Room 106
Episodes
Ep197: Inspector tells developer to pay council’s costs for pulling out of green belt housing appeal at ‘extremely late stage’
16 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we’ll be discussing:A planning inspector ordering a developer to pay a Surrey council’s full costs after pulling out of a 190-hom...
Ep196: The great CIL repayment - how much could be refunded to developers?
09 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this Deep Dive edition, we’ll be discussing:Claims that recent rulings made by the government’s Valuation Office Agency could require as many a...
Ep195: Member slams planning officers over grey belt recommendations, a ministerial local plan intervention and final new towns shortlist revealed
02 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we’ll be discussing:The seven new towns to be pursued by the government, plus the five locations from its adviser’s original list...
Will Whitehorn: “We have to industrialise in space. It is an imperative”
02 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
How do we solve population pressure and climate crisis in space? How has GPS allowed us to provide 12% more food globally? How did the UK become a glo...
Space-Comm Expo: jamming, spoofing and farming
26 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
What did the Space-Comm Expo conference and exhibition tell us about connecting space and wider business? How does this manifest as tech connecti...
Ep194: The biggest employers of female planners and why there is pressure for the new NPPF to address women’s safety
26 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this Deep Dive edition, we’ll be discussing:The planning consultancies that employ the most female planners – identifying the top companies and...
Ep193: Casebook Extra – the month’s key ministerial, inspectors’ and court decisions summarised
20 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This is the eighth edition of our monthly series examining the key recent appeal and court decisions in which we speak to technical editor David Dewar...
Ep192: What the government has revealed about how the new local plan system will work
18 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we’ll be discussing:New regulations and guidance from the housing ministry to pave the way for impending changes to the local plan-...
Ep191: How the growth in AI objection letters is impacting planners
11 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this Deep Dive edition, we’ll be discussing the sharp rise in planning objections generated by artificial intelligence (AI), including:Our e...
Ep190: Why a council is set to charge for invalid planning applications plus PINS issues updated AI guidance
04 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we’ll be discussing:New guidance from the Planning Inspectorate on artificial intelligence (AI), warning that “improper use” of...
Why the business of space is everyone’s business
03 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
As of 2026, the UK space industry is a significant and strategic driver of the national economy, contributing over £19 billion in revenue and support...
Ep189: How a court ruling impacts national grey belt rules, plus the lowdown on the government's new pollution mitigation scheme
25 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this Deep Dive edition, we’ll be discussing:How an important High Court ruling sets a precedent for planners applying the government’s grey bel...
Ep188: Government reveals proposed geography of new strategic planning system and makes two local plan interventions
18 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we’ll be discussing: The government revealing the geography of England’s impending strategic planning system.The approval of...
Ep187: Six key factors for inspectors determining brownfield appeals in the green belt
11 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this Deep Dive edition, we’ll be discussing a recent investigation by Planning into how planning inspectors are responding to a recent national p...
Ep186: Casebook Extra – the month’s key ministerial, inspectors’ and court decisions summarised
09 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This is the seventh edition of our new monthly series examining the key recent appeal and court decisions in which we speak to technical editor David ...
Ep185: Why two landowners have been handed prison sentences for breaking planning laws
04 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we’ll be discussing:The government announcing a series of “emergency” measures designed to increase the uptake of affordable ho...
Ep184: Your 30-minute guide to the most significant planning policy and legal changes in the next six months
28 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this Deep Dive edition, we’ll be taking a look ahead at the government’s planning policy and legislation programme over the next six months –...
Ep183: Two councils’ planning services hit by cyber-attacks, plus Pennycook’s affordable housing intervention
21 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we’ll be discussing: Two councils revealing that their planning services have been hit by cyber-attacks. The plannin...
Ep182: The key takeaways from the latest in-depth report on the planning consultancy market
14 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this deep-dive edition, we’ll be discussing Planning’s latest annual Planning Consultancy Market Report, which takes an in-depth and exclusive ...
Ep181: Your 40-minute guide to the new draft NPPF
08 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we’ll unsurprisingly be discussing the publication of a new and heavily rewritten draft version of the National Planning Policy Fra...
