JUNE 2022 ONSHORE WIND // p.4 • LEVELLING UP BILL // p.10 • THE GOVERNMENT’S HEAD OF ARCHITECTURE, SARAH ALLAN // p.18 • PRESERVING THE NEW TOWN SPIRIT // p.26 • BIODIVERSITY NET GAIN, AGAIN // p.32 • TRUMPINGTON: 10 YEARS ON // p.34
T H E B U S I N ES S M O N T H LY FO R P L A N N I N G P R O F ES S IO N A LS
Source code
WILL THE NATIONAL MODEL DESIGN CODE PROVIDE THE BUILDING BLOCKS FOR BETTER, MORE SUSTAINABLE DESIGN?
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CONTENTS
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4 NEWS 4 Winds of change 7 Housing developments more likely to be rejected for poor design 8 Passivhaus legislation set out in Scotland 10 Levelling Up Bill’s proposed planning reforms outlined 11 Newsmakers: 10 top stories appearing now on The Planner online
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“THE DESIGN OF BUILDINGS IS NOT JUST ABOUT AESTHETICS, IT’S AS MUCH ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS INSIDE THE BUILDING AND THE ARRANGEMENT OF SPACES AND USES. HOW A BUILDING IS DESIGNED EARLY ON, HOW IT’S GOING TO BE CONSTRUCTED IS CRITICAL
OPINION 14 Louise BrookeSmith: Imitation or emulation?
16 Emma CartledgeTaylor & Jessica Herrity: Mentoring matters in planning – and here’s why
FEATURES
INSIGHT
16 Caroline Gumble: Success of building safety act depends on collaboration and competence
18 Sarah Allan, the government’s head of architecture, explains how the use of design codes is taking shape in England
38 Cases & decisions: Development decisions, round-up and analysis
17 Johannes Novy: Planning needs more innovation and drive. IBAs could show the way
22 Does the National Model Design Code put enough emphasis on netzero and nature recovery goals?, asks Simon Wicks
17 Natasha Reid: Heath and wellbeing must be re-embedded into the heart of planning practice
26 The idealistic impulse of the ‘new town’ is being lost as time takes its toll, says Su Fitzpatrick
QUOTE UNQUOTE
“IN THE CONTEXT OF THE DIFFICULTIES GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN HAVING WITH ITS PLANNING REFORM AGENDA, THE REPORT DEMONSTRATES AN OFTEN UNSUNG ROLE OF PLANNING THE POORQUALITY DEVELOPMENT IT STOPS GETTING BUILT” UCL PLANNING AND URBAN DESIGN’S MATTHEW CARMONA
34 Case Study: Trumpington Meadows 10 years on
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42 Legal Landscape: Opinions from the legal side of planning
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44 RTPI round-up: News and interviews from the institute 50 What to read, what to watch and how to keep in touch
Make the most of The Planner by visiting our links for related content
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NEWS
Report { ENERGY
Winds of change By Huw Morris
Key questions about onshore wind were left hanging in the government’s much-anticipated energy security strategy. But Zoisa North-Bond has a suggestion for eliminating one of today’s most pressing issues while tackling two others. Russia, green energy and the cost of living are on her mind. “Over the next two years, the UK would need to build around 3,000 more local wind turbines to remove dependence on Russian gas imports,” says the chief executive of Octopus Energy Generation, the power supplier’s renewables arm. “This target is totally achievable. “In the last year alone, we've had 5,000 communities proactively reach out to ask us to build local wind turbines.” Although there has been some opposition to onshore wind farms, this changes when residents feel they are in control, she adds. “If people can look out the window and see the turbine turning, have that level of knowledge and local control and know that they can get cheaper energy because of it, they are much more likely to embrace them.” North-Bond’s suggestion fell on deaf ears, judging by the government’s energy security strategy. This sets out a direction of travel, but not much else. The planning system faces more upheaval. Yet the nature of it is vague, the timescale unknown and details have been kicked down the road. The strategy’s headline target is to deliver an electricity mix that is 95 per cent low-carbon by 2030. Targets for offshore wind, nuclear and
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hydrogen deployment have also been increased by that date. To the chagrin of many wrestling with the “climate emergency”, the strategy envisages a licensing round for new North Sea oil and gas projects. Any priority for onshore wind, or even solar, is noticeable by its absence, only the prospect of government consultations. “Onshore wind struggled to find its place in the strategy due to a lack of foresight from the government,” says RTPI infrastructure specialist Harry Steele. “If the government had been able
“INDICATIVE FIGURES SHOW THAT THE PRICE OF NOT INVESTING IN ONSHORE WIND IS HIGH” – SIMON CRANMCGREEHIN
to see what a plan-led system could achieve outside of housing, it would not only be able to create the green infrastructure required, but rally the communities to support these plans. “Such plans will only ever be achieved with better integration of renewable energy, climate change, and nature recovery within the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). By providing these critical issues with the backing of the NPPF, projects such as onshore wind farms can be given the backing and direction that they require to make significant contributions towards net-zero.” Some observers wonder whether ministers are reluctant to poke the hornet’s nest of backbench Nimbyism while the ‘partygate’ scandal rumbles on. This is despite considerable momentum behind the case for onshore wind. Figures from the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU) show a repeat of the gas crisis, which has rocketed
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PLAN UPFRONT
The planning decline in onshore wind farms
Industy observers say that Nimbyism is a challenge to onshore wind power generation
energy bills, and could be softened if the UK backed onshore wind. The country has 14GW of onshore wind capacity, which is expected to rise to 20GW when projects under construction go live. However, this would not be enough to limit energy costs for households, warns the ECIU. A lack of planned capacity additions to onshore wind could see annual energy costs reach £10 billion in the UK – or £125 a household. “It’s difficult to predict exactly what the power system of the future might look like, and hopefully gas will be less dominant over wholesale prices, but these indicative figures show that the price of not investing in onshore wind is high,” says ECIU’s head of analysis Simon Cran-McGreehin. “If the build-out of onshore wind is slowed again, in the event of another gas crisis those MPs falsely claiming turbines are unpopular could have to explain to their constituents why they I M AG E S | I STO C K
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for wind energy schemes in their Dr Windemer’s research shows local plans. Her review of the the dramatic impact of the WMS remaining local authority policy and its inclusion in the NPPF. documents revealed that overall Using the UK Government 89 per cent of all local planning Renewable Energy Planning authorities in England do not Database, she found that 14 have areas identified as suitable planning applications were lodged in England, comprising 23 for wind. Applications for new onshore wind farms cannot turbines, between 2016 to 2021. This is 1.5 per cent of the number currently be approved within these local authorities. of turbines submitted between However, 65 authorities said 2009 to 2014, which saw 1,498 they are updating their policies turbines on 333 sites. or intend to do so. But they face Between 2016 and 2021 only considerable 11 planning barriers: applications for resource new onshore “AS WIND FARMS constraints, wind farms CAN ONLY BE problems with were approved, DEVELOPED IN community comprising 20 AREAS WITH support or a turbines with ADEQUATE WIND lack of potential a combined RESOURCE, WE for wind maximum WOULD NOT SEE energy as well installed WIND FARMS as landscape capacity of BEING DEVELOPED or green belt 42MW. This is EVERYWHERE” designations. 2.7 per cent of – DR REBECCA “If the the number of WINDEMER planning rules turbines granted on wind farms permission in England are between 2009 changed then and 2014, with designated 157 wind farms landscapes that comprising are traditionally 730 turbines regarded as beautiful would and a total maximum installed remain protected,” says capacity of 1614MW. Windemer. “As wind farms can In total, the maximum only be developed in areas with installed capacity of wind adequate wind resources, we farms in MW granted planning would not see wind farms being permission between 2016 and developed everywhere. 2021 is just 2.6 per cent of those “Consultation would also be granted permission between an important part of any future 2009 and 2014. wind energy policy and should Of the 165 local authorities consider how communities that responded to Windemer’s could benefit, such as through survey, 140 or 85 per cent do not owning part of wind farms.” have areas identified as suitable
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NEWS
Report { “Due to the current planning are paying an additional £125 on policy new wind farms cannot be their bills.” granted planning permission in Research by UWE Bristol on 89 per cent of local authorities in the impact of national policy England, despite a desire to do so on restricting onshore wind in many of these local authorities. farms casts further light (see “Changing planning policy box, ‘The planning decline in would enable wind farms to be onshore wind farms’, page 5). developed in locations where Since the government’s written they are desired and would also ministerial statement (WMS) on help more communities to own, onshore wind farms in 2015 and and directly benefit from, their its incorporation into the NPPF, own wind turbines. such developments can only be “The strategy states that granted planning permission if there will be a ‘consultation on they meet two strict criteria. developing local partnerships for First, turbines must be located a limited number of supportive in an area identified as suitable communities who for wind energy wish to host new under local or neighbourhood “IF PEOPLE CAN LOOK onshore wind infrastructure in plans. Second, OUT THE WINDOW AND return for benefits'. proposals must SEE THE TURBINE This statement is demonstrate TURNING, HAVE THAT that “planning LEVEL OF KNOWLEDGE vague and I am concerned by the impacts identified AND LOCAL CONTROL phrase ‘limited by the affected AND KNOW THAT THEY number'. It goes local community CAN GET CHEAPER on to say that the have been fully ENERGY BECAUSE OF ‘consultation will addressed and the IT, THEY ARE MUCH consider how proposal has their MORE LIKELY TO clear support can backing”. EMBRACE THEM” – be demonstrated Combined with ZOISA NORTH-BOND by local the scrapping of communities, financial subsidies, local authorities this policy led to a and MPs’. This 97 per cent decline sounds very in the number challenging, of wind turbines particularly for granted planning those areas with anti-onshore permission from 2016 to 2021 wind MPs.” compared with 2009 to 2014. Timing remains an issue and Moreover, only 11 per cent of local the clock is ticking. “Clearly, authorities have allocated areas there is an immediate need to for onshore wind farms. address rapidly rising energy bills UWE Bristol environmental but this has not been addressed planning lecturer Rebecca and as a consequence will leave Windemer, who carried out most wanting more,” says Carter the study, can barely conceal Jonas’s head of energy, Charles her disappointment at the Hardcastle. strategy. “Onshore wind is “The opportunities for enabling one of the cheapest forms of more clean, green, home-grown renewable energy generation, energy are substantial. There’s has widespread public support a big enough stick and a tasty and has the potential to play enough carrot to make this a significant role in increasing happen already.” our energy security,” she says.
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The energy security strategy at a glance The headline ambition is for up to 95 per cent of the country’s electricity to be low carbon by 2030. This will be achieved by:
24GW nuclear by 2050 by building up to eight new reactors on existing sites with a £120 million Future Nuclear Enabling Fund;
50GW offshore wind by 2030, with 5GW of this from floating offshore wind;
A licensing round for new North Sea oil and gas projects;
Support for heat pump manufacturing;
10GW of low-carbon hydrogen production capacity by 2030, of which 5GW will be from electrolytic processes;
Exploring the potential of increasing solar capacity;
Energy efficiency and onshore wind although without meaningful new targets.
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NEWS
Analysis { Housing developments more likely to be rejected for poor design by Huw Morris The Planning Inspectorate is now three times as likely to back local authority rejections of housing developments for poor design following last year’s revision of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). A University College London (UCL) study reveals a “sea change” since the NPPF was amended in July 2021 to allow refusals for housing schemes that are “not well designed”. Previous guidance called for only “poorly designed” schemes to be refused. The study, published by the UCLbased Place Alliance and using appeals reported in The Planner, compares decisions after the July 2021 revision with those before. Appealing Design reveals that the odds in favour of planning authorities winning cases on design grounds have shifted from just 5:7 against to 13:7 in favour, meaning that when previously there were more losses than wins for councils, there are now close to two times more wins than losses. By extrapolating appeals data to account for the shorter period covered by the research after the July 2021 change, the success rate for planning authorities at design-related appeals is three times better than before. “Compared to historical trends, local authorities were succeeding at design appeals in fewer cases than the national average for all appeals of this class of development,” states the study. “Now they are running significantly ahead of the national average when the focus is on design.” But the research reveals that of the 32 design-related appeals examined, 26 were in London or the South East, with three in the Midlands and three in the I M AG E | S H U T T E RSTO C K
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“THE REPORT DEMONSTRATES AN OFTEN UNSUNG ROLE OF PLANNING, NAMELY THE POORQUALITY DEVELOPMENT THAT IT STOPS GETTING BUILT” North and none in the South West. The study suggests that South East planning authorities are more likely to have their own design policies and specifically employ urban designers. “While the numbers of major housing developments nationally are heavily weighted to the South East, this degree of skew in the appeals data seems to reflect a particular reluctance to challenge design outside of London and the South East.”
