Vicky Payne

The launch of the New Towns Taskforce report this morning. Sowmya Parthasarathy highlighted four key aspirations in the report that have historically been difficult to achieve: density, a true… | Vi... The launch of the New Towns Taskforce report this morning. Sowmya Parthasarathy highlighted four key aspirations in the report that have historically been difficult to achieve: density, a true demog...

Reflections from the launch of the New Towns Taskforce report this morning where I asked a question about quality and viability- accidentally anonymously.

www.linkedin.com/posts/vicky-...

Emily's fundraiser for Melanoma Focus Help Emily Payne raise money to support Melanoma Focus

On Saturday, my badass sister is running Marathon Eryri to raise money for Melanoma Focus, an organisation that’s important to our family ❤️

I know some people in our industry have also been affected by cancer in recent years and may want to donate.

www.justgiving.com/page/emilysm...

Win The Planner's original cover art Here's your chance to win the original cover art commisioned for the September/October issue of The Planner

I was delighted to be commissioned to illustrate the cover of The Planner, and even more pleased when they wanted to give away the original artwork ✨

You can enter the draw via the link below, and see more of my work here:
www.instagram.com/the_field_ar...

www.theplanner.co.uk/2025/09/09/w...

Vicky Payne, Head of Place and Nature, @FutureHomesHub, provided an update on the recent work of the Hub, including on:
🔶 Future Homes Standard
🔶 Whole life carbon/embodied carbon
🔶 water readiness
🔶 homes for nature
🔶 biodiversity net gain

#HBFPlanning25

Photo of a brown haired woman (me) within a dark green speaker graphic surround in the shape of a house. Text= 17 September 2025. Planning Conference Speaker. Vicky Payne.

I will be speaking at the @homebuildersfed.bsky.social conference next week on behalf of the Future Homes Hub, looking at our priorities and achievements over the last year, reflections on government progress and what might be to come.

www.house-builder.co.uk/events/hbf-p...

YouTube video by LDN Collective Media How to Build a New Community

"Actually a very weird thing to do"

I promise this is not the entirety of my take on the task of building a new community for this LDN Collective Media film, produced towards the end of my time at Jas Bhalla Works.

youtu.be/ox7kYwE-vQk?...

Future Homes Hub graphic saying "Head of Place and Nature"

A big change!

I have taken on the role of Head of Place and Nature at Future Homes Hub, a non-profit organisation that brings together homebuilders, government and supply chains to support the delivery of sustainable, high -quality new homes and communities.

www.linkedin.com/posts/vicky-...

All Around The World - USA - 50 Shades of Planning This is the first of a new series of episodes being led by Paul Smith, who regular 50 Shades listeners will know is the Managing Director at the Strategic Land Group and a Housing Today columnist. Pa...

I really enjoyed talking with @pmsmith.bsky.social for the 50 Shades of Planning podcast: pod.co/50-shades-of....

I tend to think of the alternative to zoning as an expansion of development rights, but it's helpful to talk to British land use experts...

Photo of panel event with seven panellists on stage at UKREiiF

Photo of a brunette woman (Vicky Payne) speaking at a panel event

I had a lot of fun at UKREiiF last month, taking part in the light-hearted Tetra Tech event "Delay, Delay, Delay - Whose Fault Is It Anyway?" which invited panellists to give a three minute speech pointing the finger at those responsible for the UK's sluggish housing delivery!

And quite right too.Who doesn’t like going from Abergwaun/Fishguard to Caergybi/Holyhead via Ludlow in 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿?🥴

Remember next time you’re on a crowded,uncomfortable sluggish train or replacement bus service in 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 somewhere: you’re helping to make Cambridge-Oxford rail travel a lot better🤔🚂

#Annibyniaeth

Front cover of the book “John Ruskin: No wealth but life- a biography”

Highlighted passages of text with emoji reactions: Beautiful architecture, Ruskin believed, should be present only where the mind was at rest 🧐 The decoration of railroad stations was a “strange and evil tendency”😟 “No one with any sense of beauty would ever travel by train” 😱😱😱

I have been loving this book about Ruskin and had begun to see us as kindred spirits, totally aligned in our thinking and cruelly separated by time.

But then I read this….🤦🏻‍♀️

Absolutely incredible stuff from Chris Spargo on why supermarkets have clock towers- a planning and design nerds dream that references the 1970’s Essex Design Guide

vm.tiktok.com/ZNdkjU8KR/

The full conversation between Ben Castell, Katie Wray, Vicky Payne and Hana Loftus about design and placemaking, part of which featured in episode 136 of 50 Shades of Planning, is available now on YouTube.

youtu.be/NSx4DHV66VU?...

Creating places through placemaking and design is a critical part of the @vistrygroup.bsky.social approach. Vistry Design Guide launched recently with @jasbhalla.bsky.social @vickypayne.bsky.social

Visiting sites in build and completed is part of key continual learning - Whiteley Meadows.

Black and white pen and ink drawing of eggs in a patch of bluebells, lapwings and a hare shadow in the moon

Happy Easter!

