50 Shades of Planning

Sam Stafford was in London recently and took the opportunity to catch up with friends of the podcast Catriona Riddell, Shelly Rouse and Nicola Gooch at Soho Radio Studios. One topic, the hot topic of the past few weeks, dominated the conversation. “Labour pledges housebuilding drive on Grey Belt with ‘golden rules’ to boost public services, affordable homes and improve green spaces”, so announced a press release dated 19 April. Keir Starmer has today set out five ‘golden rules’ for Grey Belt housebuilding, pledging to deliver affordable homes, boost infrastructure and public services like schools and GPs, and improve genuine green spaces. While reiterating that Labour will always take a 'brownfield first' approach to housing development, Keir Starmer and Angela Rayner are also pledging to release some land currently classed as Green Belt to build the homes Britain needs.” On a visit to a housing development today, the pair will outline Labour’s plans to create a new class of 'Grey Belt' land to ensure grey and poor-quality parts of the Green Belt are prioritised, and that any development benefits local communities. Plenty in there then for the gang to get their teeth in to. They discussed the practical issues associated with creating a new class of designation and how that might rub up against, for example, mandatory BNG. They also talked about how Grey Belt might interact with a mechanism for cross- boundary strategic planning, which Matthew Pennycook has said that Labour will introduce to overcome housing delivery challenges around towns and cities with tightly drawn administrative boundaries. All of that, as you will hear, led them on to local plan reform and what the next version of the NPPF looks like, as well as a remarkable statistic from Shelly on how much a local plan costs to prepare. Some accompanying reading. Labour’s planning proposals http://samuelstafford.blogspot.com/2024/04/labours-planning-proposals.html The 80-year planning war over a Surrey airfield (£) https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/the-80-year-planning-war-over-a-surrey-airfield-lvjb3svr7 Some accompanying viewing. What is Grey Belt land and why does Keir Starmer want to build on it? https://youtu.be/4OvsXqdpy4s?si=S6mfS_uL-R15v-3b Some accompanying listening. Darkness on the edge of town – Bruce Springsteen https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8HXvt-v5v0 50 Shades T-Shirts! If you have listened to Episode 45 of the 50 Shades of Planning you will have heard Clive Betts say that... 'In the Netherlands planning is seen as part of the solution. In the UK, too often, planning is seen as part of the problem'. Sam said in reply that that would look good on a t-shirt and it does. Further details can be found here: http://samuelstafford.blogspot.com/2021/07/50-shades-of-planning-t-shirts.html

Sam Stafford was in Manchester recently and took the opportunity to catch up with friends of the podcast Greg Dickson and Claire Petricca-Riding. During a conversation recorded at Reform Radio they talked about another exciting few weeks in the fast-paced, ever-changing, rock and roll world of town and country planning. They talked about RPs not bidding for Section 106 sites, they talked about the 'Accelerated Planning System' consultation, so the proposals for the new Section 73B, the ten week determination period for major commercial applications, and restrictions on the use of extension of time agreements. They talked about the Flood Risk Sequential Test and touched on the Government response to a consultation on operational reforms to the NSIP process. Some accompanying reading. An accelerated planning system https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/an-accelerated-planning-system-consultation/an-accelerated-planning-system Simon Ricketts’ S73B Blog https://simonicity.com/2024/04/01/section-73-or-section-73b/ Zack Simons' Flood Risk Sequential Test Blog https://www.planoraks.com/posts-1/buildin-in-the-rain-flood-risk-in-the-courts Pre-application advice and Planning Performance Agreements https://www.local.gov.uk/pas/development-mgmt/pre-application-advice-and-planning-performance-agreements-ppas Power & Partnership: Labour’s plan to power up Britain https://labour.org.uk/updates/stories/labours-plan-to-power-up-britain/ A Westminster Hall Debate on 13 March 2024 https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2024-03-13/debates/65995D50-E335-444C-8065-405F91548338/PlanningReform Labour’s planning proposals http://samuelstafford.blogspot.com/2023/10/labours-planning-proposals.html Some accompanying viewing. The fine kind of rain that soaks you through - Peter Kay https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rk8xHtbkhR8 Can you imagine a world without lawyers? - The Simpsons https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uG3uea-Hvy4 Some accompanying listening Hillside Song - My Morning Jacket https://youtu.be/XmLiKGpSC4g?si=4TkfP6YMFgfUYfJ1 50 Shades T-Shirts! If you have listened to Episode 45 of the 50 Shades of Planning you will have heard Clive Betts say that... 'In the Netherlands planning is seen as part of the solution. In the UK, too often, planning is seen as part of the problem'. Sam said in reply that that would look good on a t-shirt and it does. Further details can be found here: http://samuelstafford.blogspot.com/2021/07/50-shades-of-planning-t-shirts.html

In Hitting the High Notes episodes Sam Stafford chats to preeminent figures in the planning and property sectors about the six planning permissions or projects that helped to shape them as professionals. And, so that Listeners can get to know people a little better personally, for every project or stage of their career Sam also asks his guests for a piece of music that reminds them of that period. Think of it as town planning’s equivalent of Desert Island Discs. Unlike Desert Island Discs you will not hear any of that music during the episode because using commercially-licensed music without the copyright holders permission or a very expensive PRS licensing agreement could land Sam in hot water, so, when you have finished listening, you will have to make do with YouTube videos and a Spotify playlist, links to which you will find below. Sam's guest for this episode is Nick Kilby, founder and now Chief Executive Officer of Cratus Group, who kindly took the time to meet Sam at Soho Radio Studios in early April 2024. Nick trained as a Stage Manager and Lighting Designer at Mountview Theatre School and worked in the early 1980s as a stage manager at the Edinburgh Festival and the National Theatre. Having produced his own shows Nick then got into cinema management, including the first Imax at the Trocadero Centre. He then got into politics and in 2006 was elected on to the Royal Borough of Kingston Council, which led to being asked about campaigning and lobbying. After being involved with the Abbey Mills ‘Mega’ Mosque at the end of the 2000s Nick then founded Cratus. As Nick takes Sam through his six projects they talk about the keys to successful engagement and the role of the councillor in that. They talk about how consultants are only as good as the client lets them be; about what it really means to build communities; and they talk about localism and a certain Mr Eric Pickles.  Some accompanying reading. All The Lonely People – Mike Gayle https://www.mikegayle.co.uk/my-books/all-lonely-people Want to build? Better hire a good lobbyist https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/want-to-build-better-hire-a-good-lobbyist-rc6gsg7qs (£) My Favourite Building: Sam Stafford – The Piece Hall https://www.thebusinessdesk.com/yorkshire/news/117312-prop-my-favourite-building-sam-stafford-the-piece-hall Some accompanying viewing. You See Me Laughin': The Last of the Hill Country Bluesmen https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XiW3oPv1vZc Some accompanying listening. McCartney: A Life in Lyrics https://www.pushkin.fm/podcasts/mccartney-a-life-in-lyrics Nick’s Spotify playlist https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0bwjKHMaDAsodUAddsBpyr?si=0gPfuF0QTzSdwastIl-w9w&pi=e-D-xwFvBMToSz&nd=1&dlsi=dfe4a97887be4cb4 There is Power in a Union - Billy Bragg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwbzxemJZIc We can Work it Out -The Beatles https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-0if-ca6CE Elgar Violin Concerto in B Minor, Op. 61: 11. Andante - Nigel Kennedy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLD0jOyTnwU A Father Now from 3 Guys Naked from the Waist Down - Original Off Broadway Cast https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_nlSUmGk0G9IMZQDCW2uVCm3eZlrr8yD6U Eleanor Rigby - The Beatles https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HuS5NuXRb5Y Love Theme from Cinema Paradiso by Ennio Morricone  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMZvAbk1kXQ 50 Shades T-Shirts! If you have listened to Episode 45 of the 50 Shades of Planning you will have heard Clive Betts say that... 'In the Netherlands planning is seen as part of the solution. In the UK, too often, planning is seen as part of the problem'. Sam said in reply that that would look good on a t-shirt and it does. Further details can be found here: http://samuelstafford.blogspot.com/2021/07/50-shades-of-planning-t-shirts.html

