Sign in

Tony Burton

@tony4place.bsky.social
310 followers 263 following 5.5K posts

Chair @powertochange.org.uk Trustee @cprecountryside.bsky.social, @nationwidefdtn.bsky.social, @SMKcampaigners.bsky.social. V.Chair HS2 Design Panel. Convener Neighbourhood Planners.London. Chair Wandle Valley Forum. Founder @civicvoice.org.uk.

PostsRepliesMedia
Reposted by Tony Burton
Town and Country Planning Association @thetcpa.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
The LHG Nicky Gavron Memorial Award is open. Nicky championed sustainable places, children's play, nature access & public involvement in planning. Early career planners, researchers & campaigners: pitch an idea to win £1,000 & publication. Deadline: 4 Jan '27 Expression of interest: buff.ly/bbrLipH
003
Reposted by Tony Burton
Power to Change @powertochange.org.uk · 29/09/2026
The Civic High Street Collective has a new look 🎉 Join our LinkedIn community to share inspiration, learn from others and discover examples from mixed-use civic high streets across the country 👉 www.linkedin.com/groups/42479014/
032
Tony Burton @tony4place.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
To Birmingham for a get together of #neighbourhoodplanning Examiners - suggestions for a collective noun welcome!
000
Tony Burton @tony4place.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
More evidence if needed as to why @andyburnham.bsky.social devolution needs to look beyond Mayors and local government to put meaningful power directly into community hands www.theguardian.com/society/2026...
theguardian.com
‘Devastating’: council rejects Frome residents’ bid for regeneration project
Locals raised £1m for Mayday Saxonvale scheme involving homes and park but Somerset officials agreed deal with London-based real estate company
010
Reposted by Tony Burton
Richard Hebditch @richard.hebditch.org · 09/09/2026
More evolution of Burnham's council house building pledge - now "biggest council housebuilding programme since the post-war boom *ended* in the early 1980s" (from Pennycook speech today)
232
Tony Burton @tony4place.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
The two critical roles which will drive @cprecountryside.bsky.social campaigning - please share or apply! www.linkedin.com/feed/update/...
linkedin.com
We're hiring! Two new Head of Campaigns roles to help shape the national debate about how England uses its finite supply of land. 📍 London, hybrid (2 days a week in the office) 💰 £61,000 ⏰ Closing...
We're hiring! Two new Head of Campaigns roles to help shape the national debate about how England uses its finite supply of land. 📍 London, hybrid (2 days a week in the office) 💰 £61,000 ⏰ Closing dat...
020
Tony Burton @tony4place.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
How is this car park at Airedale Hospital intended to work - check out the arrows!
000
Tony Burton @tony4place.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Discovered this rather lovely exploration of my father's archive of clothes, films and writing from the first years of science in Antarctica in International Geophysical Year (1957-58) given to @royalsociety.org youtu.be/KpIttWCjyDc?...
youtu.be
Antarctic Outfits - Objectivity 302
YouTube video by Objectivity
010
Tony Burton @tony4place.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
A pleasure to see RSS Sir David Attenborough and understand a little of its research into Greenland glaciers when in Reykjavik @bas.ac.uk
001
Tony Burton @tony4place.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
The "regeneration of communities" will need to look beyond devolving powers to mayors and councils to put real power directly into community hands - @louisehaighmp.bsky.social's taskforce needs to be radical on shifting power as well as reforming policy
000
Reposted by Tony Burton
mySociety @mysociety.org · 01/09/2026
Who's been watching 'Buried' with Michael Sheen? We were glad to hear that WhatDoTheyKnow and #FOI had a major part to play, behind the scenes: www.mysociety.org/2026/09/01/b...
mysociety.org
Buried with Michael Sheen: how FOI helped uncover a toxic waste scandal
Are you one of the many who has watched the BBC's two-parter Buried with Michael Sheen? If so, you may have experienced increasing levels of outrage as the actor helps to uncover the scandalous dumpin...
035
Tony Burton @tony4place.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
As September begins we can start to speculate on when Storm Austen will hit www.metoffice.gov.uk/about-us/new...
000
Tony Burton @tony4place.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
Still thinking about "high streets"? It's time to start thinking "civic high street" to give these shared places at the heart of communities the confident future we all need www.powertochange.org.uk/evidence-and...
powertochange.org.uk
Welcome to the Civic High Street Collective - Power to Change
Across the country community, public and commercial actors are already demonstrating a successful civic model for high streets and town centres. The challen ...
