Tony Burton
@tony4place.bsky.social
Chair @powertochange.org.uk Trustee @cprecountryside.bsky.social, @nationwidefdtn.bsky.social, @SMKcampaigners.bsky.social. V.Chair HS2 Design Panel. Convener Neighbourhood Planners.London. Chair Wandle Valley Forum. Founder @civicvoice.org.uk.
- Green spaces (+ve) and lack affordable homes (-ve) mark out extremes of what influences community pride in place
- People seem happiest in places where they rely on local government least
Just two of many findings in Commonplace's report on place perceptions
www.commonplace.is/hubfs/UK%20P...
- People seem happiest in places where they rely on local government least
Just two of many findings in Commonplace's report on place perceptions
www.commonplace.is/hubfs/UK%20P...
November 7, 2025 at 9:03 AM
- Green spaces (+ve) and lack affordable homes (-ve) mark out extremes of what influences community pride in place
- People seem happiest in places where they rely on local government least
Just two of many findings in Commonplace's report on place perceptions
www.commonplace.is/hubfs/UK%20P...
- People seem happiest in places where they rely on local government least
Just two of many findings in Commonplace's report on place perceptions
www.commonplace.is/hubfs/UK%20P...
Some reasons why the answer to housing the nation is not a Crews Hill "New Town" in London's Green Belt - find out more at @cprelondon.bsky.social's online event
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/smoke-and-...
cprelondon.us10.list-manage.com/track/click?...
www.cprelondon.org.uk/news/a-letter-to-london/
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/smoke-and-...
cprelondon.us10.list-manage.com/track/click?...
www.cprelondon.org.uk/news/a-letter-to-london/
October 30, 2025 at 3:42 PM
Some reasons why the answer to housing the nation is not a Crews Hill "New Town" in London's Green Belt - find out more at @cprelondon.bsky.social's online event
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/smoke-and-...
cprelondon.us10.list-manage.com/track/click?...
www.cprelondon.org.uk/news/a-letter-to-london/
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/smoke-and-...
cprelondon.us10.list-manage.com/track/click?...
www.cprelondon.org.uk/news/a-letter-to-london/
Striking conclusions which should refocus minds on improving our towns and cities rather than sprawling over the countryside
September 25, 2025 at 7:57 AM
Striking conclusions which should refocus minds on improving our towns and cities rather than sprawling over the countryside
Read on and spot the flaw - money flowing to local authorities and not direct to communities. A recurring blind spot that equates the two and fails to recognise the despair so many communities have with local as well as central government
September 24, 2025 at 11:32 PM
Read on and spot the flaw - money flowing to local authorities and not direct to communities. A recurring blind spot that equates the two and fails to recognise the despair so many communities have with local as well as central government
It's almost like the Government needs to invent something called #neighbourhoodplanning instead of pulling the funding and technical support which has underpinned its role in helping communities find their own solutions to future development for a decade
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
September 24, 2025 at 11:32 PM
It's almost like the Government needs to invent something called #neighbourhoodplanning instead of pulling the funding and technical support which has underpinned its role in helping communities find their own solutions to future development for a decade
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
A new map revealing inequalities in access to local green space from @cprelondon.bsky.social - check out the event
cpre-london.eventcube.io/events/87581...
cpre-london.eventcube.io/events/87581...
August 28, 2025 at 4:33 PM
A new map revealing inequalities in access to local green space from @cprelondon.bsky.social - check out the event
cpre-london.eventcube.io/events/87581...
cpre-london.eventcube.io/events/87581...
June 23, 2025 at 11:51 AM
Calendar is ticking down to @smkcampaigners.bsky.social Campaigner Awards - the shortlist is inspirational
June 9, 2025 at 7:38 AM
Calendar is ticking down to @smkcampaigners.bsky.social Campaigner Awards - the shortlist is inspirational
Good to see the new National Design Review Charter published by the Design Network
static1.squarespace.com/static/628b5...
static1.squarespace.com/static/628b5...
May 1, 2025 at 11:23 AM
Good to see the new National Design Review Charter published by the Design Network
static1.squarespace.com/static/628b5...
static1.squarespace.com/static/628b5...
Another year - another delay in providing communities with the financial and technical support they need to deliver #neighbourhoodplanning. All funding frozen until @mhclg sorts itself out and then wonders why communities don't trust Government support
April 2, 2025 at 10:48 AM
Another year - another delay in providing communities with the financial and technical support they need to deliver #neighbourhoodplanning. All funding frozen until @mhclg sorts itself out and then wonders why communities don't trust Government support
Helpful confirmation of the continuing importance of #neighbourhoodplanning amid all the changes to the planning system - still awaiting news on the delivery of the Government's support programme which is now overdue
www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?id=20...
www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?id=20...
March 26, 2025 at 12:30 PM
Helpful confirmation of the continuing importance of #neighbourhoodplanning amid all the changes to the planning system - still awaiting news on the delivery of the Government's support programme which is now overdue
www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?id=20...
www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?id=20...