The Prime Minister recently announced plans to "turbocharge" development within England's largest towns and cities to mark a Government consultation on strengthening planning policy for brownfield development. Sam Stafford thought then that now would be a good time to share a conversation that he recorded online in August 2023 with old friends of the podcast David Milner and Rebecca Coley, and new friend of the podcast Mark Aylward, about the redevelopment of big box retail parks. The prompt for the conversation was a 2018 report that Sam had come across by Create Streets and Policy Exchange called ‘Better Brownfield’, which claimed that there are over 1200 sites across London currently occupied by single-storey big box retail and industrial sheds and that, by ‘banishing boxland’, these sites could accommodate between 250,000 and 300,000 new homes. Who owns and manages assets like these? What is the market like for big boxes in the new world of online retail? And what are the opportunities presented by, and the barriers to, sites like this coming forward for a mixed-use redevelopment? These are the questions that Sam invited David, Mark and Rebecca to explore with him. Some accompanying reading. How to house London’s surging population? Banish “boxland” – by Susan Emmett https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/politics/41218/how-to-house-londons-surging-population-banish-boxland Better Brownfield https://policyexchange.org.uk/publication/better-brownfield/ Five retail and leisure trends to look out for in the post-pandemic era https://www.savills.co.uk/blog/article/340262/commercial-property/five-retail-and-leisure-trends-to-look-out-for-in-the-post-pandemic-era.aspx Pipeline of data centres needs to more than double by 2025 to meet demand for storage in Europe https://www.savills.co.uk/insight-and-opinion/savills-news/336014-0/savills--pipeline-of-data-centres-needs-to-more-than-double-by-2025-to-meet-demand-for-storage-in-europe The London Land Challenge; The Industrial Land Market https://www.savills.co.uk/research_articles/229130/329623-0 Some accompanying listening. Brighouse on Saturday Night – Roger Davies https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_PQmACfPhY4 50 Shades T-Shirts! If you have listened to Episode 45 of the 50 Shades of Planning you will have heard Clive Betts say that... 'In the Netherlands planning is seen as part of the solution. In the UK, too often, planning is seen as part of the problem'. Sam said in reply that that would look good on a t-shirt and it does. Further details can be found here: http://samuelstafford.blogspot.com/2021/07/50-shades-of-planning-t-shirts.html

This episode is a ramblechat that Sam Stafford recorded in London with friends of the podcast Hashi Mohamed, Simon Ricketts, Nicola Gooch and Andrew Taylor during which they reflected on another exciting few weeks in the fast-paced, ever-changing, rock and roll world of town and country planning. The conversation takes in the back-dating of Section 106 indexation and what that says about local authority finances; the need to consider PPAs, statutory consultees and performance targets in the round; BNG and Sam's debut appearance on Countryfile; the Brownfield Reform Day consultations on a presumption in favour of brownfield development, permitted development rights and the Mayor of London’s call-in powers; and the Competition & Markets Authority's report on the housebuilding industry. All in approximately 45 minutes or so. Some accompanying reading. Housebuilding market study final report https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/housebuilding-market-study-final-report Brownfield Reform Day http://samuelstafford.blogspot.com/2024/02/brownfield-reform-day.html Biodiversity Unit Finder Map https://www.futurehomes.org.uk/biodiversityunitfindermap Short Term Thinking  https://simonicity.com/2023/04/14/short-term-thinking/ Can Local Plan Policies Require Developers To Go Beyond National Standards? https://simonicity.com/2024/02/24/can-local-plan-policies-require-developers-to-go-beyond-national-standards/ Some accompanying listening. Zeitgeist by Black Sabbath https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3FyNH9v7mU 50 Shades T-Shirts! If you have listened to Episode 45 of the 50 Shades of Planning you will have heard Clive Betts say that... 'In the Netherlands planning is seen as part of the solution. In the UK, too often, planning is seen as part of the problem'. Sam said in reply that that would look good on a t-shirt and it does. Further details can be found here: http://samuelstafford.blogspot.com/2021/07/50-shades-of-planning-t-shirts.html

