Robert Jenrick set out on 12 March 2020 proposals “to bring Britain’s planning system into the 21st century as part of plans to get the country building”. Within a week it was announced that schools were closing and local authority staff, including planning officers, have been dealing with a public health emergency.

Sam Stafford is joined in this episode by Jonathan Easton, Barrister at Kings Chambers; Anna Rose, Head of the Planning Advisory Service at the Local Government Association; and Stefan Webb, Place Director at FutureGov to discuss the impact of Coronavirus on the planning system.

Twitter handles: @samuel_stafford, @jonnye47, @EPlanna and @Stef_W.

Some links:

Planning Inspectorate Guidance:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-planning-inspectorate-guidance

ADSO and LLG letter to MHCLG on decision-making and democracy:

https://www.adso.co.uk/letter-to-sos-covid-19-implications-for-local-authority-governance/

Greater Flexibility For Planning Permissions:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/5997/1729942.pdf

The Landmark Chambers paper:

https://cached.offlinehbpl.hbpl.co.uk/NewsAttachments/RLP/LandmarkSOSletter.pdf

Simon Ricketts’ Blog:

https://simonicity.com/2020/03/21/what-to-do/

The Planning Advisory Service’s resource:

https://local.gov.uk/pas/pas-topics/coronavirus

The RTPI survey to inform discussions with Governments across the UK and Ireland:

https://r1.dotmailer-surveys.com/b43esd27-db4kml95