031
Tony Burton @tony4place.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
Healthy challenges on the way local health is framed and delivered here from @wearenewlocal.bsky.social - moving the mindset from providing services to thinking about place www.newlocal.org.uk/wp-content/u...
newlocal.org.uk
010
Reposted by Tony Burton
Power to Change @powertochange.org.uk · 25/08/2026
What's the mood across the #communitybusiness sector right now? Explore the latest Pulse Survey results, from confidence levels to relationships with government and local impact. 👇 www.powertochange.org.uk/what-we-do…
powertochange.org.uk
Community Business Pulse Survey - Power to Change
Bringing partners together to champion a mixed-use, civic model where high streets are reimagined as places for local se
002
Tony Burton @tony4place.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
The risk to the Harry Simpson Memorial Library and the treasures it holds on the story of planning and housing municipaldreams.wordpress.com
municipaldreams.wordpress.com
Municipal Dreams
000
Tony Burton @tony4place.bsky.social · 23/08/2026
Centralisation not @andyburnham.bsky.social's promised devolution www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
Mayors to get powers to overrule local councils on planning decisions
Housing minister Matthew Pennycook said the change was "essential" for helping mayors "effectively deliver new homes".
001
Tony Burton @tony4place.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
Important #neighbourhoodplanning detail in today's #NPPF Annex A “Neighbourhood plans that have been submitted to the local planning authority under Regulation 15, on or before, the date of publication of this Framework should be prepared in accordance with the Framework published in December 2024”
001
Tony Burton @tony4place.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
Whatever the merits or otherwise of today's new #NPPF it cannot be described as an act of devolution and runs counter to the @andyburnham.bsky.social narrative. Planning decisions need to be better informed by local priorities not less.
000
Tony Burton @tony4place.bsky.social · 08/08/2026
Lifting the lid on the myth of planning delays for new housing - fascinating timeline commissioned by @cprecountryside.bsky.social shows drainage, flood risk and highways take up most time when deciding on planning application along with builder changing plans stories.cpre.org.uk/mapping-the-...
stories.cpre.org.uk
Mapping the pipeline
Everyone has an opinion on why new homes take so long to build. Far fewer have actually looked. Academics at the University of Reading and Lyon CPT did, in a first-of-its-kind study tracking one devel...
110
Tony Burton @tony4place.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
And even where they do it can take decades to get local authorities to agree to fix the missing links - such as here on the Wandle Trail in SW London where every official planning and transport document supports a solution but no action yet on the ground www.change.org/p/fix-the-mi...
change.org
Sign the Petition
Fix the "Missing Link" in the Wandle Trail
010
Reposted by Tony Burton
Financial Times @financialtimes.com · 02/08/2026
How to save the British high street ft.trib.al/Gep6DvU | opinion
ft.trib.al
How to save the British high street
Communities need help to tackle the blight of delinquent landlords who let empty properties decay
5187
Tony Burton @tony4place.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
Protecting the countryside - the book of the story of the first 100 years of @cprecountryside.bsky.social www.littletoller.co.uk/shop/books/l...
littletoller.co.uk
Protecting the Countryside by Matthew Kelly - Little Toller Books
A new history of the Campaign to Protect Rural England, to mark its first century, by the countryside historian Matthew Kelly.
000
Tony Burton @tony4place.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
Logic would suggest @andyburnham.bsky.social's new "local first" principle applied to planning will bring fresh Government support for #neighbourhoodplanning and require a rewrite of the centralising draft #NPPF www.gov.uk/government/n...
gov.uk
PM hands mayors share of income tax to make lives better in every postcode
The Prime Minister will today launch the biggest transfer of power from Westminster in a generation, giving communities greater control over the decisions that shape jobs, transport, housing and publi...
000
Reposted by Tony Burton
Sheila McKechnie Foundation (SMK) @smkcampaigners.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
The digital landscape is changing, and fast! If you are someone who understands this challenge 👉📢 we're hiring: Digital Marketing Manager. 🗓 Apply by Wednesday 26 August, 12 noon 🔗 Apply: smk.org.uk/get-involved/join-our-te… #DigitalMarketing #MarketingJobs #CharityJobs
001
Reposted by Tony Burton
Sheila McKechnie Foundation (SMK) @smkcampaigners.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
📢 The SMK is hiring an Operations & Systems Manager. A flexible, part-time role supporting our team with systems, operations, technology and organisational culture. ⏰ 18 hrs/week (term-time only) 💰 £34,000 FTE 🗓 Apply by 11 August, 12 noon 🔗 smk.org.uk/get-involved/join-our-te…
001
Reposted by Tony Burton
Sheila McKechnie Foundation (SMK) @smkcampaigners.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
Which campaign training programme is right for you? ⭐ Open Training ⭐ Deep Dives ⭐ Campaign Carousel ⭐ NEW: Campaign Carousel Mini Find the right fit for you or your team: smk.org.uk/what-we-do/support/campa…
101
Tony Burton @tony4place.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
Remind me again why we have created a housing and planning system that depends on commercial housebuilders to provide places to live in that everyone can afford when houses are traded as economic assets not homes? www.ft.com/content/2a63...
