By now, you’ve probably heard of the “house that looks like Hitler” craze. If not, read on for a brief summary of what all the fuss is about…

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Economic growth and development is to be the be-all and end-all of future Government policy, if chancellor George Osborne and planning minister Greg Clark’s bullish statements around last week’s Budget are to be relied upon. But has anything really changed? Read more »

March for the Alternative: Picture taken by Dominic Alves

The Trades Union Congress, which organised Saturday’s huge march in London against the Government’s spending cuts, estimates that more than quarter of a million people – including teachers, NHS staff and council workers –  took to the streets.

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Jamie Carpenter asks whether the pro-business measures in Wednesday’s Budget have sounded the death knell for the localism agenda

Tensions between the coalition’s key policy goals of promoting localism and boosting economic growth have been evident for months. The Government’s flagship Localism Bill, now coming up to report stage in its passage through Parliament, contains a number of measures – including many related to planning – that are intended to give more power to local residents. Read more »

Communities secretary Eric Pickles delivered a key note speech to the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) last night in which he described the planning system as a ‘drag anchor’ to economic growth, the full text can be read below.

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Colin Marrs asks whether we are seeing a more sophisticated attitude towards the built environment from our footballing heroes. Read more »

Chris Huhne’s job just got a lot harder. The secretary of state for energy and climate change faces an uphill struggle in keeping Britain’s new nuclear build programme on track following this weekend’s disaster at the Fukushima Daichi plant in northern Japan. Read more »

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New York mayor Michael Bloomberg has unveiled a new “sustainable blueprint for New York City’s waterfront and waterways.”

The plan, unveiled yesterday, aims to “reconnect New Yorkers and visitors to the water and reclaim New York City’s standing as a premier waterfront city… transform the City’s waterfront with new parks, new industrial activities and new housing, and capitalize on the City’s waterways to promote water-borne transportation, recreation, maritime activity and natural habitats.”
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Striking as a British pastime has died out somewhat since its 1970s and 80s peak, but is it due for a revival?

Men in overcoats burning wood in barrels, policemen having helmets knocked off, people in flared trousers shouting ‘scab’ at men in lorries, the images of the 70s and 80s strikes are deeply ingrained in our national consciousness…

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