'Booth brings to the study a particularly fresh and clear perspective born of a deep familiarity with the inner workings of development control, an historian's eye for the significant event, and a sound understanding of planning law.It will rapidly find its place as required reading in graduate courses on spatial planning, development control and comparative planning across the country.' - Built Environment 'The strength and originality of this book lie in its portrayal of development control as the modern application of a long-term process of restricting landowners' powers over land development, in the interests both of neighbouring landowners and of a more general 'public'.' - Environment and Planning B: Planning and Design, 2004, issue 31/3.