An important, and very significant debate took place in the House of Commons on Monday, 24 March 2025. But it was ignored by the national media, It was the second reading of the government’s Planning and Infrastructure Bill. During the debate the Conservative shadow secretary of state for housing, Kevin Hollinrake said his party supported … Continue reading Working Together?

According to a worrying piece yesterday by Michael Donnelly, Planning Resource 17 March 2025 the government is running away from opponents of local spatial change. It is proposing that more council planning decisions are taken by planning officers, not by elected councillors. Which is a simple cop-out. Tinkering with decision making process along these lines … Continue reading Who decides?

Chris Smyth, who is The Times Whitehall Editor has written an interesting piece yesterday ( 07 March 2025) which the headline sums up as as ‘Councillors to be stripped of powers to block planning schemes’. It reminds us that next week Ministers will he thinks set out plans to ban councillors from interfering in the … Continue reading Local democracy v. national growth

About a fortnight ago (21 February 2025) I wrote briefly about the call for sites methodology (yes, horrid word, please suggest better) local councils use when preparing new draft local plans. I knew it was and is a crazy system for deciding important spatial decisions by local councils about local land use change. Remember that … Continue reading Stop the ‘call for sites’. It contaminates.

The new Starmer led government has rapidly raised expectations that it will tackle the housing crisis with vigour. In eight months their new initiatives show sincerity, determination, some good sense mixed with naivety too. But are they listening to the right voices? When trying to change embedded processes, governance boundaries and feifdoms run by vested … Continue reading Use your good sense, PM.

Bath and North East Somerset Council have just issued a new ‘call for sites’. The local council is resetting its local plan in a bid to meet its increased local housing need figure, up from 14500 homes by 2042 to 29,000 by 2045. It seems in September 2024 Kevin Guy the Liberal Democrat leader wrote … Continue reading Call for sites. Simply crazy.

Whilst it is good news the government is pushing forward with its own ideas for growth between Oxford and Cambridge, they seem to be overlooking the interests of local residents. Whilst these very different interests cannot be allowed to block progress there is no reason their financial best interests must suffer. First it is simply … Continue reading Blight policy. ARC v. local residents.

Perhaps it is forty years ago that I learnt a vital lesson. One never to be forgotten. Because it seems to defy common sense. The lesson is a vital and obvious insight into the financial priorities of developers, builders and land speculators who control new homes supply when it is understood. But until it is … Continue reading Overlooked but vital

According to the December 2024 English Devolution White Paper spatial development strategies are to be introduced to all of England. Typically the strategic areas will contain populations of about 1.5 million. It looks like a return to strategic planning. This is a welcome change of direction and overdue since David Cameron’s coalition government abolished strategic … Continue reading Devolution: spatial development strategies

Friday’s Financial Times has a serious piece (George Parker, et al , 24 January 2025; Reeves to go further and faster for growth after recent turmoil) examining the chances of the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuing a more aggressive growth agenda. She plans to accelerate flagship investment projects; re-direct regulators to prioritise growth; and attract … Continue reading Can Reeves deliver growth