Planning reform agenda The research highlights 12 schemes rejected on design grounds in the past year. They include an “unattractive” block of 15 flats on the site of a demolished car park in Crawley, West Sussex; a Taylor Wimpey plan for 307 homes in North Finchley that was “out of character with its low-rise suburban context”; and the proposed remodelling of an old police
station in Newcastle that an inspector denounced for its “heavy, oppressive, almost monolithic feel”. UCL planning and urban design professor Matthew Carmona said “most local planning authorities remain very fearful of going up against the major housebuilders on design issues”, particularly outside the South East. “In the context of the difficulties that the government has been having with its planning reform agenda, the report also demonstrates an often unsung role of planning, namely the poor-quality development that it stops getting built,” he added. “However, as we don’t see it, we tend not to appreciate it – or we forget it – and critics get away with bashing planning as just more ‘red tape’. “The research reinforces the important regulatory role of planning that is worth celebrating.” Appealing Design is supported and endorsed by the RTPI and the Urban Design Group. Richard Blyth, head of policy at the RTPI, said: “We’re pleased to see the Planning Inspectorate backing local authorities in England who refuse applications on the grounds of poor design. This should be an encouragement to local planning authorities across the country.”
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NEWS
News { Passivhaus legislation set out in Scotland Scottish Labour MSP Alex Rowley has set out the details of his proposed bill to ensure that all new-build homes in Scotland meet the internationally recognised ‘Passivhaus’ standard. The Mid Scotland and Fife MSP has published a consultation on a private member’s bill he said would ensure greater levels of energy efficiency, lower energy bills and alleviate fuel poverty. It would also, in his opinion, significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The Domestic Building Environmental Standards (Scotland) Bill would “introduce new minimum environmental design standards for all newbuild housing to meet the Passivhaus standard, or a
Scottish equivalent, in order to improve energy efficiency and thermal performance”. Rowley added: “By legislating to ensure all newbuild homes in Scotland meet a Scottish equivalent to Passivhaus design standards we will make homes more affordable to heat, more comfortable to live in, and more environmentally sustainable.” A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “The government is committed to ongoing improvement of the energy and environmental performance of our new homes. The minister for zero-carbon buildings is due to meet with Mr Rowley soon, to discuss his proposals and how they align with our existing direction of travel.”
PEDW makes slow progress on appeals backlog Planning and Environment Decisions Wales (PEDW), established last October, is still struggling to overcome a backlog of appeal decisions. According to its latest update, the agency has only made “small steps” in reducing the list of new appeals waiting to be validated and started. A spokesperson for the Welsh Government told The Planner that 14 per cent, about 60 cases, were failing to meet targets for decision-making. “We are doing all we can to improve handling times. Thank you for your continued patience,” said PEDW’s statement. The update notes that the body is working with stakeholders to enable a return of in-person or hybrid events where these are considered to be necessary. “We recognise virtual events have been successful and they will continue to be used when appropriate,” it comments. PEDW says that work is progressing to enable appeals and representations to be submitted via the Planning Portal. “We hope to be able to introduce this service soon.”
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PLAN UPFRONT
OPR lines up scrutiny of An Bord Pleanála for 2023 The Office of the Planning Regulator (OPR) will start consulting at the end of the year on its proposals for reviewing the functions of An Bord Pleanála, due to take place in earnest for the first time next year, 2023. The watchdog signalled that An Bord Pleanála would be firmly in its sights as the OPR announced its latest programme of rolling reviews of individual planning authorities. The next phase of this programme will include the following: Waterford City & County Council (initiating April 2022); Offaly County Council (initiating Q2 2022); Meath County Council (initiating Q3 2022); and South Dublin County Council (initiating Q4 2022). Based on knowledge gained from the pilot phase, refinements are being made to the overall approach with a view to making the process more effective, including streamlining submission of information requirements.
In addition, the lifting of public health restrictions will enable on-site visits and in-person engagement with local authorities, explained the OPR. The planning regulator said that delaying its examination of the board until next year made sense in the light of the current review of planning legislation, which would result in enhanced statutory provisions and impact on the operations and functions of the organisation. The OPR noted that progress is still being made on implementing the recommendations of a 2016 organisational review of An Bord Pleanála, prepared for the then minister for housing, planning and local government. It said: “Given the specific role it holds in the planning system, and the scale of
functions associated with that role, it is considered that An Bord Pleanála will benefit from an approach that sees the progressive review of distinct elements over time, alongside the wider multiannual local authority reviews programme.“ The planning watchdog explained that the board would be reviewed “on the basis of discrete modules, phased at regular intervals”.
Mid Ulster planning portal goes live this month Mid Ulster District Council has announced that its new stand-alone digital planning portal is set to go live in June. The portal will provide an endto-end digital service for anyone submitting or responding to a planning application in the area. Kyle Black, the council’s planning committee chair, explalned: “This will be a hugely significant development for how our customers access local planning services and how we deliver those services as a local authority. “The new portal will use
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modern technology to improve our customers’ experience, whether they are submitting an application, viewing an application, including maps and the planning history of the site, or making a comment in support of or against an application. “Internally, this will streamline our processes, making the service more efficient and responsive to our customers and helping to improve yet further our processing times.” Although all planning applications were received as normal, from 13 May until 3 June, applications were not processed or subject to
consultation to allow for data to be transferred from the existing planning system to the new Mid Ulster portal. The local authority decided not to be part of the new regional planning portal, which is being developed by the other 10 local planning authorities in Northern Ireland and the Department for Infrastructure, partly because Mid Ulster was not convinced that it would prove value for money. The regional planning portal is not expected to be fully up and running until later this year.
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NEWS
News { Government scraps five year housing land supply Local authorities with upto-date plans will not have to demonstrate a five-year supply of housing land under latest government reforms. The move, unveiled in a document accompanying the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill, is part of a major drive to get “simple, meaningful local plans in place faster that give more certainty to communities that the right homes will be built in the right places. “This will curb perceived ‘speculative development’ and ‘planning by appeal’, so long as plans are up to date.” The measure will apply to all plans adopted within the past five years. The Bill, announced in The
Queen’s Speech, contained a raft of proposed planning reform, including: a suite of national development management policies which will sit alongside plans to guide decision-making a “more accessible and user-friendly” NPPF a 30 month deadline on local plan production more weight to local plans when making decisions on applications “so that there must be strong reasons to override the plan” new powers for LPAs to prepare supplementary plans repeal of the duty to cooperate introduction of ‘street votes’ on local applications
a new infrastructure levy a requirement for local authorities to produce design codes. RTPI chief executive Victoria Hills lauded the bill’s focus on planning as an instrument to deliver the levelling-up agenda. “This is a clear indication that government recognises what planning can achieve” she said. However, “Government will not be able to realise ambitions for housing delivery, better quality development and tackling regional imbalances without adequate resourcing to the planning system.” Read the full story: bit.ly/ planner0622-LevelUpBill
Building safety bill receives royal assent The building safety bill, intended to change the way high-rise residential buildings are constructed and maintained, has received Royal Assent. The Building Safety Act 2022 enshrines in law the new office of building safety regulator, which will provide oversight of the new system and have powers of enforcement and sanctions. A new construction products regulator will have powers to remove dangerous products from the market and a New Homes Ombudsman scheme will provide independent redress for new-build buyers who have problems with their new homes or developers. The act seeks to protect
leaseholders from the costs of repairing historic building safety defects. Although the act is now law, some of the provisions will not come into force for 12 to 18 months and secondary legislation will be required.
Protected areas need radical change to aid nature’s recovery The UK’s protected areas “must be more than lines on a map” if they are to be central to nature’s recovery, according to research. A British Ecological Society study says the UK Government’s commitment to protect 30 per cent of land and sea by 2030 offers the chance to revitalise the contribution of protected areas to recovery. But this pledge will fail without “radical, transformative changes”, it warns. Many protected areas are not delivering for nature and are in poor ecological condition, despite the ‘30x30’ target close to being achieved with 27 per cent of UK land and 38 per cent of UK seas under some level of protection. Many protected landscapes, such as national parks, do not specifically prioritise biodiversity and were not established or funded to do so. The report advises that these areas should not be included in the ‘30×30’ target in their current state. Joseph Bailey, geography lecturer at York St John University and the study’s lead author, said: “To be effective, a protected area needs adequate implementation, enforcement, monitoring and long-term protection.” The study calls for protected areas to have rigorous monitoring in place to inform their longterm management and to meet conservation goals. Read the full story: bit.ly/ planner0622-protectedareas
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I M AG E | S H U T T E RSTO C K
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CATCH UP WITH THE PLANNER
Newsmakers Ambitious proposals lodged to develop Newport Market cellars
Proposals have been lodged with the city council to transform the area below the newly refurbished Newport Market by developer LoftCo. bit.ly/planner0622Newportmarket
Major revamp for Ireland's National Parks and Wildlife Service
An overhaul of the Irish Government’s National Parks and Wildlife Service has been set out as ministers announced more staff, extra money, new powers and a management shake-up. bit.ly/planner0622IrelandNPWS
New neighbourhood plan for East Kilbride
McTaggart Construction has lodged outline proposals with South Lanarkshire Council for a major residential-led development in East Kilbride, including 1,012 homes. bit.ly/planner0622eastkilbride
1 2 Coastal communities unaware homes are prone to flooding
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Many people living in coastal areas are unaware their homes may not be protected against potential flooding in the long term, according to research by Dr Sien van der Plank at the University of Southampton. bit.ly/planner0622coastalflooding
Hertsmere sets aside local plan
Councillors at Hertsmere Borough Council have voted to “set aside” the draft local plan amid a number of concerns expressed during public engagement, including some about green belt development. bit.ly/planner0622HertsmereLP
5 Belfast City Council bangs drum for wider powers
I M AG E S | S H U T T E R S T O C K / A L A M Y / I S T O C K
Belfast City Council is lobbying hard for wider planning and other powers, which would require significant devolution from Northern Ireland Executive departments. bit.ly/planner0622-belfast
Green light for Dublin 13 flats complex
An Bord Pleanála has approved Cairn Homes’ fast-track application for a development of 730 flats and duplexes on a site at Parkside in Dublin 13. bit.ly/planner0622CairnHomes
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M54 to M6 link road granted development consent A development consent order has been granted for the proposed M54 to M6 Link road after ministers decided that the scheme is consistent with the UK’s drive towards net-zero. bit.ly/planner0622-m54-m6
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Norwich homes scheme revised after government refusal A large housing proposal in the centre of Norwich has been radically revamped after the government rejected the original scheme. bit.ly/planner0622angliasquare
Offshore wind potential outlined in study
A study that sets out an illustrative framework for how the UK could deploy sufficient offshore wind to meet net zero has been published. bit.ly/planner0622offshorewind
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LEADER COMMENT
Opinion Design discussions will best link the public to planning One key finding of The Place Alliance’s recent ‘Appealing Design’ report, and one its authors point out should really be getting more publicity, is that the English planning system’s regulatory function can be seen to be working as intended, albeit with perhaps some lingering regional discrepancies. Poor design is, in many cases, being rejected at appeal as a result of last year’s revision to the NPPF; it’s no longer something as easy to dismiss as was previously the case. There is some great marketing potential here. If you wanted to produce an advertisement for the general public about what planning does on its behalf, this ‘they shall not pass’ element of the process is just the ticket. Nothing breeds cynicism or dampens local communities’ levels of engagement with the planning process more than the knowledge that mediocre projects continue
Martin Read to slip through the net despite their opposition. And so, in this context, a report demonstrating a relatively sudden shift in appeals outcomes based on a designbased policy change is indeed a story that deserves more prominence. Here is where I should probably bang our own drum a bit, because Professor Matthew Carmona and his Place Alliance team used appeal stories from The Planner’s very own weekly Decision Digest newsletter
- subscribe now for free! - as the basis for their research. Appeals from before and after last July’s NPPF shift were assessed, with the report calculating that local planning authorities’ chances of winning cases based on design grounds is now three times more likely. A broader approach to design is, as you’ll see, something of a theme for us in this edition as we respond to topical talk of new design codes and their ability to inform planned approaches to net zero, wellbeing and nature recovery goals. We’ve an interview with the government’s head of architecture, Sarah Allan, while our ‘Carbon Coded’ article considers the ability of the national model design code to underpin what’s necessary for our
“POOR DESIGN IS BEING REJECTED AT APPEAL MORE AS A RESULT OF NPPF CHANGES"
decarbonisation goals. Here again is where the interface with those local communities will be key; in ‘Carbon Coded’, LDA Design’s Tom Perry, co-author of the RTPI’s ‘Cracking the Code’ report talks of the opportunity ahead “to be creative and to engage communities around shared ambitions.” Engaging with local residents on minimum design standards is indeed significant, with local attitudes to design capable of stirring up more emotion than most things. This intersection between planners and the public has never been more interesting.
