Chelgate’s Michael Hardware has been appointed Vice President of the Chartered Institute of Journalists (CIOJ). The CIOJ is the world’s oldest journalism professional body, having received its first Royal Warrant, from Queen Victoria, over 140 years ago. Michael, who heads up Chelgate Local, has been a member of the Chelgate team for over 25 years. He has also been a member of the CIOJ for over 15 years, serving on its national council for the last eight. He has been responsible for the development of a long term strategy which addresses the current poor perception of journalism, the ongoing shift […]

Transcript of “Opinion Battlegrounds” Podcast By Chelgate Chairman, Terence Fane-Saunders   Welcome back to Opinion Battlegrounds. My name’s Terence Fane-Saunders , and I’m Executive Chairman of Chelgate Ltd – an international strategic PR firm specializing in Issues and Crisis Management. Usually I’m joined for these podcasts by one or two friends and colleagues, but the challenges of this virus lockdown mean that I will be flying solo for a while, talking to you from my remote self-imposed isolation here high up in the North York Moors. If you have joined us before, you’ll know what this is about. We look […]

  This month we bring you updates on local plan sagas in Sevenoaks, St Albans and Uttlesford. We also recap the first two of our Live Planning Events with Cllr Linda Haysey from East Herts DC and Cllr Carlo Guglielmi, Tendring DC.   Sevenoaks in legal challenge over local plan By Kasia Banas, Account Director Sevenoaks District Council has decided to legally challenge the Inspector’s decision to find their local plan unsound It looks like the battle over the local plan process in Sevenoaks is set to continue as the Council seeks leave to Judicially Review the decisions made by […]

  In late March, as Covid-19 swept through Europe like a medieval plague, throwing country after country into a disarray not seen in almost a century, a strange – but not so surprising – phenomenon occurred. News outlets all over the world, egged on by gushing social media influencers, reported that cities were being reclaimed by wild animals. In Venice, dolphins and swans were spotted swimming through the canals. In India, newly emboldened elephants were photographed drinking corn wine and then sleepily recuperating in a farmer’s field. Soon the Edenic images, which were circulated by millions of people, became a […]

Michael Hardware, Director of Planning and Property at Chelgate Local, has published an in PlacemakingResource on 30th March titled The Show Must Go On discussing virtual planning meetings.  You can read the article below or using this link (subscription required).     The development industry is pulling together so work can continue during the coronavirus restrictions. Efforts are being made to ensure the disruption caused to the housing supply is not too dramatic. That said, the industry, like almost all others, has been severely impacted. That impact may lessen as we settle into our new ways of working and realise what […]