ft.com
Investors snap up bundles of UK properties as housebuilders offer discounts
Bulk buyers win double-digit reductions while cautious consumers stay on sidelines
001
Reposted by Tony Burton
Chris Hinchliff MP @chrishinchliff.bsky.social · 25/07/2026
The absurdities of trying to get profit motivated developers to solve our housing crisis just keep growing. We've now got thousands of new flats lying empty because they are so expensive and come with so many strings attached with their leaseholds, no one wants them.
0125
Tony Burton @tony4place.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
Here's hoping the new Chancellor has a better understanding - the link between building homes and their affordability to those in housing need is virtually non-existent. That's what's simple!
000
Tony Burton @tony4place.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
Six well judged priorities for Andy Burnham from @cprecountryside.bsky.social www.cpre.org.uk/news/six-pri...
cpre.org.uk
Six priorities for Andy Burnham
CPRE sets out six priorities for Andy Burnham, from delivering affordable housing to restoring nature and making better decisions about land.
020
Reposted by Tony Burton
Richard Hebditch @richard.hebditch.org · 22/07/2026
Last week was 20th anniversary of the Commons Act 2006. Open Spaces Society on the importance of the Act for restoring Commons status & new village greens. The Act also has not been fully implemented & needs building on for green spaces in new developments. More here: www.oss.org.uk/its-time-to-...
oss.org.uk
It’s time to complete unfinished business on commons and greens | OSS | July 2026
Read the latest news from the Open Spaces Society. We protect the places you love.
001
Tony Burton @tony4place.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
Good growth in every postcode needs power in every community - addressing the last mile of devolution by @powertochange.org.uk www.powertochange.org.uk/evidence-and...
powertochange.org.uk
Good growth in every postcode needs power in every community - Power to Change
Today, Andy Burnham starts his new role as Prime Minister. Community businesses offer a practical route to delivering his good growth agenda, but if devolut ...
010
Reposted by Tony Burton
Power to Change @powertochange.org.uk · 22/07/2026
Devolution can move power closer to places. But is it moving it closer to people? Andy Burnham's first few days have put place-first politics centre stage. But it will only work if we shift power from beyond Whitehall & city halls, all the way down to communities: buff.ly/UiBezRU
Graphic for a Power to Change blog: “The missing pieces of Burnham’s place-first politics,” over a photo of a man presenting in a meeting room.
013
Tony Burton @tony4place.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
Check out recording of @cprecountryside.bsky.social's excellent Land Use Conference. Spot the mismatch between Defra & MHCLG's priorities for the role of planning - MHCLG keen to claim (wrongly) the new Land Use Framework is "not a material planning consideration" www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...
youtube.com
Land Use Conference 2026 - YouTube
A playlist featuring the introduction and three sessions which took place at CPRE's centenary Land Use Conference at UCL East in June 2026.
010
Reposted by Tony Burton
Sheila McKechnie Foundation (SMK) @smkcampaigners.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
📢 We're recruiting a Digital Marketing Manager 💰 £35k-£37k (£28k-£29.6k pro rata) 🗓 Apply by 26 August, 12 noon Help grow our digital presence through social media, website development & digital campaigns while supporting campaigners across the UK. 🔗 smk.org.uk/get-involved/join-our-te…
011
Tony Burton @tony4place.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
Nine months delay (minimum) when referring a Freedom of Information refusal by a local authority to @infocommission.bsky.social to even begin to adjudicate - an unacceptable block on holding power to account. Reason given "an unprecedented volume of concerns"
001
Tony Burton @tony4place.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
Another eloquent #planoraks rant from @zacksimons.bsky.social. Never fails to disappoint that #planoraks and multiple other brainy planning commentators still cannot address fact there is no meaningful link between any of these build numbers & meeting housing needs www.planoraks.com/posts-1/mind...
planoraks.com
Mind the Gap: planning for London, and the death of the “standard method” — #planoraks
The end of local housing need.
