Planning Magazine

Today sees the launch of The Planning Network (TPN), the overarching brand under which Planning integrates more closely with its sister products COMPASS and DCP. planningresource.co.uk/artic…

The government has released its draft national policy statement on data centres, which allows for certain types of such schemes to be treated as major infrastructure and sets out considerations for adapting and mitigating their climate impacts. planningresource.co.uk/artic…

A junior minister has committed to exploring the option of conducting an “interim or informal” review of the effectiveness of the government’s imminent national scheme of delegation before the two-year timeframe required by law. planningresource.co.uk/artic…

The chancellor John Healey delivered his first budget in the House of Commons yesterday. Here are seven key takeaways for planners. planningresource.co.uk/artic…

An energy minister has granted a development consent order for a 1,765-hectare solar farm, agreeing with planning inspectors that the need for the scheme justified harm to the landscape and the loss of more than 1,000 hectares of high-quality farming land. planningresource.co.uk/artic…

Only half of condition discharge applications to local planning authorities were determined within the statutory timeframe in the past three financial years, according to research by a housebuilding industry body. planningresource.co.uk/artic…

Yesterday’s Budget states that an AI planning product developed by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) will be made available “to all councils across England by the end of 2027”. planningresource.co.uk/artic…

The chancellor has announced a “covenant” for new “strategic” data centres setting out the contributions such schemes must make in exchange for priority grid connections. But it is not yet clear whether the covenants will be imposed by the planning system. planningresource.co.uk/artic…

The chancellor John Healey delivered his first budget in the House of Commons today. Below, we summarise reaction to the key planning-related measures. planningresource.co.uk/artic…

The chancellor will exempt brownfield residential development sites of up to 1.5 hectares from the need to deliver biodiversity gains, he said in the autumn budget. planningresource.co.uk/artic…

The chief executive of the Planning Inspectorate has rejected a suggestion that the government has indicated disappointment that insufficient numbers of appeals were succeeding post publication of the National Planning Policy Framework. planningresource.co.uk/artic…

A council in Kent released more than 200 hectares of green belt land in the 12 months to March, according to the latest government statistics that show seven local authorities reduced their green belt areas via local and neighbourhood plans in 2025/26. planningresource.co.uk/artic…

A planning consultancy has recruited three graduate planners to different offices across the country. planningresource.co.uk/artic…

A barristers’ chambers prominent in planning law has taken on several new tenants. planningresource.co.uk/artic…

A barrister has joined the planning and environment group at a new chambers, moving across from another set. planningresource.co.uk/artic…

A council that this summer saw ministerial intervention in its local plan-making has voted to pursue judicial review and consider withdrawal as a fallback option, despite the planning minister cautioning that steps to withdraw the plan would be “unlawful”. planningresource.co.uk/artic…

England’s environmental watchdog has “broadly welcomed” the “positive intent” of the country’s first draft plan enabling developers to pay to mitigate pollution, but warned that the document “risks a lowering of environmental protection in practice”. planningresource.co.uk/artic…

A council has said it is “taking legal advice” after it was directed by the planning minister to proceed with a regulation 19 consultation on its draft local plan, and to submit the document for examination by the end of March next year. planningresource.co.uk/artic…

The chief executive of the Planning Inspectorate (PINS) has revealed that the body has reduced its resourcing of inspectors handling appeals to ensure that those examining local plans are prepared for the anticipated upcoming wave of plan submissions. planningresource.co.uk/artic…

The shadow housing minister has criticised imminent changes to the planning fees regime that would allow planning authorities to raise an estimated £144 million extra each year from applicants. planningresource.co.uk/artic…