Some of the language on heritage in chapter 20 of the new NPPF is different to the previous version: does that matter in practice?  That’s what I’m covering in this post (although, darn it, th…

Before we get stuck into this further post on the NPPF, I do need to allay possible misapprehensions of Daily Mail readers this morning:  the PF in NPPF does not stand for Pergola Framework. R…

Big Technology Podcast · Episode

Echo & the Bunnymen · album · 2026 · 11 songs

The 16 July 2026 London Plan consultation draft was published before the publication of the government’s 17 August 2026 National Planning Policy Framework  which sets out the tests which strategic …

Proposals to merge smaller councils to form larger authorities have been paused or withdrawn in a number of areas.

More than 800 barrels of the stout have been stolen from a depot in Runcorn, Cheshire, say police.

As a supplement to my 31 August 2026 blog post Push The Button: The Pro-Development Presumptions, “Substantial Weight” & “Support” Policies In The New NPPF, I thought it might be helpful if I s…

To maximise the prospect of securing planning approval, scheme promoters need to ensure that their schemes press as many of the relevant buttons in the new NPPF as possible. I have counted 21 of th…

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I’ve seen that planning lawyers and other planning advisers are increasingly tempted to roll out statistics as to likely appeal outcomes as part of the advice being given by clients. By and large, …

The question goes both ways: if a local planning authority is minded to refuse a planning application, when should the mayor of a strategic authority be allowed to call in the application and poten…

Housing minister Matthew Pennycook said the change was "essential" for helping mayors "effectively deliver new homes".

Arkayla · EP · 2026 · 4 songs

Here’s one we prepared earlier: . By “we” I mean my colleague Archie Hunter, for which thanks (although any errors are mine – please do just use this as an indicative guide). It’s interesting to se…

The BBC's lawyers argue Trump's family members "have personal knowledge" of his intentions in the speech he gave outside the US Capitol on 6 January 2021.