Share

cover art for Room 106

Room 106

The Planning magazine team braves Room 106 - the world of pain created by the never-ending blizzard of new planning information - and extracts the key things you need to know


Latest episode

  • 221. Ep221: Your 40-minute guide to the rewritten National Planning Policy Framework

    39:20||Season 2026, Ep. 221
    In this episode, we’ll unsurprisingly be discussing last week’s publication of the final version of the new and heavily rewritten National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), including:The transitional arrangements for local authorities;New requirements for densification of development;Significant changes to the long-established presumption in favour of sustainable development;And notable revisions to the heritage impact test and policies on green belt, decision-making, local plan-making and strategic planning.We’ll also be rounding up the other key non-NPPF news from the past week to make sure you’re fully informed on all the goings-on in the planning sector.Key planning news, and why it’s important, brought to you by the team behind Planning magazine, the leading source of independent intelligence for planning professionals for more than 50 years. Find the latest planning news at planningresource.co.uk and @planningMag Room 106 was the Professional Publishers Association’s Podcast of the Year 2023/24. It was also highly commended in the Best Use of Audio category in the Association of Online Publishers’ Digital Publishing Awards 2024.

More episodes

View all episodes

  • 220. Ep220: Casebook Extra – the month’s key ministerial, inspectors’ and court decisions summarised

    26:21||Season 2026, Ep. 220
    The latest edition of our monthly series examining the key recent appeal and court decisions, in which we speak to technical editor David Dewar, who compiles Planning’s long-running Casebook section. This month, we’ll be discussing:How the refusal of an 800-home mixed-use scheme highlights how specific “footnote 9” policies have to be met when an area is subject to the National Planning Policy Framework’s “tilted balance”.The importance of unmet need as a consideration in an inspector’s decision to allow a proposal for a very large employment development on a greenfield site in the West Midlands.How a key court ruling clarifies the lawfulness of planning officers sharing draft committee reports with applicants before meetings. The final three decisions on nationally important solar farms by former energy secretary Ed Miliband.How inspectors are dealing with a London borough’s approach to air-conditioning units and its “cooling hierarchy” policy.More information on all these cases can be found in the August edition of Casebook on Planning Resource. Key planning news, and why it’s important, brought to you by the team behind Planning magazine, the leading source of independent intelligence for planning professionals for more than 50 years. Find the latest planning news at planningresource.co.uk and @planningMag Room 106 was the Professional Publishers Association’s Podcast of the Year 2023/24. It was also highly commended in the Best Use of Audio category in the Association of Online Publishers’ Digital Publishing Awards 2024.
  • 219. Ep219: A 15-minute first-take briefing on the key changes in the newly updated NPPF

    26:01||Season 2026, Ep. 219
    In this special edition, we’ll be giving our first-take briefing on the updated National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), including:The easing of planning rules for development around train stations – how these measures have been relaxed in some ways, but tightened up in others.The dropping of proposals in the draft for tougher affordable housing requirements.Giving councils more leeway to set their own energy-efficiency standards.And increased protections for national parks and landscapes.We'll also be discussing two other big planning announcements from the government this week: Its response to a consultation on measures seeking to streamline the statutory consultee system – the organisations that have had their statutory consultee status removed, and those that have retained it.And the long-awaited results of the delayed housing delivery test, including which councils are facing its most severe penalty.Key planning news, and why it is important, brought to you by the team behind Planning magazine, the leading source of independent intelligence for planning professionals for 50 years.Find the latest planning news at planningresource.co.uk and @PlanningMag Room 106 was the Professional Publishers Association’s Podcast of the Year 2023/24. It was also highly commended in the Best Use of Audio category in the Association of Online Publishers’ Digital Publishing Awards 2024.
  • 218. Ep218: Why a judge criticised planning officers when quashing consent for Tottenham Hotspur green belt training ground