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LO U I S E B R O O K E - S M I T H O B E
Opinion
Imitation or emulation? As planners, we are often invited to share ‘best practice’ and even through the pandemic there have been opportunities to do just that through the now ever-present Zoom and Teams wizardry. However, as restrictions ease – at least in the UK – we are champing at the bit to attend every conference, seminar or networking event in person. If I were being generous I’d like to think that this reflected a philanthropic approach of sharing clever solutions to tricky problems that have emerged through the Covid months to everyone’s benefit. In reality, I think most of us just want to get back to being in a smart-casual environment, catching up with old faces and having a bit of a laugh. IT magic doesn’t quite allow for the off-the-cuff comment or insider quip. But, back to the theme of this missive, there is clearly an altruistic side in being able to identify and then openly share a clever solution. Frequently those solutions are then picked up by our contemporaries and before you know it, that clever approach becomes the ‘standard’ approach. So imitation can be positive. Emulation takes things a bit further. At that last corporate shindig you heard a speaker explain how their company dealt with a tricky technical, legal, environmental, strategic, community issue (fill in your own adjective). And you thought ‘Aha, we could take that further…’ And so, you did. Moving the
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solution to the next level. And then, someone else takes up the baton. So, do we do it as individuals? Do we see someone we admire and try to replicate what they say and do? There’s a thin line between imitating a person you respect, and becoming an impersonator with few ideas of your own. It’s a kind of professional stalking that lies just on the acceptable side of professionalism. Not such a problem if the subject of adoration is historic and generally held in high regard. We then hear such phrases as “he’s a modern JFK” or “she’s the next Margaret Thatcher”. OK, so the last one isn’t heard that often across many planning offices as a term of respect. But we are now hearing comparisons of our current dear leader, Boris, and one of our most recognised leaders of all time, Churchill.
“PERHAPS WE NEED NEW VOICES, NOT POOR IMITATIONS OF OLD ONES” Anyone who has read Boris’s biography of Winston will recognise more than a little adoration. Some say that is now emerging as emulation. But history tells us that Churchill made some major tactical mistakes before, during and after the war and in the end, he lost the support of his peers. Boris might be following the same road and emulation might well end up badly. In the meantime, his cat-like ability to survive more than nine lives is remarkable. Who else would have survived this long? But he might fall off the next wall and we will have the delights of a leadership challenge.
Will it be Gove? Will his time heading up DLUHC mean he could be a prime ministerial advocate for the built environment? Hard to say, given that he’s sat on the much-anticipated planning bill and now kicked it into the long grass. After a period of learning from so many working across the sector, hearing of best practice, seeing effective solutions to environmental problems, when better to transpose all of that into real biting policy and straightforward regulations? But no, that hasn’t happened. Although I think Gove has kept his powder dry – ie, kept his head down during the partygate debacle so he can emerge as the challenger in any leadership battle, do I want Gove to emulate Boris? Interesting idea, and considerably better than imitation, but the evidence to date and the inability to bring in effective change to our frustrating planning system and encourage increased housing supply, doesn’t bode well. Perhaps we need new voices, not poor imitations of old ones.
Dr Louise Brooke-Smith is a development and strategic planning consultant and a built environment non-executive director
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B E S T O F T H E B LO G S
Opinion
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Emma Cartledge-Taylor is a senior associate at Gowling WLG and Jessica Herrity is an associate director at turley. Both are co-chairs of Women in Planning’s Mentoring Scheme working group
Mentoring matters in planning – and here’s why
The first Women in Planning Mentoring Scheme launched on International Women’s Day 2021. Both the inaugural 20212022 scheme and the recently launched 2022-2023 scheme were oversubscribed within 48 hours, which shows the demand for mentoring and support for women in our industry. There are the more obvious benefits to having a mentor, such as learning from their knowledge and experience, broadening professional networks and having someone to turn to for advice. Perhaps, though, the most rewarding parts of mentoring relationships are more personal. A mentor gets to know a mentee, their strengths and weaknesses, and helps the mentee become a better version of themself. A mentor has the opportunity to establish and develop their leadership skills, strengthen their knowledge and gain new perspectives from their mentee. A mentee is supported and encouraged, benefits from an independent sounding board for discussions and access to a wealth of knowledge and experience. Access to a mentor independent of a mentee’s workplace is invaluable and can open up opportunities that may not have been considered, let alone discussed with a mentor at the same workplace.
Caroline Gumble is chief executive of CIOB (the Chartered Institute of Building)
Success of building safety act depends on collaboration and competence
It is difficult to quantify the difference mentoring makes, but one way it does reveal itself is in self-confidence. That could be the confidence to ask a question in a meeting, negotiating a pay rise or promotion, volunteering to give a presentation or having the nerve to walk into a networking event alone. On their own, these things may seem small; over time they add up and have the potential to make huge impacts on career progression and, in the longer term, to boost diversity in senior positions in the planning industry with better representation of women. A mentoring relationship is beneficial to both the mentor and the mentee, but the results of such relationships have wider impacts. The industry needs increased diversity, particularly in senior roles, and mentoring has the power to support people to reach those positions. Women in Planning has been so pleased with the response to the scheme and we are excited to relaunch it for a second year. We hope that it continues to offer women in our industry the chance to receive support from other planning professionals.
“THE INDUSTRY NEEDS INCREASED DIVERSITY, PARTICULARLY IN SENIOR ROLES”
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2 BLOG
n Emma and Jessica are co-chairs of the Women in Planning Mentoring Scheme Working Group
One of the most significant pieces of UK legislation to affect the construction industry has received royal assent following months of debates and amendments. When the building safety bill was published, CIOB worked through the details with some of our members and identified areas we believed the government needed to address. We submitted a response at the pre-legislative scrutiny stage of the bill, covering a number of points including: • Intentions and scope: the bill followed through on recommendations made in the Building a Safer Future report, but the success of the regime could come down to how the building safety regulator operates. • Competencies and training: a key challenge will be availability of experts to deliver training and upskilling for those taking on the “accountable person” role outlined in the act. • Indemnity: although the programme of regulatory change is welcome, there are worries throughout the built environment sector about what this means for the availability of insurance products. .
The passing of the legislation has been a long time coming. We are now five years on from the Grenfell Tower fire and about 30 years from the last comprehensive review of the building regulations. But CIOB’s main concern is that some of the amendments from earlier this year, such as removing the duty to appoint a building safety manager, will lead to a lack of clarity over the skills, competencies and training for those in the “accountable persons” role. Potential inconsistency in implementation of building safety management could cause as many problems as the act was intended to solve and could even undermine the whole purpose of this legislation. As many commentators have said, the devil is in the detail. The bill is now law, but there will be a raft of secondary legislation to get to grips with over the next 12 to 18 months. We have followed the process every step of the way and will continue to collaborate with our sister professional bodies to support the development of secondary legislation and guidance documents.
“POTENTIAL INCONSISTENCY IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF BUILDING SAFETY MANAGEMENT COULD CAUSE AS MANY PROBLEMS AS THE ACT WAS INTENDED TO SOLVE”
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Have your say
Would you like to see yourself in these pages? Get in touch by email – editorial@theplanner.co.uk Topical, inspirational, angry or amusing – we consider all relevant comment
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Johannes Novy is a senior lecturer in urban planning at the University of Westminster and a member of the curatorial board of the International Building Exhibition 2027 StadtRegion Stuttgart
Planning needs more innovation and drive. IBAs could show the way
Think what you will about planning in the UK, but one thing is for sure: given the myriad challenges our towns and cities face there is a need for more: more imagination, more innovation, and more drive.And there is a format used in Germanspeaking countries that could provide (part of) an answer: International Building Exhibitions (IBAs). IBAs do not follow a set format, but at their core they focus on developing, realising and showcasing innovative solutions to built environment challenges. Wellknown examples are the (West) Berlin IBAs of 1957 and 1987 and the IBA Emscher Park, credited for playing a role in transforming the old industrial Ruhr area. Several IBAs are currently running in parallel: Heidelberg (20122022) and Vienna (2016-22) focus on urban development for the “knowledge society” and social housing respectively. The IBA in Thuringia has the motto “StadtLand” (UrbanRural) and is dedicated to recasting the periphery as a “place for... innovation” and promoting new spatial relationships between urban and rural areas. And the IBA 2027 StadtRegion
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Stuttgart (2017-2027) is tasked with transforming the Stuttgart region into a showcase for zero-carbon, equitable and sustainable development. The budgets with which today’s IBAs work (provided mainly by the public sector) are often relatively modest. In most cases IBAs do not act as developers themselves but rely on encouraging public, private, and civil society actors to explore new ways of doing things and realise pioneering projects which are then presented as part of the exhibitions. It is not just about bricks and mortar, although the fact that IBAs typically leave a legacy in buildings and sometimes entire neighbourhoods is what makes them special. Rather, IBAs are about changing mindsets and promoting lasting cultural and institutional change. They are not magic bullets and the extent to which they achieve their goals varies. But they often provide important impulses, locally and beyond. That is reason enough to explore whether they could not do the same in the UK.
“INTERNATIONAL BUILDING EXHIBITIONS DO NOT FOLLOW A SET FORMAT, BUT FOCUS ON DEVELOPING AND SHOWCASING INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS TO BUILT ENVIRONMENT CHALLENGES”
n More information: bit.ly/planner0622bauausstellungen
Natasha Reid is founder at Matter . Space . Soul (Design for Wellbeing) and a placemaking officer at Brent Council (as a Public Practice associate)
Health and wellbeing must be re-embedded into the heart of planning practice
Today, the planning system and public health sit worlds apart, despite the significant societal challenges and inequalities that cities and places are facing. I’ve joined the public sector through the Public Practice programme as I believe planning has the potential to bring about the step change needed for more positive health outcomes and life opportunities for people. Evidence and studies such as The Marmot Review, Fair Society, Healthy Lives, show the built environment’s impact on our lives to the extent that there is a 10-year difference in life expectancy between most and least deprived neighbourhoods.. Health, inequality and deprivation, or flourishing and growth, are all tied together, as described through well-established concepts like the ‘social determinants of health’. For meaningful change to happen, it is the wider societal systems like planning that need to be harnessed to find the levers for making real impact, rather than just waiting for innovative approaches to be adopted by forward-thinking clients or mould-breaking projects on a case-by-case basis. However, there is complexity surrounding the place-related factors affecting people’s
health, wellbeing and quality of life. The issues are inherently interdisciplinary and interconnected, from understanding impacts on mental health to creating a sense of community or how spatial exclusion links to deprivation. Reducing health inequalities requires working across many boundaries to find new solutions. These challenges need ‘systems-thinking’ approaches that cuts across sectors to consider outcomes for people, place and planet together as one agenda. A more relationshipbased, approach could help to address how we could better create outcomes for individuals, communities and places, through the process of change. This is about the design of new systems that can deal in human, social and ecological wellbeing and capital, alongside commercial capital. Ultimately, planning holds the power to create the incentives that can help shift the development agenda beyond the production of commercial outputs towards prioritising human values, flourishing and societal outcomes. But to do so, health needs to be re-embedded at its heart once again – as a driving value shared across the board.
“REDUCING HEALTH INEQUALITIES REQUIRES WORKING ACROSS MANY BOUNDARIES TO FIND NEW SOLUTIONS”
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Q&A: SARAH ALLAN
COD WORDS LOCAL INPUT INTO DESIGN CODES HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED AS A FACTOR IN THE LEVELLINGUP AND REGENERATION BILL OUTLINED IN THE QUEEN’S SPEECH. THE GOVERNMENT’S HEAD OF ARCHITECTURE, SARAH ALLAN, EXPLAINS HOW THE CREATION AND USE OF DESIGN CODES IS TAKING SHAPE IN ENGLAND
Sarah Allan (SA): Good design is also placemaking and thinking about where development happens and how it connects to existing places, transport connections, to nature. It’s trying to push away from those boundaries of ‘architects just deal with buildings’. In fact, quite a lot of architects work with
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How important is an understanding of good design to planners? SA: It’s essential, particularly with emphasis now on the journey to net-zero and the need to understand climate change adaptation and mitigation, and what buildings and places need to do to respond to that. It’s the role of good design to help prioritise that. The climate change agenda and health and wellbeing demand that we think about places first, about the outcomes we want from new and existing development and how they need to change to meet the needs of communities. You can’t just think about the building on its own. You think about its orientation, its relationship [with its environment] and also about how technology will change over time and
how buildings need to be adapted. We cannot work in silos anymore.
