Hallam Land, the land promotion and planning arm of Henry Boot, has received outline planning permission for 300 homes in Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, after a successful appeal.

The approval followed Ashfield District Council’s failure to determine the original planning application, prompting Hallam to appeal in July 2024. The Planning Inspectorate ruled in Hallam’s favour in February and granted a full award of costs.

The land, originally tied to a planning promotion agreement signed in 2012, has now been unconditionally contracted for sale to housebuilder Harron Homes. Completion of the sale is expected in 2026.

This is part of a broader strategic push by Hallam Land, which has secured planning for around 3,000 plots in recent months and intends to submit applications for an additional 10,000 plots over the next year. The move reflects growing momentum in the UK’s planning environment, presenting opportunities for developers and investors seeking exposure to the housing sector.

DHL has received planning approval to build a major logistics warehouse near Towcester after the UK government overturned a local council’s refusal. The decision follows a nine-day public inquiry led by the Planning Inspectorate.

The project includes an 18.5-metre-high facility spanning roughly 265,000 sq ft. The site will be accessed via a newly constructed roundabout on the A5, with improvements also planned for the nearby A5/A43 Tove Roundabout.

Initially rejected by West Northamptonshire Council due to concerns about visual impact and increased traffic, the development faced over 1,100 public objections. Despite this, the inspector ruled that the economic and employment benefits outweighed the negative effects.

The approval also grants outline planning permission for three additional employment zones on the site, with land allocated for Towcester Town Football Club pitches. DHL has previously projected the development’s first phase will create around 1,300 full-time jobs.

The move signals continued expansion in the logistics sector, despite growing resistance from communities concerned about large-scale warehousing developments.

Plans have been submitted to demolish and rebuild Mercia Academy and Newhall Junior School in Newhall, Derbyshire, following major structural concerns that forced the evacuation of the secondary school in late 2023.

The proposal, filed with South Derbyshire District Council on behalf of the Department for Education, outlines a phased redevelopment project that will see both schools—currently operated by the Lionheart Educational Trust—completely replaced with new facilities.

Mercia Academy, formerly William Allitt Academy, was deemed unsafe in November 2023. A temporary flat-pack modular school was put in place for its 588 pupils, but the site remains vacant and in disrepair. Under the new plans, the school will retain a capacity of 750 students and 66 full-time equivalent staff.

The neighbouring Newhall Junior School will be slightly expanded, increasing its capacity from 356 to 360 pupils and staff numbers from 43 to 51.

Demolition of the existing secondary school buildings is scheduled to begin later this month and complete by September. Construction of the new Mercia Academy is due to start immediately after and conclude by January 2027.

Demolition of the junior school is expected to start in September 2025, with the full build completed by November 2026.

The project is positioned as a long-term investment in education infrastructure, aiming to deliver upgraded facilities for students and the wider community.

The Deputy Mayor of Market Deeping, Councillor Robert Broughton, and housebuilder Allison Homes East have officially marked the start of construction work on a brand-new development in the town.

Allison Homes East hosted a ground breaking ceremony on the site, where the Deputy Mayor of Market Deeping was able to meet with the construction team, receive a tour of the site and learn about the housebuilder’s plans for its future.

Alongside providing high-quality new homes, the housebuilder will be providing in excess of £650,000 worth of S106 contributions, which will go towards supporting the existing community and education services.

Adam Knight, Managing Director at Allison Homes East, said: “We are incredibly proud to have broken ground on our Beaufort Gardens development, and it was a pleasure to have the Deputy Mayor celebrate this achievement with us.

“Our former Market Deeping development, Beaufort Grange, was a huge success and we are very excited to be returning to the town and continuing our investment. At Allison Homes East we pride ourselves on delivering exceptional quality homes, creating places that are more than just bricks and mortar and instead communities where people can live and thrive. Now construction work is underway, we are looking forward to delivering these new homes to the highest standards.”

Nottingham-based ALB Group has acquired the former Marks and Spencer department store in one of Chesterfield town centre’s most prominent buildings.

The developer stepped in to make the deal for an undisclosed fee before the 68,000 sq ft premises, comprising two adjacent buildings, was due to be offered at auction, for a guide price of over £3m.

Marks and Spencer vacated the store in High Street, Chesterfield, over two years ago when it relocated to nearby Ravenside Retail Park.

The premises is distributed over five floors and occupies a prime location next door to Primark and opposite Chesterfield’s historic open air market, in Market Place, which has been undergoing a major refurbishment.

ALB Group is currently in advanced negotiations with a major retailer interested in taking up part of the ground floor of the building. The firm is seeking additional tenants for the remaining ground floor commercial space.

The upper floors are expected to be either residential, office space or commercial use pending further consultations with ALB’s architect John Morgan, of Nottingham-based architect Leonard Design.

Arran Bailey, managing director of ALB Group, said: “We’re delighted to have secured the deal to purchase this magnificent property.

“When M&S vacated this iconic building, it left a huge hole in Chesterfield town centre – one which caused some upset for shoppers and traders alike.”