The Bin Lorry Effect artwork
50 Shades of Planning

The Bin Lorry Effect

  • E46
  • 55:52
  • July 3rd 2021

‘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

https://www.sustrans.org.uk/our-blog/opinion/2018/october/transport-appraisal-a-pathway-to-poor-decision-making

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

Sam Stafford started posting on the 50 Shades of Planning blog in 2012 and in 2019 turned it into a podcast. 50 Shades of Planning is about 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 is 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. If you would like to feature on 'Hitting The High Notes', or know somebody that would make a great guest, please email [email protected].

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

Sam is on Bluesky (@samuelstafford.bsky.social) and Instagram (@samuel__stafford), and his blogs can be found here: http://samuelstafford.blogspot.com.

As with the 50 Shades Blog, the 50 Shades Podcast is a platform for Sam's personal opinions, which may or may not represent the opinions of his past, present or future employers.

50 Shades of Planning is produced in association with Cavendish (www.cavendishconsulting.com).

The image of the Piece Hall is used with the kind permission Ellis Robinson (I: @ellisjrobinson) and has been turned into the 50 Shades logo by Vicky Payne (I: @_.vicky_payne._).

Why Fifty Shades? Well, planning is not a black and white endeavour. There are at least fifty shades in between...

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