I've been looking into how planning works in the UK and honestly it feels like the whole system is a bit arse backwards. Developers apply for planning permission and councils have to react, often under tight deadlines and with limited resources. If the council says no the developer can appeal to the Planning Inspectorate which often overrides local decisions.

A recent case I came across involved flats being approved with no parking at all despite strong local objections. The council turned it down but the inspectorate approved it anyway saying it met housing need and was close to public transport. This was in the suburbs in an area where not much is that closely and let's be honest public transport isn't always reliable in towns.

Shouldn't planning be more proactive? Shouldn't local authorities with real community input be setting the rules of what gets built where and with what infrastructure instead of developers just throwing in bids and seeing what sticks?

Also curious what people think about zoning systems like they have in other countries. Would we benefit from clearly defined land uses and stricter area plans? Or is our more flexible and chaotic system better for adapting to local needs?

Would love to hear others' experiences and thoughts especially if you've worked in planning, development or have been involved in local campaigns.

On many issues I find myself broadly agreeing with the sort of centrist, moderate conservatives - the ones who opposed Brexit, stood against the moral collapse and general incompetence of Boris and Truss, were comfortable in Coalition with the LibDems, and are neither doctrinaire free-marketeers, nor authoritaian populists.

Where can moderate, centrist, pro-European conservative voices - people like Harold Macmillan and Edward Heath - be found these days? I know it is an unpopular opinion, but I have quite a lot of respect for people like Rory Stewart and Dominic Grieve, who were kicked out of the party. Are there any still in existence? Have they all gone to Labour or the LibDems, leaving the Tories with just (what used to be) the right-wing of the party? Are there any people in the parliamentary party who could lead the conservatives back from being 'Reform-lite'? Where are the think tanks, the publications, the blogs. Are there any prominent moderate conservative voices publicly pushing against the far-right?

Basically, what position am I actually voting for? If I go to my county council website it tells me my my county councillor. On "whocanIvotefor" it lists my elected representatives as my MP (I know that's not it), 2 'local councillors', and my County Councillor (This matches the county council website) BUT none of these three match the candidates WCIVF lists as the candidates I'm choosing between in the upcoming election. Is this because my county councillor isn't running again and another person in the same party is? or am I voting for one of the local councillors and not the county councillor?

I've tried looking up how this all works but most places only talk about the major elections for MPs or are small local resources that only talk as if you already know how the council works, which most people reading probably do but it's still frustrating. I have voted in these elections before a couple of times but wasn't really paying attention like I am now and would like to know what's going on at any help understanding things would be appreciated, thanks.

Also, sorry if this is really obvious and I come across like nitwit but like I said nowhere just flat out explains things and I just can't piece it together.