Ep180: A first-take overview of the new NPPF, plus local plans in peril
17 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we’ll be discussing: Some well-sourced intelligence on what we can expect from the new National Planning Policy Framework, whi...
Ep179: Why the government’s drive to digitise the planning system is yet to make a meaningful impact on services
10 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this deep-dive edition, we’ll be discussing an exclusive, in-depth report by Planning on why the government’s drive to digitise planning i...
Ep178: The key planning takeaways from the Budget and the sudden scrapping of a legal duty for local plan-makers
03 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we’ll be discussing:All the planning news from last week’s Budget, including the promise of further funding to boost planning cap...
Ep177: Reed announces plans to ease new home consents around train stations and changes to application call-in process
26 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this edition, we’ll be discussing the housing secretary’s announcement of a series of further changes to the planning system, including: Change...
Ep176: What non-statutory national development management policies would mean for planners
19 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this deep-dive edition, we’ll be discussing:How the government’s decision to make national development management policies non-statutory will i...
Ep175: Casebook Extra – the month’s key ministerial, inspectors’ and court decisions summarised
18 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This is the sixth edition of our new monthly series examining the key recent appeal and court decisions in which we speak to technical editor Dav...
Ep174: Local government reorganisation in Surrey and a city council goes to court to claim £1m in unpaid developer contributions
12 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this edition, we’ll be discussing: A significant announcement on local government reorganisation and what it could mean for planning.A city ...
Ep173: England's biggest and busiest local planning authorities
06 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this deep-dive edition, we’ll be discussing an exclusive Planning report into England’s 30 biggest and busiest local planning authorities ...
Ep172: An important Supreme Court ruling on nutrient neutrality and 'emergency' planning measures to boost London housebuilding
29 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this edition, we’ll be discussing: The Supreme Court overturning a Court of Appeal ruling that upheld the refusal on nutrient pollution grou...
Ep171: How Pennycook has advised inspectors to change their approach to local plan examinations plus the latest planning bill tweaks
22 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this edition, we’ll be discussing: An important letter from housing minister Matthew Pennycook to the Planning Inspectorate in which he give...
Ep170: An important court ruling on green belt openness and our housing delivery test predictions
16 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this deep-dive edition, we’ll be we’ll be taking a look at:How a court ruling confirms the difficulty for councils in using green belt ope...
Ep169: Casebook Extra – the month’s key ministerial, inspectors’ and court decisions summarised
08 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This is the fifth edition of our new monthly series examining the key appeal and court decisions from the past four weeks.As before, we speak to techn...
Ep168: The planning highlights from the Labour Party Conference, plus a joint local plan fails a legal duty
08 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this edition, we’ll be discussing: The planning highlights from last week’s Labour Party Conference.A government inspector announcing that...
Ep167: Ministers back the initial recommendations of the New Towns Taskforce, plus the consultancies that allow the most home working
01 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this deep-dive edition, we’ll be taking a look ahead at: The government responding to the initial findings of its New Towns Taskforce, ...
Ep166: Your six-minute guide to the government’s new flood risk planning guidance, plus Labour’s first local plan intervention
24 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The secret chamber where all the latest planning announcements and decisions are issued before extracting the key information for planning p...
Ep165: The most important planning policy and legislation changes to expect in the next six months
17 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The secret chamber where all the latest planning announcements and decisions are issued before extracting the key information for planning p...
Ep164: The new housing secretary's planning track record and highlights from the Reform UK conference
10 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Room 106, the gloomy underground vault where all the latest planning announcements and decisions are issued, to pull out the key information for you.&...
Ep163: The government's ongoing planning battle with a local authority over asylum-seeker hotels
03 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Room 106, the gloomy underground vault where all the latest planning announcements and decisions are issued, to pull out the key information for you.&...
Ep162: Is a council’s bid to reclassify villages as towns to protect them from green belt development likely to be effective?
28 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Room 106, the gloomy underground vault where all the latest planning announcements and decisions are issued, to pull out the key information for you.&...
Ep161: Why Rayner has blocked a council’s bid to allocate a site for 1,250 homes in its emerging local plan
20 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Room 106, the gloomy underground vault where all the latest planning announcements and decisions are issued, to pull out the key information for you.&...
