Local plan-making is in something of a crisis. Lichfields reported in April 2022 on the 11 local plans that had at that time been overtly delayed, paused or withdrawn. Indeed the number of plans published in draft, submitted for examination and adopted in 2022 were all at the lowest level for a decade.
This year is likely to be little better as more and more LPAs initially waited for, and more latterly are digesting, a NPPF consultation and the direction of the reform agenda. Lichfields are now reporting that 38 LPAs have overtly delayed, paused or withdrawn their plans, and this does not include those that are covertly doing so.
For every local plan that has fallen away because of Green Belt, housing numbers and Duty-to-Cooperate-related matters is a local plan that is not progressing a positive response to, for example, climate change, economic growth, and health and wellbeing.
The NPPF consultation states that the Levelling-Up & Regeneration Bill will put the foundations in place for delivering a genuinely plan-led system, but, in eschewing ‘the big issues’ and lowering the bar for plans to get over in order to be sound, it conveys a distinctly unambitious sense that any plan is better than a proper plan.
What are the barriers to plan-making and how can they to be overcome? What is the positive case for plan-making and how can it be better made? What does a good local plan look like?
Sam Stafford puts these questions to John Cheston, Ian Butt, Kim Tagliarini, Chris Outersides and Catriona Riddell.
John Cheston is Planning Policy Manager at Buckinghamshire Council. Ian Butt is Head of Place & Policy at Castle Point Borough Council. Kim is Head of Planning & Environmental Health at Elmbridge Council. Chris is Strategic Plan Director at South West Hertfordshire. Catriona is a Director at Catriona Riddell & Associates.
Some accompanying reading.
What does a good local plan look like?
http://samuelstafford.blogspot.com/2023/01/what-does-good-local-plan-look-like.html
Start me up – but then you stopped: the continuing cost of local plan delays
How to make planning for housing a vote winner (£)
https://www.planningresource.co.uk/article/1811474/planning-housing-vote-winner
Some accompanying listening.
Masterplan by My Morning Jacket
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-MRRr7MyXk
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 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....
