Irwin Mitchell’s Planning & Environment Blog

Each month, we will be bringing together the latest articles written by our team covering key developments, legal insights, and practical guidance across the planning and environmental law landscape. Whether it's new legislation, landmark cases, or upcoming policy changes, our aim is to keep you informed about what is happening in the planning and environmental world.

In this edition, we are highlighting the articles we have published during March. We hope you find them insightful and useful in your work.

Explore the highlights below:

Environmental update – March 2026

By Stefano D’Ambrosio

Published 1 Apr 2026

This environmental update summarises key policy and regulatory developments during March. Topics covered include the Government’s emerging approach to Environmental Outcomes Reports, the new Land Use Framework and regulatory changes affecting waste and industrial emissions. The update provides a concise overview of the main issues practitioners should have on their radar.

Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council v Secretary of State: Infrastructure Contributions in Strategic Allocations

By Chloe Smith

Published 1 Apr 2026

The High Court’s judgment in Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council v Secretary of State provides important guidance on infrastructure contributions within strategic allocations. The Court quashed a planning inspector’s decision which had allowed development to proceed without proportionate infrastructure contributions on the basis that an area-wide masterplan was not yet in place. The judgment confirms that, where development plan policies require coordinated infrastructure delivery, the absence of a completed masterplan does not remove the obligation on individual developments to contribute proportionately. 

Planning reform update: key takeaways from last week’s Government announcements

By Lucy Close

Published 31 Mar 2026

This planning update summarises key policy and regulatory developments during March. It analyses a series of recent Government announcements and consultations aimed at streamlining the planning system. Key themes include proposals to delegate a greater proportion of planning decisions to officers, the “new towns” list, guidance in relation to preparing a local plan in 30 months, the consultation on planning application fees, and the consultation regarding proposal to require local planning authorities to consult with the Secretary of State on certain planning applications.

How does EIA screening interact with local plan transport infrastructure? – The High Court’s latest ruling in R (Swire) v Canterbury City Council

By Chloe Smith

Published 18.03.2026

This article considers the High Court’s judgment in R (Swire) v Canterbury City Council, which clarifies how Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) screening should be approached where a development forms part of a wider, but not yet fully defined, transport strategy. The Court confirmed that authorities are entitled to assess EIA significance on the basis of the proposal before them, without speculating on the details of future infrastructure delivery. Therefore, where impacts are localised, well understood, and supported by expert consultation responses, a full EIA is not automatically required, particularly when a Schedule 2 project is below the indicative EIA thresholds.

Read more about our expertise in Planning and Environmental law.