PM scrapping Blair-era planning rule and requiring planning permission for e-cigarette outlets on the high street

Andy Burnham has vowed to grant councils greater powers to block new bookmakers and vape shops in a bid to revive Britain’s “hollowed-out high streets”.

The Prime Minister intends to abolish the so-called “aim to permit” rule, which restricts the ability of local authorities to prevent betting shops and 24-hour slot machine venues from opening in their area.

Planning permission will also be required for outlets selling e-cigarettes, as part of wider efforts to give communities a stronger voice under the proposed changes.

The formal definition of a vape shop will be tightened to prevent businesses circumventing the new rules by claiming to be a “convenience store or a retailer”, officials confirmed.

Adult gaming centres offering up to 24 hours of access to slot and fruit machines will likewise require planning permission under the shake-up, which is expected to come into force at the start of next year.

Under proposals first announced by Sir Keir Starmer’s government, police will also be empowered to shut down “dodgy” barbers, vape shops and nail salons for up to a year.

The maximum duration of so-called “closure orders” will be extended from six months to 12, affording officers more time to investigate premises linked to organised crime.

Officials added that the Government would also establish clearer expectations for the design of high-street shop fronts, with the aim of improving their appearance and heading off complaints about “garish neon signs” and “oversized logos.”

Working alongside local authorities, the Government will publish “practical guidance” for councils on how to make town centres more appealing, officials confirmed.

The “aim to permit” policy was introduced when Sir Tony Blair’s Labour government, in which Mr Burnham served as a minister, liberalised gambling legislation in 2005.

The Prime Minister, having taken a holiday just over a fortnight into his tenure, is set to spend much of the remainder of August travelling across the country consulting people on how the Government can better their lives.

Officials have indicated he will be in “listening mode”, with a particular focus on rejuvenating high streets and addressing the cost of living.

However, he faces mounting pressure over his management of the prisoner-release row, as two of Pc Andrew Harper’s killers are still to be freed early despite Mr Burnham’s review of the proposals.

Mr Burnham said Tuesday’s announcement would help put local communities “back in control”, enabling councils to curb the proliferation of unwanted shops and breathe new life into town centres.

He said: “For many people, the high streets they grew up with have been hollowed out and become unrecognisable over decades of decline.

“The rise of vape shops, betting shops and rogue operators have replaced the shops, services, and community spaces that people are crying out for.

“That’s not on. I said we would improve Britain’s high streets, and that’s exactly what we are starting to do.”

He added: “High streets are the beating heart of local communities, but for too long Westminster has stood by while they have been in decline. This Government is committed to restoring our high streets and bringing back hope across Britain.”

The Centre for Social Justice think tank, which has conducted analysis revealing that Britain has lost nearly 1,800 pubs and bars while vape and tobacco shops have grown in number to almost 2,200 since 2016, welcomed the proposals.

Joshua Nicholson, head of housing and communities at the think tank, said: “The Government is right to give councils new powers to say no to these dodgy shops. High street renewal is vital to restoring security within our communities.”

However, the Betting and Gaming Council challenged any suggestion that betting shops were proliferating unchecked, insisting the real threat to high streets was “more empty units and fewer local jobs, not businesses rooted in the communities they serve”.

A spokesperson for the industry body said: “We support tough action against criminal operators and agree local people should have a proper say over their high streets. But the suggestion that betting shops are spreading unchecked is simply wrong.

“Betting shop numbers have fallen by over a third since 2019. Around 3,000 shops have closed and over 15,000 jobs have already been lost.

“It is wrong to lump highly regulated, licensed betting shops together with rogue or criminal businesses. Betting shops still support 37,500 jobs, bring vital footfall to neighbouring businesses and, for many customers, are valued community hubs.”

Eamonn O’Brien, chairman of the Local Government Association, said: “It is positive that councils and communities will get a greater say on what shops and services are found on their high streets through these changes to the Use Class Order which will require vape shops to acquire planning permission.”

He added: “Extra powers will help councils in revitalising high streets and shaping their communities, particularly in regulating betting and vaping shops, while also breathing new life in to empty premises.”

Gillian Golden, chief executive of the Independent British Vape Trade Association, said: “Rogue vape traders on the high street have been a blight on the legitimate sector, so we welcome measures such as extending closure orders on dodgy shops.

“For too long the media have conflated organised criminal networks with law abiding vape businesses, when in fact these criminals just see illicit vapes as a commodity in the same way as illicit tobacco or counterfeit goods. That has damaged the public’s understanding of our sector.