How important is design to delivering some of these wider social goals? SA: Very important. Obviously it’s not everything. It’s not the economy, but it contributes to it and it can help deliver many of the environmental requirements for our buildings and our built environment more broadly. But it’s also the means by which we experience our built environments and probably in many unconscious ways helps us to feel safer. It’s creating a convivial environment, having active frontage, well-lit streets, well-proportioned buildings, a mix of uses, a diversity of use in an environment, places that are in close proximity that you can walk and cycle through.
There’s a distinction between place design and building design, which is perhaps more about
D AV I D D E S PA U
The Planner: You’re the government’s head of architecture and working under the chief planner. Do the two disciplines sit comfortably together?
planners on plans and have a role early on in the planning process, engaging communities and helping them realise their vision.
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arah Allan was appointed as the government’s head of architecture in October 2021, with a remit to improve the design of the built environment nationally. Among her first tasks is overseeing the roll-out of the new National Model Design Code and its experimental first steps locally in a series of pilots or ‘pathfinders’ around the country.
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Q&A: SARAH ALLAN
Is there a risk that a design code will freeze in the status quo and freeze out innovation? SA: Not if you engage with it in the way that it’s meant. They can be quite prescriptive - if it’s felt locally that this is a site, for example, that’s next to an area
Are there plans for the National Model Design Code to undergo regular review or update? SA: After the Pathfinder Programme, hopefully we’ll have a good understanding of what worked or the content that needs to be clarified. We can then feed that back into the document because there’s no point, particularly with guidance documents, that they remain set in aspic. They have to change and be refreshed.
What sort of feedback have you had so far? SA: With the first phase of pilots they all felt that what was really positive was that it helped them to talk much more clearly about design with developers. We’ve also had feedback that design codes aren’t
Design for life An architect by training, Allan has come directly from a managing director position with a small developer, Solidspace Homes. But her work history is steeped in design. Among much else, she has been a built environment expert with the Design Council, head of urban design for CABE (where she worked with her current boss Joanna Averley), and prepared a design quality charter with residents for the Whitehill and Bordon Eco-town. “I never really had a clear [career] path. Except that I think early on when I was working in
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practice, I knew I wanted to work as a client or for clients. Architects, particularly now, don’t have a lot of control; but at least as a client, no matter how small, you do have a bit of money and you can make decisions about who gets what. “If you’d asked me two years ago, I couldn’t have seen myself here. But it felt like the right time and things had already started changing with the model design codes and it felt that there was a change in direction or an interest in changing direction and I felt ‘Well, it would be good to be part of that and help’.”
“The aim is to set out clearly what you should be thinking about when looking at the design of streets”
necessarily easy to produce. We want them to be concise and clear, but you still need to have resources in-house to manage them, to help prepare them and to engage external specialist expertise. That needs money and that’s one of the many challenges local authorities have. But at least this piloting is testing these things, helping us to understand what some of these challenges are and starting that journey for change.
Is there any sign that this discussion about design – even beauty – is having a tangible effect on the proposals and decisions? SA: Place Alliance published a report looking at appeals and it demonstrates that some of the things that we might have thought are still common, about people not turning down applications if they’re poorly designed – well, actually they are and they’re using the tools we’ve created to help them make that case. Also that the planning authorities that turned down those schemes and were successful at appeal felt that it was because there was clarity in the NPPF and in the design guides about what good design means. They found terms like ugliness and beauty are difficult because they’re not metrics, they’re not measurable.
Is having a National Model Design Code, even before it’s been implemented locally, empowering planners to take a stronger stance on design?
ALAMY
SA: The aim for it was to set a template for the content for – primarily – local authorities preparing a design code to say ‘This is what you should consider whether you’re designing for a whole authority, a district, a neighbourhood or even a small site’. The aim is to set out clearly what you should be thinking about when you’re looking at the design of streets and how people move around places. I would say the design of buildings is not just about aesthetics, it’s as much about what happens inside the building and the arrangement of spaces and uses. How a building is designed early on, how it’s going to be constructed is critical. The same goes for streets, which obviously last much longer and are much harder to move if you get them in the wrong place.
that’s that we want to protect, then you might decide to be quite prescriptive. But the intention of the national code is to encourage innovation. Once you’ve understood what’s in place and what’s important, then it’s looking at what types of areas are there: is this an area of low-density buildings, a sort of suburban context? Then thinking about what sort of area type we want this to be and creating a coding plan. It starts to bring in thoughts about how to engage with developers and landowners.
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aesthetics th ti which hi h is i what h t people l commonly understand by ‘design’. Do you think calling it the National Model Design Code might narrow people’s understanding of what it’s for?
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Is there some way of ensuring that the design codes that are produced by local authorities are sufficiently good quality? SA: That will be one of the key roles of the Office for Place. This will really allow us to understand when the Pathfinder Programme is finished what can be shared more widely that will help authorities produce them to a standard. That’s not going to be easy necessarily because the whole point is that they respond to local conditions and local dialogue about what standards are important. So there’s not going to be just one template.
“THAT’S ANOTHER AIM FOR THE NATIONAL MODEL DESIGN CODE, IT’S A MEANS FOR US TO ENGAGE WITH COMMUNITIES ON AGREEING WHAT GOOD DESIGN LOOKS LIKE”
SA: The Place Alliance report is a timely piece of evidence. But I was going to get back to the point about professional skills in the public sector. Another change that has happened over the last five years is Public Practice and the work they’ve been doing to marry planners, urban designers and architects with local authorities. I think they [Public Practice] have just this year had funding to start to spread nationally. It would be great if that’s something that can continue.
How involved are you and your team in shaping this process or working with the pathfinders? SA: We’ve set up a programme to learn from the first phase of pilot projects – what worked for them in terms of support, but also to ensure that the learning is embedded across our team. So, for example, we’re setting up thematic workshops: how to assess your in-house skills; how to prepare a design code that maybe reflects your policies on carbon.
How do you feel overall about the sort of what appears to be a renewed emphasis on design? SA: I think our whole culture has been besotted by a short-term sales development model. That’s had some quite harmful consequences, particularly where land is of low value and there’s still a pressure for housing numbers and viability is something that is pushed against. The Place Alliance report highlighted that there are many places where planning authorities felt that they couldn’t ask for design because of viability.
Barratt’s work with the RSPB on nature-friendly design shows that volume housebuilders can adapt to new conditions. But they also need design and construction to be easily replicable. Does a code offer that security? SA: I think it does. One aspect of them is that you’re trying to recognise the existing character and distinctiveness of places within the code and make sure that your building forms and your heights and even in some cases the types of buildings you propose [reflect the existing character]. But then I also think design isn’t ingrained in our culture. It’s not like Holland or other European countries where people feel more confident and part of their education is to be a able to understand design, product design, graphic design. That’s probably babl b y got worse rather than betterr in rece recent years cent yea ars r [here]. It’s so important ant to be saying we do want things to be better.
A model approach The National Model Design Code (NMDC) “sets out clear design parameters to help local authorities and communities decide what good quality design looks like in their area. taking into consideration healthier, greener and more distinctive places”. It’s a two-part document, the first setting out the “coding process”, the second offering specific guidance. The NMDC also forms part of the planning practice guidance. In March 2022, 25 ‘pathfinder’ projects were identified to explore the coding process, selected for their geographic spread and the range of planning contests they encompass. Each of the 21 councils and four neighbourhood planning schemes has received a share of £3 million to produce a design code over the next 12 months. Many will set the parameters for urban regeneration programmes in towns and cities such as Bradford, Mansfield and Medway. “Some are town centres, others are rural, some are garden communities, some are local authority-wide, some neighbourhoodwide,” explains Sarah Allan. It’s really important for us to understand how the National Model Design Code will be used in different ways and we want to see not just some really good examples of codes at the end of the process, but also good examples of different stages of the coding process: how people have been engaged, even how authorities have prepared their briefs and selected the expertise they need.”
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DESIGN CODES AND NET ZERO
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DESIGN CODES AND NET ZERO
CARBON,
coded
DOES THE NATIONAL MODEL DESIGN CODE PLACE ENOUGH EMPHASIS ON MEETING NET ZERO AND NATURE RECOVERY GOALS? THE RTPI THINKS PERHAPS NOT – IT’S WORKED WITH LDA DESIGN AND THE RSPB ON A NATURE FRIENDLY APPROACH TO CODING, AS SIMON WICKS DISCOVERS
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s The Planner’s May 2022 development begins with place rather interviewee, Sophus zu than function, form or materials. Ermgassen, observed, our “I’ve worked on codes internationally, current housing model where you bring them in at a very early will use 113 per cent of stage and look at a much broader area,” England’s cumulative carbon budget says Tom Perry, LDA director and report by 2050. Decarbonisation of current co-author. “One of the reasons we wanted and future development, is an urgent to develop a district-wide code was to requirement in the drive demonstrate how critical towards a low(er) carbon, it is to structure your “WHAT WILL more nature-friendly society. district, how important it BE EVEN MORE But how do you decarbonise is in terms of picking the POWERFUL IS a sector that is emissionsright sites.” IF YOU COULD heavy and has a demand for Perry contends that THEN SET THAT its products that is intense the “right” sites are WITHIN A BROADER those close to existing and growing? STRATEGIC Although zu Ermgassen infrastructure and which FRAMEWORK proposed radical enable development OF CONNECTED interventions for rapid to be designed HABITATS” decarbonisation of existing around “walkable and future housing stock, neighbourhoods, the RTPI recommends a 15-minute plan-centred approach neighbourhoods… a place to addressing the carbon that can hold its own”. and nature impacts of But site allocations development. should also take into account impacts on In its March report, Cracking the nature and consider ways to ensure that Code – written with LDA Design and “natural systems are able to connect”, endorsed by the RSPB – the institute says Perry, pointing to the RSPB’s makes the case for developing design influence on the thinking behind the codes in tandem with local plans to lock report. The conservation charity – which net-zero goals and nature recovery into works closely with housebuilder Barratt the building of housing and its associated – considers it axiomatic that supporting infrastructure. It argues that low-carbon nature will reduce carbon and combat
climate change. However, while such ambitions are almost universally professed within the planning and construction industries, the evidence is that much (greenfield) site allocation for sizeable new developments increases rather than reduces car use. At least, that was the finding of Transport for New Homes’ recent Building Car Dependency report Its analysis of 20 new large housing developments found that just two provided genuinely “sustainable” places. The remainder encouraged “cardependent lifestyles” to some degree. Perry cites an unnamed ‘garden village’ he has worked on as being in a “completely unsustainable” location. Rosie Pearson, founder of the Community Planning Alliance, exclaims that “The so-called Tendring Colchester Borders Garden Community is based around a new dual carriageway! “So already the community liaison group involved in design discussions has a big problem because the road destroys the countryside and will result in high levels of air pollution and noise. The circa £100 million required for the road would have gone a long way to improving public and active transport.”
