Zack Simons

Just to be clear - I’m not sure who that first 3 sentences is quoting, but it’s not me (as the tweet implies).

@kevinhollinrake Just to be clear - I’m not sure who that first 3 sentences is quoting, but it’s not me (as the tweet implies).

"This has destroyed the Green Belt. Well over 50% of Green Belt is Grey. I don't think Labour meant this or understood the implications. They'll have to scale it back." A leading planning barrister. “It’s a seismic reversal of the determinative planning policy test - from a presumption against to a presumption in favour - that will apply to hundreds and hundreds of sites all over the country.” Zack Simons, Planning Barrister Without even the accompaniment of a Written Parliamentary Statement, the Government has just waved through massive changes, including effectively taking villages out of the Green Belt completely.

It’s beginning to look a lot like…

When it comes to sustainable housing development and nature recovery, the status quo isn’t working. The government is seeking views on a new approach that will allow us to deliver a win-win for both and overcome challenges such as nutrient neutrality 👇🏻 gov.uk/government/pub…

The government is due to announce changes to the planning system that could see councils forced to consider building on green belt land in England. Zack Simons, a planning barrister and UK planning law blogger, calls it 'the most radical review' of planning policy. #R4Today

“Green spaces are not sacred. We need somewhere to live too.” Excellent piece by @caitlinmoran in @thetimes thetimes.com/comment/column…

Podcast on last 14 years of planning policy is now out. Great conversation with @CatrionaRiddel1, ex-Chief Planner Steve Quartermain & @samuel_stafford including about the creation of the #NPPF, localism and the case for strategic planning. ⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️🏡🏗️ pod.co/50-shades-of-p…

Love NPPF but worry about untended outcomes - look no further. New blog wrestling with Grey Belt, benchmark land values and new 50% affordable housing requirements. philipbarnesblog.wordpress.com/2024/08/28/gre…

Housebuilding is an agenda for the many, not the few theguardian.com/commentisfree/…

The streams have crossed. natesilver.net/p/nate-silver-…

‘Housebuilding is a route to bigger, better homes for all, not just the rich’ - good article explaining how building more homes helps, from ⁦@TorstenBell⁩ theguardian.com/commentisfree/…

@moving_charlie @AngelaRayner @mtpennycook Hi there I explain the sense in which the proposed targets are mandatory here if it helps: planoraks.com/posts-1/planni… Zack

Housing Journalists: Request! "Mandatory: Required by law or mandate. Compulsory." Please could anyone with access to @AngelaRayner or @mtpennycook ask them to clarify what is meant by "mandatory" house building targets and what, in practice, is different from when they were mere 'targets'? Who is subject to this mandate? According to Planning Barrister @zacksimons there is nothing mandatory or legally binding about them. If house building is mandatory, but not enough people are buying houses (as is the case currently, hence housebuilding is down 41% according to Labour), who has to pay to cover the cost of this mandatory building? I'm not aware that the government has committed to paying for the building of any of the 1.5m homes. The government has been evasive about social home building numbers, which is what is needed most. All the government rhetoric so far begs these questions that no one is answering. The poorest and most acute sufferers of the housing crisis cannot afford to wait 5 years to find out they have been failed yet again, so please can we have credible clarity around the plans. @Victoria_Spratt I hope you can help with this.

Planners will play a vital role in delivering the homes and infrastructure the country needs in the years ahead. We value the profession and look forward to working with it to deliver change. My letter to RTPI President @LARichards23 👇🏻 gov.uk/government/pub…

Unlike its predecessor, this Labour Government is willing to do what’s necessary to quickly drive up local plan coverage. My exchange with Planning Inspectorate CEO, Paul Morrison 👇🏻

As part of our reforms to the planning system, we are proposing to make housing targets mandatory and change the way they are calculated to better reflect local need 👇🏻 mhclgmedia.blog.gov.uk/2024/07/31/our…

We said we would act quickly and decisively to tackle the housing crisis and kickstart economic growth - and we are. Today we take the first steps to fix our planning system by overhauling the National Planning Policy Framework 👇🏻 gov.uk/government/con…

The post-war New Towns programme was the most ambitious town-building effort ever undertaken in the UK. We begin work today on bringing forward the next generation of new towns. Really pleased Sir Michael Lyons will chair our expert taskforce. gov.uk/government/new…

@SteveAkehurst Hi @SteveAkehurst - do you have a link to the source of that graph? Many thanks, Zack

Neglected fact: getting more housebuilding is about more than planning reform. Here’s an important graph for understanding that: Developers have consistently under-delivered on their planning permissions for years. 🧵 on why and why it matters

The constant change and churn the sector experienced under the Tories damaged its ability to deliver over the long-term. We recognise that social housing providers need certainty and stability and we are looking forward to working with you in partnership to put things right.

Labour was given a clear mandate at the election to get Britain building again and kickstart economic growth. We are determined to grasp the nettle of planning reform so we can build the homes and infrastructure our country needs. theguardian.com/society/articl…