“Research has shown that if even half of England’s current adult smokers were to switch to vaping, it would save the NHS £0.5 billion. Vaping will be soon be subject to excise duty, which HM Treasury estimates will bring in £0.2 billion in its first partial financial year (2026–27) and £0.6 billion per year by 2030. Cutting out illegal trade in vapes will be key in ensuring Vaping Products Duty contributes to the UK economy rather than reinforcing an existing illicit sector.”

Opposition critics have attributed the high street’s decline to the burden of business rates and called on Labour to introduce more ambitious reforms.

Shadow communities secretary Sir James Cleverly said: “Everyone can see what has happened to our high streets, with once-treasured shops being replaced by a smattering of rogue operators, many of which have links to organised crime and fraud.

“Labour’s business rates hikes have hollowed out our high streets, driving out the shops people want and leaving empty units for whoever is left standing to fill.

“Conservatives would cut business rates for high street firms and back the small businesses that give a town centre its character.

“Unless the Government takes steps to support the high streets and hard-working businesses, Labour’s increases in planning regulation will just mean more empty and boarded-up shops.”

Reform UK Treasury spokesman Robert Jenrick stated: “Until this Government scraps the jobs tax, addresses sky-high business rates and provides real, fundamental support for high street businesses, this policy will only create even more empty shops on our high streets.

“Preventing businesses from opening only works if the Government and local councils make it attractive for the right kind of shops to open in their place.

“Labour is doing the opposite by making life harder for small, legitimate businesses to operate on our high streets.”

Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesperson Max Wilkinson remarked: “Unless he beefs up powers to properly crack down on vape shops and dodgy operators, Burnham’s plans could go up in a puff of smoke.

“Our high streets are in crisis, so rolling the dice and keeping his fingers crossed these minor changes are enough simply won’t win the hand.

“He should scrap the failed business rates system and urgently give sweeping new powers to councils so high streets can prosper and trading standards officers can permanently shut repeat offenders.”

The Newcastle-based housebuilder saw rising sales and profits but says it is still facing significant challenges

Housebuilder Bellway has called for the Government to do more to boost the housing market despite seeing a rise in sales.

The Newcastle firm has issued a trading update in which it said it expects operating profit to rise to £320m after an increase in the number of housing completions from 8,749 to 9,695 in the year to the end of July. But it highlighted “ongoing headwinds” around mortgage affordability, challenges to the general economy and rising costs for builders.

Chief executive Jason Honeyman said action was needed to reinvigorate the housing market and help support potential new homeowners. He highlighted reductions to stamp duty as one way of boosting house sales.

Bellway said that it had outperformed expectations on the number of houses it sold, while its average selling price rose slightly to £324,000.

Mr Honeyman said: “Bellway has delivered a robust performance and growth in volume output, despite ongoing headwinds for our industry. Our sharp focus on operational improvement and drive for capital efficiency has provided resilience and supported a strong increase in cash generation and shareholder returns.

“The board remains confident that, with supportive market conditions, Bellway is in a strong position to capitalise on future growth opportunities. However, with the near-term outlook remaining uncertain, we call on the Government to act now to improve access to housing across all tenures, both by helping first-time buyers onto the property ladder and supporting the delivery of affordable and social housing for those who need it most.

“In order to ease affordability constraints and stimulate demand, an immediate reduction in stamp duty alongside a Government-backed deposit support scheme for first-time buyers would both drive economic growth and accelerate the delivery of much-needed new homes across the country.”

Bellway said it saw positive trading in the early part of the spring selling season, but has seen a “moderation” in customer demand since April due to the uptick in mortgage rates. It had seen a slight fall in private reservation rates, the update said.

It said it would continue to exercise tight cost controls while the housing market remained subdued, as well as “maintaining a sharp focus on the monetisation of our well-invested land bank and work-in-progress position to support improvements in asset turn and cash generation.”

Bellway – which last week celebrated its 80th anniversary, having been founded as a family firm in Newcastle – added that it expected to complete a £150m share buyback scheme this month and would then launch a scheme to buy another £50m of shares.

A social media personality who built his physique primarily through anabolic steroids and heavy alcohol consumption while avoiding weight training competed in his first bodybuilding contest this past weekend and finished last in his class.

Peter Mossfield, known online through the BoozeBagFitness account, entered the Men’s Classic Physique Open Class B division at the 2026 NPC East Coast Mecca Classic on Aug. 8 in Flushing, New York. Official results listed him in eighth place, the final position among competitors who received a ranking.

The order of finish was Gavin Connelly in first, followed by Ahmed Eid, Fedor Zhurov, Enrique Bonilla, Joshua Nabbie, Diego Da Silva, Joseph Mauceri and Mossfield.

