Concerns over Boris Johnson’s plans to ‘overhaul’ house-building and planning – NationalWorld digital front page

Government plans to increase house-building in England by relaxing controls on development have been met with trepidation by some housing experts.

The Queen’s Speech on 11 May confirmed that the commencing Parliamentary session will see the introduction of a Planning Bill to “overhaul” the system on a scale not seen since 1947.

The primary purpose of the bill, say the government, is to streamline planning processes and make it easier and quicker for housing developments to be constructed - helping meet demand both for social and private sector housing, and increasing home ownership.

Proposals for the overhaul include automatic planning permission for land designated as “for growth”, with local authorities losing the ability to object to developments deemed suitable for an area.

But while experts have welcomed the “fresh hope” offered to social and private renters in plans for a renter’s reform bill, they’ve questioned how long it might be before such renters see a promised increase in housing.

How American football can flourish in Britain

Matt Brooks has been talking to Pete Ackerley, chief of the British American Football Association, about how BAFA are hoping to seed the all-American sport more widely on UK shores.

It hasn’t been an easy year for Ackerley, with a global pandemic wiping out the grassroots and non-professional sport scene across the UK and endangering the existence of community institutions across all levels of sport.

Professional clubs suffered, too, as their leagues were brought to a temporary halt and usual sources of income disappeared quickly at a time when outgoings were starting to mount up.

But the enforced break gave BAFA and its newly appointed chief executive officer a chance to take stock of the organisation and make plans for the next 10 years to grow the game.

How to ‘win from within’

Our focus on Mental Health Awareness continues, as mindset coach Kay Woodburn shares her expert advice on how to overcome those inner doubts and fears that can hold you back in life.

Whether it’s an important work presentation, an exam or a sports event, do you perform well in practice but become unbearably tense on the day of the big event?

If you experience feelings of anxiety and nervousness showing up at the most inconvenient moment, it could be helpful to learn what’s taking over inside and some strategies to perform at your peak, as you do in practice.

"To experience and enjoy the buzz of the public victory we must first learn how to win from within," she says.

"We must open our hearts and minds to mastering the private victories, the stuff that no-one sees, yet you intensely feel. This is where the real winning happens.”

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