England’s traditional counties date back over a thousand years of history, but many of them have been sidelined by Whitehall and municipal bureaucrats in recent decades, including the municipal restructuring by Edward Heath’s government in 1965 and 1972. By contrast, this government is championing local communities continuing to cherish and celebrate such traditional ties and community spirit.

Unlike most counties in Great Britain, which were divided anciently into hundreds, Yorkshire was divided first into 3 ridings.

Ministers have previously changed the law to make it easier to fly flags without a permit from the council – these new freedoms include flying the North and East Riding flags.

Eric Pickles, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, said:

As a proud Yorkshireman, I’m delighted to see my compatriots in the Ridings celebrating their local pride. These flags were designed by local people championing the rich history of the Ridings, which can be traced back to the Viking settlements of ninth century Britain.

We are stronger as a society when we celebrate the ties that bind us together. I want to send a strong signal - we should fly our flags with pride. Whatever one’s class, colour or creed, let’s have pride in Britain’s local and national identities.

Graham Stuart, MP for Beverley and Holderness, said:

Our county system goes to the heart of our sense of identity. The East Riding of Yorkshire is an area of tremendous natural beauty, stretching from the Yorkshire Wolds through to the Holderness coast, via towns with fascinating histories such as Beverley and Bridlington.

People who live here are proud of where they come from, and optimistic about the future. I’m delighted that the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) will be flying East Riding’s White Rose flag over Westminster this weekend to celebrate our county.

A spokesman for the East Riding of Yorkshire Society said:

The East Riding of Yorkshire Society are humbled to see their flag, which represents the least known of the 3 Ridings flying in London in celebration of the third East Riding Day and the cultural heritage of the East Riding. This flag is now flown with pride by East Riding folk throughout their beloved Riding.

A spokesman for the Yorkshire Ridings Society said:

Having established Yorkshire Day 40 years ago, the Yorkshire Ridings Society are proud to see the Ridings now celebrated in the heart of our capital city by the flying of the North Riding flag from the headquarters of the DCLG. The flying of the North Riding flag on North Riding Day is especially poignant this year following the success of the initial stages of the Tour de France when the whole world looked on in awe at the North Riding’s wondrous landscape.

Further informationThis is part of a series of steps to champion England’s national identities. Earlier this year, the department launched a new initiative to support the ‘tapestry’ of traditional English counties being displayed on street and road signs. The government also published a new online interactive map of England’s county boundaries.

Planning rules have been changed to allow for councils to put up boundary signs marking traditional English counties – including the likes of Cumberland, Huntingdonshire,

Westmorland and Middlesex. The government has proposed changes to highways regulations to allow traditional county names to appear on boundary road signs.

The West Riding flag was flown in March to mark West Riding Day.

Councils must clarify commitment to independent free pressPublished 21 August 2014

Kris Hopkins, Local Government Minister, has asked 7 councils (15 August 2014) to ensure that publication of their newsheets will in future be in line with the publicity rules designed to protect the free press.

The 7 councils, Enfield, Hillingdon, Lambeth, Luton, Medway, Mid Devon and North Somerset, have been asked to explain within the next 10 working days what they now plan to do.

Letters to each of the councils also remind them that a council may be directed to comply with some or all of the rules as set out in the Publicity Code, and that where the Secretary of State considers there is a risk that in future a council will not be complying with those rules, he will be minded, in accordance with law, to issue a written notice of a proposed direction. Any council that does not follow such a direction could end up facing a court order requiring compliance.

The Publicity Code sets a range of provisions in relation to local authority publicity including the frequency, content and appearance of taxpayer-funded newssheets. This includes limiting publication to prevent competition with local newspapers, obliging councils to be cost effective and objective in any publicity material they publish.

The purpose of the Publicity Code is to facilitate the creation of an environment which is as conducive as possible to the flourishing of the independent local media, an essential element of any effectively operating local democracy.

Kris Hopkins said:

It has been suggested that some councils might not be complying with the Publicity Code. Newsletters, newssheets or similar communications should not issue more frequently than quarterly.

The great majority of local authorities comply with the Publicity Code, which was designed to ensure the independent local media - a vital part in any local democracy - does not face unfair competition.

Councils should now take steps to ensure publication in the future will be in line with the Code’s provisions.

Further informationThe recommended code of practice on local authority publicity applies to all decisions by local authorities relating to taxpayer-funded paid advertising and leaflet campaigns, publication of free newspapers and news-sheets and maintenance of websites - including the hosting of material which is created by third parties. It states that publicity by local authorities should:

be lawful be cost effective be objective be even-handed be appropriate have regard to equality and diversity be issued with care during periods of heightened sensitivity

It does not inhibit publicity produced by political parties or councillors at their own expense.

On objectivity the code states that:

Local authorities should ensure that publicity relating to policies and proposals from central government is balanced and factually accurate. Such publicity may set out the local authority’s views and reasons for holding those views, but should avoid anything likely to be perceived by readers as constituting a political statement, or being a commentary on contentious areas of public policy.

On even-handedness the code states that:

Where local authority publicity addresses matters of political controversy it should seek to present the different positions in relation to the issue in question in a fair manner.

On appropriate publicity the code states that:

Local authorities should not publish or incur expenditure in commissioning in hard copy or on any website, newsletters, newssheets or similar communications which seek to emulate commercial newspapers in style or content. Where local authorities do commission or publish newsletters, news-sheets or similar communications, they should not issue them more frequently than quarterly, apart from parish councils which should not issue them more frequently than monthly. Such communications should not include material other than information for the public about the business, services and amenities of the council or other local service providers.

Section 4A of the Local Government Act 1986 (inserted by the Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014) gives the Secretary of State the power to direct a local authority to comply with some, or all, of the provisions of the recommended code of practice on local authority publicity. This code applies to all local authorities in England. If the direction is not

complied with, a person having appropriate interest (such as a council taxpayer, elector, or a councillor of the authority concerned, or the Secretary of State), may seek a court order requiring compliance with the direction. Non-compliance with a court order may be contempt of court.

Before issuing any such direction section 4A(5) of the 1988 Act requires the Secretary of State to give the council notice in writing of the proposed direction. The council then has a period of 14 days to make written representations to the Secretary of State. If after 10 working days of issuing the letters to the 7 councils the Secretary of State considers that there is a risk that in future any of those councils will not be complying with the Code, he will be minded to issue a written notice of a proposed direction to that council.

The following table set out which councils have been written to and for what reason:

Local authority Alleged form of non-complianceThe London Borough of Lambeth

Up to and including July 2014, copies of ‘Lambeth Talk’ delivered every month. Next copy September 2014.

The London Borough of Hillingdon Copies of ‘Hillingdon People’ delivered every 2 months.

The London Borough of Enfield Copies of ‘Our Enfield’ delivered every 2 months.

Medway Council Copies of ‘Medway Matters’, delivered every 2 months.Luton Borough Council Copies of ‘Lutonline’ delivered every month.Mid Devon Copies of ‘Mid Devon Talk’ delivered every month.North Somerset Council Copies ‘North Somerset Life’ delivered every month.

House building continues to climbPublished 21 August 2014

More homes are being built thanks to the government’s action to help homebuyers and fix the broken housing market, Housing and Planning Minister Brandon Lewis said today (21 August 2014).

The latest statistics published today show 36,230 new housing starts in England between April and June, an increase of 18% on the same quarter last year.

It brings the total number of starts over the last 12 months to 137,780, a 22% increase on the previous year and the highest level of house building since 2007.

Mr Lewis said today’s figures are further evidence that the government’s long-term economic plan to improve the housing market is working.

Almost 40,000 households have bought a home through Help to Buy, with over 80% of sales going to first time buyers purchasing new build homes. The direct result is a new generation of homeowners and a 34% increase in private house building during the first year of the scheme.

At the same time the construction sector has been growing for 15 consecutive months, and is currently experiencing the sharpest rise in house building orders since 2003, while companies are taking on new workers at the fastest rate since 1997.

A growing pipeline of new projects is also emerging from the reformed planning system. Last year successful applications for major housing schemes were up 23%, and planning permissions were granted for 216,000 new homes.

Tenants exercising their Right to BuyMr Lewis said the latest figures for Right to Buy sales, published today, show hard-working tenants are also benefiting from government assistance.

Between April and June 2,845 council owned properties were sold, a 31% increase on the same quarter last year, and bringing the overall number of homes sold under the reinvigorated Right to Buy to nearly 22,500.

Receipts from additional sales are now being recycled into building new affordable homes. In the last quarter councils received £211 million, and started work on 675 new homes, bringing the total number of replacement homes started to almost 3,700.

More than 480,000 new homes have now been delivered since April 2010, including almost 200,000 affordable homes.

Brandon Lewis said:

Wherever you look across the housing market, the signs of progress are clear. House building in England is up by over a fifth compared to last year, orders for building materials are rising at the quickest pace for 11 years, and companies are hiring new staff at the fastest rate since 1997. Hardworking tenants are also voting with their feet and taking up the Right to Buy.

This progress did not happen by accident. It bears testament to our efforts to reform the planning system and help homebuyers while paving the way for house builders to boost their output. But there’s still more to do, and improving the housing market will remain a vital part of our long-term economic plan.

More help for tenants taking up their Right to BuyAfter Right to Buy discounts were increased in April 2012, annual sales by councils quadrupled from 2,638 to 11,238.

The maximum discount caps available have just increased again, so tenants can benefit from up to £77,000 off the value of their home outside London, and £102,700 in the capital. These discounts will be increased annually by the Consumer Price Index level of inflation.

Earlier this month the government also announced that tenants can now be guided through the home buying process by a new team of experts.

The Right to Buy advisers will be on hand to offer free advice, support and information, and tenants can now ring a dedicated local rate helpline to speak to a member of the service.

Troubled Families programme expanded to help younger childrenPublished 19 August 2014

Communities Secretary Eric Pickles today (19 August 2014) announced details of an expansion of the government’s Troubled Families programme, to help vulnerable younger children from struggling homes to get a better chance in life.

Work will begin this year in 51 of the best performing areas, ahead of a national 5 year programme from 2015 to help more troubled families who cost the taxpayer tens of thousands of pounds per year without intervention. Recent research shows that troubled families that have been worked with so far have an average of 9 serious problems such as truancy, crime, anti-social behaviour, worklessness and domestic violence.

As well as expanding from working with school-age children to those under 5, the wider programme will also have a particular focus on improving poor health, which new data published today highlights is a particular problem in troubled families, with 71% having a physical health problem and 46% a mental health concern.

The scheme builds on the success of the current programme run by councils, which new figures show is now helping over 110,000 of the most troubled families in England. Of these nearly 53,000 have had their lives turned around thanks to the intensive and practical approach, which works with the whole family on all of its problems.

While retaining its focus on reducing truancy, crime and anti-social behaviour, the expanded programme will apply this approach to a larger group of families with a wider set of problems including domestic violence, debt and children at risk of being taken into care.

And the programme will continue to prioritise getting adults into work, with the Department for Work and Pensions providing 300 specialist troubled families employment advisers who will also work with young people at risk of becoming unemployed.

Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government Eric Pickles said:

The Troubled Families programme has been a brilliant partnership between the government and councils, changing the way services are run, saving taxpayers money and turning around the lives of some of the hardest to help in the country, with kids back in school, youth crime and anti-social behaviour cut and adults better able to work. Building on this momentum, we are now able to help even more families and deal with even more problems and I am delighted that that work will now begin in the next few months.

Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander said:

The Troubled Families programme is an excellent example of how re-thinking public services can have a huge positive impact on the lives of families across the UK. We extended the scheme at Spending Round 2013 and I’m pleased that families will be able to benefit from this even earlier than planned. The programme is a radical example of how, by spending a bit more in certain areas, we can save much more in others and by doing so create a stronger economy and a fairer society.

Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Iain Duncan Smith said:

There are thousands of individuals and families England living troubled lives blighted by crime, worklessness, and truancy. Worklessness can be a particular issue for some of these families and helping them get and keep a job can be vital in turning their lives around, bringing improved structure and stability with increased aspirations and confidence. Work can also enable parents to act as role models for their children, as children growing up in workless households are more likely to experience worklessness themselves. Jobcentre Plus advisers will be working with families to offer more targeted support to those who have been failed by the system and where no-one is working or there is a history of worklessness across generations.

Head of the government’s Troubled Families programme Louise Casey CB said:

Families with an average of 9 different serious problems need help that gets in through the front door of their home and to the heart of what is really going on in their lives. The Troubled Families programme has been able to do that by taking a ‘tough love’ approach and dealing with the whole family and all of its problems. This has been the start of a revolution in the way that we work with our most challenging families and which we need to accelerate in the years ahead.

Further informationThe Understanding Troubled Families report, based on independently produced research, shows that families within the current Troubled Families programme have an average of 9 serious problems.

See additional data on the health problems suffered by troubled families.

View more information on progress within the current Troubled Families programme, which runs from 2012 to 2015.

At the Spending Review last year it was announced that the Troubled Families programme would be expanded to work with 400,000 more families from 2015 to 2020, with £200 million funding for 2015 to 2016. The Budget in March 2014 announced that work with up to 40,000 of these families would begin in this financial year.

To be included in the expanded Troubled Families programme, a family will have to be referred by specialist agencies as having 2 of the 6 following problems:

parents and children involved in crime or anti-social behaviour children who have not been attending school regularly

children who need help adults out of work or at risk of financial exclusion and young people at risk of

worklessness families affected by domestic violence and abuse parents and children with a range of health problems

Working with existing troubled families teams in councils, the 300 employment advisers will give intensive support to whole families and for the first time track the progress made to get them into jobs. The practical support will include CV writing, job interview skills and highlight training opportunities and job vacancies in the area. They will also put families in contact with local employers. All of this is about demonstrating that there are opportunities for everyone to get into work.

The full list of high-performing local authorities who will begin work with up to 40,000 additional families this year is:

Barking and Dagenham Barnet Bath and North East Somerset Blackpool Bradford Bristol Bromley Calderdale Derbyshire Dudley Durham Gateshead Greater Manchester (Bolton, Bury, Manchester, Oldham, Rochdale, Salford,

Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan) Greenwich Haringey Hartlepool Havering Knowsley Lambeth Leeds Leicestershire Liverpool Merton Middlesbrough Newcastle upon Tyne North Somerset North Yorkshire Oxfordshire Plymouth Poole Redbridge Redcar and Cleveland Richmond upon Thames

Sheffield Southampton South Gloucestershire Surrey Wakefield Wandsworth Warwickshire West Berkshire West Sussex

First wave of projects for £1 billion programme to help unlock 200,000 homesPublished 15 August 2014

Eric Pickles today (15 August 2014) announced the first wave of projects to benefit from a £1 billion scheme that will unlock or accelerate the provision of over 200,000 new homes across the country.

The Communities Secretary published a shortlist of 36 large-scale housing projects in line to receive a share of £850 million of funding to get work going onsite and housebuilding started.

Mr Pickles said these projects were critical in getting Britain building, maintaining momentum that has already led to the highest levels of housebuilding since 2007.

The £850 million of funding for shortlisted projects announced today forms part of the government’s £1 billion, 5 year large sites infrastructure programme, and will be used to build the infrastructure needed to provide schemes of at least 1,500 homes. The money will go towards the building of road improvement, schools and parks to support the extra homes being planned.

Housing is a key part of the government’s long term economic plan. The 36 projects announced today will go through a final rigorous due diligence process before receiving the funding.

Sites include the continued development of the Greenwich Peninsula in South East London, which will help provide nearly 10,000 new homes, while funding is also expected to go to Ebbsfleet Eastern Quarry, to help provide 3,500 homes.

Eric Pickles said:

This government’s long-term economic plan is getting Britain building again. Residential construction is now at its highest level since 2007 and continuing to rise, and 216,000 new homes were given planning permission last year.

We are supporting locally-led development, and this £1 billion programme will help unlock or accelerate over 200,000 new homes across the country. This is part of our wider package

of housing programmes to support home ownership, increase investment in the private rented sector and further increase house building.

The funding will be available between 2015 and 2020 and will be in the form of a long term loan, with interest - ensuring a fair rate of return for taxpayers.

As well as the £1 billion loan funding, the large sites infrastructure programme also includes £12.5 million capacity funding and expert planning and technical support for councils dealing with large-scale sites, as well as brokerage support from central government to unblock obstacles to development.

Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Danny Alexander, said:

I am delighted that we have been able to put this extra £850 million into building more homes for families across the country. This forms part of the government’s record investment in housing, which has already helped to get 450,000 new homes built over this Parliament, and brought housebuilding back to its highest level for 6 years.

Further informationThe full shortlist of 36 bids is published today by the Homes and Communities Agency. The projects are:

the continued development of the Greenwich Peninsula in South East London, to help provide nearly 10,000 homes

the redevelopment of the former Rugby Radio Station site, to help provide 6,200 homes

the Monkton Heathfield development outside Taunton, to help provide 4,500 homes the DN7 initiative in Doncaster, to help provide over 3,000 new homes the Bishop Stortford North development in East Hertfordshire, to help to provide

2,200 homes the New Lubbesthorpe development in Leicester, to provide over 4,000 homes the development of North Wellingborough, to help provide 3,000 new homes the redevelopment of Arborfield Garrison in Wokingham, to help provide 2,000

homes the Langarth development in Truro, to help provide 1,500 homes the Cheeseman’s Green development in Ashford, to help provide 1,500 homes the Dallington Grange development in Northampton, to help provide 3,400 homes the development at Lawley Village in Telford, to help provide 2,500 homes the Newcourt Urban Extension in Exeter, to help provide over 2,000 homes the East Kettering development, to help provide 5,500 homes the development at Hunts Grove in Gloucester, to help provide 1,750 homes the Barwell development at Hinckley and Bosworth, to help provide 2,500 homes the Branston Locks development in East Staffordshire, to help provide 2,500 homes the development at the Festival Gardens site in Liverpool, to help provide over 1,500

homes the Bath Riverside development, to help provide nearly 1,900 homes the Colchester North Growth Area Urban Extension, to help provide 1,600 homes

the Weston Airfield development in North Somerset, to help provide over 2,500 homes

Ebbsfleet Valley, to help provide over 3,500 homes – this site forms 1 part of the larger area that the proposed Ebbsfleet Development Corporation would cover as part of the 15,000 home Ebbsfleet Garden City initiative

Overstone Leys development in Daventry, to help provide 2,000 homes the North West Bicester development, to help provide over 5,500 homes the Welborne development at Fareham, which will help provide 5,400 homes the Middle Deepdale development at Scarborough, which will help provide 2,300

homes the Thetford North development in Breckland, to help provide 5,000 homes Acton Gardens in Ealing, to help provide over 2,500 homes the Lincolnshire Lakes development in Scunthorpe, to help provide 3,500 homes the Whitfield development in Dover, to help provide over 5,700 homes the Beaulieu development in Chelmsford, to help provide 3,600 homes the Bela Priors Hall development in Corby, to help provide nearly 3,000 homes the Alphington development near Exeter, to help provide 1,500 homes the Wood Wharf development in London, to help provide over 3,000 homes the West Witney development in Oxfordshire, to help provide 1,500 homes

The £1 billion large sites infrastructure fund is one part of a wider package of support to get large-scale housing developments back on track. Other support includes:

a £12.5 million local capacity fund to enable councils to put in place the skills and resources to move major schemes forward through the planning process

access to expert planning and technical support and advice from an advisory team from the Homes and Communities Agency to help schemes progress from initial idea through to planning consent

dedicated brokerage support from central government to help resolve barriers that are preventing schemes from moving forward

The government has already helped unlock a range of large-scale sites across the country. These include:

Sherford near Plymouth, where £32 million government investment is being put towards the road improvements needed to support over 5,000 new homes, schools, shops and communities facilities

Cranbrook near Exeter where a £20 million injection of funding is enabling the provision of 6,300 new homes and a new railway station

East Kettering, in Northamptonshire, where £14 million of government investment is funding major infrastructure to unlock phase 1 of a major 5,500 home urban extension

Stephen Williams meets Jewish community organisation over rise in anti-Semitic attacksPublished 13 August 2014

Minister for Communities Stephen Williams today (13 August 2014) met the Jewish organisation Community Security Trust to hear about the rise in anti-Semitism since the Gaza conflict began, and to listen to the concerns of the British Jewish community.

Community Security Trust figures (PDF,3.30 MB) show 304 anti-Semitic incidents in the first 6 months of 2014, a 36% increase on the equivalent period in 2013.

And the most recent total - compiled for July - shows more than 200 incidents in 1 month, the second highest monthly total since the organisation started recording incidents in 1984.

Speaking after the meeting Stephen Williams said:

I very much welcomed today’s opportunity to hear directly from the highly respected Community Security Trust about the serious concerns felt within Britain’s Jewish community about the recent dramatic increase in anti-Semitic incidents within the UK.

I am particularly concerned that the number of such incidents recorded in July 2014 by the Community Security Trust is the second highest monthly total in 30 years. These incidents range from unpleasant messages, graffiti, rhetoric and verbal abuse to instances of criminal damage to Jewish property and even acts of violence directed towards visibly Jewish people.

Any hostility or harassment directed towards the Jewish community in this country for whatever reason is completely unacceptable and the government will do everything in its power to prevent the fear and distress that such deplorable actions cause.

It is more important than ever that in the face of the deeply upsetting events taking place in Gaza, Israel, Syria and Iraq that Britain’s many diverse communities stand united in supporting our shared British values of understanding and mutual respect.

Bidding opens for £200 million to build homes on brownfield landPublished 13 August 2014

Councils across the country can now team up with developers and bid for government assistance to build thousands of new homes on previously-developed land, Housing and Planning Minister Brandon Lewis announced today (13 August 2014).

Mr Lewis published the bidding criteria for a share of £200 million that will help create 10 housing zones on brownfield land where it will be easier to build new homes quickly.

The new zones, which will be outside London, should be large enough to deliver 750 to 2,000 properties, and will complement plans for 20 new housing zones in the capital. A separate bidding process for £400 million from the government and the Mayor is already underway.

Building on brownfield

Mr Lewis said housing zones will help councils boost housebuilding while making the best possible use of previously-developed land so the countryside is safeguarded.

Since 2010 the government has taken steps to ensure brownfield land and existing properties are prioritised for new housing development, including:

abolishing the previous administration’s top-down regional strategies, which had earmarked green belt land for new development; the most recent official statistics show that the level of green belt development is at its lowest rate since modern records began in 1989

selling enough publicly-owned surplus brownfield land for 100,000 new homes by 2015

launching a new Right to Contest so the public can challenge the government to sell its land and property

offering financial incentives to reduce the number long term empty homes, which are now at a 10-year low

introducing more flexible planning rights so empty and underused buildings can be brought back into productive use

Mr Lewis said councils should now follow the government’s lead. Across the country there is enough brownfield land to deliver up to 200,000 new homes, and ministers expect to see planning permissions covering 90% of this land to be in place by 2020.

Increasing levels of housebuilding is a vital part of the government’s long-term economic plan. Over 445,000 homes have been built since July 2010, and housing starts are now at their highest level since 2007.

