Have We Got Planning News For You

Our Special Guest this week is Florence Eshalomi , Labour (Co-op) MP for Vauxhall and Camberwell Green and is the current Chair of the MHCLG Select Committee. The Committee scrutinises the policy, administration and spending of the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. It is made up of MPs from across the House of Commons. Latest News Update on planning related matters. An Appeal...

Our Special Guest this week is Elsie Owusu OBE RA, Architect and Principal at Elsie Owusu Architects. Elsie is a founding member and the first chair of the Society of Black Architects. Her projects include the U.K. Supreme Court and Green Park tube station.  She has been an elected RIBA Council member since 2014, a vice-chair of the London School of Architecture, and a Royal Academician. She was r...

Our Special Guest this week is Lord Ben Gascoigne, Chair of the Built Environment Committee in the House of Lord. The Built Environment Committee was appointed to consider matters relating to the built environment, including policies relating to housing, planning, transport and infrastructure. Latest News Updates An Appeal Decision relating to a hybrid planning application for the construction of...

Our Special Guest this week, returning for a fourth time, is Joanna Averley, Chief Planner at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. We ask Joanna about the current and pending reforms to planning law and policy. An Appeal Decision involving Churchill Retirement Living against Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole Council regarding planning permission for redevelopment to form a m...

Our Special Guest this week is Jason Prior, Chief Executive of Prior + Partners, whose projects include the 2012 London Olympics, Rio 2016, Google's California Campus and a new city in Saudi Arabia. A Decision of the High Court involving the National Farmers Union, Herefordshire Council, The Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities and River Action UK relating to challenging th...

This episode is dedicated to the memory and friend of the show, Jonathan Easton KC, who sadly passed away from bowel cancer on the morning of the 2nd of March 2025. Jonathan's family have nominated both St John's Hospice and Bowel Cancer UK as charities to donate to in his memory. If you can spare anything at all to donate to these two wonderful organisations, we would be forever grateful. St John...

Our Special Guest this week is Níall McLaughlin RA. Níall is Professor of Architectural Practice at the Bartlett School of Architecture, University College London. Latest News Update on planning related matters. A High Court Judgement where Amalgamated Smart Metering Ltd filed a claim form seeking permission to apply for judicial review of the decision of Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council dat...

Our Special Guest this week is Lord Ben Houchen, Mayor of the Tees Valley to discuss the English Devolution White Paper published by MHCLG before Christmas. The proposal gives Mayors new responsibilities for strategic planning and much more. Latest News Update on planning related matters. Decision of the Court of Appeal dated 11 December 2024 which deals in great detail with the service provisions...

The New National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) is out now! We cover key changes to Housing, Economic Provisions, Green Belt and Grey Belt, Development Plans, Flooding, Climate Change and many other things! The new Framework along with other resources, is available for download and viewing on our website by clicking here . This episode is also very important for another reason. We are saying goo...

Our Special Guest this week is Lord Daniel Moylan, Chairman of the Built Environment Select Committee. The Committee was appointed to consider matters relating to the built environment, including policies relating to housing, planning, transport and infrastructure. Latest News Update on planning related matters. Decision of an inspector dated 28th November 2024 dismissing three appeals by Artemis...

Our Special Guest this week is Pooja Agrawal is the Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of Public Practice. Public Practice is a not-for-profit organisation that builds the skills and capability of the public sector to improve the quality, equality and sustainability of places. Latest News Update on planning related matters. Decision of the High Court dated 13th November 2024 in White v Plymout...

Our Special Guest this week is Rachel Danemann MRTPI CIHCM AssocRICS, Planning Manager (Midlands & South West) Home Builders Federation. Latest News Update on planning related matters. Decision of the Court of Appeal dated 16th October 2024 in R (oao Save Stonehenge World) v Secretary of State for Transport [2024] EWHC 1227 (Admin), dismissing the appeal on grounds 1 to 5, allowing the appeal...

Our Special Guest this week is Phill Bamford , Policy Director at the Land, Planning & Development Federation . Also featuring, standing in for Charlie Banner this week, is Thea Osmund-Smith from No.5 Chambers. Latest News Updates on planning related matters. A decision of the High Court dated 3rd October 2024 in Farnham Town Council   v Secretary of State for LUH&C, Wates Developments Ltd...