Life through a lens Can design codes arrest this trend and
I M AG E | S H U T T E RSTO C K
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DESIGN CODES AND NET ZERO
Cracking the code Cracking the Code, published by the RTPI, in partnership with the RSPB and LDA Design, considers the ways in which design codes can contribute to net zero, and aid nature’s recovery. Building upon the National Design Guide and the National Model Design Code, Cracking the Code calls for design codes that provide “vision for the kind of place communities want”, focused on nature-based design principles. The report includes two illustrative design codes for those developing their own – one for districts, one for sites. It recommends a balance between prescriptiveness and flexibility to create durable, agile codes. Technology and data are identified as tools to give greater insight into issues such as pollution, and connectivity. Cracking the Code identifies challenges to the delivery of effective local design codes, calling for a more integrated approach to policy related to planning, net zero and nature recovery; better understanding of technical concepts; and a change of culture to consolidate climate positive attitudes and behaviours. It outlines five principles that should underlie codes: Introduction of design codes earlier in the process Stronger focus on how to deliver net-zero and nature recovery Robust framework for environmental assessments Intentional delivery of the community’s vision for the place Carbon and nature to be prioritised throughout design and development
make low-carbon, nature-friendly development the norm? Yes, if Cracking the Code’s principles are observed, argue its authors. It’s not as if these are alien ideas, either: much of what the RTPI, the RSPB and LDA make the case for is generally considered to be good ‘placemaking’. “Looking at it [design] through a net-zero sustainability lens shouldn’t really lead you to any great differences than you would get if you’re looking at it through a placemaking lens,” Perry remarks. To embed such principles in design codes, however, means encouraging looking beyond what is immediately visible. Carl Bunnage, RSPB England’s senior policy officer, says the first thing people tend to notice about Kingsbrook, the 2,450home development the charity worked on with Barratt, are its nature-friendly features – its swift bricks, its hedgehog highways, its wildflower verges. What they don’t necessarily appreciate is its layout. For example, development was confined to the less biodiverse areas of the site. Then there’s the “nature-rich open space
immediately adjacent to people’s homes. That’s woven into the design of the three villages that make up that new community”, Bunnage explains. “We got green space built into it from the outset. What will be even more powerful is if you could then set that within a broader strategic framework of connected habitats across a wider area. “What we’re trying to do in Cracking the Code is demonstrate how you can apply the National Model Design Code both at a strategic district-wide level to provide those connected habitats strategically, but also then drill down at the site-specific level.”
Nature recovery should become an integral part of design coding, say the RTPI and RSPB
Download Cracking the Code bit.ly/planner0622-cracking
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Site based design codes should incorporate greenery that lnks to broader green networks more strategic scale
Perry suggests that some planning authorities and communities are ready for this, others not. “I’ve seen local authorities that are planning things in very coherent ways,” he elaborates. “Places like Thurrock, an incredibly challenging authority, that did a visioning exercise across the entire borough involving every village and town. Then there are some authorities that completely lack resources and knowledge and experience and expertise in terms of design. It’s a very uneven playing field.” Nevertheless, Perry is optimistic that DLUHC’s Pathfinder Programme, supporting a selection of local authorities to produce design codes, will produce learning to share. He also has reason to feel that communities themselves will urge planning authorities to take carbon and nature into account when working on design codes (a week after we spoke, the government proposed ‘street votes’, a level of local engagement that could become integral to this process). “I did some workshops in the summer where we got kids looking at their town centres now and designing newspaper front pages 20 years from now talking about what had happened in their town. They were all about nature and urban greening and bringing life back into town centres by making them more pleasant places to hang out. That’s the big thing for me, design codes, guides, vision documents, there’s an opportunity to be creative and to engage communities around shared ambitions.” Max Tolley, the RTPI policy officer who led Cracking the Code, cites
evidence that citizen’s assemblies can improve understanding of the climate emergency. Pearson also asserts that in her experience communities want to live in greener, more naturefriendly places and would welcome the opportunity to help create them. But for such design to become the norm, Tolley argues that a culture change will be necessary within the built environment professions. They will have to “break out of their silos” to collaborate productively. Design coding should be carried out in tandem with local plan production, he says. Bunnage agrees: “There’s also a critical role here in ensuring that local nature recovery strategies are firmly embedded in the local plan preparation process”.
A step change Both Perry and the RSPB’s urban adviser John Day are impressed by what’s coming out of DLUHC’s Pathfinder Programme so far. This suggests net-zero thinking is filtering into the planning mainstream. “I’ve looked at some of the tenders from Pathfinders looking for consultancy support,” reveals Perry. “All of the ones I’ve seen so far have all talked about nature and net zero as being key policy areas.” For Bunnage, Kingsbrook is the proof that design coding can support low-carbon and nature-friendly development that is also viable. [What that’s] enabled us to do is demonstrate what’s doable, what’s commercially viable, and also what’s popular with both purchasers and residents. “Having nature on the doorstep has been very successful. It actually boosted sales during the pandemic relative to Barratt’s other sites.” Day describes the work with Barratt as a “massive step change”, insisting that “the other volume builders will have to follow suit.” But planners must take responsilbiity, says Bunnage, for “driving that vision for a brighter, safer, more sustainable future, through driving up the quality of design and working with local communities on design guides”. Simon Wicks is deputy editor of The Planner
Street view “Everyone should think about net zero and nature recovery! It needs to be built into the system, and incentivised by the government, from top to bottom. The difficulty that communities will have, when involved in design codes or neighbourhood plans, is that in reality net zero is hard to achieve while the government favours car-based sprawl. Roads funding far outweighs public transport and active travel funding and, when there is a Housing Infrastructure Fund bid granted, it is usually for a new road. That means that those on the ground will be left to grapple with environmentally damaging proposals from the outset. “Communities strongly support net zero goals and nature recovery – there is a desperation to preserve precious green spaces. ‘Street votes’ are an interesting concept but pilots are needed before they are adopted widely. Anything that gives greater community control in the planning system is a good thing but there must be robust safeguards in place to ensure that the vulnerable on a street are not ridden over roughshod. I do worry that they are seen as a convenient gimmick for government to distract people from the fact that still there is no truly affordable housing on the table.” Rosie Pearson is chair and co-founder of the Community Planning Alliance
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NEW TOWNS
In
SEARCH of the
NEW
THE IDEALISTIC IMPULSE OF THE ‘NEW TOWN’ IS BEING LOST AS TIME TAKES ITS TOLL AND MEMORIES FADE. RESEARCHER SU FITZPATRICK IS DEDICATED TO RECALLING AND PRESERVING ITS ORIGINAL SPIRIT, WHILE RINGING THE CHANGES OF A GREAT SOCIAL AND PLANNING EXPERIMENT
T
he new towns of Britain are now between 54 and 76 years old. They are typically framed in terms of their origins as ‘utopian experiments’ of the post-war managerial state, and the word ‘failed’ often follows on quite closely behind a fair number – particularly in the North. Archival images of the new towns’ pristine, as yet unlived-in landscapes do tend to make a jarring comparison with photos of the same landscapes today. My foray into curating a photographic exhibition for the 50th anniversary of Warrington New Town expansion in 2018 revealed some depressing land use change, such as small play areas in residential closes giving way to car parking spaces. In so many of the new towns, you can point to the way the original design principles have succumbed to neglect. Concrete has weathered, the underpasses are scary, buses now bypass the
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NEW TOWNS Warrington New Town, before and after, as recorded in images taken by its creators and early residents
busways, shopping centres (or ‘town centres’ as they were called in Runcorn and Cumbernauld) have units to let, leisure facilities have long since packed up, the experimental and the mundane alike have been demolished – sometimes to make way for something mundane in a more contemporary style, sometimes just to make way for empty space. In knowing the new town, we often refer to the utopian thinking that birthed them. But utopias are ‘no places’; they are always imaginary and impossible to realise. The point was, at one time in our history an ideal existed – to create greener, more spacious, more prosperous places for all social classes to live in together. Looking back from the present, these ideals are judged with a degree of respect, even collective pride, by residents of new towns in what their original planners were trying to achieve. However, a sense that the new towns were ‘too planned’ abides; that they curtail spontaneity, they are uniform, that the planners’ desires for the order of work, leisure, exercise, shopping, and the pathways and roads to access all of those things, the endless convenience of it all, can’t possibly capture the way everyone else wishes to live, or indeed will live. The important stuff of place, like history and culture is weirdly absent. This is translated into discourses of failure, but other more generative, critical, and possibly more hopeful ways of knowing the new towns of the UK do exist. They involve taking the residents’ lived experience as the key that unlocks the complexities, contradictions and nuances of what these places
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Residents’ personal photos held in Warrington New Town Development Corporation archive capture the pristine novelty of the new town
mean in the 21st century. Rather than thinking about a particular new town as failing to live up to the imagined future of planners and architects past, let us instead look to the stories of the residents. Accounts of the lived experience of the new town intersect landscape design and architecture with the changing role of the state, the effects of the postfinancial-crisis austerity agenda upon landscape maintenance, changing family lives, changing working lives, nostalgia, sense of place, the housing crisis, and on and on.
Alternative histories Over the past six years, I have been gathering research interviews, archival photographs from Warrington New Town Development Corporation and residents’ own photographs to tell an alternative social history of Warrington New Town, which I’ve posted to my Days of the New Town blog (see links at end). Warrington tends to be one of the less discussed of Britain’s new towns. It doesn’t have the sci-fi credentials of Runcorn or Cumbernauld. It can, however, lay claim to being the site of a bold experimental approach in
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landscape design inspired by the Dutch Heempark (Homes in Parkland) – the planting of one of Britain’s most extensive urban forests. I grew up in Birchwood, one of Warrington’s expansion areas, between 1980 and 1997. My parents were offered a three-bedroomed house there after satisfying the Development Corporation that they were employable and in need of housing. They had lived in North London from the mid-1970s and moved to Liverpool briefly, where my mum’s family lived and where my parents, my sister and I shared a flat with my grandmother and uncle. Our new home had a generous front and back garden with parking space. The rent when we moved in was £14.40 a week. As a child, my impression of living somewhere completely new was that everyone my age lived somewhere completely new. Only older people lived in older places. This may have been related to me being one of the youngest in a large extended family, most of whom lived in housing that was either Victorian or from the 1960s, in Liverpool, a place with an actual history. We didn’t have that. As a former resident and a geography lecturer who had taught the social and cultural aspects of modernist planning in the UK, I was in a good position to spend summer 2016 looking through the Warrington New Town Development Corporation collection of the Cheshire Archives in Chester. I didn’t have a clear idea of what I wanted to find out, but in the 19 years since I had lived there, I had reflected on what had been attempted in Warrington New Town in terms of its landscaping. For example, I recall being so moved when I watched the 1979 Tarkovsky film Stalker in the early 2000s. Was it because ‘The Zone’ in which the film is mostly set seemed to resemble parts of Warrington’s neglected urban forest of leggy silver birches and ponds covered with thick algae, disturbed periodically by a slowly sinking shopping trolley? Pathways that had in the beginning been carefully landscaped with green belts on either side were now darkened alleys
with walls of brambles and ivy, and mossy tree trunks that are chainsawed back periodically. Is this a narrative of failure? Not necessarily. In his book Production of Space, the sociologist and philosopher Henri Lefebvre offers a vocabulary to understand the tension, so apparent in the new town, between what a planner imagines for a space, and what lies beyond that: the everyday lived experience of its residents, but also the ways residents summon that space in their imaginations. He conceives of the ‘spatial triad’ – a way of describing how we can understand a space in three simultaneous ways. The first is our awareness that the space has been conceived – by a planner/architect – prior to our being there. The second is the way our perceptions are influenced by our personal, emotional and imaginative associations with the space. Finally, there is the way that the space has been formed through the way it is used everyday, as a lived space. These are overlapping layers of conception, experience and behaviour that determine the aims, character
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Days of the new town My research focuses on the social histories of two new towns in the north of England: Warrington (designated 1968) and Washington, south of Newcastle upon Tyne (designated 1964). The outputs so far have been: Two photographic exhibitions in Warrington at Warrington Museum and Art Gallery and Padgate Library Oral history interviews with residents and the managers/ planners and designers at the helm of each New Town Development Corporation, as well as current environmental managers A stall, presentations and focus groups in each new town.
and uses of a space. In the case of the new town, there is a palpable tension between the conceived space (as it appears on the information films, for example), the space of the new town as I personally perceive it, and what I know about how it is used as a lived space. These three levels of understanding and the associated tensions became my starting point for trying to understand new towns now.
Planned output: Learning resources for GCSE and A-level geography students introducing the new town movement and the specific tales of Warrington and Washington and a critical sense of the social implications of planning at the scale of the new town. My aim is to develop teacher training sessions on the post-war new town building programme; to develop a critical awareness beyond the well-trodden ground of original aims of new towns from the perspective of the planning sector, towards an understanding of how new towns evolve amid changes in social and political priorities and mores. These include privatisation of housing and other national infrastructure in the 1980s, subsequent cuts in public spending, the current housing crisis and the effects of changes to the planning system since 2010. These resources will be founded on interviews with residents. In Warrington New Town they seem to have taken on the nowmaturing urban forest as their own.
Residents are more in touch with seasonal changes, everyone can cycle in safety and many talk proudly about the development corporation’s approach. Equally, people describe a lack of a feeling of community in their new town; even within the same close, people hardly know each other and the design of the new town expansion areas has led to each ‘village’ feeling selfcontained. The unity of purpose between residents, schools, libraries (attached to schools) and the urban ranger service present in the early days has given way to an inward-looking, less cooperative way of organising and being in space. Although the areas still have a social mix, I’ve spoken largely to the middle-aged and middleclass residents in ‘friends of’ groups, trying to keep libraries or parkland accessible. Once the development corporations were dissolved in 1988-89 there was a lack of will from central and local government to maintain the activities that tended to bring the communities of the new town together. What are the future implications of this?
