High Court Test Case Will Determine Future Of Rural Housing Development

A judicial review of a Suffolk district council’s planning decision in the High Court will be a test case with potentially far-reaching implications for rural housing developments in England. The case, which is being brought by East Bergholt Parish Council, concerns the building of 10 homes in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty best known for inspiring the works of John Constable. A separate decision on the same day by the same district council to allow 144 homes to be built on another site in East Bergholt is now being reconsidered and could depend on the outcome of this test case. Overall, the development of more than 415 houses in rural parts of Suffolk depend on the outcome of this case. Read more on Housing Excellence.

Benefits Cap Will Have Catastrophic Effect on Families

Families will suffer catastrophic effects and victims of domestic violence may be forced to return to their abusers, it will be argued in the first test cases challenging the government's imposition of a £500-a-week cap on benefits.

A judge has already given permission for a full judicial review of claims that involve four vulnerable families relying on welfare payments. One household is facing imminent eviction, according to documents filed at the high court. One of the families lives in Haringey, one of the four London boroughs selected by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) as pilot areas for introducing the controversial benefits cap.  Read more on the Guardian website.