Room 106

This is the second edition of our new monthly series examining the key appeal and court decisions from the past four weeks. As before, we speak to technical editor David Dewar, who compiles the long-running Casebook section of Planning .  This week, we will be discussing:  Two notable appeal decisions, one of which centres on the flood risk sequential and exception tests in national poli...

In this Deep Dive edition, we will be examining: Why a Court of Appeal ruling means that planners will need to pay greater attention to changes to national Planning Practice Guidance. Why councils are refunding householders hit by massive community infrastructure levy bills. Key planning news, and why it’s important, brought to you by the team behind Planning magazine, the leading source of indepe...

This week, we will be examining:  The  chancellor’s spring statement, in which she announced the independent fiscal watchdog’s forecasted impact of the  government's revisions to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF)  on housing delivery and economic growth.  The second reading of the government’s flagship Planning and Infrastructure Bill.  A key green belt ap...

In this Deep Dive edition, we’ll be examining how and why a Cambridgeshire council's planning department implemented a four-day working week and the impact on its performance. We’ll also be rounding up the key planning news from the past week to make sure you’re up to speed on all the goings-on in the sector.  Key planning news, and why it’s important, brought to you by the team behind Planni...

This week, we are launching the first of a new monthly series examining the key appeal and court decisions from the past four weeks. Joining me is our technical editor David Dewar who compiles our long-running Casebook section of Planning 's weekly bulletin and formerly the magazine, which highlights the key appeal and legal decisions from that week. This week, we will be discussing:  Two not...

This week, we will be examining the government’s publication of its flagship Planning and Infrastructure Bill, focusing on the following measures: Allowing councils to set their own planning application fees up to the level of cost recovery. Changing decision-making by planning committees. Introducing formal strategic planning arrangements.  Setting up a centralised nature restoration fund th...

In this Deep Dive edition, we’ll be examining: Why many developers are predicting that planning application volumes – particularly for new homes – will rise sharply this year following the Labour government’s wide-ranging changes to the planning system.  Whether the planning system will be able to cope in the event of a hike in application numbers. We’ll also be rounding up the key planning n...

This week, we will be focusing on new planning guidance that’s been published by the housing ministry. We will be discussing: The long-awaited new guidance on how new national planning policy on green belt should be applied. Other new guidance on development on brownfield land, transitional arrangements for joint local plans, and how planners should take account of new local nature recovery strate...

In this Deep Dive edition, we’ll be discussing the government’s plans to accelerate the involvement of statutory consultees, such as government agencies, in the planning process.  We’ll examine why: There are concerns about the role of such bodies in planning.  How justified these concerns are.  How the government is likely to respond to the issue. We’ll also be rounding up the othe...

This week, we will be focusing on a series of planning announcements made last week by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and housing secretary Angela Rayner.  We'll be discussing:  Where the proposals for new towns submitted to the government's task force have come from, what requirements they will have to meet, and what happens next. What type of housing schemes are going to be prioritise...

In this Deep Dive edition, we’ll be discussing whether, in the wake of claims about corruption in planning that have been widely rejected by the sector, the planning system is more compromised by developer influence than practitioners think. In particular, we'll be examining:  How common are cases of criminal corruption in planning? Why is there a perception that it's a problem?&nbs...

This week, we will be discussing a series of planning announcements made by chancellor Rachel Reeves in an effort to boost economic growth. We're going to focus on: Her promise of a review of the statutory consultee system to “slash planning system red tape”.  Her announcement of changes to the environmental assessment regime. The prime minister's proposal to limit objectors’ chances to overt...

In this Deep Dive edition, we’ll be discussing: The new National Planning Policy Framework’s (NPPF) introduction of ‘golden rules’ that apply to developer contributions for development on green belt land, and how the government has softened the rules in the final version compared to the draft. The devolution white paper’s proposals for groups of councils to draw up new sub-regional strategic devel...

In this episode, we discuss: What the secretary of state for housing, Angela Rayner, said about planning when she appeared before MPs on the housing, communities and local government select committee. A developer winning an appeal against the demolition of its 200-home tower block scheme following a high-profile enforcement case launched by the local authority. The councils that are at risk of pla...

In this Deep Dive edition, we’ll be discussing our latest annual Planning Consultancy Market Report, which takes an in-depth and exclusive look at the planning consultancy market. We'll be examining: The firms with the biggest and fastest-growing planning consultancy teams. The companies with the highest planning fee income and fee rates. And consultants’ thoughts on the state of the job market an...

In this episode, we discuss: The publication of the government’s long-awaited devolution white paper, and the far-reaching planning changes proposed in it. A planning inspector cancelling a council’s local plan examination hearings after just one session due to “significant” soundness and legal concerns. The latest housing delivery test results – what they mean for local authorities. Key planning...

In this episode, we discuss the publication of the final version of the new Labour government’s revised National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). In particular, we're going to focus on the changes to national policy on local housing need, housing land supply, and green belt, and the transitional arrangements for local plan-making. We'll also be rounding up the other key non-NPPF news from th...

In this episode, we discuss: The housing secretary this week announcing radical changes to planning committee decision-making; The prime minister making the government’s national housing target and a promise to speed up major infrastructure consents one of its six parliamentary milestones in its Plan for Change ; The government cutting its local authority planning performance assessment period for...

In this Deep Dive edition, we’ll be discussing a Planning report on the impact of growing local authority mergers on planning teams and asking why they are happening and what the benefits and challenges are.  Key planning news, and why it’s important, brought to you by the team behind Planning magazine, the leading source of independent intelligence for planning professionals for more than 50...

In this episode, we discuss:  Why the Office for Place was axed, and what it means for design quality; What the planning minister revealed when he appeared before the Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee; Councils that are taking successful action against developers to uphold planning gain contributions. Key planning news, and why it’s important, brought to you by the team behi...

In this Deep Dive edition, we’ll be discussing a Planning report into England’s 30 busiest local planning authorities, including: which councils are listed in the study; their application workload and fee income; their staffing levels; their appeal success rate; and their enforcement activity. Key planning news, and why it’s important, brought to you by the team behind  Planning magazine, the...

In this issue, we will be discussing the following stories and asking whether they show a toughening of the government’s line against local authorities that it believes to be resisting development: Housing secretary Angela Rayner calling in plans for an 8,400-home garden village in Kent just three hours before the council was due to consider it; An inspector allowing up to 1,000 homes on green bel...

In this Deep Dive edition, we’ll be discussing a  Planning  investigation into how the new biodiversity net gain policy is bedding in six months after it was introduced, and highlighting a series of findings from our exclusive reader survey.   We’ll also be rounding up the key planning news from last week’s budget.   Key planning news, and why it’s important, brought...

This week, we discuss: Research by housebuilders on how much unspent developer contribution cash councils are holding onto in their reserves; Further local plans falling victim to the new hardline approach from planning inspectors on the duration of plan examinations: Two unusual planning enforcement cases. We also round up the other key news from the past week to make sure you’re up to speed on a...

In this Deep Dive edition, we'll be discussing:  How draft National Planning Policy Framework revisions would allow more green belt applications to avoid going through the tough “very special circumstances” decision-making test;  Why ministerial efforts to speed up local plan examinations is likely to see more plans fail in the short term but should force councils to submit better qualit...