Gareth Fearn

This week, Gareth Fearn, a research fellow in planning and energy at the University of Manchester, joins to unpack the complexities of UK planning reforms and housing policies. He discusses the ambitious yet unrealistic targets set by the Labour Government, the influence of developers over state capacity, and the pitfalls of biodiversity net gain schemes. The conversation touches on the backlog in planning permissions and critiques the centralization of standards while highlighting crucial infrastructure funding challenges. Tune in for a deep dive into the future of Britain’s housing and energy landscape!

Dr Gareth Fearn discusses the state of planning and development in the UK. Topics include challenges and sacrifices faced by Tory ministers, the impact of new guidance on gender in schools, flaws of the planning system, and the need for democratic planning and building public capacity.