Last week, on NPPF deadline day, Sam Stafford was in Manchester and took the opportunity to catch up with friends of the podcast Katie Wray, David Diggle, Greg Dickson, Mark Parkinson and Claire Petricca-Riding at the studios of Reform Radio.

Conscious that the podcast has covered the revised NPPF in episodes 128 and 131, they talked about some of the other current hot planning topics. They talked about brownfield passports and why existing tools in the box are not being used already; they talked about the Labour Party Conference, which led on to conversation about a Plan for England; and they talked about what the New Towns Taskforce would need to do to meaningfully advance that agenda. And then they talked a bit more towards to the end about brownfield passports again.

They did try not to mention the NPPF, but, as you will hear, were unsuccessful in so doing...

Some accompanying reading.

Planning Reform Working Paper: Brownfield Passport

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/planning-reform-working-paper-brownfield-passport

The New Towns Taskforce

https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/the-new-towns-taskforce

Brownfield urban regeneration: how to deliver more growth, homes and jobs with the support of communities

https://www.britishland.com/news/brownfield-urban-regeneration-how-to-deliver-more-growth-homes-and-jobs-with-the-support-of-communities/

Brownfield Passports: building on old foundations?

https://www.irwinmitchell.com/news-and-insights/expert-comment/post/102jjwb/brownfield-passports-building-on-old-foundations

Brownfield Passports…To What? When? How?

https://simonicity.com/2024/09/28/brownfield-passportsto-what-when-how/

Design codes will help fill our cities with the missing middle

https://www.pricedout.org.uk/design-codes-will-help-fill-our-cities-with-the-missing-middle/

Some accompanying listening.

A Shared Sense Of Purpose - Warrington-Runcorn New Town Development Plan

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PMhN3pWyBR0

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: http://samuelstafford.blogspot.com/2021/07/50-shades-of-planning-t-shirts.html

Any other business.

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