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
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
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
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
50 Shades of Planning
50 Shades of Planning was Sam Stafford’s attempt between April 2019 and October 2024 to explore the foibles of the English planning system and it's aim was to cover the breadth of the sector both in terms of topics of conversation and in terms of guests with different experiences and perspectives.
50 Shades episodes include 'Hitting The High Notes', which are a series of conversations with leading planning and property figures. The conversations take in the six milestone planning permissions or projects within a contributor’s career and for every project guests are invited to choose a piece of music that they were listening to at that time. Think Desert Island Discs, but for planners.
Sam is on Bluesky (@samuelstafford.bsky.social) and Instagram (@samuel__stafford), and his blogs can be found here: http://samuelstafford.blogspot.com (from where you can also sign up for his newsletter).
The 50 Shades platforms were expressions of Sam's personal opinions, which may or may not represent the opinions of his past, present or future employers.
The 50 Shades of Planning Podcast and YouTube channels were produced in partnership with Cratus Group.
Why Fifty Shades? Well, planning is not a black and white endeavour. There are at least fifty shades in between....
