Category Archives: Planning Rules

The way in which we live is partly determined by the planning regulations which Governments like to change from time to time. Planning is not something which most people consider interesting until they cannot build an extension (or find a neighbour can that blocks out their view) or that we have too few houses for the people in society. Then planning rules become very interesting.

Why we all need a new Alliance

Posted on June 4, 2013 by ianchisnall

The Tax Payers Alliance claim on their website to be “Britain’s independent grassroots campaign for lower taxes” and go on to suggest that “After years of being ignored by politicians of all parties, the TPA is committed to forcing politicians to listen … Continue reading →

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We need a Troubled Government Programme

Posted on February 14, 2013 by ianchisnall

The Troubled Families Programme headed up by Louise Casey was established by the Government to coordinate services for families whose lives seem very chaotic and who require interventions from a range of different statutory organisations (eg Social Services, Housing, Health and often also the Police). … Continue reading →

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Station to Station

Posted on January 28, 2013 by ianchisnall

Apologies if you were looking for a posting on the Bowie back-catalogue, this one is about railway stations, or the lack of them. A commonly held view in 1976 when Bowie’s album of the same name was published was that the state was incapable of running an … Continue reading →

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The calcification of our law making

Posted on December 12, 2012 by ianchisnall

Amongst the many gifts that are piling up under the Government’s tree this year there is at least one that may actually seem worth opening on Christmas day. It has been wrapped up by Eric Pickles using a nice bow and shiny paper and does not have the toxic elements associated with gay … Continue reading →

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How Green was their Valley?

Posted on September 19, 2011 by ianchisnall

The aerial photograph below is said to show the travellers site at Dale Farm in Essex before the travellers began to remove the scrap cars and develop part of the site without planning permission. Something of the back story is contained in the BBC … Continue reading →

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Planning for successful communities

Posted on September 4, 2011 by ianchisnall

On the 25th July the Government launched a consultation on a new National Planning Policy Framework which the headlines suggest will reduce planning rules from the current 1000 pages to 52. The consultation ends on 17th October after which the Government will implement the changes, hopefully taking … Continue reading →

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Two problems – Two solutions

Posted on September 1, 2011 by ianchisnall

This week, the papers and our TV screens are focused on two very different problems involving small groups of people. The problems have no obvious link but the likely outcomes show the great gulf that exists in our unequal society. In Essex a group … Continue reading →

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