Labour’s Greater Manchester mayoral candidate Bev Craig has set out a housing platform focused on tighter controls in the private rented sector. Her proposals include expanding Article 4 Directions for HMOs, strengthening the Good Landlord Charter, linking local funding for retrofitting to charter compliance, and exploring rent caps or controls through a new commission.
The High Court has refused Stockport Council permission to challenge a Planning Inspectorate decision that allowed an appeal for 540 homes at Woodford Garden Village. The council has been ordered to pay costs, although a further oral hearing is still due later this year.
The Planning Inspectorate has updated its Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects advice pages following legislative and guidance changes that took effect on 24 July 2026. The updates remove obsolete references, reflect new application and representation processes, and signal further revisions to come during August 2026 and beyond.
Glenbrook has advanced reserved matters applications for Meridian 6, a 45-acre industrial estate in Ashton-in-Makerfield, following outline approval at appeal by the Planning Inspectorate. The first occupier, Dino Decking, has agreed to take a 60,500 sq ft freehold unit, while two further applications cover a seven-unit scheme and a larger single warehouse building.
The Planning Inspectorate has published non-statutory advice on how application documents and supporting information for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects should be prepared, organised and submitted. The guidance sits alongside the Planning Act 2008, the APFP Regulations 2009 and related government guidance, with emphasis on complete, well-developed applications that meet acceptance requirements before examination.
The Planning Inspectorate has published non-statutory advice on pre-application Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs). It explains how the EIA process under the Infrastructure Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2017 and the Planning Act 2008 should be handled before a Development Consent Order application is submitted, including screening, scoping and the use of the Rochdale Envelope.
The article explains the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP) process in England and Wales, including how Development Consent Orders are used for major projects and how applications are examined and decided. It outlines the roles of the applicant, the Planning Inspectorate, the Examining Authority and the Secretary of State, and notes that the process typically takes around 17 months.
The Planning Inspectorate has published a 2024 Pre-application Prospectus for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects, setting out a new pre-application service and three service tiers. The article notes that amendments to the Planning Act 2008 introduced by the Planning and Infrastructure Act 2025 have made some features obsolete, and that pilots are underway ahead of a further update expected by summer 2027.
Rowland Homes is appealing Bolton Council’s refusal of outline permission for 80 homes on a six-acre site off Arthur Lane, arguing the land should be treated as Grey Belt rather than Green Belt. The appeal will be considered by the Planning Inspectorate, with the council’s position potentially weakened by an estimated 4.15-year housing land supply and recent appeal outcomes that have favoured Grey Belt arguments.
An inspector has dismissed an appeal by Great Mersey Street Developments over Liverpool City Council’s refusal of a 54-flat scheme, finding that the proposal could support a higher affordable housing contribution than the developer claimed. The decision turned on viability, with the inspector accepting the council’s higher assessment of gross development value and concluding the scheme conflicted with the development plan.
Cheshire East Council officers are recommending approval for a 108-flat conversion and extension scheme in Crewe, citing the borough’s housing land supply shortfall and the redevelopment of vacant office and retail space. In contrast, an outline housing proposal in Holmes Chapel is facing refusal because of its location within the Jodrell Bank consultation zone and the potential impact on the radio telescope.
Trafford Council has finalised the latest draft of its local plan and will consult on its legal soundness before submitting it to government in December. The plan sets out where major housing, office and employment development should be delivered across the borough up to 2039, alongside policies on viability, carbon reduction, biodiversity and infrastructure contributions.