Ep160: Rayner demands answers from Chinese embassy over redaction of new building plans and why a council has urged applicants to avoid ‘chasing’ its planning team
13 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Room 106, the gloomy underground vault where all the latest planning announcements and decisions are issued, to pull out the key information for you.&...
Ep159: When England’s busiest local planning authorities say they will hit key plan-making milestones
07 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this Deep Dive edition, we’ll be discussing our exclusive report, which reveals when England’s busiest local authorities say they will hit key ...
Ep158: The key planning takeaways from the planning minister's latest select committee appearances
30 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode we explore:The planning minister Matthew Pennycook appearing before two Parliamentary select committees - we discuss the planning...
Ep157: The highest-rated planning barristers and solicitors and the law firms with the biggest planning teams
23 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this Deep Dive edition, we’ll be discussing our annual Planning Law Survey, which takes an in-depth and exclusive look at the most highly rated p...
Ep156: Why a planning committee was found to be ‘severely affecting’ a council’s reputation, plus the devolution bill highlights
17 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode we explore:The key planning takeaways from the government’s English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill, which was published l...
Ep155: Casebook Extra – the month’s key ministerial, inspectors’ and court decisions summarised
15 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This is the fourth edition of our new monthly series examining the key appeal and court decisions from the past four weeks.As before, we speak to tech...
Ep154: How a lack of sewage treatment capacity is blocking applications for new homes across England
09 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this Deep Dive edition, we discuss how rising public concern about sewage pollution in rivers, plus inadequate levels of investment in water treatm...
Ep153: The Planning Inspectorate expanding the ‘simplified’ written appeal process to speed up decisions
02 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we will be discussing:The Planning Inspectorate announcing an expansion of the ‘simplified’ written appeal process to far more cases in...
Ep152: The implications of the latest government proposals to increase developer build-out rates
25 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this Deep Dive edition, we discuss:Government proposals to boost developers’ build-out rates for consented housing sitesThe planning consultancie...
Ep151: Council launches legal challenge and blasts planning inspector over local plan failure
19 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we discuss: A local authority threatening legal action and blasting a planning inspector after their local plan was found to have fail...
Ep150: What the growth of the logistics sector means for planners
11 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this Deep Dive edition, we will be examining:The growth of logistics developments – how the planning system is treating these kinds of schemes an...
Ep149: Your 22-minute guide to the latest planning blitz on build-out rates, biodiversity net gain and decision-making
04 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we will be discussing a spate of big planning announcements from the government. We will be focusing on the proposed measures to:Increase d...
Ep148: How Reform councils and mayors will use their planning powers
30 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this Deep Dive edition, we will be examining:How councils and mayors that are now controlled by the Reform party will use their planning powers.Wha...
Ep147: Casebook Extra – the month’s key ministerial, inspectors’ and court decisions summarised
29 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This is the third edition of our new monthly series examining the key appeal and court decisions from the past four weeks.As before, we speak to techn...
Ep146: The lowdown on two important ‘grey belt’ decisions from the secretary of state and a High Court judge
21 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we will be discussing:The High Court quashing an inspector’s rejection of 120 green belt homes because he failed to consider whether the ...
Ep145: The six key lessons from planning inspectors on grey belt appeal decisions
14 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this Deep Dive edition, we will be examining the six key lessons to be learned from planning inspectors about the dozens of appeal decisions that h...
Ep144: How the government is seeking to change the Planning and Infrastructure Bill and a row over a local plan examination
08 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we will be discussing:The government’s amendments to the Planning and Infrastructure Bill.Estimates of the bill's economic impact and con...
Ep143: The places where the local elections are most likely to impact planning and development
30 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this Deep Dive edition, we will be previewing the local and mayoral elections taking place later this week. We will be discussing:Where they a...
Ep142: The councils with the most grey belt land in England
23 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we will be: Revealing the councils with the most grey belt land in England.Discussing the latest developments around how councils are ...
Ep141: Casebook Extra – the month’s key ministerial, inspectors’ and court decisions summarised
14 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This is the second edition of our new monthly series examining the key appeal and court decisions from the past four weeks.As before, we speak to tech...
