Room 106

In this Deep Dive edition, we’ll be taking a close look at two of the biggest current changes to the planning system under the Labour government:Firstly, the scaling back of planning committee decision-making – how are councils dealing with revisions that seek to allow more planning applications to be decided by officers, rather than elected members? And secondly, the new system of local plan making – how some authorities are intending to hit this year’s deadline for submitting plans under the current system, but why others have decided not to do so.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.

Lord Heseltine tells the story of the birth of the European Space Agency. Why post-Apollo, when the US was spending £1.2 billion a year on space, the whole of Europe was spending just £200 million. Why the birth of ESA was driven by the self-interest of three major countries. Why the US general with a $29 billion budget for the Star Wars project wanted to invest in Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh. Why, the idea that Britain could compete alone with the technologies that were accumulated and available to the American capitalist system was “simply laughable”. Why “being European is not selling out British interests”. And why Margaret Thatcher told him: “If you want to get on and put your budget into this, you can, but you're not getting any of mine." Join Alice and Lord Heseltine as they pick apart the negotiating contrivances and the wheeling and dealing to circumnavigate “turkeys not voting for Christmas” that ultimately put European space on the map.Contributors:Alice Bunn, President of UKspace Dr Alice Bunn OBE FIMechE FRAeS CEng | LinkedInUKspace: Overview | LinkedIn Lord Heseltine, Member of the House of LordsKey topics covered:Creation of the European Space Agency (ESA)US "Star Wars" program and brain drainGeopolitical case for European R&D collaborationImpact of Brexit on science and technology

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:A minister refusing a 750-home scheme despite the site being found to be grey belt, as its location would lead to high car-dependency and would therefore be "inappropriate" green belt development; The energy secretary's approval of a development consent order for what would be one of the UK's largest solar farms, prompting legal action from a Reform-run local authority;The High Court quashing a housing approval due to the “apparent bias” of a planning committee member who was “friendly” with one of the applicants;The challenges facing older people's housing schemes that go to appeal; And why an inspector decided not to grant a lawful development certificate for a shipping container in a garden in Surrey, having considered whether or not it should be considered a building.More information on all these cases can be found in the May 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.

In this Deep Dive edition, we’ll be discussing:Amid fevered speculation about a possible Labour Party leadership contest, what an Andy Burnham premiership would mean for planning and development;And how a Court of Appeal ruling reminds planners to think carefully before taking enforcement action.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.

In this episode, we’ll be discussing:The planning news that emerged from the UK’s biggest property conference, including important legislation and policy updates from the planning minister and the housing secretary; A volume housebuilder reacting with anger to an appeal decision and threatening legal action after its 867-home redevelopment plan was refused by an inspector;And a council blaming the government’s “muddy-thinking meddling” and “contradictory commands” for its decision to scrap its emerging local plan.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.

In this Deep Dive edition, we’ll be discussing Planning’s investigation into the Labour government’s much-trumpeted promise to recruit 1,400 extra planning officers for councils before the end of the current parliament. We’ll be examining: What was promised; Progress to date and how likely the pledge is to be delivered;And the impact it could have on under-resourced council planning teams.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.

In this episode, we’ll be discussing:The local elections – the areas where the Reform UK and Green advance, and changes in council control, will have the greatest impact on planning and development.The High Court sentencing a homeowner to six months in prison for ignoring a planning injunction prohibiting an unauthorised house extension.The Court of Appeal finding apparent bias by a council planning director in revoking a lawful development certificate, in a case described by the judge as “most unusual”.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.

In this Deep Dive edition, we’ll be discussing Planning’s exclusive and first-ever examination of the profits, turnover and margins of the UK’s biggest planning consultancies, based on their financial accounts filed with Companies House. We talk about:The highest-earning firms;  The most profitable consultancies and those with the biggest losses; Those with the highest and lowest operating profit margins;And we’ll be getting thoughts from consultants who feature in the survey on all of these matters.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.