More than half of councils say businesses are struggling to meet their rates bills because of the economic downturn. A snapshot survey published by the Local Government Association, also shows that one in three councils has reported an increase in the uptake of Small Business Rate Relief.

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The Government is to put five million pounds into promoting new ways to encourage communities to take part in the planning process. Under the scheme individual local authorities could get additional funding to strengthen the way they carry out consultations.

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By Mark Stephens, Janet Ford, Peter Spencer, Alison Wallace, Steve Wilcox and Peter Williams

Written against a background of turmoil in the mortgage markets and the onset of a falling off in house prices across the UK, the authors examine the changing landscape of owner-occupation and what lessons can be learned from past experiences that could inform the current period of instability. They reflect on the experience of the 1989–93 housing market recession, examine evidence to trace transformations since the early 1990s and use the analysis to consider solutions intended to help to secure the future for home-ownership in the UK.

An overview of home-ownership in 2008

Read more on HOUSING MARKET RECESSIONS AND SUBSTAINABLE HOME-OWNERSHIP…