Charles Goode hosted an event in Birmingham in September 2025 to mark the launch of his book, “The Green Belt, Housing Crises and Planning Systems” (link below). Charles invited Catriona Riddell, Mike Best and James Corbet Burcher to join him at that event and Sam Stafford invited the four of them to record a conversation about the Green Belt beforehand.

In a conversation recorded at Birmingham Podcast Studios during the afternoon before Charles’ book launch, the four of them dived as deep into the Green Belt as it might be possible to do.

They talked about the role of Green Belt in the national psyche; how it’s role and perceptions of it’s role have changed even when policy has not; and they asked why some places have a Green Belt and why some places do not. They also talked about the future of the Green Belt and the case for a Royal Commission to determine what that might be.

Some accompanying reading.

The Green Belt, Housing Crises and Planning Systems

A Practical Guide to Securing Planning Permission on Grey Belt Land in the Green Belt

Outskirts by John Grindrod review – life in the green belt

Nimby Watch: Meet the Nimbys turning villages into towns

The Green Belt. What it is and why; what it isn't; and what it should be

Some accompanying viewing.

Andrew Black - The Green Belt Perambulator

Some accompanying listening.

Coalescence - The Lucid Dream

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 and Instagram. His blog contains a link to his newsletter.