Ten of the biggest stories from the past week, including news that the former Tory cabinet minister heading up a government-commissioned probe into the reasons behind slow housing build-out rates has said he is 'inclined to believe' that landbanking by land owners is a 'serious issue for the planning system'.

Last year’s Budget announced a review of build-out rates, to be chaired by former Tory cabinet minister Sir Oliver Letwin. In March, as part of the chancellor’s Spring Statement, Letwin issued an interim report on his findings so far. Now, Letwin has issued a "draft analysis" document, outlining further conclusions of the review. More.

A Kent council has won a High Court fight to block plans for a housing development on the edge of a village after a judge ruled that an inspector's interpretation of local planning policy was "clearly misconceived". More.

Councils receiving applications using the new permission in principle (PiP) route must determine them within five weeks and developers can challenge refusals by appeal, according to the government's updated Planning Practice Guidance (PPG). More.

A planning inspector has told a Surrey council that its draft local plan should include a higher housing target and aim to allocate more sites after declaring its approach to homes delivery to be "not acceptable". More.

One of the three councils undergoing central government scrutiny of its local plan process has announced that it hopes to publish a draft plan in August as part of a speeded-up timetable. More.

A Surrey council is proposing the provision of 300 homes a year in its new draft local plan, about a third less than its housing need requirement. More.

Britain needs to move from a "passive planning system, led by developers", to an "active planning system" where local government takes a "leading role" in land assembly and creating new communities, a report by an MP and former special adviser to Prime Minister Theresa May has recommended. More.

A Derbyshire council has provisionally approved plans for a 1,800-home urban extension despite the site being unallocated in its adopted local plan and partly within the green belt. More.

Joint spatial plans should be created in Kent and Essex to support the delivery of more than one million new homes and the area should take on more of London's housing need, a report by government adviser the Thames Estuary Growth Commission has recommended. More.

A coalition of local four authorities, the mayor of London and environmental charity Greenpeace have confirmed they will begin legal action if the government formally designates the key policy document intended to support the expansion of Heathrow airport, following its approval by Parliament yesterday. More.

Source: Planning Resource