The construction sector has been growing for the past 14 months, and companies are using this momentum to hire new workers at the fastest rate since records began 17 years ago.

Brandon Lewis said:

We need to build more homes in this country, but it’s also vital we protect the countryside that people rightly treasure. That’s why the government is offering councils a share of £200 million to prioritise development on brownfield land.

The new dedicated housing zones will transform disused and derelict land, and ensure the new homes are built quickly in a process that is more straightforward for councils and builders.

Councils who team up with developers to apply for funding will need to demonstrate a commitment to build the new homes quickly, and make the most of innovative building and delivery techniques such as off-site construction and custom-build.

Mr Lewis said he wanted bids to consider the example of LoCal homes in Walsall, which he visited yesterday, who are using off-site construction techniques to build new high-quality, affordable homes in as little as 1 day.

Bids should also consider whether housing zone sites can be linked to other government-backed initiatives such as the housing revenue account borrowing programme and the Custom Build Serviced Plots Loan Fund.

Speeding up development

Ministers are committed to accelerate development on sites suitable for housing. Local development orders are a flexible option councils can use to grant planning permission so construction can begin as soon as possible, and a separate £5 million funding pot is available to help councils consult on local development orders for brownfield land they identify.

Last week Mr Lewis also launched a £3 million fund to get work started on up to 85 new housing sites where development has already been agreed. Councils will use the funding to tackle outstanding planning issues that can cause delay and prevent builders getting on site and starting work quickly, helping to accelerate as many as 25,000 new homes.

Florrie's law: new cap for council house repairs comes into forcePublished 12 August 2014

Local Government Secretary Eric Pickles vowed to introduce the cap after a 93-year-old constituent was landed with a £50,000 bill by her local authority for roof repairs.

Newham Council based its fee on a guess because it had not conducted a proper survey on the first-floor flat. It later emerged the roof would have lasted another 40 years and the work was unnecessary.

The family of Florence Bourne say she “died of shame” because she had never been in debt in her life and simply could not afford to pay the bill for work on her Brentwood home.

Mr Pickles ordered officials at the Department for Communities and Local Government to review legislation governing council house repairs after Florence’s plight was brought to his attention.

Now new directions are being issued to councils and housing associations which will force them to limit the amount they can charge for future major repair, maintenance, or improvement works when they are wholly or partly funded by the government.

Outside London the maximum level will be levied at £10,000 in any 5 year period, with a cap of £15,000 for the capital.

Authorities will bear the outstanding costs of work themselves.

Mr Pickles said:

I was appalled at Florence’s treatment and was determined that no other leaseholder should ever have to endure the stress and hardship she experienced in the final weeks of her life.

Florence served her country as a WAAF in the Second World War, raised a loving family and believed in paying her way, so to be faced with this excessive fee was more than she could stand.

Charging excessive amounts for council house repairs not only targets some of the most vulnerable people in society, it can amount to a failure in a local authority’s duty of care.

Under ‘Florrie’s Law’ authorities will no longer be able to levy huge bills for future government funded repair work on people who simply have little or no hope of meeting their demands.

The family of Mrs Bourne, a grandmother of 7, described the pensioner as having “old school morality” that disapproved of living in debt.

Her son, Roy Bourne, of Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, said his mother lost weight because she worried about meeting the bill and sobbed at the thought of saddling her family with the debt.

Mrs Bourne died following a heart attack she suffered when she was startled by the sound of falling roof tiles onto her balcony during the proven unnecessary works on the roof.

A leasehold valuation tribunal found last year that Newham Council had not commissioned a proper survey of the flat. An independent surveyor commissioned after Mrs Bourne’s death found the roof would have lasted another 40 years.

Increasing support for leaseholdersIn addition to capping the amount leaseholders will pay, councils bidding for next year’s decent homes funding will also be required to make clear what help is available, including loans and deferred payment options, will have to offer affordable repayment terms and publish details of how they award contracts for the major works on their websites.

But with an estimated 4 million residential properties in England subject to a long lease, Mr Pickles has also asked officials in his department to examine what further support can be offered to other leaseholders.

Already, plans are in place to require managing agents to belong to a redress scheme so leaseholders have somewhere to go if they get a raw deal. But ministers will also look to address:

providing access to summaries of the determination of tribunal cases so people have a better understanding of the outcome

making it easier to get recognition of a tenants’ association increasing awareness of what being a leaseholder means before people buy leasehold

properties gaining information on absentee leaseholders, especially where owners wish to buy

the freehold ensuring landlords provide a realistic valuation of the price a leaseholder would have

to pay to buy the freehold or extend their lease

the specific issue of transfer (exit) fee covenants particularly found in the retirement leasehold sector by referring the matter to the Law Commission

The outcome of the consultation on protecting local authority leaseholders from unreasonable charges can be viewed on the website.

New powers could bring "click and collect" to a store near youPublished 11 August 2014

New plans would enable British high streets to adapt to meet the changing needs of today’s modern consumer, Penny Mordaunt said today (11 August 2014).

The minister said that by freeing retailers to make changes to their premises, more of them would be able to offer “click and collect” services - ensuring the rise of internet shopping supports local shops, rather than competing with town centres.

Figures show that the UK is the biggest user of “click and collect” with 35% of online shoppers using this service - and with that figure set to double within the next 3 years.

Under plans announced today, shops would be able to build new “click and collect” facilities, such as covered collection points or lockers, without making a planning application.

The proposals would also enable retailers to install new loading bay doors and ramps without first seeking planning permission - leaving them well placed to accept more deliveries for local online shoppers to collect.

There would still be key safeguards in place - for example, this new permitted development right would exclude listed buildings and would not allow the size of an existing loading bay to increase by more than 20%. And any new “click and collect” facilities could only be within the boundaries of existing premises, such as the car park.

But with leading retailers like Argos are already offering this service across their stores, this move would enable smaller and independent shops to follow suit.

High Streets Minister Penny Mordaunt said:

Click and collect is set to be the next big thing on the high street, as discerning online shoppers look to the convenience of the high street as much as their computer screens.

Today’s proposals would help not just larger retailers but also independent and smaller shops to benefit, ensuring their premises were fit for the needs of the 21st century shopper.

This is one of a range of measures the government is taking to support the revival of high streets across the country. The £1 billion package of support includes:

a £1,000 business rate discounts for retail premises, including shops, pubs, cafes and restaurants

an extension to the doubling of small business rate relief allowing businesses to pay their business rate bills over 12 months (rather than 10) to

help every firm with their cash flow

Areas can also show off their great work by entering the Great British High Street competition, with winners set to receive a cash prize and support worth £50,000 - ranging from one-to-one advice, to digital marketing workshops, as well as mentoring from industry experts.

Picture courtesy of R~P~M under creative commons copyright.

Further informationLatest figures on the use of “click and collect” in the UK are included in a report from the University of Southampton.

Read more details of this proposed new development.

Local people at heart of growing Ebbsfleet Garden CityPublished 11 August 2014

Mr Pickles invited people to share their views on the creation of the new development corporation that will work with local residents and businesses to grow the garden city in the way that is right for the local area.

The corporation will help local authorities to drive forward development, co-ordinate investment and solve the issues that have held Ebbsfleet back. It is proposed that it will also act as the local planning authority determining planning applications and will work with local councils to deliver affordable housing in line with local plans.

In a show of the government’s commitment to kick-starting the process of development at Ebbsfleet, Mr Pickles also announced the appointment of Michael Cassidy CBE as Chairman Designate of the Ebbsfleet Development Corporation.

As the Chairman of the City of London Property Investment Board and with extensive experience in a range of roles across the business and industry sectors, Mr Cassidy will steer the development corporation, providing the focus and direction needed to deliver this ambitious development.

The area around Ebbsfleet has huge potential. With its large amounts of brownfield land and excellent transport links - less than 20 minutes from central London - it has long been identified as an ideal location for large scale development. Yet despite the ambitions for the Ebbsfleet area progress was stalled for decades. Plans started for a development of 22,000

homes across the Kent Thameside area. But after work continued to stall for nearly a decade in 2012 the government announced a new deal to secure investment in the local road network to support the proposed new homes.

This has resulted in plans for 15,000 homes in Ebbsfleet alone and, as well as setting up the development corporation the government is also making available up to £200 million of infrastructure funding available to kick start the work on the garden city.

Today’s consultation (11 August 2014) invites views on:

the geographical area in which the Ebbsfleet Development Corporation will operate the planning powers it will be granted the composition of its board

Unlocking growth, building homesMinisters believe locally led development is one of the keys to unlocking growth, kick-starting infrastructure and getting more homes built. Ebbsfleet has the potential to be part of this new generation of well-designed development that will bring together high-quality homes, jobs, and green spaces in communities where people want to live and raise their children.

Communities Secretary Eric Pickles said:

Under the last administration progress at Ebbsfleet stalled and with it so too did the development of thousands of new homes for families. This government is unlocking that potential. With £200 million government backing and the set up of a development corporation to drive forward Ebbsfleet there is nothing to hold back plans on paper becoming real homes and communities.

Locally led development is the key to unlocking growth and creating the places and communities that people actively want to be a part of. Today I am pleased to appoint Michael Cassidy as Chairman of the development corporation that will work with local people to develop Ebbsfleet and grow the garden city in the way that is right for the local area.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, said;

To create the UK’s first garden city for almost a 100 years will need drive, creativity and commercial savvy. Michael Cassidy has all of those qualities and I am delighted he will be leading the Ebbsfleet Development Corporation.

Chairman Designate of the Ebbsfleet Development Corporation Michael Cassidy said:

The development at Ebbsfleet is an exciting prospect, finally bringing to life an area where progress has been slow for many years and delivering the high quality homes and jobs that local people need.

I look forward to working with local communities to create a place where people choose to live and lay down their roots.

Further informationThe consultation paper published today by the Department for Communities and Local Government seeks views on:

the creation of a new statutory body, to be known as the Ebbsfleet Development Corporation, to drive forward development at Ebbsfleet

the geographical area in which the Ebbsfleet Development Corporation will operate the planning powers it will be granted the composition of its Board

This public consultation will run from 11 August 2014 to 6 October 2014.

Subject to Parliamentary approval it is expected that the corporation will be established in early 2015. Once established, the corporation will develop and implement a business plan, working with local authorities, local communities.

Minister opens independent review of firefighter conditionsPublished 7 August 2014

The Fire Minister Penny Mordaunt is today (7 August 2014) launching an independent review that will ensure the conditions of service that firefighters enjoy continue to support their frontline work of preventing fire and protecting the public for years to come.

The review will be led by Adrian Thomas an expert in the field of personnel management and staff resourcing. Mr Thomas will consult with fire and rescue authorities, firefighters, representative bodies and report back in 2015.

The government is clear that the public rightly expects fire and rescue authorities to continue to strive for excellence and to demonstrate the best possible value for money without compromising the quality of frontline services.

A report by former Fire Chief Sir Ken Knight ‘Facing the Future’, published last year, outlined how improvements could be made to frontline services if firefighters’ conditions of service, often barrier to changes, were reviewed.

The Adrian Thomas review will consider whether the current terms and conditions are conducive to building the fire and rescue service of the future. It will look at national arrangements for agreeing conditions:

management practices and crewing arrangements collaboration and integration with other emergency services the use of on call firefighters clarity of process in the fair recruitment and remuneration of chief fire officers

and fire officers

Official national statistics show that fire deaths in England have continued to fall, with 5% fewer deaths than last year, continuing a trend that has seen nearly a 40% drop since 2004. The figures also show that last year, fire and rescue services attended 170,000 fires, the second lowest number of fire incidents ever recorded.

