Every year we try to carve out a bit of time to step away from our desks, spend some proper time together, and explore places that are shaping up cross the country. This year we headed to Lichfield for a couple of days of site visits, fresh air and sun.

With the New Towns Taskforce soon to report, attention must turn to how these ambitious projects navigate planning. Local Plans are too slow and constrained, while national policy risks being too top down. Rob Smith explores realistic delivery routes, from Supplementary Plans to LDOs and Development Corporations, arguing for a streamlined but accountable system to make new towns viable in practice.

We are pleased to announce the appointment of Tom James as part of the growing Hyas Associates team.