    23:07||Season 2026, Ep. 218
    In this episode, we’ll be discussing:The High Court quashing a council’s consent for a Premier League football club’s green belt training ground following a “serious” failure by planning officers to disclose background papers on the environmental impacts.A series of decisions by planning minister Matthew Pennycook, including the overturning of a council’s approval of plans for a mixed-use scheme comprising 3,500 homes and an 8,000-seat stadium due to health risks.The government relaxing height limits on solar panels that can be installed without a planning application.Key planning news, and why it is important, brought to you by the team behind Planning magazine, the leading source of independent intelligence for planning professionals for 50 years.Find the latest planning news at planningresource.co.uk and @PlanningMag Room 106 was the Professional Publishers Association’s Podcast of the Year 2023/24. It was also highly commended in the Best Use of Audio category in the Association of Online Publishers’ Digital Publishing Awards 2024.
  • 217. Ep217: Why the government is telling inspectors to relax their viability assessment of local plans, plus other key news from last week

    20:16||Season 2026, Ep. 217
    The latest edition of our monthly series examining the key recent appeal and court decisions, in which we speak to technical editor David Dewar, who compiles Planning’s long-running Casebook section. In this Deep Dive edition, we’ll be discussing:What the return of Angela Rayner and the retention of Matthew Pennycook, as housing secretary and planning minister, respectively, means for the planning sector;And why Pennycook’s latest ministerial letter to PINS could offer a lifeline for some local plan examinations. More information on all these cases can be found in the July edition of Casebook on Planning Resource. Key planning news, and why it’s important, brought to you by the team behind Planning magazine, the leading source of independent intelligence for planning professionals for more than 50 years. Find the latest planning news at planningresource.co.uk and @planningMag Room 106 was the Professional Publishers Association’s Podcast of the Year 2023/24. It was also highly commended in the Best Use of Audio category in the Association of Online Publishers’ Digital Publishing Awards 2024.
  • 216. Ep216: Andy Burnham’s new-look housing ministry, plus the key policies in the new draft London Plan

    25:04||Season 2026, Ep. 216
    The latest edition of our monthly series examining the key recent appeal and court decisions, in which we speak to technical editor David Dewar, who compiles Planning’s long-running Casebook section. In this episode, we’ll be discussing:A series of appointments at the housing ministry as part of the new Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s first cabinet reshuffle – with some familiar faces returning and continuing at the departments; The publication of the new draft London Plan - what are the key new policies?;And the latest letter from the planning minister to the Planning Inspectorate (PINS) on local plan examinations that advises inspectors how they should assess site viability and deliverability. More information on all these cases can be found in the July edition of Casebook on Planning Resource. Key planning news, and why it’s important, brought to you by the team behind Planning magazine, the leading source of independent intelligence for planning professionals for more than 50 years. Find the latest planning news at planningresource.co.uk and @planningMag Room 106 was the Professional Publishers Association’s Podcast of the Year 2023/24. It was also highly commended in the Best Use of Audio category in the Association of Online Publishers’ Digital Publishing Awards 2024.
  • 215. Ep215: Casebook Extra – the month’s key ministerial, inspectors’ and court decisions summarised

    24:28||Season 2026, Ep. 215
    The latest edition of our monthly series examining the key recent appeal and court decisions, in which we speak to technical editor David Dewar, who compiles Planning’s long-running Casebook section. This month, we’ll be discussing:How inspectors are assessing data centre need and weighing up landscape impacts; A retirement scheme permitted on green belt despite not meeting the 'golden rules' in national policy;A court ruling that considered when public consultations should be reopened if a planning application is resubmitted; The planning issues that are being thrown up by the spectacular growth in padel courts.More information on all these cases can be found in the July edition of Casebook on Planning Resource. Key planning news, and why it’s important, brought to you by the team behind Planning magazine, the leading source of independent intelligence for planning professionals for more than 50 years. Find the latest planning news at planningresource.co.uk and @planningMag Room 106 was the Professional Publishers Association’s Podcast of the Year 2023/24. It was also highly commended in the Best Use of Audio category in the Association of Online Publishers’ Digital Publishing Awards 2024.