Environmental decline behind top four economic risks globally while in a parallel universe bats, newts and green "blockers" are being seen as main barriers to "growth" in UK
February 24, 2025 at 10:23 AM
Environmental decline behind top four economic risks globally while in a parallel universe bats, newts and green "blockers" are being seen as main barriers to "growth" in UK
Looking forward to seeing whether the New Towns Taskforce can come forward with something genuinely participative in delivering on its commitment to community engagement
February 14, 2025 at 10:34 AM
Looking forward to seeing whether the New Towns Taskforce can come forward with something genuinely participative in delivering on its commitment to community engagement
February 13, 2025 at 10:32 AM
The ever diminishing role of Local Plans: what's left beyond site allocations when Spatial Development Strategies make the big decisions on housing numbers & infrastructure & National Development Management Policies deal with thematic issues & what's left for community engagement?
December 18, 2024 at 10:06 AM
The ever diminishing role of Local Plans: what's left beyond site allocations when Spatial Development Strategies make the big decisions on housing numbers & infrastructure & National Development Management Policies deal with thematic issues & what's left for community engagement?
"Devolution" seems to be 98% local government and Mayors and 2% community in new White Paper despite recognising "the places they call home, have slipped out of their control" - a welcome "right to buy" barely scratches the surface
December 17, 2024 at 12:33 PM
"Devolution" seems to be 98% local government and Mayors and 2% community in new White Paper despite recognising "the places they call home, have slipped out of their control" - a welcome "right to buy" barely scratches the surface
A reminder for all the "beauty" naysayers that the new NPPF still supports "beauty" or "beautiful" nine times, including "The creation of high quality, beautiful and sustainable buildings and places is fundamental to what the planning and development process should achieve."
December 17, 2024 at 9:35 AM
A reminder for all the "beauty" naysayers that the new NPPF still supports "beauty" or "beautiful" nine times, including "The creation of high quality, beautiful and sustainable buildings and places is fundamental to what the planning and development process should achieve."
More delegation of planning decisions has its place but (1) who decides if it fits with Local Plan (itself a complex planning judgement) & (b) all these replacements for an old pub in Conservation Area were supported by officers & needed multiple Planning Committee refusals to secure quality outcome
December 9, 2024 at 9:54 AM
More delegation of planning decisions has its place but (1) who decides if it fits with Local Plan (itself a complex planning judgement) & (b) all these replacements for an old pub in Conservation Area were supported by officers & needed multiple Planning Committee refusals to secure quality outcome
Settling in for some "slow planning" at Civic Voice's Annual Meeting - with Professor Gavin Parker & Mark Dobson putting a critical spotlight on the obsession with speed in planning and how "project speed" skews democracy with worse outcomes
December 7, 2024 at 3:06 PM
Settling in for some "slow planning" at Civic Voice's Annual Meeting - with Professor Gavin Parker & Mark Dobson putting a critical spotlight on the obsession with speed in planning and how "project speed" skews democracy with worse outcomes
A life affirming morning with @TiCLme.bsky.social's Simon Edwards planning a local Tree Walk in the wonderful Canons, Mitcham - brilliant example of how simple technology can harness grassroots community knowledge and energy for everyone's benefit
November 29, 2024 at 2:35 PM
A life affirming morning with @TiCLme.bsky.social's Simon Edwards planning a local Tree Walk in the wonderful Canons, Mitcham - brilliant example of how simple technology can harness grassroots community knowledge and energy for everyone's benefit
"What SMK does is remarkable....the [charity] sector is under attack" @mattdownie.bsky.social CEO @crisis_uk.bsky.social at launch of Charity Reform Group report
https://smk.org.uk/what-we-do/champion/charity-reform-group/essays/
https://smk.org.uk/what-we-do/champion/charity-reform-group/essays/
November 27, 2024 at 3:49 PM
"What SMK does is remarkable....the [charity] sector is under attack" @mattdownie.bsky.social CEO @crisis_uk.bsky.social at launch of Charity Reform Group report
https://smk.org.uk/what-we-do/champion/charity-reform-group/essays/
https://smk.org.uk/what-we-do/champion/charity-reform-group/essays/
Launch of Charity Reform Group report (coordinated by SMK) dispelling charity myths and shedding new light on their critical role imminent - after two fire alarms here at One Birdcage Walk!
November 27, 2024 at 3:26 PM
Launch of Charity Reform Group report (coordinated by SMK) dispelling charity myths and shedding new light on their critical role imminent - after two fire alarms here at One Birdcage Walk!
The Government has talked of preparing a new Communities Strategy so here at @powertochange.bsky.social we've drafted one for them
https://www.powertochange.org.uk/evidence-and-ideas/news-and-events/fixing-the-foundations-blog/
https://www.powertochange.org.uk/evidence-and-ideas/news-and-events/fixing-the-foundations-blog/
November 26, 2024 at 5:06 PM
The Government has talked of preparing a new Communities Strategy so here at @powertochange.bsky.social we've drafted one for them
https://www.powertochange.org.uk/evidence-and-ideas/news-and-events/fixing-the-foundations-blog/
https://www.powertochange.org.uk/evidence-and-ideas/news-and-events/fixing-the-foundations-blog/
Quick question - why shouldn't @mhclg's new "Golden Rules" not apply to all major development? Or put another way what can justify major development not providing sufficient truly affordable homes, necessary infrastructure & local green space?
November 17, 2024 at 4:58 AM
Quick question - why shouldn't @mhclg's new "Golden Rules" not apply to all major development? Or put another way what can justify major development not providing sufficient truly affordable homes, necessary infrastructure & local green space?