Ep140: Why a Court of Appeal ruling means that planners will need to pay greater attention to national guidance updates
09 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this Deep Dive edition, we will be examining:Why a Court of Appeal ruling means that planners will need to pay greater attention to changes to nati...
Ep139: The planning news from the Spring Statement plus the Planning and Infrastructure Bill's second reading
02 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we will be examining: The chancellor’s spring statement, in which she announced the independent fiscal watchdog’s forecasted ...
Ep138: How a council introduced a four-day working week that improved its planning performance
27 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this Deep Dive edition, we’ll be examining how and why a Cambridgeshire council's planning department implemented a four-day working week and the...
Ep137: Casebook Extra - the month’s key ministerial, inspectors’ and court decisions summarised
24 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we are launching the first of a new monthly series examining the key appeal and court decisions from the past four weeks.Joining me is our ...
Ep136: Your 25-minute guide to the government’s Planning and Infrastructure Bill
19 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we will be examining the government’s publication of its flagship Planning and Infrastructure Bill, focusing on the following measures:Al...
Ep135: Why developers are predicting a surge in planning applications this year and how the system will cope
13 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this Deep Dive edition, we’ll be examining:Why many developers are predicting that planning application volumes – particularly for new homes –...
Ep134: Your 20-minute lowdown on the new planning guidance on green belt and other policy areas
05 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we will be focusing on new planning guidance that’s been published by the housing ministry.We will be discussing:The long-awaited new gui...
Ep133: Are statutory consultees really holding up the planning process and how are ministers likely to address the issue?
26 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this Deep Dive edition, we’ll be discussing the government’s plans to accelerate the involvement of statutory consultees, such as government ag...
Ep132: Where the 100 new town proposals are coming from, plus other key news from the past week
20 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we will be focusing on a series of planning announcements made last week by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and housing secretary Angela Ra...
Ep131: How compromised is the planning system by developer influence?
12 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this Deep Dive edition, we’ll be discussing whether, in the wake of claims about corruption in planning that have been widely rejected by th...
Ep130: The chancellor's planning announcements aiming to kick-start economic growth
05 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we will be discussing a series of planning announcements made by chancellor Rachel Reeves in an effort to boost economic growth. We're goin...
Ep129: The NPPF's ‘golden rules’ for developer contributions on green belt, plus the return of strategic planning
30 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this Deep Dive edition, we’ll be discussing:The new National Planning Policy Framework’s (NPPF) introduction of ‘golden rules’ that apply t...
Ep128: What the housing secretary revealed about the government’s planning intentions when she was grilled by MPs
22 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we discuss:What the secretary of state for housing, Angela Rayner, said about planning when she appeared before MPs on the housing, c...
Ep127: The biggest, fastest-growing and highest-earning planning consultancies and the most desirable job skills
16 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this Deep Dive edition, we’ll be discussing our latest annual Planning Consultancy Market Report, which takes an in-depth and exclusive look at t...
Ep126: What the devolution white paper means for planning, plus the latest housing test delivery results
08 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we discuss:The publication of the government’s long-awaited devolution white paper, and the far-reaching planning changes proposed ...
Ep125: Your 30-minute guide to the new National Planning Policy Framework
18 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we discuss the publication of the final version of the new Labour government’s revised National Planning Policy Framework (NPP...
Ep124: How Angela Rayner wants to shake up planning committee decision-making
11 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we discuss:The housing secretary this week announcing radical changes to planning committee decision-making;The prime minister making...
Ep123: What the government's push for more council mergers means for planning teams
04 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this Deep Dive edition, we’ll be discussing a Planning report on the impact of growing local authority mergers on planning teams and asking why t...
Ep122: What the planning minister revealed in his select committee appearance
27 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we discuss: Why the Office for Place was axed, and what it means for design quality;What the planning minister revealed when he ...
Ep121: England's 30 busiest local planning authorities – their resource and activity levels
21 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this Deep Dive edition, we’ll be discussing a Planning report into England’s 30 busiest local planning authorities, including: which councils a...