Building GP surgeries, schools and roads is not just difficult it is so difficult, according to no less of an expert on such matters than the Prime Minister, as to be a reason to not even contemplate growing existing towns and cities. In introducing recent proposals to put “rocket boosters” under construction in existing built-up areas, Rishi Sunak was quoted in The Times as saying that “We need to build homes in the places where people need and want them. There’s little point trying to force large new estates on our countryside and Green Belt when that is where public resistance to development is strongest and where the GP surgeries, schools and roads don’t exist to support new communities.” It is not uncommon though to see opinion polls from time to time highlighting that for people who are not supportive of more homes being built, building more or improving existing medical facilities would likely change their minds. It is equally not uncommon though to see stories in the press from time to time with headlines like ‘we love our homes but we’re crying out for schools and GPs’. Where is the line to be drawn between what applicants should reasonably be expected to provide as part of making a development acceptable in planning terms, and the access to health and education that citizens should reasonably expect their Government to provide for them? How effective is the planning system in bringing together all of the actors and agencies that are responsible for the delivery of social infrastructure? What are the barriers to LPAs spending what the Home Builders Federation reports to be £2.8bn in unspent S106 contributions? These are questions that Sam Stafford explores with some old friends of the podcast and some new friends of the podcast. The old friends are Andrew Taylor, Gilian MacInnes and Ben Woolnough. Andrew is Group Planning Director at Vistry Group; Gilian has her own consultancy and acts a trainer and interim manager in the public sector; and Ben is Planning Manager at East Suffolk Council. The new friends are James Cutting and Isabella Buono. James is Head of Planning at Suffolk County Council and Isabella is a Barrister at Landmark Chambers. Some accompanying reading. Public attitudes to house building: findings from the British Social Attitudes survey 2018 https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/public-attitudes-to-house-building-findings-from-the-british-social-attitudes-survey-2018 Our 'new town' with 2,500 homes and 1,000 more to come has no GP, the school is full and the closest supermarket is 25 minutes away - but we do have a nuclear fusion centre https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12392593/Our-new-town-nuclear-fusion-centre-no-GP-school-closest-supermarket-cafe-20-minute-walk-away.html Section 106 agreements and unspent developer contributions in England and Wales report https://www.hbf.co.uk/news/section-106-report/?pk_campaign=newsletter_6368 A taxing problem: County Councils “desperate” for CIL money to fund infrastructure https://www.thedeveloper.live/opinion/opinion/a-taxing-problem-county-councils-desperate-for-cil-money-to-fund-infrastructure Can You Use Section 106 To Buy Drugs (And To Fund Other Public Services)? https://simonicity.com/2023/02/18/can-you-use-section-106-to-buy-drugs-and-to-fund-other-public-services/ Mind the Funding Gap: The curious case of s.106 contributions funding NHS services https://imbusiness.passle.net/post/102i43y/mind-the-funding-gap-the-curious-case-of-s-106-contributions-funding-nhs-service Some accompanying listening. School by Nirvana https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sp86SkWKRQE

This episode is another in the Hitting The High Notes series. If you have not listened to one before the basic proposition is that Sam Stafford chats to preeminent figures in the planning and property sectors about the six planning permissions or projects that helped to shape them as professionals. And, so that Listeners can get to know people a little better personally, for every project or stage of their career Sam also asks his guests for a piece of music that reminds them of that period. Think of it as town planning’s equivalent of Desert Island Discs. Unlike Desert Island Discs you will not hear any of that music during the episode because using commercially-licensed music without the copyright holders permission or a very expensive PRS licensing agreement could land Sam in hot water, so, when you have finished listening, you will have to make do with You Tube videos and a Spotify playlist, links to which you will find below. Sam's guest for this episode of Hitting The High Notes is self-proclaimed ubiquitous planning lawyer and 50 Shades stalwart Simon Ricketts, who was the number one-ranked planning solicitor in last years’ Planning Magazine law survey.   Their conversation was recorded at Soho Radio Studios in London back in May last year and takes in Simon's full and fascinating career. They talk about what makes a good client, a good consultant and a good project team; about how scratching a creative itch can lend one towards thought leadership; and about how to maintain an indie ethos whilst climbing the corporate ladder. Some accompanying listening. Simon’s Spotify Playlist https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1W2IbJrD7lsLEfQ8XLxUwQ?si=bd98cfd052fb4098 A New England - Kirsty MacColl https://youtu.be/Vnzpg5GgQCo?si=n-78J1RCuwRo9wmP Missing - Everything But The Girl https://youtu.be/U56Ns66Qrb8?si=Ulk_jTwlBGKb0E-H Beat Surrender - The Jam https://youtu.be/MHP0UxBuuGQ?si=1UBTSuFCFE1E9WSS Fight Test – The Flaming Lips https://youtu.be/fye1XtXQn9s?si=1SDPjiRSRmmoVvhx Boredom – Buzzcocks https://youtu.be/QoYiQ8Qsozk?si=8jp64JKmEroPa8KG I Feel the Earth Move - Carole King https://youtu.be/6913KnbMpHM?si=pqBQiX_HP2p0L8cC Episode 32: Legal Eagles https://pod.co/50-shades-of-planning/legal-eagles 50 Shades T-Shirts! If you have listened to Episode 45 of the 50 Shades of Planning you will have heard Clive Betts say that... 'In the Netherlands planning is seen as part of the solution. In the UK, too often, planning is seen as part of the problem'. Sam said in reply that that would look good on a t-shirt and it does. Further details can be found here: http://samuelstafford.blogspot.com/2021/07/50-shades-of-planning-t-shirts.html

At the kind invitation of Landmark Chambers and Town Legal, Sam Stafford was in London this week to contribute to a seminar on the NPPF update, which, eagle-eyed 50 Shades Listeners no doubt spotted, emerged as part of a cavalcade of Planning Reform Day announcements before Christmas. The seminar was over-subscribed and so was recorded in order that it could be shared more widely as a podcast. This episode features: Rupert Warren KC talking about the implications of the NPPF for housing delivery, taking in the standard method, the cities uplift and the changes around five and four year land supply;Anjoli Foster talking about the impact of the NPPF on plan-making, taking in Green Belt, transitional arrangements and the impact of this new version on plans that have paused, as well as soundness;Meeta Kaur talking about the NPPF changes that relate to design and beauty, small sites and community-led housing, retirement housing and agricultural land;Simon Ricketts talking about the linkages between the NPPF and the Levelling Up & Regeneration Act, with his observations on what provisions of the latter we make pay the closest attention to; andSam talking waffle. Some accompanying reading. Reforms to national planning policy https://committees.parliament.uk/work/7281/reforms-to-national-planning-policy/ Reforms to national planning policy report: government response https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/reforms-to-national-planning-policy-report-government-response Changes to 5YHLS under the revised NPPF: Not Great, Not Terrible https://lichfields.uk/blog/2023/december/20/changes-to-5yhls-under-the-revised-nppf-not-great-not-terrible Four out of Five https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/four-out-five-josef-cannon-ugqje/ Local Plan Preparation: Barriers and Opportunities https://www.rtpi.org.uk/policy-and-research/research/local-plan-research-project/ Planning working paper https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/planning-working-paper Labour’s planning proposals https://samuelstafford.blogspot.com/2023/10/labours-planning-proposals.html Labour pledges to tighten right-to-buy as part of UK housing overhaul https://www.ft.com/content/2726620e-b6e5-4547-b358-ff4fe175171e The Long-Term Plan for Housing II https://samuelstafford.blogspot.com/2024/01/the-long-term-plan-for-housing-ii.html Some accompanying viewing. Hashi’s appearance on Question Time https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001vfv6 Curb Your Enthusiasm, Happy New Years https://youtu.be/U4rkzyGFFo0?si=2gCA8461BCnsqT7H Some accompanying listening. Future Love by Ride https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cN0vWnVaHU 50 Shades T-Shirts! If you have listened to Episode 45 of the 50 Shades of Planning you will have heard Clive Betts say that... 'In the Netherlands planning is seen as part of the solution. In the UK, too often, planning is seen as part of the problem'. Sam said in reply that that would look good on a t-shirt and it does. Further details can be found here: http://samuelstafford.blogspot.com/2021/07/50-shades-of-planning-t-shirts.html

