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Councils to cut roadworks red tape

COUNCILS in England could soon have the power to cut red tape and make road works much quicker and more accountable. The plan is to introduce permits for any company that wants to dig up a road, which means they will have to co-ordinate their work with other companies and local authorities to reduce the impact of delays on the public. The permit scheme could come into force as early as April 2015 and means anyone applying for a permit to carry out road works will need to present a convincing case for the work.

Crunch watch Dec 09: the auto industry in crisis

Welcome to CAR's news aggregator as we round up the seismic change in the auto industry. Top tip: news summaries are added from the top hour-by-hour Wednesday 30 December 2009• Saab's PR chief told AN that GM is extending the deadline for a sale to 7 January – and the Trollhattan factory will resume limited manufacturing in early January to build the new 9-5 and some 9-3 cabrios (Automotive News, subscription required)• Last night Bloomberg reported a Saab board member claiming that the 31 December deadline for a Saab sale or closure 'is not holy'. If GM receives a bid that is 'sufficiently interesting', it'll extend the deadline, said the Saab suit (Automotive News, subscription required)• GM is offering massive discounts on Pontiac and Saturn cars, as it seeks to get rid of the remaining stock from these terminated brands.

Renault Samsung SM7 concept

Making its debut at the Seoul Motor Show was the Renault Samsung SM7 concept. Despite carrying the concept tagline, the car is a thinly veiled production model of the forthcoming Samsung SM7 in Asia, and possibly the next generation Renault Laguna or Safrane in Europe. The D-segment sedan is based on a stretched platform that underpins the current SM5, and will go head to head with both the Hyundai Grandeur and Kia K7.