Ms Mordaunt said:

Firefighters put their lives on the line every day and deserve a workplace fully focused on fire prevention and protection. So we have a responsibility to each and every firefighter to make sure their conditions of service, some of which are decades old, fully support the challenges modern firefighters face every day.

This review will involve a massive piece of evidence gathering, in particular from firefighters themselves as they have expertise and ideas, to take the service forward. I hope as many firefighters as possible will contribute.

It will give fire chiefs an up to date assessment of the work place to implement lasting improvements so firefighters can continue to serve the needs of their communities to the best of their abilities for years to come.

Mr Thomas added:

The fire service and firefighters do an incredibly important job that requires a unique workplace environment. I am delighted to lead this review – it is a golden opportunity to look closely at how we can support the fire service of the future.

Further informationFurther details including a call for evidence will be published shortly. The review is expected to take around 5 months with a final report submitted to government by February 2015.

1. Terms of reference

To review the conditions of service of chief fire officers and firefighters and the processes by which they are determined to consider whether they present barriers to the reform, improvement and efficiency of fire and rescue services.

In particular, the review should consider barriers to:

the flexibility and responsiveness of workforce management practices, staffing and crewing arrangements

people working longer, and ensuring they achieve, or if desired, exceed their normal pension age

collaboration and integration with other emergency services the increased use of on call firefighters clarity of process in the fair recruitment and remuneration of chief fire officers

and fire officers

The review should also consider the national arrangements for agreeing conditions of service, in particular:

whether a UK-wide process remains appropriate whether there is sufficient independent advice and expertise in the process whether there are sufficient mechanisms to ensure that conditions of service

keep pace with the rest of the public sector consider the current usefulness of the Grey and Gold Books, and the present

arrangements for dispute resolution within the Grey Book consider the arrangements for agreeing remuneration of senior officers in fire

and rescue authorities identify any barriers in moving between the Grey and Green Books the impact on services by the undertaking of activity, by firefighters, outside of

normal working hours/shift systems

In conducting this review, the review team should consult with fire and rescue authorities, firefighters, representative bodies, and others they deem relevant. It will be an independent report to government but may make recommendations to others, including fire and rescue authorities and representative bodies. Where possible, recommendations should be costed and of sufficient detail to enable effective implementation.

The ‘Gold Book’ or National Joint Council for Brigade Managers of Fire and Rescue Services constitution and scheme of conditions of service, fifth edition 2006 covers conditions that apply to principal managers in the fire service and includes pay scale recommendations for local negotiations based around population bands and job role.

The ‘Grey Book’ or the scheme of conditions of service of the National Joint Council for Local Authority Fire and Rescue Services covers remuneration levels for wholetime and retained duty staff and also control room uniformed staff are subject to national negotiation.

The ‘Green Book’ or National Joint Council for Local Government Services covers conditions of service for non-uniformed staff who support operational service.

2. Adrian Thomas biographical details

The government is delighted to announce that Adrian Thomas has been appointed to lead an independent review of the conditions of service for fire and rescue staff.

He will formally take up this position from the beginning of October.

Adrian is an expert in the field of personnel management and staff resourcing, with experience across the pharmaceutical, banking and transportation industries.

Adrian is currently Chairman of the Recruitment Society and a Vice President of the Association of Graduate Recruitment. Previously he has held a number of senior human resource positions in GlaxoSmithKline, Network Rail and the Royal Bank of Scotland.

Having led the creation or re-structuring of organisation capability on many occasions Adrian is a recognised authority on resourcing best practice, organisation design, change management and innovation in service delivery.

£5 million fund will unlock 100 brownfield sites for new homesPublished 7 August 2014

Councils that bring forward brownfield land for development could benefit from a share of £5 million to get work started on the new homes, under plans announced today (7 August 2014).

Housing Minister Brandon Lewis said this previously developed land could help pave the way for planning permissions on up to 200,000 new homes across the country.

To qualify for the funding, councils will need to consult on a local development order on the land they identify - making it easier and quicker for developers to get work started.

Unlocking brownfield sitesApplying local development orders is a flexible way to grant planning permission, as they can be used to set out the amount and type of housing that can be built on the sites.

Today’s fund will help get local development orders on brownfield land with up to 100 bids each benefiting from up to £50,000 across this and next year.

Key safeguards will be in place - for example, as with any planning application councils will need to take account of the views of local people, as well as the housing needs of their communities.

There is enough previously developed brownfield land to deliver up to 200,000 new homes - and with housing a key part of the government’s long-term economic plan, ministers are looking for permissions for homes to be in place on more than 90% of this by 2020.

Housing and Planning Minister Brandon Lewis said:

By investing billions in our affordable housing programme, and launching schemes like Help to Buy, we’ve got Britain building, with housebuilding levels at their highest since 2007.

But with enough brownfield land available for up to 200,000 homes we can do more. Today’s fund will get local development orders in place on brownfield land across the country, paving the way for more to come forward in the future.

Getting work started on new homesIn addition to today’s fund, Mr Lewis has also launched a £3 million site capacity fund to get work started on as many as 85 new housing sites where development has been agreed - helping to accelerate up to 25,000 new homes.

Leading developers are also building more as a direct result of the government’s Help to Buy scheme - meaning private housebuilding is up 34% over the past year.

Further informationThe invitation to bid for local development orders for housing development on brownfield land has been published today.

The government has put in place a range of schemes to help builders access development finance and get building – all of which have helped boost housebuilding to its highest levels since 2007. These include:

The Builders Finance Fund - this £525 million fund will provide development finance for smaller sites to support the construction of up to 15,000 new homes. The new investment will be made available to unlock “shovel-ready” sites between 15 to 250 homes, which have their plans in place and the support of local people, but need a bit of help to get development moving.

The large sites infrastructure programme - this £1 billion fund is designed to help accelerate and unlock housing developments of at least 1,500 housing units that have slowed down or stalled completely, helping to tackle the often-complex issues that prevent work from continuing and helping to deliver viable schemes that offer the new homes and infrastructure for the benefit of the local community.

The Local Growth Fund (Housing Infrastructure) prospectus - the Local Growth Fund provides the levers for local enterprise partnerships to agree Local Growth Deals with central government, using their local knowledge, creativity and ambition to identify local priorities. The £50 million funding from this will be used to speed up and restart housing developments of between 250 and 1,499 units that have slowed down or stalled, and will support the construction of up to 250,000 new homes between 2015 and 2020 overall.

Locally-led garden cities prospectus - this invites local authorities to put forward their ideas for how they wish to develop garden cities, how they wish to make use of the existing central government funding and support and what other freedoms, flexibilities and support they need to make ambitious new garden cities a reality. The first of these will be at Ebbsfleet, where an Urban Development Corporation will drive forward locally-led plans, alongside £200 million infrastructure funding, to kickstart development.

Site capacity funding - this £3 million fund will speed up getting work started on as many as 85 new housing sites across the country where development has been agreed. The funding is available to councils to tackle planning issues that can cause delay and prevent builders from getting on site and starting work quickly. It will help accelerate as many as 25,000 new homes.

Humber Enterprise Zone creating thousands of jobs

Published 6 August 2014

A £15 million government grant will help the Humber become a world-class centre for renewable energy industries that employs thousands of people.

Communities Secretary Eric Pickles announced the funding during a visit to see first-hand work get underway on the Able Marine Energy Park based on the Humber Enterprise Zone.

The £450 million Park project will provide a facility for the manufacture, storage, assembly and deployment of the next generation of offshore wind turbines near Immingham.

The project will create more than 4,100 direct jobs and will let the Humber grow as a leading centre for renewable energy. Building work on the site will create around 350 full-time construction jobs.

Communities Secretary Eric Pickles said:

With the majority of the North Sea’s offshore operations thriving side-by-side, the Humber is becoming, quite literally, a powerhouse in the British economy and is a vital part of our long-term economic plan to help secure a better future by spreading businesses, jobs and skills across the country.

The cash injection to Able Marine Energy Park site ensures it becomes a strong, competitive part of this growing renewable energy hub, attracting new businesses and creating jobs for hardworking local people.

During his visit to the Humber the Secretary of State also officially opened E.ON’s Humber Gateway offshore wind farm operations and maintenance base.

The base site in Grimsby will support the operation and maintenance of the energy firm’s offshore wind farm once fully operational.

Work on the Humber Gateway wind farm – located 8 kilometres off the Holderness coast, East Riding of Yorkshire – is well underway. The wind farm will have 73 turbines when complete with 61 of the foundations already installed. Installation of the first wind turbine got underway last week.

More than 300 jobs have already been created at the site and this will rise to 1,100 once all the wind farms are constructed and operating.

Further informationThe £14.9 million from government was provided through the Enterprise Zone Foundations for Growth Capital Grant Fund.

The Communities Secretary visited the Humber sites last Friday (1 August 2014).

Press freedom boosted by new 'right to report'Published 6 August 2014

In a boost for local democracy and the independent free press, councils in England were brought into the 21st century today (6 August 2014) after Local Government Secretary, Eric Pickles, signed a Parliamentary order allowing press and public to film and digitally report from all public meetings of local government bodies. This ‘right to report’ updates a law passed by Margaret Thatcher as a backbench MP.

Following the passage of both primary and secondary legislation, the move opens councils’ digital doors, covering broadcasters, national press, local press, bloggers and hyper-local journalists and the wider public. The new law aims to end active resistance amongst some councils to greater openness. Councils have even called the police to arrest people who tried to report, tweet or film council meetings, or claimed spurious ‘health and safety’ or ‘reputational risks’ to digital reporting.

This new law builds on Margaret Thatcher’s successful Private Members’ Bill from 1960 which allowed for the written reporting of council meetings by the press. The new rules will apply to all public meetings, including town and parish councils and fire and rescue authorities.

Local Government Secretary, Eric Pickles, said:

Half a century ago, Margaret Thatcher championed a new law to allow the press to make written reports of council meetings. We have updated her analogue law for a digital age.

Local democracy needs local journalists and bloggers to report and scrutinise the work of their council, and increasingly, people read their news via digital media. The new ‘right to report’ goes hand in hand with our work to stop unfair state competition from municipal newspapers - together defending the independent free press.

There is now no excuse for any council not to allow these new rights. Parliament has changed the law, to allow a robust and healthy local democracy. This will change the way people see local government, and allow them to view close up the good work that councillors do.

Further informationNew rights

The government has published a plain English guide of practical information on how the public can exercise their new rights, and what they should expect from their local government bodies.

The Openness of Local Government Regulations 2014, which apply to England, give rights to members of the press and public to:

use modern technology and communication methods such as filming, audio-recording, blogging and tweeting to report the proceedings of the meetings of their councils and other local government bodies

see information relating to significant decisions made outside meetings by officers acting under a general or specific delegated power

Case studies

a councillor in Thanet was removed by the police for trying to film a council meeting discussing airport expansion

Wirral Council said filming a planning committee would compromise ‘health and safety’.

Tower Hamlets Council barred a 71 year old resident from filming due the risk of ‘reputational damage’ to the authority

Keighley Town Council blocked residents filming as it would amount to a ‘breach of standing orders’

Bexley Council said audio and visual filming would breach its ‘agreed protocol’ Stamford Town Council placed a ban on journalists tweeting from meetings

due to the risk of them ‘not accurately portraying a debate’ a blogger in Huntingdonshire was removed by police for filming, and has

advised fellow bloggers to ‘be prepared for the police to be called and the possibility of arrest’

Margaret Thatcher’s 1960 law

The Public Bodies (Admission to Meetings) Act 1960 was a successful Private Members’ Bill by new backbencher, Margaret Thatcher MP; this Act allowed the written reporting of council meetings.

Higher Right to Buy discounts and expert advice to help tenants become homeownersPublished 5 August 2014

Hardworking council house tenants who want to own their own home will now benefit from higher Right to Buy discounts, and be guided through the homebuying process by a new team of experts.