000
Tony Burton @tony4place.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
New Draft London Plan should be available as a single downloadable document which can be read and searched on Monday - till then we have to use the fragmented online version www.london.gov.uk/programmes-s...
000
Reposted by Tony Burton
Sheila McKechnie Foundation (SMK) @smkcampaigners.bsky.social · 06/07/2026
We've released our 3 year strategy! "We want campaigning to be more visible, more valued, and more effective. Change is Possible is not just the title of this strategy, it’s a collective statement of intent." - CEO Katie Roberts smk.org.uk/change-is-possible-introducing-smks-new-3-year-strategy/
001
Tony Burton @tony4place.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
A reminder - brownfield building delivers faster than greenfield www.cpre.org.uk/news/over-ha...
cpre.org.uk
Over half of brownfield sites could be built on rapidly, report shows
We are CPRE, the countryside charity. Learn how we're working for a beautiful and thriving countryside that's accessible to everyone - and how to get involved.
010
Tony Burton @tony4place.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
Off for two days of Board discussions to put more oomph behind community business - which the all seeing @powertochange.org.uk team have organised in.....Manchester
010
Tony Burton @tony4place.bsky.social · 29/06/2026
Watching @andyburnham.bsky.social's welcome focus on shifting power and funding away from the centre to see how far it looks beyond mayors and local government to strengthen local communities directly
001
Tony Burton @tony4place.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
Fault line in Government over ambition for Land Use Strategy laid bare at today's excellent @cprecountryside.bsky.social Centenary Conference. DEFRA lead confirms Ministers' desire to be "transformational". MHCLG Strategic Planning lead says not much overlap & "not a material planning consideration"
020
Tony Burton @tony4place.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
Good to see @london.gov.uk's Heat Ready London - shame the Mayor, MHCLG and volume housebuilders are all signed up to weakening London Plan safeguards against single aspect flats in vain pursuit of "viability" www.london.gov.uk/heat-ready-l...
london.gov.uk
Heat Ready London - London’s first ever heat plan - sets out new vision to protect the capital from extreme heat - as temperatures soar in the capital
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan has today unveiled the capitals first ever heat plan - Heat Ready London – a new city-wide vision to help the capital adapt to increasingly frequent and severe heatwave...
000
Tony Burton @tony4place.bsky.social · 19/06/2026
"I will take a place first approach" @andyburnham.bsky.social
000
Reposted by Tony Burton
CPRE London @cprelondon.bsky.social · 11/06/2026
We’re currently advertising for the role of Policy and Campaigns Manager. Further details can be found on our website: cprelondon.org.uk/get-involved... The closing date is 12 noon on Monday 22nd June. #GreenBelt #Nature #GreenSpace
001
Reposted by Tony Burton
CPRE London @cprelondon.bsky.social · 17/06/2026
Fantastic coverage in today's Guardian about our London Tree Ring Project! We're aiming to create a continuous belt of woodland, orchards and hedgerows encircling Greater London for people and wildlife. #GreenSpaces #LondonTreeRing @cprecountryside.bsky.social www.theguardian.com/environment/...
theguardian.com
‘I don’t like being stuck in an office’: the young people helping plant a ring of trees around London
London Tree Ring project aims to create corridors of plant and animal life around the city to strengthen its biodiversity
101
Reposted by Tony Burton
Power to Change @powertochange.org.uk · 16/06/2026
NEWSLETTER🗞️| Our five steps for thriving civil high streets, plus the latest thinking, news and resources in the community business world. Explore our May newsletter 👇 mailchi.mp/powertochange.org.uk/jun…
A group of people wearing hard hats are gathered outside a construction site. One person is holding documents and talking to the others. Above them is a sign that reads, "June's community business news, thinking, and more..." and below is a logo with "Power to Change.
031
Reposted by Tony Burton
Power to Change @powertochange.org.uk · 15/06/2026
Hosting a session tomorrow at @wearenewlocal.bsky.social Stronger Things!👇 Join for 'Reclaiming the High Street: community power, councils and the future of local regeneration'. Grounded in real examples & open discussion. 📅 16 June 🔗 www.newlocal.org.uk/stronger-things…
newlocal.org.uk
Stronger Things 2026 Agenda - New Local
Booking | Speakers | Agenda | ST Online Partners | Plan your day | FAQs Open the floorplan In person agenda Online agenda Online agenda In person agenda
023