This collection of essays analyses the state of the planning system in England and offers a robust, evidence-based review of over a decade of change since the Conservative-led coalition government came to power. With a critique of ongoing planning reforms by the UK government, the book argues that the planning system is often blamed for a range of issues caused by ineffective policy making by government. It questions whether it is planning that is failing, or rather if it is hamstrung by counterproductive central government actions or ‘state’ failure.

Including chapters on housing, localism, strategic planning, urban design, zoning, the consequences of 'Brexit' for environmental planning, and infrastructure planning, the contributors unpick a complicated set of recent reforms and counter the claims of the think-tank-led assault on democratic planning.