From this week, a team of Right to Buy advisers will be on hand to offer free advice, support and information for any tenant who dreams of becoming a homeowner.

On top of this expert support, the maximum discount caps available have just increased, so from now tenants can benefit from as much as £77,000 off the value of their home outside London, and £102,700 in the capital.

Right to Buy agents

Tenants wanting to buy their own home can ring a dedicated local rate helpline to speak to a member of the new Right to Buy agent service. The service, appointed by the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG), will provide free advice at each stage of the purchase.

In providing tenants with a dedicated source of information and guidance on the Right to Buy process, the service will also help tenants to avoid hidden fees that can be charged by some commercial companies and advisers for Right to Buy advice.

Opening the door to homeownershipOver 19,500 people have become homeowners through the reinvigorated Right to Buy scheme.

Launched in 2012, the discount cap was increased to a maximum £75,000, and further increased in London to £100,000 in 2013.

But now, the maximum cash discount will increase each year by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) level of inflation - meaning the new discounts now stand at £102,700 in London and £77,000 across England.

The maximum percentage discount on houses has now also increased from 60% to 70%, bringing it into line with flats as was the case when the Right to Buy was first introduced in 1980.

Receipts from Right to Buy sales will continue to be invested in housebuilding, so every additional home sold since the reinvigoration is replaced with a new affordable home to rent.

And a new streamlined, more user-friendly application form will make it easier for tenants to navigate the process for buying their own home, with improvements including a checklist to ensure applicants have fully completed all sections of the form, and a ‘next steps’ tear off page so people know what to expect when their application is considered.

Housing Minister Brandon Lewis said:

Under the last government, the Right to Buy was allowed to wither on the vine, killing off hopes of home ownership for most social tenants because of a miserly discount.

We have reinvigorated the Right to Buy, increasing the discounts available to open it up to more tenants. Since the changes came into effect we have helped more than 19,500 people to buy their own home, generating £420 million in receipts for new additional affordable housing.

The new agent service, increased discounts and easier to understand application form will ensure even more families can reap the rewards of their hard work and enjoy the security and peace of mind that comes from owning your own home.

Further information

The Right to Buy agent helpline number is 0300 123 0913. For more information on the service visit: www.communities.gov.uk/righttobuy.

The Statutory Instruments introducing the annual CPI uplift to the maximum cash discount, and increasing the maximum percentage discount for houses from 60% to 70%, came into force on 21 July 2014. The discount is based on how long someone has been a tenant with a public sector landlord and the value of the property. Anyone buying with a partner calculates the discount on the person with the longest public sector tenancy.

The new form is available on the DCLG website.

Eric Pickles to save taxpayers £220 million as he bunks in with the Home Office4 August 2014

Ministers and staff at the Department for Communities and Local Government have this week moved in with the Home Office, in a move to save taxpayers hundreds of millions of pounds.

Local Government Secretary, Eric Pickles, ordered his department’s relocation from its Eland House office in Victoria, returning to Marsham Street to share the Home Office’s headquarters in Westminster. The National Audit Office has noted that the DCLG move will save taxpayers an estimated £220 million over the remaining lifetime of the private finance initiative contract.

Marsham Street was once the home of DCLG’s predecessor, the Department of the Environment. The department was moved in 1997 to become John Prescott’s DETR (Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions). It was later the home of Stephen Byers’ DTLR (Department of Transport, Local Government and the Regions), before becoming the ODPM (Office of the Deputy Prime Minister) and then finally DCLG.

Completed in 1971, the old Marsham Street site had 3 tower blocks nicknamed ‘the 3 ugly sisters’. They were described in Sir Nikolaus Pevsner’s architectural guides as “the very image of faceless bureaucracy”. In 1992, Environment Secretary, Michael Heseltine, resolved to bulldoze the unsuitable and dysfunctional concrete towers.

The government subsequently resolved to put in its place a purpose-built private finance initiative building for the Home Office, completed in 2005. By moving in, DCLG saves taxpayers from having to pay the costs of its current Eland House site.

Meanwhile, Eland House is being redeveloped into extensive shops and offices as part of the ongoing regeneration of the Victoria area of London. The new shop development has been nicknamed by some as the ‘Pickles Plaza’.

Since he was appointed in 2010, Mr Pickles has waged war on waste at Eland House, include clamping down on corporate credit cards, scrapping the potted plant budget, and calling last orders at the department’s in-house pub, the ‘DETR Darts Bar’. The pot plants have been

auctioned off, and the luxury, designer Parisian sofas purchased in 2009 will be reused elsewhere in government.

The departmental portrait of Her Majesty the Queen is being put up in the reception area. The department intends to continue its practice of championing the flying of Britain’s varied local and national flags to show pride in the United Kingdom’s heritage and tradition.

Eric Pickles, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, said:

There is still immense inefficiency across the public sector. By sharing services and streamlining our own back office, we are practising what we preach to town halls by illustrating the scope to save even more taxpayers’ money. And in waving goodbye to the old building which will be turned into new shops and offices, we are also doing our bit to support the exciting regeneration of London’s Victoria.

Seaside funding success for 10 coastal townsPublished 1 August 2014

Ten coastal towns today received new funding for projects that will help create and safeguard nearly 1,400 jobs and help with essential repairs in areas affected by the winter storms.

A lido, Victorian arches and a coastal path are some of the schemes to benefit from money that will help with restoration.

More than £8.5 million is being distributed to towns around England for schemes that will create tourist attractions, regenerate historic sites and provide new flood defences.

The money is being made available from the government’s Coastal Communities Fund and will attract a further £6.2 million from other private and public bodies.

The Prime Minister David Cameron and Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne also announced an extra £3 million for the fund to encourage growth and create jobs in coastal towns.

Seaside towns have untapped potential to create vibrant economies and are an important part of the government’s long-term economic plan to boost jobs and businesses around the country.

Coastal Communities Minister Penny Mordaunt said:

Our Coastal Communities Fund is bringing about some really innovative projects around the country and schemes that will make a big difference to those towns affected by the winter storms.

Seaside towns are a strong part of this country’s heritage and have huge potential to create new businesses that provide jobs.

They are an important part of the government’s long-term economic plan and we are determined to help these communities reach their true potential.

Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Danny Alexander said:

The Coastal Communities Fund is already making a real difference to our coastal towns and helping communities regenerate their local economy. So far the scheme has already supported over 7,500 jobs and 1,400 training places up and down the country.

I am delighted to announce an additional £8.5 million for coastal projects across the country, this will help communities build a sustainable future for themselves and also benefit visitors to these seaside towns over the years to come.

The Coastal Communities Fund was launched in 2012 to invest in seaside towns and villages, helping them achieve their economic potential, reduce unemployment and create new opportunities for young people in their local area.

It is helping seaside towns make the most of their potential by diversifying their economies and industries so they become year-round success stories. The fund has to date already spent £54 million, supporting around 7,500 jobs around the UK, more than 300 new business start-ups and 1,400 training places.

The 10 projects are:

Jubilee Pool Lido – Penzance, Cornwall - £1,950,000

Funds will repair and relaunch the Grade II Listed ‘Jubilee Pool’ (Lido) to create an all year round attraction. Penzance was badly hit by coastal storms in early 2014 which caused serious damage to the pool. Restoration will make it a catalyst for the wider regeneration of the local area and the town as a whole. It will provide a springboard for developing a social enterprise led restaurant and health and well-being spa on the site. It will safeguard and create 38 jobs and apprenticeships.

Victorian Arches, Portsmouth, Hampshire - £1,755,000

This will revitalise the Victorian Arches at the heart of Point Battery, central Old Portsmouth. Located between a historic 15th century Square and the Round Towers (Portsmouth’s historic fortifications), the Arches have been used informally by artists since the 1960s but are neglected. The project will refurbish the Arches as part of an “ARTches” project to provide affordable workspace and exhibition space in attractive surroundings. This will support the council’s drive to strengthen Portsmouth’s visitor attractions. It will create a centrally located “creative hub” with leisure and catering attractions within a historic setting and give a boost to nearby shops and services. It will create more than 105 jobs.

Waldringfield Flood Defence, Suffolk - £633,000

Funds will help pay for the construction of a system of flood defences for homes and businesses in the flood area on the River Deben Estuary. The recent tidal surges had a big impact on homes and local businesses and if flooding of this scale were to happen again

many local businesses would struggle to meet the costs of repair work, effecting the local economy and employment. This project is also being used by the Environment Agency as a “pilot” scheme to demonstrate the benefits of working in partnership with private, public and voluntary organisations and they will be sharing their experiences at a local and national level. This project will create and safeguard 51 jobs.

Maltings Building – Wells-next-the-Sea, near Cromer, Norfolk - £610,000

Wells Maltings Trust aims to transform a dilapidated 19th century Maltings building into an integrated arts, heritage and learning space with auditorium, café and tourist information point. It will create and safeguard around 95 jobs and provide space for learning as well as an attractive all year round tourist destination.

South West Coastal Path – Cornwall, Devon, Dorset and Somerset - £1,114,000

This project will repair, improve and promote the South West Coastal Path. Funds will help with 32 urgent repair works to the path, information boards and signage, and marketing. This will create and safeguard around 782 jobs from construction, management and tourism generated by the path.

RSPB Nature Reserve, Bempton Cliffs, Yorkshire - £452,000

Funding will enhance the facilities at the reserve, improve the visitor experience and create year-round revenues to further develop wildlife conservation work. The project will extend and upgrade the coastal nature reserve’s facilities to attract a further 10,000 visitors per year. This will increase visitor spend, new jobs and volunteering opportunities for local people. This project integrates into East Yorkshire’s “Nature Triangle” and links well with other nature related visitor attractions. It will safeguard and create around 14 jobs and 30 volunteer places.

Yorkshire WildlifeTrust, Spurn Point - £498,000

The project includes the restoration of the iconic Matthew’s Lighthouse and nearby gun emplacement on the Point, the creation of a visitor centre with café, and the development of sustainable transport links to replace access lost in the December 2013 storm surge. It will address seasonality in local tourism sector and promote the area as a destination for nature tourism. The Humberside area boasts salt marshes, chalk cliffs and freshwater lakes. The lighthouse will be restored and converted into a heritage/visitor centre providing accommodation over 6 floors telling the story of Spurn’s maritime heritage, strategic defence role and military history. The project will create and safeguard around 77 jobs.

Historic Fruit Market – Kingston upon Hull - £800,000

This project will continue regeneration of the historic ‘Fruit Market’ area of Hull and improvements to pathways, street furniture and other public realm works ahead of the city being UK City of Culture in 2017. The area has been identified as a growth opportunity for independent businesses working in the creative industries and will support and safeguard around 100 jobs.

Park View 4 U, near Lytham St Annes, Lancashire - £395,000

This will turn a derelict site into a new visitor attraction with a state of the art sand and water play area. The area will be landscaped in a seaside theme and will used to deliver school education and activities about the natural surroundings of the coast, along with a café. This will create 11 jobs.

Youth Hostels – Brighton, East Sussex and Robin Hoods Bay, Yorkshire - £401,000

Funding will help establish a new hostel in Brighton and redevelop an existing youth hostel in on the North Yorkshire coast. These will provide new and improved holiday accommodation in two popular coastal towns. This will boost tourism numbers and help create a new café for both locals and visitors. This project will create and support around 76 jobs.

Further information1. More than 11 million people live in coastal communities, from major cities to seaside

villages with key industries for these communities include fishing, shipping and renewable energy alongside tourism.

2. There are around 250,000 people working in seaside tourism in more than 150 resorts which contribute £4 billion to the UK economy.

