Appeal Ready

Appeal Ready

Author: Samuel Stafford March 7, 2026 Duration: 41:44

Sam Stafford was in Manchester last week and took the opportunity to catch up with friends of the podcast Lisa Tye, Andrew Johnston and Louise Fountain to discuss some of the issues of the day. 

In a conversation recorded at Reform Radio they talked about the imminent changes to appeal guidance; they talked about the design and placemaking PPG consultation; they talked about affordable housing delivery and the misalignment between Home England’s grant funding and Section 106 requirements; they went back to design and placemaking to talk about Design Review; and towards the end they talked about LPAs charging for invalid applications. The general theme of the discussion though, and hence the title of this episode, was set by a phrase that Lisa used at the start of the discussion and which seems to capture the mood of the moment, certainly as far as the development industry is concerned.

Some accompanying reading.

All Change: Strategic Plans and Planning Appeals Revamped

Don’t Be An April Fool: Written Reps Planning Appeals Are About To Get Faster But Also Riskier

Design and Placemaking Planning Practice Guidance

Design, delivery and the space in between: early reflections on the new Design & Placemaking PPG

It’s great that London has new design advocates. But what about elsewhere?

How long is a piece of string?

Council planning appeal budget spent in four months

Council can now charge for invalid planning applications

Some accompanying listening.

Mass Appeal – Gangstarr

Any other business.

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Sam is grateful to RichboroughTown Legal and Tyler Grange for supporting the podcast; to Vistry for sponsoring the 50 Shades mugs; and to Mike Dunbar and Adrian Meehan for recording and editing this episode.

Sam is on Bluesky and Instagram. His blog contains a link to his newsletter.


Samuel Stafford hosts 50 Shades of Planning, a podcast that digs into the often perplexing world of the English planning system. Rather than offering dry policy lectures, these conversations embrace the sector's inherent complexities and occasional absurdities. The aim is to provide a wide-ranging view, bringing in diverse voices from across the fields of planning, property, design, and development. You'll hear from practitioners, thinkers, and critics, each sharing their unique experiences and perspectives on how places are shaped. A recurring series within the podcast, titled 'Hitting The High Notes', features in-depth discussions with leading figures, examining pivotal career moments and influential projects. These talks are structured around six key planning milestones, offering a concrete framework for understanding professional journeys and systemic challenges. By weaving together themes from government, business, arts, and social sciences, this podcast reveals how planning sits at a crowded intersection of politics, economics, and community life. Tune in for thoughtful, sometimes surprising, explorations of the forces that decide what gets built, where, and why.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 164

50 Shades of Planning
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