The fast-paced, ever-changing, rock and roll world of town and country planning has been especially fast-paced, ever-changing and rock and roll of late.

How then to try to catch up? Sam Stafford thought that the best way of doing so was to reprise the ‘Labour of Love’ episode that he published back in August of last year. Here then you will hear elements of nine conversations recorded online between friends of the podcast old and new about nine themes of the Government’s crystalising reform agenda.

Catriona Riddell, Andrew Taylor, Jane Meek and Alex Coley talk about strategic planning, devolution and local government reorganisation (06.54);

Greg Dickson, John Sayer, Rebecca Clutten and Anthony Lee talk about CPO, land value capture and benchmark land value (17.42);

Claire Petricca-Riding, Gilian MacInnes, Sarah McLaughlin and Robbie Owen talk about infrastructure planning (28.12);

Andrew, Shelly Rouse, Mike Kiely and Adele Morris talk about planning committees (36.26);

Claire, Hana Loftus, Nina Pindham and Neil Beamsley talk about development and nature recovery (46.11);

Andrew, Annie Gingell, Hana and Sarah Young talk about Grey Belt (54.22);

Andrew and Paul Smith talk about statutory consultees (01.02.42);

Ben Castell, Katie Wray, Vicky Payne and Hana talk about design and placemaking (01.13.21); and

Hashi Mohamed, Kathryn Ventham and Simon Mirams talk about the flood risk sequential test (01.24.45).

The full conversations will appear on the 50 Shades YouTube channel in due course and Sam will share the respective links on the 50 Shades Bluesky, LinkedIn and TikTok channels when they are published.

Some accompanying reading.

JEKC

David's Tribute

St. John's Hospice

Bowel Cancer UK

Context

'Biggest building boom' in a generation through planning reforms

The Planning and Infrastructure Bill

The Planning & Infrastructure Bill: An Overview

Devolution

Devolving local growth: how do the emerging geographies shape up?

CPO / LVC / BLV

Compulsory purchase process: guidance (October 2024 update)

Law Commission seeks views on compulsory purchase laws

Compulsory Purchase Process and Compensation Reforms

How far can land value capture be pushed?

Infrastructure

Growth drives major infrastructure and housing planning reform proposals

Planning Committees

Planning Reform Working Paper: Planning Committees

On modernising planning committees

Modernising Planning Committees National Survey 2025

Nature Restoration

Planning Reform Working Paper: Development and Nature Recovery

Land Use Consultation

Grey Belt

How grey is the Green Belt?

The “Grey Belt” has arrived

Colouring In The Grey Belt: The PPG

Grey belt policy having only a marginal impact at best

Grey Belt Impact Assessment

Stat Cons

Bureaucratic burden lifted to speed up building in growth agenda

Reform of the Statutory Consultee System

Cons & Pros

On Stat Cons

Flood Risk Sequential Test

More Afloat – New NPPF and the Sequential Test

Enhancing flood and coastal erosion risk digital services with the latest data and mapping

Some accompanying listening.

Back in Black - AC/DC

Any other business.

50 Shades T-Shirts!

If you have listened to Episode 45 of the 50 Shades of Planning 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.

Sam is on Bluesky (@samuelstafford.bsky.social) and Instagram (@samuel__stafford). His blog contains a link to his newsletter.