Hopefully everybody involved in the fast-paced, ever-changing, rock and roll world of town and country has had a restful Christmas and have managed to combine at least a little rest with digesting the cavalcade of announcements on Planning Reform Day. This episode is the third of the festive 50 Shades triumvirate looking back at 2023. The first two did so by way of the 50 Shades Festive Christmas Quizzes. This third episode sees the return of Zack Simons’ Planaraks Awards, which Zack has again kindly agreed to reveal exclusively on the 50 Shades of Planning podcast. In a conversation that Sam Stafford and Zack recorded at Soho Radio Studios on Planning Reform Day itself, just as the Secretary of State had given a speech entitled ‘Falling back in love with the future’ and just before the NPPF emerged, they canter through some of the high points and low points of the year just gone (mostly low points) and Zack confers awards for, amongst other things, the Most Futile Reform of the Year, the Most Hopeless Reform of the Year and the Worst Policy of the Year. Positivity does not abound, but Sam and Zack do try to generate some. Along the way they touch on many of the things that regular readers of Zack’s #Planaraks Blog would expect them to, from amending consents, nutrient neutrality, application fees, the LURA, Green Belt and strategic planning. Some accompanying reading. Oscar Easton is fundraising for Macmillan Cancer Support https://www.justgiving.com/page/oscar-easton-1702480570488 🏆 The #Planoraks 2023 - worst planning reform of the year 🏆 https://www.planoraks.com/posts-1/-the-planoraks-2023-worst-planning-reform-of-the-year- Thank You Mikael Armstrong: New Case On Scope Of Section 73 https://simonicity.com/2023/01/28/thank-you-mikael-armstrong-new-case-on-scope-of-section-73/ New Draft London Guidance On Affordable Housing/Viability https://simonicity.com/2023/05/06/new-draft-london-guidance-on-affordable-housing-viability/ Making a bad situation worse? The impact of the proposed NPPF changes on housing supply https://lichfields.uk/blog/2023/february/27/making-a-bad-situation-worse-the-impact-of-the-proposed-nppf-changes-on-housing-supply Making a bad situation worse? How a fall in housing supply due to NPPF changes will cause social harm and undermine levelling up https://lichfields.uk/blog/2023/february/27/making-a-bad-situation-worse-how-a-fall-in-housing-supply-due-to-nppf-changes-will-cause-social-harm-and-undermine-levelling-up/ Some accompanying listening. Race for the Prize by The Flaming Lips https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bs56ygZplQA 50 Shades T-Shirts! If you have listened to Episode 45 of the 50 Shades of Planning you will have heard Clive Betts say that... 'In the Netherlands planning is seen as part of the solution. In the UK, too often, planning is seen as part of the problem'. Sam said in reply that that would look good on a t-shirt and it does. Further details can be found here: http://samuelstafford.blogspot.com/2021/07/50-shades-of-planning-t-shirts.html

Well Planning Reform Day finally arrived, just in time for the profession to be able to digest a cavalcade of announcements over Christmas, but not in time for the second and third of the festive 50 Shades episodes. The podcast will be covering the new NPPF in due course, but put all of that hullabaloo to one side for now and let Sam Stafford and friends take a second look at another exciting year in the fast-paced, ever-changing, rock and world of town and country planning. This is the London edition of the 50 Shades of Planning Festive Christmas Quiz, which was recorded at Soho Radio Studios with regular podcast contributors Andrew Taylor, Hashi Mohamed, Catriona Riddell and Simon Ricketts. The gang did not get to talk about the NPPF, which was still only imminent, but did talk about many other topical things, including nutrient neutrality, application fees, and local plan intervention. As was the case last year, and with the recent Manchester edition of the quiz, Sam Stafford is grateful to Richard Garlick and the team at Planning who kindly provided Sam with a selection of their most interesting stories of the year, from which he constructed twelve multiple choice questions for the two teams. Andrew and Hashi were Santas Little Helpers. Catriona and Simon were the Happy Little Elves. As in Manchester, and spoiler alert, they ended up again by complete chance with a tiebreaker and also as in Manchester a very special guest makes an appearance… Some accompanying reading. Oscar Easton is fundraising for Macmillan Cancer Support https://www.justgiving.com/page/oscar-easton-1702480570488 The Quiz Questions (£) Question 1 – January https://www.planningresource.co.uk/article/1810877/undergraduate-planning-course-ceases-recruit-new-students Question 2 – February https://www.planningresource.co.uk/article/1812011/supreme-court-rules-tates-abnormal-viewing-gallery-nuisance-overlooked-residents Question 3 – March https://www.planningresource.co.uk/article/1816631/hunt-promises-funds-unblock-housebuilding-stymied-nutrient-water-pollution-rules-does-not-say Question 4 – April https://www.planningresource.co.uk/article/1819512/housing-minister-overrules-inspector-refuse-165-home-aonb-scheme-generic-suburban-design Question 5 – May https://www.planningresource.co.uk/article/1822650/gove-warns-ten-councils-improve-speed-decision-making-planning-powers-removed Question 6 – June https://www.planningresource.co.uk/article/1824837/labour-intends-pass-law-allowing-councils-cpo-land-without-taking-account-hope-value Question 7 – July https://www.planningresource.co.uk/article/1830757/gove-blocks-central-london-m-s-store-redevelopment-against-inspectors-recommendation Question 8 – August https://www.planningresource.co.uk/article/1832975/governments-u-turn-ring-fencing-planning-fee-income-means-councils-developers Question 9 – September https://www.planningresource.co.uk/article/1837483/housing-minister-orders-surrey-council-not-withdraw-plan-examination Question 10 – October https://www.planningresource.co.uk/article/1844478/gove-tells-councils-pragmatic-viability-challenges-continue-plan-making-ahead-imminent-nppf-update Question 11 – November https://www.planningresource.co.uk/article/1848657/chancellor-announces-32-million-bust-planning-backlog Question 12 – December https://www.planningresource.co.uk/article/1850787/rowley-allows-2100-home-schemes-despite-inspector-citing-poor-design-recommending-refusal Some accompanying listening. Sam’s Christmas Crackers - The Ultimate Festive Soundtrack https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3Dn44yamtsjrzsYH4rzbld?si=2iPYSpPgSYmeKCl1Sq8Vog&pi=e-8RGf4hGyTmqe

