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Podcast episode 137: If I Ruled the World

Episode 137 of the podcast is available now via this link or from iTunes and Spotify.

I was down in The Big Smoke recently and took the opportunity to catch up with friends of the podcast Matthew Spry, Simon Ricketts, Hana Loftus, Vicky Payne and Mike Kiely.

In a good ol’ fashioned Adam Buxton-style ramblechat we talked about anything and everything. We talked about stat cons; we talked about skills, resources and leadership within LPAs; we talked about the need for efficiency gains in development management to deal with the expected uptick in planning applications; we talked application fees; we talked about power lines; we talked about a national scheme of delegation; we talked about NPSs, SDSs, local plans and NDMPs; and then we talked about a national scheme of delegation again.

There is something in here for everybody.



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