Our Special Guest this week is Mike Kiely, Chair of the Board at the Planning Officers Society. Latest News Update on planning related matters. Decision of the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Building Safety & Homelessness dated 25th September 2024 allowing an appeal by a consortium led by Barratt David Wilson Homes, granting outline planning permission, in accordance with the inspe...

Our returning Special Guest this week is Catriona Riddell FRPTI, Director of Catriona Riddell & Associates Ltd. Decision of the High Court dated 13th September 2024 in Friends of the Earth and South Lakeland Action on Climate Change v Secretary of State et al [2024] EWHC 2349 (Admin), a successful challenge to the grant of permission for an underground coal mine at Whitehaven, Cumbria applying...

In this impromptu special summer episode, we're discussing proposed changes to the NPPF as announced by the Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Angela Rayner on the 30th of July 2024. The proposal is open for consultation for 8 weeks and more information on how to respond can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/prop...

Our Special Guest this week is Professor Samer Bagaeen BSc MSc MBA PhD MRTPI FRICS , Professor of Planning & Resilient Systems at the University of Kent. Decision of the Supreme Court dated 20 June 2024 in R (Finch) v Surrey County Council [2024] UKSC 20, about the necessary scope of an environmental impact assessment in respect of downstream greenhouse gas and scope 3 emissions. Decision of t...

Our returning Special Guest this week for our 100th episode is Rob Rinder MBE, barrister, host of the ITV’s Good Morning Britain and Judge Rinder . Latest News Update on planning related matters. Decision of an inspector dated 24th May 2024 dismissing an appeal by The Cathedral Church of the Holy Spirit & Vivid Housing Ltd against the decision of Guildford Borough Council to refuse planning pe...

Our Special Guest this week is Simon Berkeley BA MA MRTPI, Head of Local Plans, at the Planning Inspectorate. Latest News Update on planning related matters. Decision of the Secretary of State for Transport dated 16th May 2024 granting a modified DCO following an application made by National Highways for the Proposed M3 Junction 9 under section 37 of the Planning Act 2008 following the recommendat...

Our special guest this week is Simon Wicks, Deputy Editor of the Planner, the official member magazine of the Royal Town Planning Institute. Latest News Update on planning related matters. Decision of the High Court dated 3rd May 2024 in Friends of the Earth et al v Secretary of State for Energy Security & Net Zero [2024] EWHC 995 (Admin) concerning a challenge to the Secretary of State’s Carb...

Shelly Rouse is a Principal Consultant with the Planning Advisory Service with a passion for delivering support to local authorities and helping drive public sector improvement with housing delivery and land supply as her specialities. Latest News Update on planning related matters. Decision of the High Court dated 5th April 2024 in R (Low Carbon Solar Park 6 Limited) v Secretary of State for LUH&...

Our Special Guest this week is Dr Chris Miele, Partner at Montagu Evans LLP. Latest News Update on planning related matters. Decision of a Planning Inspector dated 13th March 2024 to allow an appeal by Abri Group Ltd against the refusal by Woking Borough Council to grant planning permission for the demolition of existing buildings & the erection of a 25-storey building comprising 224 dwellings...

Our Special Guest this week is Chris Webber, Group Planning Manager at Barratt Developments PLC. Latest News Update on planning related matters. Decision of the High Court in Marks & Spencer PLC v SOSLUH&C & others [2024] EWHC 452 allowing a s288 challenge & quashing the SoS’s dismissal of M&S s78 appeal for the construction of a 9-storey new mixed office & retail store at...

Our Special Guest this week is Lindsey Richards, President of the Royal Town Planning Institute for 2024. Latest News Update on planning related matters. Decision of the High Court in Mead Realisations Ltd v SOSLUH&C & Redrow Homes Ltd V SOSLUH&C [2024] EWHC 279 dismissing two separate s288 claims challenging the dismissals of s78 housing appeals in Weston Super Mare (in FZ3) & Bus...

Our Special Guest this week is Grant Butterworth, Head of Planning at Leicester City Council. Latest News Update on planning related matters. Decision of a Planning Inspector dated 23rd January 2024 dismissing an appeal by PA Investments Ltd & PD Developments (Essex) Ltd against the failure of Basildon Borough Council to determine an application for demolition of 2 houses and outline permissio...