‘Well-intentioned highways department rules and guidance have had a devastating effect on new housing developments over the past 80 years. Many have led to roads not streets, units not homes, and ‘could-be-anywhere’ housing developments, not real places with centres and edges. A range of rules have the effect of stopping you getting out and about, preventing you meeting your neighbours, stopping you from creating communities and locking you into car dependence.’
That is a quote from the introduction to ‘The Bin Lorry Effect’, a briefing paper from Create Streets (see link below) about how 'new homes and places are ruined by highways regulations and how we can fight back'.
Can we, as planners, look at the schemes that we are involved with and confidently say that we would want to live on that road?
Are we creating places that are accessible for people aged 8 to 80?
Are we submitting and approving applications that follow desire lines for pedestrians and cyclists?
Are we supporting a 21st Century user hierarchy that places pedestrians and cyclists at the top, private motor vehicles at the bottom, and public transport in the middle?
If not, why not?
Sam Stafford puts these questions to David Milner, Deputy Director at Create Streets; Anna Parsons, Associate Design Director at Catesby Estates; and Alexis Edwards, Transport Development Team Leader at BCP Council.
David and Alexis are on Twitter at @djjmiler and @MrAlexisEdwards. Anna is not on Twitter.
Some accompanying reading.
'The Bin Lorry Effect' by Create Streets
https://www.createstreets.com/projects/the-bin-lorry-effect-11th-january/
Traffic in Towns – The Buchanan Report
https://www.udg.org.uk/publications/udlibrary/traffic-towns-buchanan-report
‘What’s wrong with modelling the ‘worst case’?’ by Rachel Aldred.
http://rachelaldred.org/writing/consultations/whats-wrong-with-modelling-the-worst-case/
‘What is the status of Manual for Streets?’ by Andrew Lainton
https://andrewlainton.wordpress.com/2021/01/31/what-is-the-status-of-manual-for-streets/
Road Investment Strategy 2 (RIS2): 2020 to 2025
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/road-investment-strategy-2-ris2-2020-to-2025
Traffic signs manual
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/traffic-signs-manual
'Transport appraisal: a pathway to poor decision making?' by Andy Cope of Sustrans
Some accompanying listening.
Less Than Useful by Ned's Atomic Dustbin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYqfB44lEF0
Some accompanying viewing.
'How bins should be collected', by H.J Simpson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwzV9SlNOTM
50 Shades T-Shirts!
If you have listened to Episode 45 of the 50 Shades of Planning Podcast 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 is Sam Stafford’s attempt to explore the foibles of the English planning system and it's aim is 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 and buy a t-shirt).
The 50 Shades platforms are expressions of Sam's personal opinions, which may or may not represent the opinions of his past, present or future employers.
50 Shades of Planning is by planners and for planners and so if you would like to use the podcast or the YouTube channel for sharing anything you think that the sector needs to be talking about then do please feel free to get in touch with Sam via [email protected].
Why Fifty Shades? Well, planning is not a black and white endeavour. There are at least fifty shades in between....
