The government is right to be more interventionist on planning

By Paul Smith 2026-08-24T06:00:00

Paul Smith Strategic Land Group-Photoroom 1

Governments have tried assuming every council will plan maturely and conscientiously. But this hasn’t worked so Matthew Pennycook’s more robust approach is needed, writes Paul Smith.

Spend enough time working in England’s planning system, and it will make anyone cross. planning minister Matthew Pennycook appears to have reached that point too. On 22 July, the day after he retained his post in the new Burnham government, Pennycook wrote to Basildon imposing a timetable for their new local plan. This is just the latest sign of a minister seemingly prepared to take a far more interventionist approach than his predecessors.

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