3. In 2013, 18.6 million overnight trips were taken by British residents to the seaside in England spending £3.9 billion. There were a further 128 million day visits spending £4.5 billion.

4. The Coastal Communities Fund is financed by the government through the funding equivalent of 50% of the revenues from the Crown Estate’s marine activities in that area.

Eastbourne to receive £2 million from government after pier fire

Published 1 August 2014

Up to £2 million to help Eastbourne’s tourism industry recover from the loss of their pier earlier this week, was announced today by the Prime Minister David Cameron and Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne on a visit to the town.

The blaze broke out on Wednesday afternoon severely damaging around a third of the structure with the main roof completely destroyed. The Victorian pier was built in the 1870s and is home to a number of gift shops, bars and restaurants.

The PM and Chancellor also announced an extra £3 million for the Government’s Coastal Communities Fund to encourage growth and create jobs in coastal towns.

The announcement of extra funding comes as Coastal Communities Minister Penny Mordaunt named 10 coastal towns who will receive £8.5 million from the Fund in the latest round of applications. The money will be used to boost the tourism, regenerate historic sites and provide new flood defences.

Prime Minister David Cameron said:

The government is absolutely committed to supporting coastal towns, and through our long-term economic plan we are creating jobs and boosting tourism. Schemes like our Coastal Communities Fund are helping them to reach their full potential.

I know that the loss of one of Eastbourne’s most prominent and well-loved landmarks will have hit the town hard and I am determined to do all I can to help local businesses recover.

Chancellor George Osborne said:

Eastbourne Pier is a much loved local attraction and this fire is devastating news.

I am therefore delighted to be able to provide financial support so we can minimise the effect on business and tourism.

We will work with Eastbourne as a matter of urgency to ensure that the funding is provided without delay so people can start enjoying the pier again.

The Coastal Communities Fund was launched in 2012 to invest in seaside towns and villages, helping them achieve their economic potential, reduce unemployment and create new opportunities for young people in their local area. The scheme is helping seaside towns make the most of their potential by diversifying their economies and industries so they become year-round success stories. To date £54 million has been spent, supporting around 7,500 jobs, more than 300 new business start-ups and more than 1,400 training places.

Yorkshire flag flies in the heart of governmentPublished 1 August 2014

God’s Own County is being celebrated in the heart of Westminster today, as the Communities Secretary, Eric Pickles, raised the flag of his home county, Yorkshire, outside his department’s headquarters.

Just a few short weeks after the remarkable success of the Tour de France’s Grand Depart, the people of Yorkshire are once again toasting their great county. The flag was hoisted to mark Yorkshire Day, which falls on 1 August, the day slavery was abolished across the British Empire following the tireless campaign of William Wilberforce, one of the county’s famous sons.

Be it whippets and flat caps, straight-talking locals, or breathtaking scenery, the White Rose county has many famous stereotypes.

But here are some little-known facts about Yorkshire:

it is the home of democracy: the first secret ballot was held in Pontefract to elect a Member of Parliament in 1872

it is the birthplace of aviation: Sir George Cayley is the founder of aerodynamics - the aviation pioneer orchestrated the first-ever controlled flight which was made by a glider across Brompton Dale in North Yorkshire in 1853

it was once the heart of the Roman Empire: The city of York was established by the Romans and became a huge military base. Constantine the Great was crowned Roman Emperor in the city in 306

it was the first quintessential British seaside town: in 1626, Elizabeth Farrow discovered a spring at the bottom of a cliff on the south beach in Scarborough and declared that it had health-giving properties; people flocked and the first seaside resort was born

big is beautiful: the biggest of Britain’s ceremonial counties also lays claim to the largest vale, medieval cathedral, abbey ruins and parish church in the country - as well as the world’s biggest fish and chip shop, the original Harry Ramsden’s, and Britain’s tallest-ever living man, William Bradley, who went by the alias of the Yorkshire Giant and measured up at 7 feet 9 inches

England’s traditional counties date back over a thousand years of history, but many of them have been sidelined in recent years, including the municipal restructuring by Edward Heath’s government in 1965 and 1972. By contrast, this government is championing local communities continuing to cherish and celebrate such traditional ties and community spirit.

Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Eric Pickles, said:

As a proud Yorkshireman it gives me great joy to fly the flag of God’s Own County in the heart of government today to mark Yorkshire Day. The recent Tour de France showed the world how proud Yorkshiremen are of their beautiful county. It has long been a cherished and important part of Britain’s great history.

We are stronger as a society when we celebrate the ties that bind us together. I want to send a strong signal – we should fly our flags with pride. Whatever one’s class, colour or creed, let’s have pride in Britain’s local and national identities.

Further informationThis is part of a series of steps to champion England’s national identities. Earlier this year, the department launched a new initiative to support the ‘tapestry’ of traditional English counties being displayed on street and road signs. The government also published a new online interactive map of England’s county boundaries.

Planning rules have been changed to allow councils to put up boundary signs marking traditional English counties – including the likes of Cumberland, Huntingdonshire,

Westmorland and Middlesex. The government has proposed changes to highways regulations to allow traditional county names to appear on boundary road signs.

Cutting red tape to breathe new life into local communitiesPublished 31 July 2014

Local residents will have a greater say over the future development of their area, under plans announced by Housing and Planning Minister Brandon Lewis today (31 July 2014).

Radical reforms of the planning system have been made as part of the government’s long term economic plan - scrapping top-down targets, giving people a greater say over planning decisions that affect their neighbourhood, and reducing 1,300 pages of disparate policy into one 50-page document.

Today’s wide ranging proposals are the next stage, making it easier for communities to devise neighbourhood plans, help builders get onto sites with planning permission without delay and reduce bureaucracy and red tape.

Housing and Planning Minister Brandon Lewis said:

Since 2010 we’ve made significant strides in reforming our planning system from one of draconian top-down targets, to one where local people are in charge and it’s working well. Last year alone, planning permission was granted for 216,000 new homes.

Today’s proposals will help scrap even more red tape and make it even easier to get the homes and shops communities want built, while at the same time breathing new life into our vital industries.

The proposals include:

Giving more local communities a greater say over development

Already more than 1,000 communities are making use of their new right to produce a neighbourhood plan or neighbourhood development order - today’s proposals would speed up the process to encourage more to follow suit. New measures include requiring local planning authorities to decide whether to designate certain neighbourhood areas within 10 weeks and removing the minimum 6-week consultation and publicity period. But parish and town councils and neighbourhood forums would still need to consult and win a local referendum on the final neighbourhood plan or Order.

Making better use of land to deliver more homes

There are currently permitted development rights to allow offices to be converted into new homes. Today’s proposals would put this on a permanent footing, as well as making it easier to convert empty and redundant buildings into new homes. New measures would also ensure

planning conditions are cleared on time so that new homes that have planning permission can get built without delay.

Supporting the Great British high street

The current rules governing change of use from a shop to a restaurant, and from a shop to leisure use, would be relaxed in order to help high streets adapt to changing customer needs. Payday loan shops and betting shops would be excluded from a new, wider “retail class”, so councils have a greater say over these being set up in their area.

An end to EU gold-plating

Today’s proposals would remove the unnecessary gold-plating an EU directive which slow down the process, by reducing the numbers of homes and other urban development proposals that would be screened unnecessarily for environmental impact assessments. This would reduce both the cost and time taken to get planning permission for these projects.

Improving the way major infrastructure projects are planned

Proposals for a more flexible and streamlined system so practical changes can be made to planning proposals where these are beneficial and developers can use a “one stop shop” for more of the consents they need.

Further informationThe Technical consultation on planning is published today.

Unlocking private investment will get councils building

Published 31 July 2014

In their interim report, Natalie Elphicke and Keith House highlight how innovative councils are already levering private finance to help deliver the homes their communities – and how more councils could follow in their footsteps.

The building of new council homes is at a 23-year high – but today’s report (31 July 2014) suggests the potential for even more to be done.

Unlocking the potential of private investmentAcross the country councils are making housing their top priority as improved economic growth creates the confidence and conditions for building more homes.

In their report today, Ms Elphicke and Mr House argue that councils could significantly boost their housebuilding plans using more private sector investment.

Natalie Elphicke said:

In this next stage of the review we will focus on how councils can access and harness private finance. In particular, strengthening the relationship between councils, industry experts, business and private finance could help councils to realise their housing ambitions and support their communities.

Keith House said:

The response to our call to evidence has been excellent and councils across the country are showing how they are thinking more innovatively and ambitiously to put housing on the centre stage.

The next stage of the review will examine the challenges the local authorities have said can temper their ambitions and look at the ways that these can be overcome.

Housing Minister Brandon Lewis said:

Thanks to our long-term economic plan, we’re creating the conditions to enable councils to make housebuilding their number one priority – and we’re already seeing the results, with council housebuilding now at a 23-year high.

But this report from Natalie Elphicke and Keith House clearly shows there’s untapped potential out there for councils to secure private investment in their plans and deliver the homes their communities want.

By doing this, we can change plans on paper into real properties, helping families move into new homes and creating jobs along the way.

Greater transparency to lead to more homesIn their report Mrs Elphicke and Mr House also highlight the need for greater transparency by councils, to lead to more housebuilding.

This includes ensuring people in the local area can see the wider benefits to the community of new homes and how they meet assessed local housing need, but also greater transparency over the land and assets available for housebuilding – including council land.

The review will now also examine how best to boost skills, capacity, and the pace of housebuilding by councils, and how smaller sites can be made available for more homes.

Photo courtesy of Lydia under Creative Commons copyright.

Further InformationReview of local authorities’ role in housing supply: progress update is published today.

The report also finds that councils could also look to boost skills, capacity and the pace of building in their area, as well as using smaller sites to deliver more homes and this, as well as securing private sector investment, will now be the focus of Ms Elphicke and Mr House’s work over the coming months.

Over 250 participants have responded with ideas, evidence and case studies on their challenges that may stand in the way of housing development.

On 30 January, the government announced that Natalie Elphicke and Keith House would lead an independent review into the role that councils can play in boosting housing supply.

The reviewers will report, jointly to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government and the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, by the end of 2014.

Natalie Elphicke is chair of Million Homes, Million Lives. It works with councils and housing associations for more better-quality affordable housing that is built in the right places. She is also non-executive director of Principality Building Society. She is a qualified barrister and solicitor, and previously a city law firm partner specialising in housing finance.

Keith House is a Board Member of the Homes and Communities Agency, and Leader of Eastleigh Borough Council. While at Eastleigh Council he oversaw an innovative approach to housing which saw the council establish a company to enable the delivery of housing across a range of tenures. Keith is also the Deputy Chair of the Local Government Association Environment and Housing Board.

Today’s report could build on the government’s successful approach of attracting public and private investment into housebuilding which has seen:

council housebuilding reach at a 23-year high overall housebuilding at its highest level since 2007 the government on track to deliver the fastest rate of affordable housing in 2 decades

This has been achieved through:

the government using its strong record on economic stability to underwrite up to £10 billion additional borrowing to housing providers to invest in building more affordable homes

the government being on track to deliver the fastest rate of affordable housing in 2 decades through a 170,000 £19.5 billion affordable homes programme to 2015 and a planned further £23 billion between 2015 and 2018

setting aside £300 million to support extra public borrowing for council homes through Councils’ Housing Revenue Account, of which £60 million has been allocated for 1,000 extra council homes; bidding for the next round is already underway

Additionally, the government has identified enough formerly-used surplus public sector land for 100,000 homes and today’s report highlights how councils could publish details for developers and the community alike of the council-owned land that could be used for housebuilding.

