Sam Stafford chats with David Rudlin, Principal and Director of URBED, about his book Climax City, co-authored with Shruti Humani, which is a critical exploration of the growth of cities and masterplanning. The conversation takes in David's first role at Manchester City Council where he worked on the early stages of Hulme's redevelopment, as well as the 2014 Wolfson Economics Prize, which David and URBED won for their work on delivering a garden city.

David's contact details: http://urbed.coop/team/david-rudlin

Climax City: https://www.architecture.com/riba-books/books/urban-design-planning-housing-and-infrastructure/planning/product/climax-city-masterplanning-and-the-complexity-of-urban-growth.html

Is planning in England, as asserted by the Raynsford Review, really less effective than at any time in the post-war era? Chris Shepley, a former Chief Planning Inspector and member of the Raynsford Review panel, said that the report was produced at a time when planning is probably at its lowest ebb since 1947. Really? Does the breadth and influence of the profession now not make it more impactful than ever? As a consequence of that is it not more important than ever that planners have influence at every tier of public policy-making?

These questions are the basis of a conversation that Sam Stafford has in this episode with Victoria Hills, Chief Executive of the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) and latterly Chief Executive of the Old Oak & Park Royal Development Corporation; Peter Rees CBE, Professor of Places & City Planning at UCL and former Chief City Planner at the City of London; and Nicki Linihan of NJL Solutions and latterly interim Director of Planning at the Ebbsfleet Development Corporation and former Head of Planning and Transport at Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council.

The Raynsford Review can be read here:

https://www.tcpa.org.uk/raynsford-review

The RTPI’s research into the role of Chief Planning Officers can be read here:

https://www.rtpi.org.uk/knowledge/research/projects/chief-planning-officers/

Full of festive cheer (and sherry), Sam Stafford quizzes Greg Dickson, Paul Smith, David Diggle, Andrew Jalali, Vicky Payne and Tom Whitehead on some of the stories that have caught the eye in 2019. Expect an attempt at humour at the start, an appearance from a very special guest at the end and some bad cracker jokes in between...

For those interested in the topics that are discussed there is some reading here:

January

Mr Brokenshire’s big intervention stick.

http://samuelstafford.blogspot.com/2018/08/mr-brokenshires-big-intervention-stick.html

February

Portsmouth council plans to reclaim land from sea for homes.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-47142979

March

The latest act in the GMSF play.

http://samuelstafford.blogspot.com/2019/01/the-latest-installment-in-long-running.html

MHCLG’s resourcing and skills survey.

https://local.gov.uk/pas/pas-topics/monitoring/survey-planning-departments-2019

April

In memory of the Englishman who kept a shark on his roof.

https://www.newyorker.com/news/letter-from-the-uk/in-memory-of-the-englishman-who-kept-a-shark-on-his-roof/amp

May

The National Audit Office’s investigation into the government’s land disposal strategy and programmes.

https://www.nao.org.uk/report/investigation-into-the-governments-land-disposal-strategy/

 June

 Juries for plan-making.

https://landforthemany.uk/

July

Record temperatures across Europe.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-49108847

August

The Towns Fund.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/conservatives-general-election-marginals-public-funding-money-a9201141.html

September

Robert Jenrick likes tree-lined streets.

https://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/housing-secretary-launches-national-design-guide-to-end-ugly-development/10044606.article

October

The CPRE likes Green Belt.

https://www.housingtoday.co.uk/comment/paradise-lost-cpre-and-the-state-of-the-green-belt/5102352.article

November

Government confirms fracking moratorium and drops proposed permitted development rights.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/843801/Government_Response_to_the_shale_PDR_Consultation.pdf

December

How does your garden grow?

https://lichfields.uk/media/5638/how-does-your-garden-grow_a-stock-take-on-planning-for-the-governments-garden-communities-programme.pdf

10 January 2020, as planners working in the West Midlands will know, is the date by which the 37,900 home shortfall identified in the Birmingham Development Plan needs to have been accommodated by the other local planning authorities in the Greater Birmingham Housing Market Area. In this episode Sam Stafford chats with Mike Best (Senior Director at Turley (@bestlaidplan)), Mark Parkinson (Economic Development & Planning Policy Manager at Staffordshire County Council (@MarkA_Parkinson)), and Craig Jordan (Head of Economic Growth & Development at Lichfield District Council) about the progress that has been made towards meeting this deadline. The shortfall issue, as Sam and his guests explore during the discussion, brings into sharp focus the difficulties that policy planners have planning for greater-than-local issues without a statutory basis to do so.

Sam and Mike's previous blogs on the shortfall can be found here:

http://samuelstafford.blogspot.com/2018/08/devolution-birmingham-shortfall-4.html

https://mikesbestlaidplans.wordpress.com/2017/04/21/nobody-said-it-was-easy/

Sam Stafford chats with The Right Honourable The Lord Kerslake, who, as former Chief Executive of Sheffield and Hounslow councils; Chief Executive of the HCA; and Permanent Secretary of DCLG, has had a unique insight into workings of the English planning system. Sam and Bob discuss balancing the books at Sheffield City Council and the need to accelerate devolution and develop a spatial plan for England in order to rebalance regional inequalities, which are two of the recommendations of Bob's work with the UK2070 Commission (http://uk2070.org.uk).

If you’re involved they’re terrible, but if you’re just observing they’re terrific. In this episode Sam Stafford and his guests Katie Dean and Mike O’Brien discuss the cauldrons of human emotion that are planning committees.

Some accompanying reading.

A House of Commons Library Briefing

https://researchbriefings.parliament.uk/ResearchBriefing/Summary/SN01030

A Lichfields research paper

https://lichfields.uk/content/insights/refused-for-good-reason

PAS guidance on probity in planning for councillors and officers

https://www.local.gov.uk/Pas-probity-planning

Some accompanying listening.

An objector singing at Reading’s planning committee (13 mins)

https://channel.royalcast.com/readingboroughcouncil/#!/readingboroughcouncil/20160907_1

Sam Stafford chats with Euan Mills of the Connected Places Catapult (https://futurecities.catapult.org.uk/) about how digital innovation, urban data, and user-centred design can improve the UK planning system.

Sam Stafford and his guests Vicky Payne and Paul Smith explore a possible link between the cinematic portrayal of property developers as wrong 'uns and this survey from Grosvenor (https://www.grosvenor.com/our-businesses/grosvenor-britain-ireland/rebuilding-trust) that looks at levels of public distrust in placemaking and large-scale development. Thanks to Vicky for the title of this episode.

Sam Stafford chats with Sean Anstee CBE about the interaction of politics and planning from the point of view of a ward councillor, Council Leader and member of a Combined Authority. Talk also turned to Sean's campaign to be mayor of Greater Manchester during the 2017 election and the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework...

Sam Stafford and his guests Vicky Payne and Paul Smith discuss the forthcoming 'Accelerated Planning' Green Paper and swap holiday stories.