So it is Christmas and, as Sam Stafford was asked in his appraisal, what have you done? Another year over and a new one just begun. If you cannot actually remember what you have done this year and if, as you look back, it has just been a blur of government consultation after government consultation, then the 50 Shades of Planning podcast is here to jog your memory and hopefully spread a little festive cheer. Or, Sam hopes, at least fill an hour or so during the wait, as is becoming another festive tradition, for a revised National Planning Policy Framework. The 50 Shades of Planning Festive Christmas Quiz is back to take a look at another madcap year in the fast-paced, ever-changing, rock and roll world of town and country planning. This is the Manchester edition of the Festive Quiz, which was recorded at Reform Radio with friends of the podcast Rebecca Coley, Katie Wray, Mark Parkinson and Shelly Rouse. Sam is grateful to Richard Garlick and the team at Planning who kindly provided him with a selection of the most interesting stories of the year, from which, as you will hear, Sam constructed for Rebecca, Katie, Mark and Shelly twelve multiple choice questions. As it turned out he should have prepared a tie-breaker question and they should have kicked off a bit earlier because Katie had to leave before a very special guest arrived... Some accompanying reading. Oscar Easton is fundraising for Macmillan Cancer Support https://www.justgiving.com/page/oscar-easton-1702480570488 Pathways to Planning: information for councils https://www.local.gov.uk/pathways-planning-council-info The Quiz Questions (£) January https://www.planningresource.co.uk/article/1810103/pins-union-members-strike-next-month-pay-action-expected-follow February https://www.planningresource.co.uk/article/1814241/city-authority-spent-520000-single-barristers-advice-its-plan March https://www.planningresource.co.uk/article/1814948/council-isolates-planning-team-tackle-application-backlog April https://www.planningresource.co.uk/article/1818578/natural-england-launches-nutrient-credit-scheme-unlock-housebuilding-logjam May https://www.planningresource.co.uk/article/1822940/inspector-allows-100-homes-surrey-green-belt-finding-councils-housing-land-supply-just-15-years June https://www.planningresource.co.uk/article/1826493/inspector-backs-clarksons-plans-open-farm-cafe-expand-car-park-blocks-restaurant-use July https://www.planningresource.co.uk/article/1831379/new-style-local-plans-involve-three-checks-inspectors-during-draft-stage-government-proposes August https://www.planningresource.co.uk/article/1833696/19-things-need-know-governments-latest-proposals-changing-permitted-development-rights September https://www.planningresource.co.uk/article/1838053/goves-new-super-squad-expert-planners-likely-work October https://www.planningresource.co.uk/article/1840198/starmer-pledges-bulldoze-restrictive-planning-system-building-new-towns-releasing-low-quality-green-belt-development November https://www.planningresource.co.uk/article/1847770/council-agrees-pay-appellants-100k-costs-following-bad-committee-decision-made-against-officer-advice December https://www.planningresource.co.uk/article/1850491/council-fears-bankruptcy-loss-4400-homes-result-scrapping-hs2-northern-leg Some accompanying listening. Sam’s Christmas Crackers - The Ultimate Festive Soundtrack https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3Dn44yamtsjrzsYH4rzbld?si=2iPYSpPgSYmeKCl1Sq8Vog&pi=e-8RGf4hGyTmqe 50 Shades T-Shirts! If you have listened to Episode 45 of the 50 Shades of Planning you will have heard Clive Betts say that... 'In the Netherlands planning is seen as part of the solution. In the UK, too often, planning is seen as part of the problem'. Sam said in reply that that would look good on a t-shirt and it does. Further details can be found here: http://samuelstafford.blogspot.com/2021/07/50-shades-of-planning-t-shirts.html

As far back as Sam Stafford can remember Planning Performance Agreements (PPAs) have been the answer to questions about both how to get more resources into LPAs and how to improve application timescales. As Sam says in introducing this episode, he has been working for over twenty years, those questions remain unanswered, and PPAs remain a code yet to be cracked. Why, for example, according to Planning Magazine, were PPAs used for 30.3% of decisions in Solihull last year, but only in 1.3% of decisions in South Cambridgeshire? Why also, for example, do some authorities charge nothing for pre-application advice for residential developments of over 250 homes, some authorities charge thousands of pounds, and some authorities charge tens of thousands of pounds? The Planning Advisory Service (PAS) has sought to crack the code. It has worked with the University of Gloucestershire, Hyas Associates and the Countryside and Community Research Institute to deliver a DLUHC-funded programme on best practice in pre-application advice and PPAs.  Sam mentioned this research in Episode 109 because of Jeremy Hunt’s reference in the Autumn Statement to a new “premium” planning service that will be introduced next year to include a guarantee of accelerated decision dates. Details are awaited, but Planning Magazine reports that, according to insiders, this new “premium” service is likely to involve a more formal version of PPAs. No better time then for Sam to share a conversation about the PAS research and best practice that he recorded online back in July of this year with friend of podcast Shelly Rouse, Matt Bowers and Max Whitehead. Shelly is a principal consultant at PAS, Matt is an Associate Director at Hyas Associates and Max is a Planning Director at Bloor Homes. They talk about the high hopes that applicants always have for pre-app, but why some LPAs see it as a ‘nice to have’ rather than a ‘have to do’; they talk about the utopian vision of having all statutory consultees around a development team table at the same time; and they talk about the barriers to doing pre-app and PPAs well and the keys to success. Sam would like to extend a particular vote of thanks to editing wizard Ashley Bellinger for skilfully dealing with some gremlins in Shelly's original recording. Some accompanying reading. The PAS research and guidance https://www.local.gov.uk/pas/development-mgmt/pre-application-advice-and-planning-performance-agreements-ppas Housebuilding market study https://www.gov.uk/cma-cases/housebuilding-market-study Strategic Planning in England https://uwe.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_4UEEyOZZBP6qEZ0 Some accompanying listening. Performance by Happy Mondays https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DtpD5mOgyKo Some accompanying viewing. The opening scene in Goodfellas https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5UAPOI5fuAM 50 Shades T-Shirts! If you have listened to Episode 45 of the 50 Shades of Planning you will have heard Clive Betts say that... 'In the Netherlands planning is seen as part of the solution. In the UK, too often, planning is seen as part of the problem'. Sam said in reply that that would look good on a t-shirt and it does. Further details can be found here: http://samuelstafford.blogspot.com/2021/07/50-shades-of-planning-t-shirts.html