Help to Buy building new homes across the country

Published 31 July 2014

New figures published today (31 July 2014) show how the scheme is boosting the supply of new homes, with over 32,500 households buying new build homes through the equity loan and NewBuy options, with a further 7,300 sales though the mortgage guarantee.

Help for buyers and builders

Mr Lewis said today’s figures were further evidence that Help to Buy was doing exactly what it was designed to achieve: providing assistance to hard-working families while expanding and accelerating the supply of new homes.

Over 80% of sales have gone to first time buyers and been for new build homes. The direct result is a new generation of homeowners and a 34% increase in private housebuilding during the first year of the scheme.

Housebuilding has climbed to the highest level since 2007, while developers have pledged to use the momentum created by Help to Buy to continue increasing their output. The construction sector has grown for 14 consecutive months, and companies are now taking on new workers at the fastest rate for 17 years.

Mr Lewis said the government had expanded the range of available data about Help to Buy. Figures published today include, for the first time, sales data broken down by postcode and constituency, so communities, builders and businesses can see exactly how the scheme is benefitting their area.

Brandon Lewis said:

Almost 40,000 households have now achieved their dream of becoming homeowners through Help to Buy. Hard working families are getting the homes they want, while housebuilding has increased to its highest level since 2007.

It’s no accident that since the start of the scheme private housebuilding has shot up by a third and continues to climb. Developers are increasing their output, and taking on new workers at the fastest rate since records began.

And today, for the first time, we’re publishing data about each post code and constituency, so communities can see exactly how this vital part of our long-term economic plan is improving the housing market and helping their area.

Progress across the country

Sales of new build homes have been strong across the country:

the highest number of equity loan sales were in Wiltshire with 469, Leeds with 457 and Central Bedfordshire with 427

Milton Keynes, Peterborough, Bradford, Manchester, Country Durham, Bedford, and Birmingham have all achieved over 300 sales

Further information27,167 sales have been completed in the first 15 months of the Help to Buy: equity loan scheme.

7,313 sales have been completed under Help to Buy: mortgage guarantee scheme (between 8 October 2013 and 31 March 2014). The mean price of a property bought under the scheme was £151,597.

5,388 sales have been completed under Help to Buy: NewBuy.

The average price of a home is far below the national average: £208,000 under the equity loan and £151,000 under the mortgage guarantee.

New fund will speed up work on thousands of new homes

Published 30 July 2014

Housing and Planning Minister Brandon Lewis today (30 July 2014) launched a £3 million fund to speed up getting work started on as many as 85 new housing sites where development has been agreed.

The funding will be available to councils across the country to tackle planning issues that can cause delay and prevent builders getting on site and starting work quickly - helping accelerate as many as 25,000 new homes.

Housing and Planning Minister Brandon Lewis said:

In 2010 we inherited a housing industry in paralysis - where neighbours and developers were at loggerheads, aspiring homeowners couldn’t get on the property ladder and housebuilding levels were at their lowest since the 1920s.

Since then we’ve got Britain building, not least through our planning reforms to put power in the hands of communities. Now, the challenge is to get work started on sites where development has been agreed as soon as possible.

Today’s £3 million fund will do just that, getting work started on as many as 85 sites, creating jobs as well as up to 25,000 new homes.

Permission granted, getting work started

Since 2010 the government has radically reformed the planning system, making it simpler and quicker, with locally led plans identifying and allocating land for much needed homes.

As a result, planning permission was granted on 216,000 new homes in the last year alone, and housebuilding levels have reached their highest level since 2007.

Today’s £3 million fund will tackle issues that can slow things down, even when the principle of development has been agreed - like completing financial agreements and signing-off conditions attached to planning permissions.

Councils with the greatest numbers of large housing developments recently agreed will be given priority for the funding, as well as those who can show how they will make each pound go further by enabling faster starts on site.

Each council that successfully bids is expected to receive around £50,000 from the fund.

Latest figures from Glenigan estimate that the number of homes with planning permission “on hold or shelved” has steadily fallen thanks to government-led efforts to get work restarted on stalled sites - the numbers of homes on hold or shelves has fallen from 79,604 in January 2011 to 50,050 in June this year.

On top of this, measures in the Infrastructure Bill on planning conditions will further cut the time it takes for sites with planning permission to start on site, as well as a series of schemes to increase development finance to both small and large builders, to boost local authority capacity to unlocked stalled sites and to support ongoing housing starts.

Further informationSee details of how to apply.

‘Convenience culture’ drives high street revival

Published 29 July 2014

A new in-depth study into the state of British high streets has revealed how town centres are adapting to meet the changing demands of the nation’s consumers.

Researchers at the University of Southampton reveal how ‘fundamental’ changes to Britain’s ‘convenience culture’ are transforming the way we shop and bringing new business into town.

New High Streets Minister Penny Mordaunt today (29 July 2014) welcomed the study’s findings as proof the country’s most dynamic and flexible town centres were experiencing a retail resurgence despite the competitive pressures of internet shopping and out-of-town stores.

It comes as the Department for Communities and Local Government and leading retail experts step up the summer search to find the best high streets in Britain.

In one of the most definitive studies into consumer habits ever conducted in Britain, the University of Southampton Retail Research Group discovered there has been a ‘fundamental shift’ in what consumers mean by ‘convenience’ shopping.

Throughout the 1980’s and 1990’s this was defined as one-stop shopping in big out-of-town developments but increasingly convenience means ‘topping up’ the groceries in local stores.

“Convenience retail in town centres/high streets, both independently and corporately owned, has experienced significant growth over the past 15 years, a growth sustained during the economic crisis and subsequent period of austerity,” the report finds.

That trend is expected to continue over the next 5 years, with convenience stores accounting for a quarter of the entire grocery market by 2019. Over the same period the market share for superstores is expected to fall from 42% to 34.9%.

The study also concludes there has been a ‘modest resurgence’ in specialist retailers such as ‘artisanal bakers, butchers and tea and coffee merchants’ on high streets were independent stores stand alongside big high street names.

At the same time retailers are exploiting opportunities created by on-line shopping – particularly with the rise in click and collect buying. Within 5 years, 7 out of 10 on-line shoppers will prefer to collect goods themselves rather than risk missing a delivery at home.

The study also finds the ‘leisure aspect of shopping trips is a significant driver of footfall’ and that high streets that include a good range of cafes, bars, restaurants not only increase the ‘dwell time but the average spent during trips to town’.

The University of Southampton study suggests that the long-term shifts towards leisure, health and beauty services – such as nail salons, hair dressers and gyms – will continue. While consumer spending on leisure is projected to increase over the next 10 years, spending on ‘recession-related’ retail, like pawnbrokers and betting shops, will slow.

“New relationships are being established in town centres and high streets, creating opportunities and contributing to their resilience,” the study concludes.

Minister Penny Mordaunt said:

This report shows our high streets to be adaptable, creative and resilient. The Great British High Street competition is a chance to showcase those strengths, to bust myths about the long-term future of our town centres and to reward the local talent, team-work and energy that goes into making our high streets great places to visit, work or live.

Simon Roberts, Managing Director, Health and Beauty UK and Republic of Ireland, Alliance Boots, and Future High Streets Forum Co-Chairman said:

We welcome the report’s findings and continue to work with the Future High Street Forum to drive this agenda forward. High streets are changing with clear evidence of effective business engagement and leadership making a real difference. Town centres matter to our customers – they are at the heart of many communities, providing identity as well as growth, development and jobs.

The Great British High Street competition provides an excellent opportunity to recognise and celebrate some of the fantastic work being delivered at local level to strengthen town centre prosperity. We are delighted to work with the Future High Street Forum member organisations to offer our support to high streets across the UK, together making them great places for our customers.

The competition is being run by the Future High Streets Forum and the Association of Town and City Management until 30 August.

There are 7 categories: city centres, town centres, market towns, coastal communities, villages, parades and London. Winners will receive a share of prize money and support worth £50,000, provided by Forum sponsors, as well as access to a tailored package of mentoring from industry experts.

This could range from one to one coaching to advice on creating business plans to attending workshops on digital marketing.

Further informationThe University of Southampton report can be viewed at on the Great British High Street website alongside high street best practice and guidance.

Recent high street research by Deloitte, (April 2014) showed the high street remains the number one destination for shops, services and leisure, compared to online and out-of-town.

Consumer confidence in May 2014 was at the highest level since April 2005.

Winners will receive a share of prize money and support provided by Forum sponsors Boots, Costa, M&S, and BIRA.

The University of Southampton study was funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) which funds research into the big social and economic questions of the day. Its research informs public policies and helps make businesses, voluntary bodies and other organisations more effective. The Council is an independent organisation, established by Royal Charter in 1965.

'How to train your family'Published 28 July 2014

The Department for Communities and Local Government has teamed up with the Hollywood animation studio, DreamWorks, to launch an innovative partnership between the award-winning Fire Kills campaign and the new ‘How to train your dragon 2’ movie.

Fire Kills encourages families to test their smoke alarms on the first day of every month, using a wide range of media channels to target audiences of all ages.

The collaboration is an example of how the government is working constructively with the private sector to the benefit of both partners.

The plot of the DreamWorks production released through 20th Century Fox - with friendly fire-breathing dragons living in wooden Viking homes, with obvious home fire risks - presented an opportunity for collaboration, using the power of the film’s brand to reach families and improve public safety. Producers permitted the use of selected images and characters from the film and arranged for special artwork to be commissioned.

Fire Kills then ran a special ‘How to train your family’ campaign in the week leading up to the film’s launch on 11 July, benefiting from the extensive wider promotion of the film and targeting families with young children who, hopefully, will pester their parents to test their smoke alarms regularly.

The collaboration resulted in an eye-catching press advert using images of the main characters Hiccup and Toothless - the dragon blowing smoke towards the smoke alarm and a call to action ‘test your smoke alarm on the first of every month’.

Fire Kills launched the advert in the week of the film release through a Featurelink campaign – with editorial copy running alongside a paid for advert – in local newspapers across England, tailored in many areas by the inclusion of local fire and rescue service contact details.

The Fire Kills Facebook page - with a following of 26,000 - also posted a modified version of the advert and promoted the message:

You may not have a fire-breathing dragon in your home but you still need to train your family to test your smoke alarms to keep them safe. If you forgot on the first of the month, do it today.

This post, uploaded on 8 July reached well over 1 million people.

The Fire Kills team at the department and at Dorset Fire and Rescue Service also worked to develop content for an education pack which DreamWorks illustrated with their dragon characters - a valuable resource available to all fire and rescue services to use as part of

outreach work with schools and young people. A special screening of the film took place in Dorset for the main partner school as a thank you for their support.

Fire Services Minister Penny Mordaunt said:

The Fire Kills campaign’s collaboration with ‘How to train your dragon 2’ is a brilliant way to spread this life-saving public safety message and reach a wider audience through partnership.

The plot of the film and familiarity of its characters was too good an opportunity to miss given our campaign objective of persuading families to be more fire safe by regularly testing their smoke alarms.

The power of young people’s influence is well known as being effective in getting parents to change their behaviour. And ‘How to train your family’ was the perfect way to tie the 2 together.

Further informationFire Kills is run by the Department for Communities and Local Government in partnership with England’s 46 fire and rescue authorities. Its main aim is to encourage householders to make sure their smoke alarms are working by testing them regularly. The campaign also promotes other home fire safety messages, including planning escape routes, careful disposal of smoking products, taking extra care with cooking and electrical devices, installing extra smoke alarms where there are risks and testing for other people who need help.

The main ‘Tick. Tock. Test’ campaign over the 2 clock change weekends in October and March urges people to test their smoke alarms when they change their clocks to check they are working properly.