“RESIDENTS ARE MORE IN TOUCH WITH SEASONAL CHANGES, EVERYONE CAN CYCLE IN SAFETY AND MANY TALK PROUDLY ABOUT THE DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION’S APPROACH”
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New town ghosts Searching for the New Town Ghosts’ is an ongoing project of photographer Jeff Pitcher, who grew up in Crawley New Town in the 1970s and 80s. As the original fabric of the new town is replaced, he is recording what remains. His images are an elegiac reminder of the neglect that has gone on to beset the new town dream. As Pitcher writes on his website, new residents “poured from the overcrowded, war-scarred capital into what they saw as a brighter future” in “carefully planned” neighbourhoods. With a shift in political will
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and the sale of social housing from the 1980s “the new town dream slowly faded. Original shop frontages were replaced with loud signs and corporate logos, libraries and police stations left to moulder. But it was the small details that went with the least noise. Previously uniform, wood-and-glass doors and Crittall windows were replaced with plastic versions, tiles torn away or concreted over, fences torn up to create parking spaces, staircases ripped out, and the simplicity of the new town was lost in a jumble of uPVC porches, double glazing and extensions.”
Jeff Pitcher’s images of Crawley record what remains of the new town and the distance between then and now
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NEW TOWNS
Place histories
Read more about New Town recollections Days of the New Town: bit.ly/planner0622-days Skelmersdale: A New Town bit.ly/planner0622skelmersdale Searching for the New Town Ghosts: bit.ly/planner0622-ghosts The Radion Project: bit.ly/planner0622radion
Some interesting interventions bring residentcentred reflection upon new towns in the UK into focus. These have come from participatory art organisations, such as Glassball’s Skelmersdale: A New Town. This project culminated in a 2015 book of interviews with photographs from the development corporation and family albums. Images are still being added to the online archive (see link in box). Some interviews hit very personal, truthful notes: the failed experiment discourse is evident, but nuanced in ways that only residents could articulate. One person, who grew up in Skelmersdale, moved away and then back again as an art teacher at Skelmersdale College, reflects upon the damage a place can do in limiting younger residents’ horizons and self-esteem. He talks about a pressure he feels to let them know that “not everywhere is like Skem”’. He talks about urbanisation, class and social mobility, and what he sees as the lack of it in the modern education system in Britain. This work is important to places that are often flippantly maligned by those who know the areas and those who have never visited. The Radion Project in Basildon also marks a desire to bring about a public acknowledgement of the ways spaces can be conceived, perceived and lived at once. A panoramic view of the town’s built environment has been mounted in the town centre, accompanied by a soundscape of residents discussing different buildings and their personal recollections of them. The other important dimension of this work is heritage. I am aware of the number of buildings and spaces built by Warrington’s Development Corporation that have been demolished over the past five years. The pace of urban renewal does not wait for residents or anyone else to reflect on the significance of a building or space in terms of personal and place histories before they are demolished. As a planning document on the demolition of the indoor market built in central Warrington in 1975 reported: “Historic England do not wish to offer any comment”. The people who might be able to argue the case for developing heritage resources around these buildings are not those who tend to be on the statutory consultee list for an application to demolish. Yet the argument for new towns developing such resources exists and is gaining ground with some residents, artists, curators, researchers and archivists.
Su Fitzpatrick is a human geography lecturer at York St John University
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B I O D I V E R S I T Y N ET G A I N
The ABC ofBNG revisited
PROFESSOR DAVID HILL OF ENVIRONMENT BANK RESPONDS TO OUR MAY FEATURE ON BIODIVERSITY NET GAIN
I
n our May issue we featured a raft of material relating to biodiversity net gain as a follow-up to our March webinar on the topic, which was sponsored by Environment Bank. ‘The ABC of BNG’ featured interviews with David Scully, Tunbridge Wells Borough Council’s landscape and biodiversity officer, and Richard Blyth, the RTPI’s head of policy. Here, Professor David Hill, founder and chair of Environment Bank, responds to some of the points raised by our interviewees about the best ways to deliver biodiversity net gain through the planning system. Links to the articles on our website can be found opposite.
The ABC of BNG – a response Following a successful webinar event with The Planner earlier this year, an article on the ABC of BNG has been published with some responses from the RTPI. From the article came a number of points that I felt needed clarity and challenge, which is what I hope I have captured appropriately below. I have been promoting a much better
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I L L U S T R AT I O N | S H U T T E R S T O C K
There is also criticism in the article treatment of biodiversity in the planning about ‘environment banks’, by which I and development control system for the believe he means habitat banks, because past 14 years, culminating in biodiversity there is a lack of control over where they net gain (BNG) being made a mandatory are sited and how they are managed. requirement of planning in order to Nothing could be further from the truth. restore nature in the wider countryside, Our habitat banks are located according building resilience against environmental to the best contribution that can be made shocks; biodiversity loss is identified as an to local and even regional biodiversity, existential threat to us – so it is important and, unlike local planning authorities that we recover it at scale. How it is to date, we enforce delivery through our implemented, and over what timescale, is payments mechanism and we actively therefore of critical importance. intervene with restorative action if the David Scully, the landscape and habitat bank is failing. They are also biodiversity officer at Tunbridge Wells much larger than anything achievable Borough Council, is one of the planning through an on-site LEMP. And they professionals already putting BNG into are absolutely about nature recovery action through the use of the Defra (whereas on-site fragments are not). metric, something that all local planning I would then challenge the RTPI’s authorities will be required to do by next Richard Blyth, who is of the view that year. However, he emphasises that almost we need a strategic plan of where all BNG, in their council policy, is expected BNG should be placed, otherwise it to be delivered on-site. The ecological is undemocratic. But I would remind wisdom, economic viability and value readers for a moment that since the to biodiversity strongly points to this 1990s we have had a plethora of attempts being incorrect – off-site BNG provides to spatially determine where we far greater biodiversity value than on-site would like biodiversity ‘to be which will (as is almost always the case) placed’ – Wetland Vision, Living be manicured away by the residents’ Landscapes, FutureScapes, association in the pursuit of tidiness (if Important Biodiversity Delivery the development is a housing scheme). Areas, Nature Improvement The transparency afforded by the Areas, Ecological Restoration biodiversity gain plan submitted by the Zones, Biodiversity Opportunity developer, which includes exactly how the Areas and others, none of which metric has been applied and the habitats have materially had any impact on assessed, will prevent any fudging of the biodiversity at scale. figures. And a requirement to set aside Richard points to the 30 years of funding for solution being “local the on-site BNG creates a political decision-making”. major liability on the part “BIODIVERSITY Well, just how long have we of the developer. Nor will LOSS IS got? And he suggests that we achieve any nature IDENTIFIED AS we need “local environment recovery by fiddling with AN EXISTENTIAL improvement plans” to small fragments within THREAT TO US – “make sure sites for nature a housing scheme. The SO IT IS PRETTY recovery are consistent with funding should be used IMPORTANT THAT local plans”, and that they to create new, largerWE RECOVER IT AT should replace Local Nature scale sites effectively SCALE” Recovery Strategies (which equivalent to nature will also take many years reserves, complying with to formulate). As ecologists, the Lawton principles of geographers and planners, bigger, better and joined. we inherently like mapping David Scully is of the view everything and dare not do that a landscape ecological anything unless we have a map. We have management plan (LEMP) is the answer been mapping things for decades while for binding the developer in perpetuity presiding over a 60 per cent decline on-site BNG delivery. These have rarely in UK priority species (the things we worked in the past because of a lack of think are most important) over the past long-term finance and zero capacity for five decades – maps haven’t helped us. enforcement.
The ABC of BNG – further reading How Tunbridge Wells is managing biodiversity net gain bit.ly/planner0522tunbridgewells The view from the RTPI bit.ly/planner0522-abcbng Your biodiversity net gain questions answered bit.ly/planner0522-netgain Webinar: The planner’s guide to BNG bit.ly/planner0522environmentaction
Conservation actually only needs two things – access to land and finance. The scale of the job to restore nature and avert massive impacts on us down the line is huge. We can’t wait for more maps or plans. It has to happen everywhere. At the Environment Bank, we have secured the first £200 million of private investment into largely private landholdings to begin the job of restoring nature at scale. We decide, in association with a range of stakeholders, where and how to take forward the creation of our large habitat banks. In 10 years’ time we will have many thousands of hectares of land being restored for nature. We would be delighted for all of these to be placed on a map or included in a plan.
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CASE STUDY: TRUMPINGTON MEADOWS
Trumpington Meadows lies on Cambridge’s southern fringe
TRUMPINGTON: 10 YEARS ON TRUMPINGTON MEADOWS WAS MARKETED AS A WELL-DESIGNED, NATURECENTRED, ACTIVE-TRAVEL FOCUSED, COMMUNITYFRIENDLY APPROACH TO DEVELOPMENT. TEN YEARS AFTER THE FIRST RESIDENTS MOVED IN, RACHEL MASKER ASKS WHETHER IT CAN BE CONSIDERED TO HAVE MET ITS GOALS
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With its townhouses, apartment blocks and postage stamp gardens, Trumpington Meadows, three miles south of Cambridge, looks much like any other urban development. The difference is that it sits alongside a new 60-hectare country park and nature reserve created out of depleted land on the edge of the city. Habitat creation began several years before construction to give the natural spaces time to get established. Today, wildflower-rich meadows space and to create more open access cover most of the nature reserve with land. Without a coast, moors or downsmaller areas of wood, orchards (where land, Cambridgeshire lacks accessible locals can pick the fruit), ponds, natural space. hedgerows and a river restoration Faced with a population boom and scheme. Created for wildlife and for intense competition for housing, planpeople, there is plenty of space for ners opted to build several major new walking and cycling. developments on Cambridge’s south“To have such a significant amount ern fringe, including 1,200 homes in of green space on your doorstep is Trumpington Meadows, 40 per cent of fantastic and a big draw,” says Andrew which are affordable. Sharpe, director of project manageIn 2009, outline planning permisment, strategic land for sion for the Trumpington Grosvenor, masterplanner Meadows development for the development. was granted following the “FROM A DESIGN Early delivery of the signing of a legal agreePERSPECTIVE, green infrastructure ment with masterplanner THERE IS NO boosted market value of Grosvenor, investment EXTERNAL the housing, he says. partner the Universities DISTINCTION Trumpington Country Superannuation Scheme BETWEEN Park, which flanks the and BPHA (Bedfordshire AFFORDABLE River Cam, was designed Pilgrims Housing AssoAND PRIVATE by local planning authorciation). The first homes HOUSING. THEY ities as a strategic green were built in 2012. A ARE IDENTICAL”
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sustainable, integrated, vibrant community was part of the masterplanning vision.
PLANNING BACKGROUND
farmed fields. Although some of the land was brownfield, it was within a green belt, so out of bounds to builders. Terence O’Rourke, planning and design company, was commissioned to promote the site for housing in the local plan process, secure the release of green belt and develop the initial masterplan concept. One section of the site, straddling the M11 motorway and following the River Cam, was set aside for green space. A country park was always planned for the site, says Sharpe, adding “that was one of the levers of green belt release”. Trumpington Meadows was originally earmarked for 600 homes in the local plan process. With the help of Terence O’Rourke, Grosvenor managed to get
“TO HAVE SUCH A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF GREEN SPACE ON YOUR DOORSTEP IS FANTASTIC AND A BIG DRAW”
Trumpington Meadows was “a bit of an oddball” for Grosvenor, says Sharpe, as its core business was major commercial schemes rather than residential. But the original plan to sell the site to a large housebuilder was scuppered by recession from 2007-9. Rather than mothball the development until the economy improved, Grosvenor opted to put in the infrastructure and sell the land in parcels. Barratt became the housebuilder. The 154-acre site was formerly an agricultural research facility with greenhouses, buildings and intensively
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the allocation doubled to 1,200. In 2008, Grosvenor appointed The Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire to help to shape the country park and manage it when the scheme was still at concept stage. The Wildlife Trust BCN insisted on being involved in the design stage to result in better outcomes for wildlife. Getting the trust on board meant the developer could tap into its ecological expertise in habitat location, wildflower seed mix and how best to allow public access while protecting nature. There is a network of paths and cycle routes running through the park that is popular with dog walkers.