This piece draws on one of the origin stories of the Easter bunny, when ground-nesting birds like lapwings would lay their eggs in the shallow forms left by hares.

www.instagram.com/p/DIqZ3-Ntg4...

Jas Bhalla Works hiring Urban Designer in London, England, United Kingdom | LinkedIn Posted 9:36:03 AM. Jas Bhalla Works is looking to recruit an urban designer to join its studio in London. We are…See this and similar jobs on LinkedIn.

We are hiring an urban designer!

Come and nerd out with us about large scale masterplanning, new settlements and town centre strategies 🤩

www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/42...

A series of four mystical pen and ink drawings on a warm grey background

I speedily illustrate my column for The Planner - if you would like to see pieces that I have spent a bit more time on, many of which relate to folklore, mythology and symbolism as well as place, you can follow me on Instagram "vicky_payne_art" where I am starting to share more.

How should we think of centres in the next generation of New Towns? How do we ensure the next generation of New Towns can sustain vibrant and mixed-use local centres? Planner columnist Vicky Payne offers her thoughts

New settlements are an integral part of the government’s emerging strategy to increase housing supply, but centres in new places have proved notoriously difficult to realise successfully.

My latest column for The Planner (no paywall):
www.theplanner.co.uk/2025/04/08/h...

If I Ruled the World - 50 Shades of Planning Sam Stafford was down in The Big Smoke recently and took the opportunity to catch up with friends of the podcast Matthew Spry, Simon Ricketts, Hana Loftus, Vicky Payne and Mike Kiely. In a good ol’ f...

An enjoyable ramblechat with @mspry.bsky.social, @simonicity.bsky.social, @hanaloftus.bsky.social + Mike Kiely at Soho Radio the other week on the 50 Shades of Planning podcast.

Thanks @samuelstafford.bsky.social for the invitation + indulging our conversational meanderings!

pod.co/50-shades-of...

YouTube video by 50 Shades of Planning Labour of Love II - Design & Placemaking

Talking with Ben Castell, Katie Wray and Hana Loftus about Labour's progress on design and placemaking in the 50 Shades of Planning "Labour of Love II" conversation!

Thanks @samuelstafford.bsky.social for the opportunity to take part.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSx4...

Visualisation of a residential street with a bus route and greenery

Wonderful article by Ben Flatman for Building Design. about @jasbhalla.bsky.social and Jas Bhalla Works ❤️

Really proud to be working with Jas and the team at this exciting time.

www.bdonline.co.uk/briefing/15-...

Jacobs Square, The Phoenix, Lewes - Housing Design Awards

The Housing Design Awards database is SUCH a good resource - searchable by location, density, theme etc 😍

hdawards.org/scheme/jacob...

City council investigating allegations that landlord offered tenants takeaway vouchers in exchange for positive comments on application

Musk gives away $1m cheques ahead of Wisconsin's Supreme Court election

When you're inspired but you don't have quite the same access to resources...

Photo of street signage “new map coming soon”

Exciting times

110. Evolving design codes, Earls Court shows the way A confused national picture Paragraph 138 of the National Planning Policy Framework states: “Local planning authorities should ensure that they have access to, and make appropriate use of…

Prof. Matthew Carmona: Evolving design codes, Earls Court shows the way
matthew-carmona.com/2025/04/01/e...

UKREiiF 2025 graphics with photos of Jas and Vicky and the Jas Bhalla Works wordmark. Text reads: Architecture and Urbanism Specialists. Housing and Mixed Use, Research and Guidance, High Streets and Culture, Masterplanning and Garden Communities, Homes and Retrofit

It's that time of year again!

Back in Black - 50 Shades of Planning The fast-paced, ever-changing, rock and roll world of town and country planning has been especially fast-paced, ever-changing and rock and roll of late. How then to try to catch up? Sam Stafford thou...

It's back! Great to talk design and placemaking progress from the now not-so-new Labour government with @bencastell.bsky.social , Katie Wray and @hanaloftus.bsky.social at 1:13:21 on this bumper episode of 50 Shades of Planning.

Thanks @samuelstafford.bsky.social 🙌 pod.co/50-shades-of...

A photo of a hedgerow with blossom against a blue sky

- Stretching the definition of "article".

- A few things that are not the Planning and Infrastructure Bill ahead of our podcast record tomorrow @samuelstafford.bsky.social and the gang!

- Plus, how is my blossom picture related to planning and urban design...?

www.linkedin.com/pulse/improm...

£2 billion new investment to support biggest boost in social and affordable housebuilding in a generation Hard working families to get safe and secure homes as Chancellor announces £2 billion injection of new grant funding to deliver up to 18,000 new social and affordable homes.

www.gov.uk/government/n...

Government paves the way for local people to build more homes The government has announced a £20 million investment to support the delivery of community-led housing.

Community-led housing delivers social and affordable homes for local people and empowers communities.

This government is backing it with investment that will support the growth of the community-led housing sector.

www.gov.uk/government/n...