Ep120: The fall-out from the housing secretary's last-minute calling in of plans for an 8,400-home garden village
13 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this issue, we will be discussing the following stories and asking whether they show a toughening of the government’s line against local authorit...
Ep119: The challenges facing biodiversity net gain six months in and the planning highlights from the budget
06 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this Deep Dive edition, we’ll be discussing a Planning investigation into how the new biodiversity net gain policy is bedding in six mo...
Ep118: How much unspent developer contribution cash councils are holding onto
30 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we discuss:Research by housebuilders on how much unspent developer contribution cash councils are holding onto in their reserves;Further lo...
Ep117: What draft NPPF changes on green belt mean for decision-makers, plus the impact of ministerial efforts to speed up plan examinations
23 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this Deep Dive edition, we'll be discussing: How draft National Planning Policy Framework revisions would allow more green belt applications t...
Ep116: Why new requirements for the early submission of legal agreements alongside written appeals has prompted alarm
16 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we discuss:Why planning consultants and lawyers are alarmed about new requirements for the early submission of planning obligation agreemen...
Ep115: The issues raised by council planning teams’ widespread use of agency staff, plus highlights from the Tory conference
09 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this Deep Dive edition, we’ll be discussing:Why so many local authorities are spending money on agency staff to work in their planning teams, wha...
Ep114: All the planning news from the Labour Party conference
03 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this edition, we examine:The key news from last week’s Labour Party conference in Liverpool, including a possible delay to the publication of the...
Ep113: What the draft NPPF changes would mean for affordable housing and brownfield land development
26 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this Deep Dive edition, we’ll be examining two big proposed changes in the draft National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF):What revisions to nati...
Ep112: High Court overturns secretary of state approval for coal mine, inspectors tell council to withdraw local plan, and voters reject neighbourhood plan
18 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we discuss: The High Court quashing the secretary of state’s controversial permission for a new coal mine in Cumbria; Planning ...
Ep111: What the proposed cutting of 'beauty' references in the draft NPPF would mean for planners, plus other key news
11 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this Deep Dive, we discuss: What the proposed cutting of 'beauty' references in the draft NPPF would mean for planners;What the government’s...
Ep110: Why councils faced with hikes in housing need are accelerating plan preparation, plus other key news
05 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we discuss: Why councils faced with hikes in housing requirements under Labour’s proposed changes to the assessment method are...
Ep109: The five most important exceptional circumstances used by plan-makers to justify releasing green belt
29 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this Deep Dive edition, we’ll be discussing the five circumstances that are “exceptional” enough to justify releasing green belt in local pla...
Ep108: Council reveals £826K planning budget overspend, local plan delays over NPPF changes, and Miliband threatened over solar farm approval
21 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we will be discussing:A local authority revealing an unauthorised £826,000 overspend in its planning budget due to a huge applicatio...
Ep107: Why a council is investing £1m in its planning service and how the NPPF revisions would change housing need assessments
14 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this Deep Dive edition, we examine:How and why a unitary authority is making an unusually big investment in its planning service;How the proposed N...
Ep106: How the new standard method will affect councils' housing need levels and ministerial announcements on local plan preparation
08 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we look in more detail at the government's big planning announcements last week. We discuss: The councils that would see th...
Ep105: Your 30-minute guide to Labour’s proposed National Planning Policy Framework revisions
02 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we summarise key changes proposed in the government’s draft revised National Planning Policy Framework, as well as initial reaction...
Ep104: What the new government's first King's Speech means for planning and why a national newspaper opinion piece has prompted sector fury
24 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we will be discussing the first King’s Speech since the new Labour government was elected, which featured two bills proposing ...
Ep103: What you need to know about planning for data centres
17 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this Deep Dive edition, we examine the planning issues that are raised by the growth of data centres, including:The current national policy situati...
Ep102: Labour's historic election victory, its housing department appointments and early planning announcements
10 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we’re focusing on Labour's seismic election victory the plethora of planning changes it announced almost straight away. This include...
Ep101: How the government's own planning performance measures up
03 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this Deep Dive edition, we discuss an investigation by Planning into:How the government measures up to its own local authority planning t...