The Mortar Bombs of Division

Sam Stafford had planned more of a ramble-type chat with Pete Swift, Jonathan Easton and Claire Petricca-Riding, but, reflective of the news that has dominated the agenda of late, their conversation, recorded online, focuses on planning for the environment and specifically nutrient neutrality and net zero. They talk less about the nuts and bolts, practical implications of the respective recent announcements in these areas (links below) and more about the political narrative. Thanks largely to Pete the conversation gets quite philosophical at times and Sam hopes that it is all the more interesting for that. This being the 50 Shades of Planning podcast Listeners can though look forward to a little bit of housing target chat as well. Some accompanying reading. House of Lords Built Environment Committee’s report on the impact of environmental regulations on development https://committees.parliament.uk/work/7328/the-impact-of-environmental-regulations-on-development/ Government neutrality update on 29 August https://www.gov.uk/guidance/nutrient-neutrality-announcement-explainer Government neutrality update on 20 September https://www.gov.uk/guidance/nutrient-neutrality-update Sunak to rip up green rules to build 140,000 homes despite Labour and Natural England opposition (£) https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/09/23/rishi-sunak-majority-140k-homes-labour-nutrient-neutrality/ PM speech on Net Zero: 20 September 2023 https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/pm-speech-on-net-zero-20-september-2023 The affordability impacts of new housing supply: A summary of recent research https://www.london.gov.uk/media/102314/download How housing targets are stopping us building enough homes https://longwall.substack.com/p/how-housing-targets-are-stopping UK Green Building Council’s ‘Embodied Ecological Impacts knowledge Hub’ https://ukgbc.org/our-work/topics/embodied-ecological-impacts/ Require planning fees be ringfenced for planning services https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/643493 Small builders, big burdens https://lichfields.uk/content/insights/small-builders-big-burdens Southwark’s Land Commission https://www.southwark.gov.uk/council-and-democracy/southwark-land-commission Some accompanying viewing. Richard Curtis uses Al Pacino’s Any Given Sunday speech to inspire global action on climate change https://www.thelondoneconomic.com/news/richard-curtis-uses-al-pacinos-any-given-sunday-speech-to-inspire-global-action-on-climate-change-357182/ Some accompanying listening. This can’t go on – Bill Ryder-Jones https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byUoDKTVEac 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: http://samuelstafford.blogspot.com/2021/07/50-shades-of-planning-t-shirts.html