All Posts

I've seen many reforms to the planning system over the years. Most tinker at the edges. A few actually change how the profession behaves. The new approach to planning appeals is among the latter - and I don't think it's working, at least not in the cases that matter most. The pitch behind it is simple enough: get it right first time. Fair enough. No planning consultant worth their fee has ever aimed for anything less. The best result for a client has never been “win on appeal

Successive governments have promised to fix the planning system. This latest round of reform may help SME house-builders and developers, but only if it delivers better decisions, greater certainty and a more proportionate approach to smaller sites. This post is aimed primarily at SME house-builders and property developers, although many of the same issues will also be relevant to wider property businesses. Changes to the planning system are nothing new. They come round with r

Are you a landowner or developer with a potential development site in the Greater Norwich area? The Greater Norwich Local Plan review and Call for Sites presents a significant opportunity. The Greater Norwich authorities—Broadland District Council, Norwich City Council, and South Norfolk Council, working alongside Norfolk County Council—are preparing to review the Greater Norwich Local Plan (GNLP), adopted in March 2024. This review responds to national planning reform, the g

In a significant move to transform how new neighbourhoods are built across England, the UK government has rolled out updated national design guidance aimed at ensuring that future homes are not just functional but also enhance the quality of life. Published on January 21, 2026, by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), this draft Planning Practice Guidance (PPG) on Design and Placemaking consolidates previous documents into a streamlined framework.