Before heading to London for the week, Sam Stafford caught up with 50 Shades stalwarts Paul Smith, Katie Wray and Ian Wray for a wide-ranging ramblechat at the Reform Radio studios in Manchester. Paul is Managing Director at the Strategic Land Group, a Director at the LPDF and a columnist for Housing Today. Katie is a Director at Deloitte. Ian is an Honorary Professor and Fellow at the Heseltine Institute for Public Policy, Practice & Place at the University of Liverpool and a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences . The four of them spent an hour or so chatting about all manner of things, including the private management of public space; embodied carbon; infrastructure planning and the notion of compensation payments for affected communities; the Autumn Statement and associated announcements; the Competition & Market Authority's working paper on planning; and the role of Everton’s new stadium in both their recent loss of points and the loss of Liverpool’s World Heritage Site status.  Sam would like to apologies to Listeners for his use of a naughty word. Some accompanying reading. Climate Change and Historic Building Adaptation Historic England Advice Note https://historicengland.org.uk/about/what-we-do/consultations/guidance-open-for-consultation/ M&S given permission to appeal Gove’s Oxford Street refusal https://www.building.co.uk/news/mands-given-permission-to-appeal-goves-oxford-street-refusal/5126450.article Essex pylon corridor compensation plan 'insulting' https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-67523588 Rooms for debate: polling on the housing crisis, Green Belt and planning system https://www.adamsmith.org/research/rooms-for-debate Autumn Statement 2023 https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/autumn-statement-2023 Getting Great Britain building again: Speeding up infrastructure delivery https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/getting-great-britain-building-again-speeding-up-infrastructure-delivery/getting-great-britain-building-again-speeding-up-infrastructure-delivery#short-term-package Pre-application advice and Planning Performance Agreements https://www.local.gov.uk/pas/development-mgmt/pre-application-advice-and-planning-performance-agreements-ppas Housebuilding market study https://www.gov.uk/cma-cases/housebuilding-market-study  A Perfect Storm https://lichfields.uk/content/insights/a-perfect-storm Pathways to Planning: information for councils https://www.local.gov.uk/pathways-planning-council-info Some accompanying viewing. Brian Clough on how to settle a difference of opinion https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7FBfdErGgw 50 Shades T-Shirts! If you have listened to Episode 45 of the 50 Shades of Planning you will have heard Clive Betts say that... 'In the Netherlands planning is seen as part of the solution. In the UK, too often, planning is seen as part of the problem'. Sam said in reply that that would look good on a t-shirt and it does. Further details can be found here: http://samuelstafford.blogspot.com/2021/07/50-shades-of-planning-t-shirts.html

The RTPI's recently published ‘State of the Profession’ report identified, perhaps unsurprisingly, that planners are increasingly being employed in the private sector, with numbers growing by a third over the last decade. The number of planners working in the public sector has reportedly shrunk by a quarter over the same period. Pleasingly though and perhaps contrary to preconceptions, this flow is not one way and some planners are making the move into or back into the public sector. The recruitment, and indeed the retention, of staff is clearly fundamental to building the skills and capacity within LPAs that is needed if they are to do everything that everybody expects of them. Helping to facilitate this recruitment is Public Practice, a not-for-profit social enterprise with a mission to build the public sector’s capability to improve the quality, equality and sustainability of places.  Their leading service is an Associate Programme, which places mid-career built environment practitioners into placements as ‘Associates’ within local authorities to work across a wide range of place-based roles. In this episode you will hear a chat that Sam Stafford recorded with Pooja Agrawal, CEO at Public Practice, about the work of the organisation, and then you will hear from four professionals who have made the move from private to public. The four are Andrew Martin, Principal Planner at East Suffolk Council;Iona Norton, Housing, Energy and Sustainability Manager at Greenwich Council;Oli Boaler, Economic Development Manager at Rochdale Development Agency; andHannah Haddad, Head of Strategic Planning Applications at Hounslow Council. Oli and Iona are Public Practice alumni and Hannah is a current Associate.  You will hear the four of them talk thoughtfully and candidly about their career paths to date and the reasons why they have taken the decisions that they have, as well as their experiences, good and bad, in both private and public sectors. Some accompanying reading State of the Profession 2023 https://www.rtpi.org.uk/policy-and-research/state-of-the-profession-2023/ Public Practice’s Associate Programme https://www.publicpractice.org.uk/associates/apply-associates Sam’s career advice for his younger self https://samuelstafford.blogspot.com/2020/04/memories-of-200809-career-advice-for-my.html Some accompanying listening It’s All About The Benjamins – Puff Daddy, featuring The Notorious B.I.G., Lil' Kim and The Lox https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0c58ppLPJcQ 50 Shades T-Shirts! If you have listened to Episode 45 of the 50 Shades of Planning you will have heard Clive Betts say that... 'In the Netherlands planning is seen as part of the solution. In the UK, too often, planning is seen as part of the problem'. Sam said in reply that that would look good on a t-shirt and it does. Further details can be found here: http://samuelstafford.blogspot.com/2021/07/50-shades-of-planning-t-shirts.html

"Regional Spatial Strategies bridged the gap between those planning issues determined by local policy or concern, and those subject to policy goals defined at a national level – such as those for housing or renewable energy. The intended abolition of regional spatial planning strategies leaves a vacuum at the heart of the English planning system which could have profound social, economic and environmental consequences set to last for many years” So concluded, presciently, the all party Commons Communities and Local Government Committee in March 2011. What is to be done about the ongoing vacuum at the heart of the English planning system? Is it time to contemplate a 'Plan for England' and, if so, what does that look like? What is it for? What does it include? Is it a single document with nation-wide coverage or a composite of regional priorities? Where does responsibility for it sit? From which organisations and institutions does power have to be taken or conferred in order for a Plan for England to be prepared? These are questions that four friends of the podcast, Catriona Riddell, Ian Wray, Jim Steer and Matthew Spry, ruminate on during an online conversation recorded for this episode. Catriona runs her own consultancy business, is strategic planning advisor to the Planning Officers Society, and vice-chair of the TCPA. Ian is an Honorary Professor and Fellow at the Heseltine Institute for Public Policy, Practice & Place at the University of Liverpool and a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences . Jim is a pioneer of current day transport planning having founded renowned consultancy Steer Davies Gleave, now Steer Group of which Jim remains a board member. Jim is a Fellow and Past President of the Chartered Institute of Logistics & Transport, and is a Director at Greengauge21, a group he established in 2006 to foster debate on a high-speed rail network for Britain. Matthew Spry is Head of Lichfields’ London office and also a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences. Some accompanying reading. Abolition of Regional Spatial Strategies: a planning vacuum? - Communities and Local Government Committee https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201011/cmselect/cmcomloc/517/51708.htm Why England needs a spatial plan and what we can learn from the devolved nations https://www.thersa.org/blog/2019/06/england-plans Do We Need a Plan for England? https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/heseltine-institute/blog/doweneedaplanforengland/ Labour’s planning proposals https://samuelstafford.blogspot.com/2023/10/labours-planning-proposals.html Hacking Housing: Nine supply side hacks to fix out housing system error https://www.appghousing.org.uk/ Rachel McLean’s letter to Harborough (Appendix J) https://cmis.harborough.gov.uk/cmis5/Meetings/tabid/73/ctl/ViewMeetingPublic/mid/410/Meeting/5787/Committee/846/SelectedTab/Documents/Default.aspx The National Housing and Planning Advice Unit https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Housing_and_Planning_Advice_Unit Some accompanying viewing. Peter Kay’s Taxi https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cDXc3VYylk Some accompanying listening. Episode 98: The Power of Plans – New York https://pod.co/50-shades-of-planning/the-power-of-plans-new-york Music To Plan Towns To – The ultimate town planning-themed playlist https://open.spotify.com/playlist/73JzYK9UqCXRiUjQhgSID4?si=9a0ceb021338436a 50 Shades T-Shirts! If you have listened to Episode 45 of the 50 Shades of Planning you will have heard Clive Betts say that... 'In the Netherlands planning is seen as part of the solution. In the UK, too often, planning is seen as part of the problem'. Sam said in reply that that would look good on a t-shirt and it does. Further details can be found here: http://samuelstafford.blogspot.com/2021/07/50-shades-of-planning-t-shirts.html