AFTER A DECADE OF DEVELOPMENT “Ten years on and Trumpington Meadows is still held up as an exemplar in terms of design and functionality,” says
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Housebuilder Barratt aimed to cultivate “a real feeling of community”
“We didn’t get the retail in as early as we would have liked,” concedes Sharpe. On the upside, the master developer took on the challenge of creating the country park before the first homes were built and sold. Allotments, pocket parks, a kick-about area and public art have also all been provided.
AFFORDABLE HOUSING
Ray Houghton, Barratt’s head of planning. “When you walk around there is a real feeling of community that we are most proud to have achieved. “It is the landscaping that has from the start really helped to bring people together, particularly in the last two years when they have had more time to sit outside and get reacquainted with their neighbours.” More than 1,000 of the planned 1,200 homes have been built. A primary school opened in the first phase of the development in 2013. Trumpington Meadows appears a sociable place with an active residents’ association, Scouts’ group and events such as Chinese New Year celebrations. The development is built around public transport to reduce car dependency. All the new homes wrap around a park-and-ride site that was up and running before the first residents
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moved in. It takes just 10 minutes to get into the city centre by bus. There is also a new guided busway route and cycle paths encouraging bike use for commuting and recreation. Cambridge is famously bike-friendly and there are 3,000-plus bike spaces in Trumpington Meadows, about one per bedroom, either in communal sheds or individual properties. But there are lessons to be learned, too. Small shops, cafés and businesses for local living are missing. The only store in a small parade of shops is a Sainsbury’s Local. People can buy a pint of milk without jumping in the car, but four out of five of the other units in the local centre still stand empty. Rooms are available for hire in the school, but residents say they would like more indoor meeting space. There are plans for a community-owned café in one of the empty units.
The 480 affordable homes made a “significant dent” in the local authority housing waiting lists, says Sharpe, adding that the 40 per cent quota was a council policy that the developer didn’t fight. Moreover, all the housing is designed to be tenure-blind. Sharpe explains: “From a design perspective, there is no external distinction between affordable and private housing. They are identical.” The development is governed by an architectural design code developed by Grosvenor to maintain the quality of housing and public realm. Grovenor has vetted planning applications from Barratt before submission. The affordable housing is in clusters of 12 to 16 houses or 20-plus apartments spread out across the site rather than concentrated in one section. “The clustering has been relatively successful; we didn’t end up with ghettos,” says Sharpe. But why such small gardens? “A compact urban form was proposed to achieve a walkable neighbourhood and prioritise active travel,” says Terence O’Rourke director Richard Burton. “Additionally, much of the public open space was provided in the country park (well in excess of policy) to prioritise biodiversity and communal recreation. As such, gardens were limited in size, but the streetscape aimed to promote
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CASE STUDY: TRUMPINGTON MEADOWS The Wildlife Trust BCN was brought on board the nascent scheme to optimise the outcome for wildlife
“TEN YEARS ON AND TRUMPINGTON MEADOWS IS STILL HELD UP AS AN EXEMPLAR IN TERMS OF DESIGN AND FUNCTIONALITY”
high levels of tree shrub planting.” On-street parking is a thorny issue. Trumpington Meadows has a relatively generous car parking allocation of 1.5 spaces per home. Although the biggest five-bedroom houses have two car parking spaces, some one-bedroom apartments have none. Cambridgeshire County Council is keen to introduce visitor-only parking permits for the southern fringe developments to create a cleaner environment and a less cluttered street scene. But the proposed clampdown has led to protests from households with more cars than parking spaces.
BIODIVERSITY NET GAIN The key green infrastructure was in place by the time Barratt was marketing the first phase of homes. But the park was not formally opened until much later in 2016. “It was very important to ensure the meadows were well established
The project was designed ‘for wildlife and for people’ I M A G E S | PA U L M I L L E R
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and capable of supporting footfall without damage,” says Martin Baker, conservation manager at Wildlife Trust BCN. Natural success stories include the return of brown hares and nesting swifts to the area. Trumpington Meadows was developed before the principle of biodiversity net gain became part of the National Planning Policy Framework (in 2019), but Grosvenor commissioned a study to look at the development’s impact on nature. The site was subject to an environmental impact assessment at the planning stage and consultant EDP compared this benchmark with the site’s wildlife habitats postdevelopment. The results showed the scheme boosted wildlife by 43 per cent (using Natural England biodiversity Metric 2), far exceeding the 10 per cent now required. The Wildlife Trust has taken on a 115-year section 106 liability to manage the park, funded by a financial endowment from Grosvenor. Baker says: “We are planning for decades hence, even a century or more, though in bite-sized five-to-10-year chunks.” n Rachel Masker is a freelance journalist specialising in the built environment
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CASES &DECISIONS
A N A LY S E D B Y B E N G O S L I N G A N D H U W M O R R I S / A P P E A L S @ T H E P L A N N E R . C O . U K
Nutrients threat to housing supply key to Kent homes appeal success POLICY POINTS
Outline permission for 145 homes, and full planning permission for an 8.66 hectare country park and three hectares of sports pitches, has been granted after an inspector concluded that the development would contribute to housing supply in the area, which was threatened by nutrient neutrality issues..
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( “On 16 March 2022, Natural England issued advice to 42 councils on nutrient neutrality extending from Bodmin in the west, to Somerset, Dorset, Hampshire and as far north as Holy Island in Northumberland.”
( “In some areas there is an embargo on issuing new planning permissions until the mitigation can be provided…. five-year housing land supply figures will be impacted significantly.”
supply were affected by the Stodmarsh nutrients problem, where water quality in the area is being affected by the presence of phosphorus and nitrogen, rendering these areas unsuitable for development. The appellant suggested that if the Stodmarsh sites were deemed to be unsuitable for housing, the council’s housing supply would be reduced to 2.75 years, and if the Stodmarsh sites were delayed in providing houses, the supply would also be reduced, to 3.57 years. Whitehead scrutinised the Stodmarsh sites listed by the council, concluding that the council “failed to provide clear evidence that there is a realistic prospect that housing will be delivered on most of the sites affected by the Stodmarsh nutrients issue”. The inspector determined the housing supply in the area to be 3.5 years, and urged the council to address this. Whitehead also concluded that the development was of an
appropriate size for a town of Tenterden’s population, and would not conflict with the borough’s spatial strategy. The inspector then turned to the plan’s impact on the surrounding area’s character and appearance, observing “gently rolling grassland” when visiting the site. Whitehead noted the efforts to implement a “landscapeled” design, with green spaces and buffers to lessen any urbanising impact. He also observed that, as most of the domestic development
LOCATION Kent AUTHORITY Ashford Borough Council
INSPECTOR Martin Whitehead PROCEDURE Inquiry and site visit DECISION Allowed REFERENCE APP/ E2205/W/21/3284479
( Andrew Burgess, principal of Andrew Burgess Planning
would be focused on the western half of the appeal site, the impact on the High Weald AONB to the east would be lessened. Whitehead did observe that the plans would lead to the loss of a rural landscape, to be replaced by an urban one, but was also satisfied that the proposal had a “positive response to character, distinctiveness, and sense of place". Turning to the planning balance, Whitehead noted the development’s positive contribution to addressing both housing supply and the local need for sports facilities. The development would also provide an increase in biodiversity. He concluded that these benefits outweighed the harm caused to the surrounding area by the proposals. The appeal was allowed. bit.ly/planner0522-bristol
I M AG E S | I STO C K
Wates Development Ltd had sought permission for the development at a site in Tenterden, Kent. The appeal site is 24.32 hectares in total, and is occasionally used for agricultural purposes. It lies near the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Ashford Borough Council identified issues with the proposals, indicating that they felt the plan’s impact on the appearance of the local area, potential harm to ecology and biodiversity; and effect on community space and pedestrian safety was unacceptable. Housing supply in the area was also identified as a key problem. Inspector Martin Whitehead addressed the area’s housing supply, observing that the local plan had identified a need for 13,118 net additional homes between 2018 and 2030. The council claimed to have a housing supply of 4.54 years, slightly below the five-year target. However, Whitehead noted that many of the sites included in the council’s
Avoiding or mitigating nutrient loads
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40 or so appeal reports are posted each month on our website: www.theplanner.co.uk/decisions. Our Decisions Digest newsletter is sent out every Monday. Sign up: bit.ly/planner-newsletters
Andrew backs inspector on mixed-use Bristol plan Housing minister Stuart Andrew, on behalf of secretary of state Michael Gove, has confirmed an inspector’s decision to allow a called-in application for a major mixed-use development in Bristol that would create 23,543 square metres of office space, a café, up to 367 homes, restaurants, a secondary school and up to 841 student bedrooms.
‘Transformative change’ from Basildon tower plans outweighs heritage harm A tower block development in Basildon, Essex, has been allowed after an inspector decided that it would not negatively impact its town centre setting or significantly harm a nearby listed heritage building. Full planning permission was granted for tower blocks of up to 23 storeys, providing 265 new homes on the site in Basildon’s town square, and outline permission for more buildings with up to 230 homes and class E retail space. Basildon Borough Council had dismissed the initial application because it felt the development’s sheer scale might affect the town centre’s grade II listed Brooke House. Addressing the proposal’s impact on the town centre, inspector R Barrett noted that the surroundings had a strong new town influence, but a “generally run-down feel” caused by ageing buildings and empty retail units. He praised the towers’ impact on longer-range views, judging that the new buildings would contribute to “an attractive and lively skyline”. He said the tower’s design would “reinterpret the distinctive character of Basildon’s New Town architecture”. Assessing the likely harm to Brooke House, the 1960s listed residential tower built to add height to LOCATION Essex the generally low-level town centre, he noted the AUTHORITY Basildon Borough tower’s landmark status, Council and observed that the distance between the sites INSPECTOR R Barrett would allow the new taller scheme to respect Brooke PROCEDURE Inquiry House’s dominance over the skyline. He said the DECISION Allowed development would bring “transformative change” REFERENCE APP/ to a brownfield site and V1505/W/21/328121 much-needed housing. He allowed the appeal.
LOCATION Bristol AUTHORITY Bristol City Council INSPECTOR Zoe Hill PROCEDURE Recovered appeals DECISION Allowed REFERENCE APP/ Z0116/V/20/3264641
Inspector Zoe Hill noted that Bristol City Council’s flood modelling places the appeal site in zone 3, at high risk of flooding, which would require the proposal to pass the two-part “exception test” The proposal passed the first part, requiring the development to demonstrate benefits to the community. Hill then turned to address the second aspect of the test, which requires a proposal to be safe for its lifetime in terms of flood risk. Hill concluded that plot one, the location of the office space and a café, and the residential
blocks on plots two and three, would be safe in the event of a flood, as they are set higher than the water level predicted in flood modelling. Hill dedicated that the listed erecting sheds at plot four, the school at plot five and student accommodation at plot six could be made safe by “robust flood warning and evacuation plan” The inspector concluded that floods could be predicted with enough forewarning to close and evacuate the school and other buildings. However, the inspector did recognise that “modest” harm would be inflicted on the grade II St Vincent’s Works offices, and the grade I Temple Meads station. In the planning balance, Hill concluded that the scheme’s benefits justified any harm to heritage assets, and that flood risk on the site was “limited and manageable”. Stuart Andrew confirmed the inspector’s recommendation that the appeal be allowed. bit.ly/planner0622bristolmix
bit.ly/planner0622basildon
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C&D { Broxhal mixed-use scheme prompts sustainability fears A mixed-use development proposal has been dismissed after an inspector determined the development was not in a sustainable location because of its distance from nearby towns.
