The Chief Planner, Joanna Averley, has published a planning update newsletter for April 2025, written for the chief planning officers at local planning authorities (LPAs).  The newsletter contains details concerning the announcement of a £1.2m PropTech Innovation Challenge to accelerate housing delivery which will fund up to 12 PropTech projects while developing digital solutions to support the delivery of 1.5m new homes, Historic England’s revised guidance for roof thatching has been issued to clarify heritage conservation issues around thatch material, addressing concerns after poor harvests and, Natural England’s updated framework concerning protected species which now allows LPAs to make decisions without a consultation in most instances (feedback is welcomed on these changes). Additional content includes various policy and guidance updates, research initiatives, webinars on coastal change, and fact sheets to support nature in development.

The Chief Planner, Joanna Averley, has published the April 2024 planning update newsletter, written for the chief planning officers at local planning authorities (LPAs).

The Chief Planner, Joanna Averley, has published the August 2024 planning update newsletter, written for the chief planning officers at local planning authorities (LPAs).

The Chief Planner, Joanna Averley, has published a planning update newsletter for August 2025, written for the chief planning officers at local planning authorities (LPAs). The newsletter contains details of preparations for the new plan-making system, with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) urging LPAs to ensure full coverage of up-to-date local plans as soon as possible. It outlines five non-statutory activities LPAs can currently undertake to prepare for the new system under the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act 2023 (LURA 2023), including early scoping work, evidence base development, engagement preparation, project management development and risk monitoring processes. The newsletter also highlights that MHCLG has provided further details on the steps it will take to reform the statutory consultee system, including introducing a national planning fee surcharge to fund statutory consultees’ planning functions via the Planning and Infrastructure Bill. MHCLG is also expected to consult soon on removing statutory consultee status from Sport England, the Theatres Trust and the Gardens Trust. Additionally, the newsletter covers the launch of the Planning Advisory Service (PAS) fees survey, the publication of PAS’ best practice self-assessment toolkit to help councils review their planning committees and the government’s decision to maintain maximum and minimum compulsory purchase thresholds for owner-occupiers.

The Chief Planner, Joanna Averley, has published the planning update newsletter dated 18 August 2026, written for chief planning officers at local planning authorities (LPAs). It highlights publication of the new National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), whose new decision-making policies took effect on 17 August 2026, including an expanded ‘default yes’ approach around well-connected stations, policies supporting higher densities and more intensive use of land, a distinct category for strategic sites of around 1,500 homes or more, clarification on local standards, greater flexibility for retail regeneration, stronger support for telecommunications infrastructure, and enhanced protections for community facilities and Protected Landscapes. The newsletter also covers reforms to the statutory consultee system; publication of the 2024 and 2025 Housing Delivery Test results and an updated Rule Book; a consultation on permitted development rights for electricity network ground investigations; and the rollout of the AI-powered Extract tool to all LPAs. Further updates include an AI prototype aimed at reducing householder planning application processing times; guidance on digital tools for site identification and assessment; £2.4 million for 11 consortia through Round 6 of the PropTech Innovation Fund; new national Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) Strategy Templates and free SuDS training for planners; and forthcoming Green Infrastructure webinars covering new evidence and environmental mapping tools. The letter also confirms that further work will support implementation of the reforms, including updates to Planning Practice Guidance and implementation of provisions in the Planning and Infrastructure Act 2025.

The Chief Planner, Joanna Averley, has published the December 2024 planning update newsletter, written for the chief planning officers at local planning authorities (LPAs).

The Chief Planner, Joanna Averley, has published the February 2024 planning update newsletter, written for the chief planning officers at local planning authorities (LPAs).

The Chief Planner, Joanna Averley, has published a planning update newsletter for February 2025, written for the chief planning officers at local planning authorities (LPAs). The newsletter contains details of the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG)’s publication of its first annual survey on planning capacity and skills in local authorities, which revealed significant recruitment and retention challenges. It also notes minor corrections made by the MHCLG to the recently revised National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and provides clarification on the transitional arrangements for joint local plans following the NPPF’s publication. The letter also highlights the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs' consultation on a new Land Use Framework and includes information about the consultations on compulsory purchase process and compensation.

The Chief Planner, Joanna Averley, has published the planning update newsletter for February 2026, written for chief planning officers at local planning authorities (LPAs). The newsletter highlights the publication for consultation of draft Design and Placemaking Planning Practice Guidance (PPG), which consolidates four existing guidance documents into a single, streamlined framework covering the features of well-designed places, the integration of high-quality design throughout the planning process, and the setting of effective local design codes. The guidance is intended to support implementation of policies in the draft National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) 2025, and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has indicated that it will also publish model design codes for common types of development. The consultation closes on 10 March 2026. The newsletter also reports on the government’s 28 January 2026 announcement of a policy package to reset the section 106 (S106) system. The package is aimed at strengthening affordable housing delivery and tackling the backlog of uncontracted S106 units, with LPAs expected to register with the Homes England Clearing Service. Additional items include the opening of entries for the 2026 Housing Design Awards; the launch of new Planning Advisory Service (PAS) tools to support the preparation of Infrastructure Delivery Plans; National Highways’ publication of a Local Plan brochure; registration for MHCLG’s 2026 Planning Skills and Capacity Survey; and a range of training and professional development opportunities. These include a Department for Transport (DfT) virtual teach-in on electric vehicle infrastructure scheduled for 10 March 2026; online clean energy planning workshops delivered in partnership with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ); and the Urban Design Spring School, taking place in London on 23–25 March 2026.

The Chief Planner, Joanna Averley, has published the January 2024 planning update newsletter, written for the chief planning officers at local planning authorities (LPAs).

The Chief Planner, Joanna Averley, has published a planning update newsletter for July 2025, written for the chief planning officers at local planning authorities (LPAs). The newsletter contains details of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill’s progression to the House of Lords, following its second reading in the House of Commons on 25 June 2025. Key amendments made during the Commons stages include: (1) removing the statutory requirement for pre-application consultation on nationally significant infrastructure projects; (2) measures to reform grid connection queues; and (3) targeted improvements to the proposed Nature Restoration Fund, among other changes. The update also announces the launch of the Department for Transport and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government Connectivity Tool on 26 June 2025, a new digital resource for measuring transport connectivity across England and Wales. It also highlights the launch of ‘Extract’, an artificial intelligence tool designed to assist with digitising planning documents, and references the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs’ publication of new National Standards for Sustainable Drainage Systems. Finally, the newsletter notes that simplified procedures for planning appeals determined through written representations will begin rolling out from the end of 2025.

The Chief Planner, Joanna Averley, has published a planning update newsletter for June 2025, written for the chief planning officers at local planning authorities (LPAs). The newsletter contains details of recent announcements from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) aimed at encouraging faster build out, reducing burdens on smaller sites, and supporting SME builders. Key updates include: (1) a technical consultation on a proposed statutory build out framework, alongside a planning reform working paper on potential government actions to accelerate housing delivery; (2) a working paper on reforms to site thresholds within the planning system; and (3) a consultation on reforms to planning committees. The letter also covers recent consultations launched by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on implementing Biodiversity Net Gain for nationally significant infrastructure projects (NSIPs), as well as for minor, medium, and brownfield developments. It further references the Minister of State for Housing and Planning, Matthew Pennycook’s April 2025 written ministerial statement on additional reforms to the NSIP regime. Finally, it highlights the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) (Amendment) Order 2025, SI 2025/560, which came into force on 29 May 2025, and introduces amendments to permitted development rights for installing electric vehicle charging points and domestic air source heat pumps to support the delivery of low-carbon technology.