‘Are you planning a 50 Shades on the local authority staffing crisis?’

It was that message from a 50 Shades listener that prompted Episode 60 of the podcast, which Sam Stafford called ‘Life on the Front Line’.

At around the same time, Catriona Riddell used a Planning Magazine column to highlight low morale in LPAs, citing hostility towards planners and the planning system from every quarter.

Catriona revisited this theme in another recent column and Sam thought that it would be interesting to revisit 'Life on the Front Line' too.

This episode, like the first one, has been informed by a ‘call-for-evidence’ and the submissions can all be viewed on the 50 Shades Blog (see below).

What is it like for senior officers managing people and budgets in the current climate? What is it like navigating major schemes through the system when team members might not be based in the same part of the country let alone the same part of an office building? A year on from Episode 60, what is life like now on planning’s front line?

Sam puts these questions to Catriona, Peter Geraghty, Paul Barnard and Sarah McLaughlin.

Catriona (@CatrionaRiddel1) is a Director at Catriona Riddell & Associates.

Peter (@planitpres) is an Executive Director at Hertsmere Borough Council and Junior Vice-President of the Planning Officers Society.

Paul (@Paul_Planning) is Service Director at Plymouth City Council.

Sarah is Head of Growth & Infrastructure at Hertfordshire County Council and Deputy Chair of the Planning Working Group at the Association of Directors of Environment, Economy, Planning and Transport.

Some accompanying reading.

The Life on the Front Line II Blog

http://samuelstafford.blogspot.com/2022/12/call-for-evidence-life-on-front-line-ii.html

The LGA's 2022 Local Government Workforce Survey

https://www.local.gov.uk/publications/2022-local-government-workforce-survey

We need to put planning and the planning profession at the heart of levelling-up

https://www.theplanner.co.uk/2022/11/16/we-need-put-planning-and-planning-profession-heart-levelling

Council planning chiefs must show purpose to keep isolated junior staff on board

https://www.planningresource.co.uk/article/1807553/council-planning-chiefs-show-purpose-keep-isolated-junior-staff-board-catriona-riddell?bulletin=planning-daily&utm_medium=EMAIL&utm_campaign=eNews%20Bulletin&utm_source=20221209&utm_content=Planning%20Resource%20Daily%20(142)::www_planningresource_co_u_20&email_hash=

Under resourcing, harassment, and internet trolling leaves more than 75% of planners overstretched

https://www.rtpi.org.uk/news/2023/january/under-resourcing-harassment-and-internet-trolling-leaves-more-than-75-of-planners-overstretched/

Some accompanying listening.

Keep on keeping on by Curtis Mayfield

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-l91O9VxN0

50 Shades T-Shirts!

If you have listened to Episode 45 of the 50 Shades of Planning Podcast 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: http://samuelstafford.blogspot.com/2021/07/50-shades-of-planning-t-shirts.html