Whilst in London this week Sam Stafford recorded an end-of-month ramblechat with Ben Castell, Catriona Riddell, Gilian Macinnes and Nicola Gooch. The conversation takes in all manner of things, including the Levelling Up & Regeneration Act, news of which broke during the recording. They talk about the two part documentary 'Britain's Housing Crisis: What Went Wrong?' and touch too on nutrient neutrality. For the die hard 50 Shades fans there is some strategic planning and housing target chat in there too. A disclaimer though. This episode does feature some singing so consider yourselves warned about that.  Some accompanying reading. New laws to speed up planning, build homes and level up https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-laws-to-speed-up-planning-build-homes-and-level-up Francis Maude’s review of Whitehall should lead to cross-party agreement on civil service reform https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/francis-maudes-review-whitehall Section 106 agreements and unspent developer contributions in England and Wales https://www.hbf.co.uk/news/section-106-report/ Priced Out's manifesto https://www.pricedout.org.uk/manifesto/ Lib Dems members rebuff leadership with vote to keep housebuilding targets https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2023/sep/25/lib-dems-members-rebuff-leadership-with-vote-to-keep-housebuilding-targets How housing targets are stopping us building enough homes https://longwall.substack.com/p/how-housing-targets-are-stopping Some accompanying viewing. Britain's Housing Crisis: What Went Wrong? https://samuelstafford.blogspot.com/2023/10/britains-housing-crisis-what-went-wrong.htm Some accompanying listening. Episode 90 – No hope? https://pod.co/50-shades-of-planning/no-hope Tell Laura I Love Her by Ray Peterson https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTjQgkHzbTk 50 Shades T-Shirts! If you have listened to Episode 45 of the 50 Shades of Planning you will have heard Clive Betts say that... 'In the Netherlands planning is seen as part of the solution. In the UK, too often, planning is seen as part of the problem'. Sam said in reply that that would look good on a t-shirt and it does. Further details can be found here: http://samuelstafford.blogspot.com/2021/07/50-shades-of-planning-t-shirts.html

A few months ago old friend of the podcast Rebecca Coley, Head of Planning & Development at Trafford Council, messaged Sam Stafford suggesting a 50 Shades episode on “the hidden work of LPAs that slows everything down, e.g. political pressure to investigate particular enforcement cases, the endless complaints that are actually neighbour disputes, FOI, all that kind of stuff". Sam thought that a good idea so they put together a group of senior planners to explore these issues further. That group included two other old friends of the podcast, Mike Kiely and Gilan Macinnes, and two new friends of the podcast, Simon Thomas and Dean Hermitage. Mike is Chair of the Planning Officers Society; Gilian is a consultant working for the Planning Advisory Service and takes on interim management roles within LPAs; Simon is Head of Planning at Canterbury; and Dean is Director of Planning at Uttlesford. They recorded a conversation online towards the end of September 2023 that does take in all of the hidden work that slows everything down, including complaints, FOI, and Environmental Information Regulations. They talk about the other less positive aspects of taking on a senior role, such as tackling online abuse and misinformation, as well as saving money and the likelihood of increased planning application fees being used to improve planning services. They also though talk about the more positive aspects of taking on senior roles such as the ability to shape major schemes, shape the future of places, and, when at the top table, shape wider local authority priorities. Some accompanying reading. Why we need Chief Planners at the top table in local authorities https://www.rtpi.org.uk/blog/2021/september/richard-blyth-why-we-need-chief-planners-at-the-top-table-in-local-authorities/ Freedom of information and Environmental Information Regulations https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/foi-eir-and-access-to-information/freedom-of-information-and-environmental-information-regulations/ Technical consultation: Stronger performance of local planning authorities supported through an increase in planning fees: government response https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/increasing-planning-fees-and-performance-technical-consultation/outcome/technical-consultation-stronger-performance-of-local-planning-authorities-supported-through-an-increase-in-planning-fees-government-response Some accompanying listening. Masterplan by My Morning Jacket https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-MRRr7MyXk  50 Shades T-Shirts! If you have listened to Episode 45 of the 50 Shades of Planning you will have heard Clive Betts say that... 'In the Netherlands planning is seen as part of the solution. In the UK, too often, planning is seen as part of the problem'. Sam said in reply that that would look good on a t-shirt and it does. Further details can be found here: http://samuelstafford.blogspot.com/2021/07/50-shades-of-planning-t-shirts.html

The All-Party Parliamentary Group for the Housing Market & Housing Delivery is a cross-party group of MPs and Peers dedicated to improving the UK housing market. It has published a report called ‘Hacking housing: nine supply side hacks to fix our housing system error’ (link below) and the recommendations include changing the narrative around new development; a ‘grown-up conversation’ about Green Belt and incentivising LPAs to plan positively. Most eye-catching though are these recommendations. "Making planning sexy Bring back the chief planner because going to work and designing communities that will last hundreds of years is actually a pretty cool job.Sub-regional spatial strategies which is possibly the least sexy sounding document around, but genuinely one of the most useful – a framework for strategic development, unencumbered by the constraints faced by Local Plans.More resources for planning teams, better paid planners because our planners are overworked, underpaid and unloved.More routes into planning so that we can meet demand with conversion courses, apprenticeships, visas and prestigious degrees.Whitehall shuffle: make the planning ministry sexy by elevating the role to cabinet level, having reporting lines from junior ministers in each government department, and placing the role in the Cabinet Office." The Housing Market & Housing Delivery APPG is chaired by Ben Everitt who kindly gave up some of his time back in June this year to record a conversation with Sam Stafford. Their conversation takes in many of the themes that underpin the report, as well as the role and standing of the planning profession, how Ben got into politics and Sam's old geography teacher… Some accompanying reading. ‘Hacking housing: nine supply side hacks to fix our housing system error’ https://www.appghousing.org.uk/ Sam’s Green Belt blog https://samuelstafford.blogspot.com/2023/05/the-green-belt-what-it-is-why-it-is.html Some accompanying listening. The Only Fools & Horses closing theme https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxOEhc960Bc Some accompanying viewing Jerry Springer’s Final Thought on British politics https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-90FGJFrW1U 50 Shades T-Shirts! If you have listened to Episode 45 of the 50 Shades of Planning you will have heard Clive Betts say that... 'In the Netherlands planning is seen as part of the solution. In the UK, too often, planning is seen as part of the problem'. Sam said in reply that that would look good on a t-shirt and it does. Further details can be found here: http://samuelstafford.blogspot.com/2021/07/50-shades-of-planning-t-shirts.html

