The housing department has insisted it will press ahead with reforms in the existing Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill despite the announcement on Friday of a new Planning and Infrastructure Bill in chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng’s mini budget.

There were growing industry rumours last week that the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) was set to the scrap the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill (LURB), which contains a raft of planning reforms such as the creation of a new Infrastructure Levy, following an unexpected decision to delay progress of the Bill in committee.

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