Podcast episode 155: The 50 Shades of Planning Festive Christmas Quiz

Episode 155 of 50 Shades of Planning is available now via this link (or from Apple and Spotify) and, I am pleased to say, it sees the return of the 50 Shades of Planning Festive Christmas Quiz.

I got together at Soho Radio Studies last week with friends of podcast Mike Kiely, Catriona Riddell, Annie Gingell, Andrew Taylor, Nicola Gooch, Shelly Rouse, Ben Castell and Gilian Macinnes to review what has been another exciting year in the fast-paced, ever-changing, rock and roll world of town and country planning.

Based upon a selection of Planning Magazine’s most-read stories (kindly provided by Richard Garlick), I tested their knowledge of some of the themes that have prevailed most strongly this year. So you will hear me asking them questions about local authority resources, Grey Belt, statutory consultees, the local plans that have run aground, planning committees, snails, and many, many other topics.

And when I say many I mean many because this jam-packed, bumper edition of the quiz features two semi-finals and then a final, at the end of which one pair of contestants emerged victorious. Listen out too towards the end for an appearance at from a very special guest…

Can I please politely ask that if you have enjoyed this episode you kindly consider making a donation to either St John's Hospice, Lancaster or Bowel Cancer UK in memory of the late, great, friend of the podcast, Jonathan Easton.

Comments

Life on the Front Line

I like it when people get in touch with me to suggest topics for 50 Shades of Planning Podcast episodes because, firstly, it means that people are listening to it and also, and most importantly, it means I do not have to come up with ideas myself. I found this message from a team leader at a local authority striking and sobering though. In a subsequent conversation the person that sent this confided in me that their team is virtually in crisis mode. It is probably fair to say that the planning system is in crisis, but then it is also probably fair to say that the planning system is always in crisis… There is, of course, the issue of resources. Whilst according to a Planning magazine survey slightly more LPAs are predicting growth in planning department budgets (25%) rather than a contraction (22%), this has to be seen in the context of a 38% real-terms fall in net current expenditure on planning functions between 2010–11 and 2017–18. Beyond resources though the current crisis feels m...

50 Shades of Planning T-Shirts!

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