Govt awards £9m planning dept boost
Twelve local authorities from Yorkshire and the North East have claimed £92,300 each from the Development Management Fund to help power through housing applications.
Local authorities were eligible for an award from the Development Management Fund if they could prove they had both a high economic growth potential and a high number of major residential applications.
Ultimately, 63 local authorities claimed a portion of the £9m pot, with Greater London Authority netting £3m to distribute to its boroughs. With the exception of GLA and Horsham, which secured £447,600, the councils were each awarded £92,300.
The successful Yorkshire and North East applicants were:
North East
- County Durham
- Newcastle upon Tyne
- North Tyneside
- Northumberland
Yorkshire
- Barnsley
- Calderdale
- Doncaster
- Kirklees
- Leeds
- North Yorkshire
- Redcar and Cleveland
- Sheffield
Councils had to file an expression of interest in the fund prior to 28 January to be considered for an award. The cash is due to be given out at the end of this month.
Government has paid special attention to the planning system as it seeks to meet its goal to enable the delivery of 1.5m homes during this Parliament.
Housing minister Matthew Pennycook announced updates to the local plan process and a recruitment drive for planning inspectors last year, with chancellor Rachel Reeves committing £48m to recruit 350 planning officers during her Autumn Budget.
You can see the full list of successful Development Management Fund winners below:
- Amber Valley
- Arun
- Barnsley
- Bedford
- Birmingham
- Bournemouth, Christchurch, and Poole
- City of Bristol
- Buckinghamshire
- Cambridge
- Calderdale
- Canterbury
- Central Bedfordshire
- Charnwood
- Chichester
- Cornwall
- County Durham
- Cumberland
- Dacorum
- Doncaster
- Dorset
- East Cambridgeshire
- East Lindsey
- Fenland
- Greater London Authority
- Guildford
- Horsham
- Huntingdonshire
- Kirklees
- Leeds
- Liverpool
- Manchester
- Medway
- Milton Keynes
- Newcastle upon Tyne
- North Kesteven
- North Lincolnshire
- North West Leicestershire
- North Yorkshire
- North Tyneside
- Northumberland
- Nottingham
- Nuneaton and Bedworth
- Reading
- Redcar and Cleveland
- Rochdale
- Rushcliffe
- Salford
- Sheffield
- Solihull
- Somerset
- South Cambridgeshire
- South Norfolk
- South Oxfordshire
- St Albans
- Stockport
- Stoke-on-Trent
- Telford and Wrekin
- Trafford
- Warrington
- Welwyn Hatfield
- Wiltshire
- Wychavon
