iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Oh and to add... "Whitehall Chiefs" = the Secretary of State.

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Maybe I've listened to football cliches too much.

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To add to my previous post about something getting "thrown out" - these are the thrower outers

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Tom Barrett @plannertomb.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

Another planning term only used by local newspaper journalists: "thrown out" instead of refused.

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Cos I'm vegan AF I only ever drink it in bottles anyway and will continue to do so, but I still don't trust him.

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Tom Barrett @plannertomb.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

I don't think I trust this dude

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Tom Barrett @plannertomb.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

When you're googling planning stuff but it inadvertently tells you what you need to get through Local Plan preparation

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Tom Barrett @plannertomb.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

The latest consultation on Liverpool Local Plan makes reference to Liverpool as a "24 hour city". I'm sure I haven't heard this term since the noughties. Or maybe they've taken "15 minute city" to the opposite extreme.

Tom Barrett @plannertomb.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

Tell me about it, thought we had a good 4 months or so to wait!

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Tom Barrett @plannertomb.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

Happy new NPPF day to all who celebrate.

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Tom Barrett @plannertomb.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

Just to say that if I ever launch a planning podcast (don't worry I won't), I'll call it Reserved Natters.

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Tom Barrett @plannertomb.bsky.social · 01/08/2026

Also the highest ever vote share for the Green Party in a GM mayoral election.

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Tom Barrett @plannertomb.bsky.social · 01/08/2026

*but really not that surprising.

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Tom Barrett @plannertomb.bsky.social · 01/08/2026

Restore getting more votes than the Green Party in Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Tameside and Wigan is concerning*. The same boroughs plus Bolton giving Reform more second pref votes. Labour got a higher no. of votes than Reform and Restore in all boroughs (but v. Close in some boroughs)

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Tom Barrett @plannertomb.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

Manchester Evening News website briefly made the same mistake!

Tom Barrett @plannertomb.bsky.social · 10/06/2026

Just drove into the Makerfield constituency to go to the tip and drove past @zackpolanski.bsky.social. By-election fever!

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Tom Barrett @plannertomb.bsky.social · 30/05/2026

And Wigan are a dirty side, booo.

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Tom Barrett @plannertomb.bsky.social · 30/05/2026

Not at all! Very one sided second half

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Tom Barrett @plannertomb.bsky.social · 30/05/2026

Watching the Challenge Cup Final in my back yard in Wigan, but backing Rurvers today

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Tom Barrett @plannertomb.bsky.social · 28/05/2026

The lack of fast trains from Wigan to Manchester, zero metrolink and poor connectivity across the borough is what needs to be addressed in Wigan for it to be benefit more from the growth in the centre of GM.

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Tom Barrett @plannertomb.bsky.social · 28/05/2026

Have been thinking about this from POV of living in Wigan. Would the economy of Wigan have fared any better if there wasn't this level of growth in the centre of the city region? I am not sure of any scenario where it would be.

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Reposted by Tom Barrett

Tom Phillips @tom-phillips.com · 21/05/2026

I don't think it's a good idea to legally privilege someone else's discomfort over another person's rights.

13.147 A legitimate aim for excluding a trans person from a separate or single-sex service for their own sex might be to prevent discomfort or distress for other service users.

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Tom Barrett @plannertomb.bsky.social · 18/05/2026

After looking on LinkedIn a lot, my question is: What's the point of UK REiiF?

Tom Barrett @plannertomb.bsky.social · 16/05/2026

Excellent stuff on my timeline

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Tom Barrett @plannertomb.bsky.social · 16/05/2026

Gah just wanted to listen to the funk and soul show on 6music whilst I got tea ready but the BBC news includes vox pops from racists justifying why they went to that racist march. No thank you.

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Tom Barrett @plannertomb.bsky.social · 13/05/2026

And then potentially Labour losing the mayoralty. A by election costing thousands of public money because of one man's own ambitions and one party's infighting will be a huge gift to Reform and Greens!

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Reposted by Tom Barrett

Gail Myerscough @gailmyerscough.co.uk · 13/05/2026

If you haven’t got Instagram here’s the whole sorry tale…

Brexit nonsense regarding small UK businesses selling to the EU

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Tom Barrett @plannertomb.bsky.social · 09/05/2026

I think I've counted more bald men than women elected to my local authority

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Tom Barrett @plannertomb.bsky.social · 09/05/2026

If Burnham did go (and would he even win a by-election?) what would happen to the GM mayoralty?

Tom Barrett @plannertomb.bsky.social · 10/04/2026

@reformexposed.bsky.social www.facebook.com/share/1XockQ... how does this not break electoral commission rules??

facebook.com

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Tom Barrett @plannertomb.bsky.social · 26/03/2026

Yeh, I think so. I would just buy a good tent for less than the quarter of the price and put up with the faff of setting it all up!

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Tom Barrett @plannertomb.bsky.social · 26/03/2026

My Instagram algorithm has decided I should buy a rooftop tent for my car. I'm fascinated, they look really impractical and daft.

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Tom Barrett @plannertomb.bsky.social · 07/03/2026

Yea, I imagine it would also entail some travel to the station in Doncaster too. What kind of quality of life is that?

Tom Barrett @plannertomb.bsky.social · 26/02/2026

Feel like this might have been done already

The terrifying truth is that 15 minute cities was always about controlling our daily lives

Tom Barrett @plannertomb.bsky.social · 25/02/2026

Feel like the messaging around the 2004 North East devolution referendum was very much against 'the establishment' and in the wake of Iraq, leading to a crushing defeat for it.

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Tom Barrett @plannertomb.bsky.social · 15/02/2026

On a related note, I've only seen highlights but the new video ref system in super league seems a lot better. I will see the game later on free telly and find out. Not hearing 'right here right now' for 4 minutes whilst seeing 40 replays of the same thing.

Jessica Elgot @jessicaelgot.bsky.social · 13/02/2026

Reposted by Tom Barrett

It’s over for this country

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Tom Barrett @plannertomb.bsky.social · 12/02/2026

Though this bit has a village called No Mans Heath in it, the Midlands strategic planning hotspot.

Area around border of Leicestershire, East Midlands, Staffordshire and Warwickshire on the SDS geography map