Sam Stafford had planned more of a ramble-type chat with Pete Swift, Jonathan Easton and Claire Petricca-Riding, but, reflective of the news that has dominated the agenda of late, their conversation, recorded online, focuses on planning for the environment and specifically nutrient neutrality and net zero. They talk less about the nuts and bolts, practical implications of the respective recent announcements in these areas (links below) and more about the political narrative. Thanks largely to Pete the conversation gets quite philosophical at times and Sam hopes that it is all the more interesting for that. This being the 50 Shades of Planning podcast Listeners can though look forward to a little bit of housing target chat as well. Some accompanying reading. House of Lords Built Environment Committee’s report on the impact of environmental regulations on development https://committees.parliament.uk/work/7328/the-impact-of-environmental-regulations-on-development/ Government neutrality update on 29 August https://www.gov.uk/guidance/nutrient-neutrality-announcement-explainer Government neutrality update on 20 September https://www.gov.uk/guidance/nutrient-neutrality-update Sunak to rip up green rules to build 140,000 homes despite Labour and Natural England opposition (£) https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/09/23/rishi-sunak-majority-140k-homes-labour-nutrient-neutrality/ PM speech on Net Zero: 20 September 2023 https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/pm-speech-on-net-zero-20-september-2023 The affordability impacts of new housing supply: A summary of recent research https://www.london.gov.uk/media/102314/download How housing targets are stopping us building enough homes https://longwall.substack.com/p/how-housing-targets-are-stopping UK Green Building Council’s ‘Embodied Ecological Impacts knowledge Hub’ https://ukgbc.org/our-work/topics/embodied-ecological-impacts/ Require planning fees be ringfenced for planning services https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/643493 Small builders, big burdens https://lichfields.uk/content/insights/small-builders-big-burdens Southwark’s Land Commission https://www.southwark.gov.uk/council-and-democracy/southwark-land-commission Some accompanying viewing. Richard Curtis uses Al Pacino’s Any Given Sunday speech to inspire global action on climate change https://www.thelondoneconomic.com/news/richard-curtis-uses-al-pacinos-any-given-sunday-speech-to-inspire-global-action-on-climate-change-357182/ Some accompanying listening. This can’t go on – Bill Ryder-Jones https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byUoDKTVEac 50 Shades T-Shirts! If you have listened to Episode 45 of the 50 Shades of Planning you will have heard Clive Betts say that... 'In the Netherlands planning is seen as part of the solution. In the UK, too often, planning is seen as part of the problem'. Sam said in reply that that would look good on a t-shirt and it does. Further details can be found here: http://samuelstafford.blogspot.com/2021/07/50-shades-of-planning-t-shirts.html

If you are involved in the delivery of tall buildings, especially in London, where Sadiq Khan has blamed Government dithering for delaying 34,000 homes on major development sites, then the second staircase issue will already be on your radar. By way of background, the Government consulted on Approved Document B of the Building Regulations between 23 December 2022 and 17 March 2023. The consultation document stated that: “30 metres is an accepted threshold for increased safety measures such as increased fire resistance provisions and marks a recognised trigger representing an increase in the level of risks in buildings overall. We therefore propose to introduce a new trigger in Approved Document B making provisions such that new residential buildings more than 30 metres are provided with a second staircase.” Then, on 14 February 2023, the Mayor of London mandated that all residential buildings over 30 metres must have two staircases. Then, ahead of the response to the consultation on Approved Document B, Michael Gove announced in his “Long-term plan for housing” speech on 24 July 2023 the Government’s intention to mandate second staircases in new residential buildings above 18 metres in height, not the 30 metre threshold that had been consulted on. Mr Gove promised in his speech that there would be “transitional arrangements in place to make sure that there is no disruption to housing supply”, but, to date, none have emerged and, as Anna Clarke at The Housing Forum has said:  The lack of technical specifications means that those designing or constructing tall buildings don’t have clear instruction on exactly what they need to do. They are also unable to make sensible evidence-based decisions on risk for themselves, because they are not clear on the core purpose of the two staircases. To learn more about the second staircases Sam Stafford recently went to a Planning Futures breakfast seminar that was held at Central Hall in Westminster. So that Sam could help 50 Shades listeners learn more about this issue Hannah David and Cian Bryan at Planning Futures kindly arranged for the session to be recorded. On the panel that day and who share their insights in this episode are: Allison Flight, Deputy Head of Development Management at the GLA;Adrian Dobson, Executive Director Professional Services at RIBA;Mark Wilson, Operational Lead for Policy and Planning Gateway One at the HSE;Rhodri Williams, Technical & Sustainability Director at HBF; andEmma Williamson, Director of Planning at Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation. Some accompanying reading. Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety: Hackitt review https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/independent-review-of-building-regulations-and-fire-safety-hackitt-review Letter from the Housing Forum to the Secretary of State https://housingforum.org.uk/second-staircases-letter-from-thf-to-secretary-of-state/#:~:text=The%20requirement%20for%20a%20second,the%20purpose%20or%20design%20requirements. Sadiq Khan accuses Government of ‘dither and delay’ over fire safety rules https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/sadiq-khan-michael-gove-18m-building-height-second-staircase-fire-safety-b1106890.html HSE’s planning and fire safety guidance https://www.planningportal.co.uk/planning/planning-and-fire-safety Some accompanying listening. Guidance by Thievery Corporation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLEChpC9L3k 50 Shades T-Shirts! If you have listened to Episode 45 of the 50 Shades of Planning you will have heard Clive Betts say that... 'In the Netherlands planning is seen as part of the solution. In the UK, too often, planning is seen as part of the problem'. Sam said in reply that that would look good on a t-shirt and it does. Further details can be found here: http://samuelstafford.blogspot.com/2021/07/50-shades-of-planning-t-shirts.html