Mossfield’s preparation stood out for its unconventional methods. He previously described taking steroids while consuming as many as 24 alcoholic drinks per day during parts of the process and largely skipping resistance training. During a cutting phase he switched from beer to vodka mixed with diet soda in an effort to lower calories. The approach drew significant online attention and criticism over potential health risks.

In a post-competition video, Mossfield expressed a more optimistic view of his stage presentation. “In my mind, it was me or one other guy had the best package out there,” he said.

After prejudging, several hours remained before the evening finals. Mossfield said he used the interval to drink. He noted that his tolerance had decreased after reducing alcohol intake in the final weeks of preparation, when he averaged fewer than 12 drinks per day. “I kinda lost track of time,” he admitted. By the time he realized the schedule, he had missed the finals and the individual posing portion of the event.

He also suggested that failing to shave may have affected his placement. “I didn’t expect to get disqualified that hard or docked that hard for it,” Mossfield said. The official results nevertheless placed him eighth.

The competition itself is a National Physique Committee national qualifier held at the Goldstein Theatre at Queens College. Prejudging typically occurs in the afternoon, with finals later in the evening, a structure that left a window of free time many competitors use for rest, meals or final preparations.

Mossfield’s experiment had begun months earlier as a high-stakes personal challenge, at times tied to substantial bets. He had previously completed a wager involving developing and then quitting an alcohol addiction. The bodybuilding version evolved after he decided against consistent gym work and turned to performance-enhancing drugs as the primary means of building muscle.

Despite the unusual methods and public backlash, he followed through on competing. The result provided a clear ranking against athletes who had trained conventionally.

Following the show, Mossfield announced a shift in approach. He said he stopped taking steroids after the competition and planned to begin lifting weights without them. “I’m a born again natural,” he joked. “I’m excited to start lifting as a natty.”

His stated goal is to determine whether the muscle developed during the steroid phase can be maintained or improved through resistance training alone. He indicated he wants to allow his body time to reset, specifically monitoring sleep patterns and sexual function, before considering any future use of performance-enhancing substances.

Additional unconventional challenges remain under consideration. Mossfield has expressed interest in MMA training focused on securing a first-round knockout rather than building endurance for longer fights. He also plans to rehabilitate a previously injured shoulder and attempt to throw a 90-mph fastball, with the aim of trying out for a professional baseball team outside Major League Baseball in the spring of 2027. Other ideas include a “cigarette marathon” and a progressive push-up challenge that would involve adding weight daily until performing the movement with roughly 365 pounds on his back.

Whether those projects materialize is uncertain. What is established is that Mossfield completed the bodybuilding preparation and competition he had publicly documented. He consumed large quantities of alcohol, used steroids, largely avoided traditional training, stepped on stage and received an eighth-place finish.

The episode has fueled discussion within fitness communities about the relative contributions of pharmacology, training stimulus, nutrition and recovery. Conventional bodybuilding emphasizes progressive resistance training as a foundational driver of muscle growth, with diet and recovery as supporting elements. Mossfield’s approach inverted that hierarchy for the duration of his experiment.

Health professionals generally caution against unsupervised steroid use and heavy alcohol consumption, citing risks to cardiovascular, hormonal and liver function among other systems. Mossfield has acknowledged experiencing various side effects during the process yet continued to the contest.

His decision to step away from steroids and introduce weight training marks a reversal of the methods that generated his online following. The next phase will test whether the visible changes achieved under the previous protocol can be sustained or improved through more standard practices.

The NPC East Coast Mecca Classic attracts regional competitors seeking national qualification opportunities. Placing last in a class does not preclude future entries, and many athletes use early contests as learning experiences regarding presentation, conditioning and stage protocol.

Mossfield’s post-show comments focused on both the immediate result and longer-term plans. He maintained that his physique compared favorably in his own assessment while accepting the official ranking. The missed finals portion removed any opportunity for additional scoring or audience presentation that evening.

As of the days following the event, Mossfield has framed the competition as the conclusion of one experiment and the beginning of another centered on natural training. The public documentation of both phases continues through his social media channels, where earlier posts detailed daily alcohol intake, steroid protocols and visual progress without corresponding training footage.

The story illustrates the extremes some individuals pursue for online visibility and personal wagers. It also underscores the structured nature of sanctioned bodybuilding events, where competitors are judged on specific criteria of muscularity, conditioning, symmetry and presentation within defined classes. Mossfield met the entry requirements, appeared on stage for prejudging and received a placing, even if the overall process departed sharply from traditional preparation methods.

His next stated steps involve establishing a consistent lifting routine while monitoring physiological recovery from the prior cycle. Future challenges, if pursued, would again test unconventional limits. For now, the record shows an eighth-place finish in a debut Classic Physique class after a preparation defined by steroids, alcohol and the near absence of weight training.