In 2013, the Fire Kills campaign’s successes included:

Marketing Society Award for Excellence (Not for Profit category) Account Planning Group Silver Award Millward Brown Award for Best Insight Campaign magazine top 10 regional newspaper adverts for 2013

Eid messages 2014Published 28 July 2014

Ministers give their best wishes to Muslims in the UK and across the world for Eid.

Minister for Communities Stephen Williams said:

“As millions of Muslims in the UK and around the world mark Eid, the end of Ramadan, today I would like to wish you all a happy and joyous day. Whilst many people will have marked Ramadan by a period of peaceful prayer, thought and abstention I would also like to pause for thought for people in the middle east – many Muslim, but also many of other religions or none – who have not had the fortune of a peaceful month, and we all hope that peace and stability will soon return there.

At home we have been fortunate and privileged to enjoy a peaceful Ramadan, and many mosques embraced the opportunity to open their doors to their community and hold a ‘big iftar’ welcoming in people from the area for the daily fast breaking meal. Many mosques and their worshippers will also have used Ramadan as a period where thinking of others come before oneself, including through increased charitable donations to both Muslim and non-religious charities. All of this furthers my already strong belief that Muslim values and British values can go hand in hand.

Eid Mubarak.”

St Anne’s flag flies at heart of governmentPublished 26 July 2014

Local Government Secretary, Eric Pickles, today (26 July 2014) raised the flag of St Anne’s on the Sea outside his department’s headquarters in Whitehall as part of an ongoing drive to encourage communities to create their own flags and celebrate local identities.

This government is championing local communities continuing to cherish and celebrate traditional ties and community spirit. Ministers have previously changed the law to make it easier to fly flags without a permit from the council - these new freedoms include flying the St Anne’s on the Sea flag.

The Secretary of State has praised the Flag Institute for its guide to help communities to design their own flags.

St Anne’s on the Sea Town Council worked with its local Civic Society and the Flag Institute on the design of its flag which was first raised in the town last year. It features a lifeboat, representing the Laura Janet, which lost all of its 14 crew during a rescue attempt in 1886. The poignant flag was hoisted to mark St Anne’s Day, which is celebrated on July 26 every year.

Eric Pickles, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, said:

I’m delighted for Her Majesty’s Government to recognise and celebrate St Anne’s Day by flying the town’s flag in Whitehall. This sense of pride and shared identity is one of the things that binds communities together.

I urge other areas across the country to come together and design their own flags to celebrate their local identity and community spirit.

Sally Taylor, Town Clerk at St Anne’s on the Sea Town Council, said:

The community’s response to the flag has been extremely positive and we’ve produced window stickers, mugs and brooches featuring the flag design, to help everyone fly the flag in their homes and workplaces.

It’s fantastic that our flag will be proudly flown in London as well as in Lancashire.

Further informationThis is part of a series of steps to champion England’s local and national identities. Earlier this year, the department launched a new initiative to support the ‘tapestry’ of traditional English counties being displayed on street and road signs. The government also published a new online interactive map of England’s county boundaries.

Planning rules have been changed to allow for councils to put up boundary signs marking traditional English counties – including the likes of Cumberland, Huntingdonshire, Westmorland and Middlesex. The government has also proposed changes to highways regulations to allow traditional county names to appear on boundary road signs.

The government has previously changed Whitehall rules to allow local and county flags to be flown without planning permission, and supported the Flag Institute in encouraging a new wave of county and community flags to be designed and flown by local communities.

Public opinion shifts behind our house building plansPublished 26 July 2014

The British Social Attitudes survey reveals that between 2010 and 2013 those in favour of house building in their area rose from 28% to 47% and those opposed fell 15 percentage points from 46% in 2010 to 31% in 2013.

Housing Minister Brandon Lewis hailed the results as evidence that the government’s localist reforms of planning and housing had made this possible.

The majority of people (63%) agreed that greater local control and say over the planning system would make them more supportive of new homes.

Opposition fell most markedly among those living in country villages (51% to 21%), small cities and towns (45% to 34%).

The government has reformed planning so it can deliver the homes people want and need, by working with, not against, local communities. It has abolished top down housing targets that

built widespread local resentment; it is prioritising locally led development on brownfield land; neighbourhood plans are being developed in over a thousand communities; and £2.2 billion of New Homes Bonus has rewarded communities for building new homes.

This shift in public opinion is being matched by improvements on the ground. Planning reforms and a new locally-led planning process are delivering real results and speeding up the system.

Since April 2010 more than 445,000 new homes have been delivered. Planning permission was granted for 216,000 new homes in England in 2013 to 2014. New orders in residential construction have risen to their highest level since 2007 to 2008. While housing starts in England are at their highest since 2007.

Housing Minister Brandon Lewis said:

Since 2010 there has been a dramatic swing in public opinion about house building. Now that local people have a bigger say over where new housing goes they are much happier to support house building in their area.

This is in stark contrast to the top down targets that imposed developments on people and pitted developer against community in a way that fuelled local resentment and brought house building to a near standstill.

Other findings include:

the proportion of respondents stating they would strongly oppose new homes being built in their local area almost halved from 15% in 2010 to 8% in 2013

the proportion of respondents who said they would strongly support new homes more than doubled from 5% to 11%

opposition fell across all age, tenure and income subgroups and among respondents living in different types of areas

since 2010, opposition to housing has fallen most amongst aged 65 and over, where it fell from 52% in 2010 to 30% in 2013

among the highest income quartile opposition fell from 49% to 33% the public has given its backing for policies such as the New Homes Bonus; when

asked if “government provided local councils with more money to spend on local services for every new home built”, almost half (47%) said this would make them more supportive

38% agreed that support for new homes being built in their local area “depended on their design”; 48% agreed that “properties built in the last decade were better or much better designed, in terms of their external appearance, compared to those built around 20 or 30 years ago”; 27% thought design was worse or much worse

82% agreed “there is a shortage of homes that are affordable to buy in England”, with 73% agreeing there is a shortage “in my local area”

40% agreed “building more homes would improve the affordability of housing in my local area” while 55% agreed that homes “would continue to be unaffordable in my local area even if new homes are built”

Further information

the number of first-time buyers is at its highest since 2007 (source: Halifax) repossessions are at their lowest since 2007 (source: Council for Mortgage Lenders)

the number of new mortgage arrears is at the lowest since the Bank of England’s data series began in 2007.

new home registrations rose by 30% in 2013 in England, the highest since 2007; and are up 60% in London, the highest for over 2 decades (source: NHBC)

more council housing was started in London last year than in the 13 years combined of the last Labour government (source: DCLG)

the number of empty homes in England have fallen to a 10-year low, and the number of long-term vacant properties has fallen by around a third since 2009 (source: DCLG)

over 170,000 affordable homes have been delivered in England since April 2010; our Affordable Homes Programme will deliver 170,000 homes over the current spending review period (2011 to 2015), levering in £19.5 billion of public and private funding

A locally-led planning systemThe government abolished the unpopular and ineffective Regional Strategies. Instead, the Duty to Co-Operate introduced by the Localism Act requires local authorities and other public bodies to work together constructively, actively and on an on-going basis when they are planning for strategic cross-boundary matters in their Local Plans.

The National Planning Policy Framework replaced over 1,000 pages of national policy to around 50, written simply and clearly. The planning guidance review streamlined planning guidance and reduced it from over 7,000 pages to a simple accessible online guide. This has made the planning system more accessible to local residents, local firms and local councillors, rather than it being the preserve of lawyers, non-governmental organisations, and town hall officials.

We have safeguarded national Green Belt protection and other important environmental designations, and given councils new powers to protect assets of community value, prevent unwanted garden grabbing and safeguard valuable green open spaces. The level of Green Belt development (land changing to residential use in the Green Belt) is at its lowest rate since modern records began in 1989.

Neighbourhood planning was introduced through the Localism Act, devolving down planning power to local people and helping them play a much stronger role in shaping their areas. Neighbourhood planning is proving very popular and over 1,000 communities have now applied for a neighbourhood area to be designated and 17 neighbourhood plans have passed referendum (with an average turn-out of 32% and an average ‘yes’ vote of 87%). Eleven of these plans are now fully in force, forming part of the statutory local plan, and giving communities real power to shape planning decisions.

The coalition government introduced the New Homes Bonus, which rewards housing growth through grants based on the Council Tax raised from additional homes and long-term empty homes brought into use. To date, over £2.2 billion of New Homes Bonus has been given to local councils. This has ensured that growing areas have had resources to meet the needs of new and existing communities. Local neighbourhoods with a neighbourhood plan will also benefit directly from the Community Infrastructure Levy.

The Local Plan making process was overhauled through the Localism Act. These reforms simplified plan-making, giving local authorities more choice in how they developed their Local Plans, and ensured that plan-making is more transparent. They also made clear that a planning inspector may only propose modifications to a Local Plan where requested to do so by the local authority, underscoring this government’s commitment to localism in practice.

Six years after the 2004 Planning Act, by May 2010, only 1 in 6 local authorities had an adopted core strategy. Now, some 79% of local planning authorities had published a draft Local Plan by 30 April this year.

Members of the public can undertake their own analysis of the housing module data, including generating charts, by using the British Social Attitudes Information System.

The full dataset of the entire survey will also be available to download from the UK Data Archive.

Historic counties day celebrated in the heart of governmentPublished 23 July 2014

Local Government Secretary Eric Pickles raised the flag of Cumberland today outside his department’s headquarters in Westminster to celebrate Historic County Flags Day and the important role ancient shires continue to play in the nation’s cultural heritage.

Great Britain’s traditional counties date back over a thousand years of history, but were sidelined by Whitehall and municipal bureaucrats in recent decades. This includes the restructuring by Edward Heath’s government in 1965 and 1972.

By contrast, this government is championing local communities continuing to cherish and celebrate such traditional ties and community spirit. The law was changed by Parliament to make it easier to fly flags without a permit from the council – these new freedoms include flying the Cumberland flag.

Cumberland is a historic county of Great Britain dating from the 12th century. The first record of ‘Cumberland’ was in 945. But in 1974, the administrative council was combined with parts of Lancashire and the West Riding of Yorkshire to form part of the new county of Cumbria. However, the traditional county still lives on and is most famously associated with the Cumberland sausage, the HMS Cumberland and Cumberland County Cricket Club.

Eric Pickles, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, said:

Great Britain’s counties continue to form an important part of our cultural and local identity in this country and many people remain deeply attached to their home county. This sense of pride and shared identity is one of the things that binds communities together.

Peter Boyce, Chairman of the Association of British Counties, said:

People’s affinity for their county runs deep. Historic counties provide a living link to past generations who trod the same ground and nurtured the same loyalties as today’s Britons. They speak to us of the wonderful diversity of Great Britain, each possessing their own distinctive history, landscapes, traditions, dialects and building styles.

Charles Ashburner, Chief Executive of the Flag Institute, said:

The traditional counties of Great Britain are rich in history, yet inclusive of all of parts of society. These areas have survived modern administrative boundary changes and are enjoying an impressive resurgence. Flags have been the ultimate symbols of identity throughout history and they remain so today. So it is fitting to see the government flying the Cumberland flag today.

Further informationThis is part of a series of steps to champion Great Britain’s local and national identities. The department recently launched a new initiative to support the ‘tapestry’ of traditional English counties being displayed on street and road signs. The government also published a new online interactive map of England’s county boundaries.

Planning rules have been changed to allow for councils to put up boundary signs marking traditional English counties – including the likes of Cumberland, Huntingdonshire, Westmorland and Middlesex. The government has also proposed changes to highways regulations to allow traditional county names to appear on boundary road signs.

The government has previously changed Whitehall rules to allow local and county flags to be flown without planning permission, and supported the Flag Institute in encouraging a new wave of county and community flags to be designed and flown by local communities.