Improvements to school would impair Norwich heritage Appeals seeking listed building consent and permission to construct new dining and teaching facilities at a Norfolk school have been refused after an inspector ruled the developments would unacceptably harm the Norwich Conservation Area. Norwich City Council refused the initial applications, expressing its concern that the developments would affect the conservation area, as well as individual heritage assets, including the Precinct Wall, Norwich Cathedral, Bishop Reynold’s Chapel, Bishop Salmon’s Porch, Bishops Gate, The Church of St Martin-at-Palace Plain and six listed buildings on St Martin-at-Palace-Plain. The inspector, Graham
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Chamberlain, observed that Cathedral Close is “one of the most historic parts” of the conservation area. The inspector also suggested that several of the trees proposed to be felled helped to create a sense of separation from the rest of the city, as well as promoting the “verdant character” of the setting, contributing positively to the conservation area. Chamberlain decided that the loss of these trees would
explored, a requirement in the local plan. Warren also judged that the proposed park and ride was not
LOCATION West Lothian AUTHORITY West Lothian Council INSPECTOR Christopher Warren PROCEDURE Site inspection DECISION Dismissed REFERENCE PPA-400-2123
justified, as he observed on a site visit that existing car parks were largely unoccupied, He also decided that the “modest” amount of solar energy produced by the proposed solar panels did not justify their impact on the landscape. In the planning balance, Warren recognised that the proposal would make a valuable contribution to the area’s housing stock, but concluded that the development was not sustainable, and dismissed the appeal. bit.ly/planner0622broxhal
harm the conservation area. Chamberlain then turned to proposed changes to the Precinct Wall, originally built in the 13th century, which has been extensively modified and repaired over the years, but retains its mediaeval atmosphere. However, the inspector determined that a new door in the wall would “erode” its sense of solidity. Furthermore, he concluded that the developments would cause some limited harm to nearby listed buildings including chapels and the six listed buildings on St Martinat-Palace-Plain, as the new dining hall and teaching facilities would encroach upon the historic buildings with the loss of trees also impacting views. However, the inspector
ultimately concluded that the proposals’ would harm the conservation area as well as the listed Precinct Wall. Accordingly, he dismissed the appeal. bit.ly/planner0622Norwich
LOCATION Norwich, Norfolk AUTHORITY Norwich City Council INSPECTOR Graham Chamberlain PROCEDURE Written Representation DECISION Dismissed REFERENCE APP/G2625/Y/21 /3274825
SHUTTERSTOCK / ISTOCK
in housing land. However, Warren observed that the development was in an isolated location. He suggested that the distance from nearby towns and lack of public transport would lead to residents relying on private vehicles judging that the site’s accessibility issues meant that the development could not be considered to form a sustainable one. He then turned to address the commercial element of the proposal, observing that the appellant had not demonstrated that alternative town centre location had not been
I M AG E S |
Uphall Estates Ltd appealed against West Lothian Council’s decision to refuse planning permission in principle for up to 200 homes and 1,000 square metres of commercial floor space, despite a lack of housing supply in the area. Because of an out-of-date development plan, Reporter Christopher Warren found it was impossible to accurately calculate an exact housing land supply position. However, he noted that the target number of homes between 2009 and 2024 had not been reached, which led him to assume that there was a “substantial” shortfall
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DECISIONS DIGEST{
SUBSCRIBE to our appeals digest:
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Green belt harm sinks four houseboat mooring appeals
Four appeals have been refused retrospective permission for boat moorings in West Molesey, Surrey. An inspector – who agreed with the council that the development would harm the green belt – granted temporary permission to appeal E, judging that the welfare of the child living on the boat outweighed the harm the mooring caused bit.ly/planner0622-houseboat
Sports airdome falls foul of noise and visual concerns
An application for an airdome sports hall at a Chorley secondary school has been dismissed after an inspector ruled that the harm it would cause to the area’s character and the living conditions of local residents would outweigh its benefits. bit.ly/planner0622-airdome
Enforcement action quashed for mobile home at organic farm business
The owners of a sustainable farm and forest school in Hertfordshire have been allowed to live onsite in a mobile home after an inspector quashed enforcement notices ordering the removal of all residential buildings on the site. bit.ly/planner0622-organicfarm
New homes would ‘undermine spatial strategy’
Outline permission for 69 homes in Greens Norton, Northamptonshire, has been refused after an inspector suggested that the proposal would conflict with the area’s spatial strategy, and harm its rural setting. bit.ly/planner0622-greensnorton
Extension to vet’s practice would impair local heritage A single-storey extension to the Bay Vets veterinary practice in Lancaster has been refused after an inspector decided at appeal that it would have an impact on the historic Baldrand House, which hosts the vets. bit.ly/ planner0622-bayvets
Further education college to relocate to business park
Coleg Menai has gained permission to relocate its main campus to an office building in Parc Menai business park, after an inspector determined that the change of use from class B1 office space to class D1 non-residential institution was justified. bit.ly/planner0622-menai
Privacy concerns lead to dismissal of Camden flats
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A plan to demolish and rebuild the Dean Swift pub as a four-storey building housing the pub and six self-contained apartments has been rejected after an inspector ruled that the proposal would harm nearby listed and locally listed buildings. bit.ly/planner0622-deanswift
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The proposed conversion of a floor of office space into five flats in Camden, London, has been dismissed after an inspector identified a range of problems with the proposal, including the standard of living conditions for residents, and an inadequate mix of housing types bit.ly/planner0622-camden
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LLegal landscape OPINION
Renewed s76 means higher costs for NI housebuilders and developers Following the preparation of new local development plans across all 11 council areas, Northern Ireland will experience a substantial increase in the use of section 76 agreements. Chris Bryson and Drew Nesbitt explain what this means for housebuilders and developers Section 76 was introduced seven years ago and has since been used sporadically – unlike its England and Wales equivalent, section 106, which is widely used and always considered in planning and development meetings. But this is all set to change. Next year will bring a greater emphasis on the use of s.76 agreements, particularly in relation to the provision and delivery of affordable/social housing, meaning that housebuilders and developers will have the new responsibility to provide affordable housing if a development is over a certain size. Although this change provides opportunities for lower-income families, key workers and firsttime buyers, it brings with it potential barriers for developers who will need to iron out the cost and decide who absorbs these additional costs – them or housebuyers? It’s predicted that the new policy will cause a significant impact on the housing market, possibly even up to a 20 per cent increase on existing scheme costs, meaning the pressure is likely to fall on small and medium-sized developers who haven’t previously had
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But where developers can to consider affordable/social demonstrate that it’s not housing costs. suitable or viable for the Once it is implemented, development to meet the each council will set its own policy in full, the council will requirements and thresholds, consider suitable alternatives although it’s likely that they on a case-by-case basis. will operate in a similar way Builders and developers to Belfast, which now adheres must prepare for this change to the draft HOU5 policy. now, as those who are just in This policy states that any the process of development either planning with more or submitting than five “WE’RE ALREADY units needs WITNESSING CASES from here on a planning WHERE DEVELOPERS in, are likely to be assessed agreement HAVE HAD TO where 20 per RECONSIDER THEIR against emerging cent of those PLANS IN LINE housing houses offer WITH THE EMERGING social policies and the affordable POLICY, DESPITE need for s.76 housing THEIR PLANNING agreements. options. It also APPLICATIONS We are outlines that BEING WELL already affordable ADVANCED” witnessing housing will cases where be secured by developers way of a s.76 have had to agreement, reconsider which needs their plans to be in place in line with the emerging in advance of planning policy, despite their planning permission being granted. applications being well Affordable housing, under advanced. Some have been HOU5, should be provided hit with a six-figure increase as an integral part of mixed in costs and, in worst-case tenure development, scenarios, they’ve decided to integrated with general withdraw plans completely. needs and not readily There are going to be more distinguished in terms of its costs for housebuilders and external design, materials developers to factor in, but if and finishes.
they are able to meet the s.76 requirements they will find more options in Northern Ireland, where the demand is growing daily. Postpandemic, there’s a oncein-a-generation opportunity there for housebuilders as more young graduates are securing careers instead of moving overseas. More organisations are rooting down in Northern Ireland who are attracted to the highly educated and lower-waged local people. This has created a virtuous circle for housebuilders because there’s more reason and demand to stay home and buy houses locally. Chris Bryson is director of planning at Gravis Planning and Drew Nesbitt is a partner with Wilson Nesbitt
In brief 2023 will bring a greater emphasis on the use of s.76 agreements, particularly in relation to the provision of affordable/social housing This is likely to hit small and medium-sized developers in higher costs Demand for housing is growing in the province as fewer young graduates move overseas
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EVENTS
CASES
LEGISLATION
NEWS
ANALYSIS
NEWS Worthing seeks judicial review of approval of farm development on appeal Worthing Borough Council has submitted a legal challenge to the High Court to prevent more than 450 homes being built on land at Chatsmore Farm. In March 2021, councillors rejected a planning application for 475 homes on land between the borders of Ferring and Goring by developer Persimmon Homes. More than 1,200 letters of objection were submitted. Members determined that the land is an “important green gap and that development would adversely affect the setting of the South Downs National Park and add to traffic congestion”. The green gap is protected from development in the emerging local plan, something the inspector examining the plan has indicated is right, the council explained. The developer appealed against the decision. The Planner reported in March 2022 that inspector Rory Cridland declared that the council had objected to the scheme on the basis of the site’s rural location, which it deemed inappropriate for a development of this scale, as well as potential harm to the South Downs National Park, 200 metres away from the site. Furthermore, Cridland noted that policy 13 of the Worthing Core Strategy limits new development to within the built-up area boundary and favours using already-developed sites rather than green spaces. Persimmon contended that both the policy and the built-up boundary were out of date, and restricted necessary development. The inspector rebutted this argument but did concede that an “exceptionally high” shortage of housing in the Worthing area provided grounds for a potential exception to policy 13. A spokesperson for Worthing Borough Council said: “Building on Goring Gap might be right for the developer but it is wrong for Worthing. We are determined to stop this unwanted development. “We have now taken our case to the High Court to fight for the right decision to be made, to protect this open space for the community and to prevent the urban sprawl along the coast.”
Council serves enforcement notice on business for planning breach Braintree District Council has issued an enforcement notice to a local business in Coggeshall for continuing to breach planning rules. Events such as weddings, live music entertainment and cinema are being held without planning permission at Stock Street Farm Barn. The council explained that such business uses “cannot be accommodated without giving rise to heritage harm and/or highway safety concerns”. In response to the unauthorised business, the council has served an enforcement notice on the premises to prevent further events from taking place. Gabrielle Spray, cabinet member for planning and infrastructure at Braintree District Council, said: “We know this is a valued business in the community and recognise the positive benefits it brings to the local economy. Unfortunately, it is not in a suitable location because of the lack of sufficient on-site parking for events, and the resulting harm to the setting of the listed buildings, and it hasn’t sought planning permission from the council for activities on the site. “If it was in the right location and had planning permission then we would of course be supportive, but it is our duty as the local planning authority to take robust action against those who breach planning laws and give public confidence that we will not tolerate unauthorised development or activity in our district.” Essex Live reports that Stock Street Farm Barn made a request to the council for permission to submit a modified application on 1 April, but the business said “this was refused by their press statement trumpeting the start of their enforcement process”.
LEGAL BRIEFS Planning court judge dismisses motor sport circuit challenge A judge has dismissed a judicial review challenge over a council’s decision to grant planning permission for development at a motor sports circuit in the Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. bit.ly/planner0622-circuit
Administrative courts back in-person Local Government Lawyer reports that the default position in the Administrative Court in Wales and on the Midland, Northern, North-Eastern and Western Circuits is that hearings will now take place in person. bit.ly/planner0622-inperson
Building Safety Act 2022 in force The act holds builders and developers to account by toughening sanctions and having a building safety regulator with gateway points at design, construction and completion phases. bit.ly/planner0622-BSA
Law Society of Scotland responds to local development consultation The organisation’s Planning Law Subcommittee’s feedback to the Scottish government include that while it agreed regulations be kept to a minimum, their certainty and clarity was key. bit.ly/planner0622-ScottishLDP
Stratford-on-Avon DC wins challenge Stratford-on-Avon District Council has succeeded in its High Court bid to overturn a planning inspector’s decision to grant an appeal and has been awarded costs of £15,298 against the secretary of state for levelling up, housing and communities. bit.ly/planner0622-StratfordOnAvon
Conviction over illegal AONB felling A landowner has been convicted after felling over eight hectares of woodland within the Gower Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty near Swansea. bit.ly/planner0622-Felling
Holocaust memorial stopped A High Court judge has quashed the secretary of state’s decision to grant planning permission for a Holocaust memorial and learning centre in a park bordering the Palace of Westminster. reports Local Government Lawyer. bit.ly/planner0622-HolocaustMemorial
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NEWS RTPI news pages are edited by Ashley Lampard at the RTPI, 41 Botolph Lane, London EC3R 8DL
ELECTIONS
What positions are available?
Will you step up to represent the RTPI? Planners are in the business of making the world a better place Why stand for elections? There’s a lot going on at the RTPI aside from leading the industry. We’ve launched our Planning Your World site, aimed at inspiring the next generation of planners through graphically inviting information on subjects from green space to health and wellbeing. There has never been a better time to get involved with your professional body. Good planning is fundamental to society’s future, and the RTPI wants you to be at the forefront of decisions that shape high-quality places and spaces.
Could you be a leading voice? We’re looking for new voices to lead in these debates, with fresh and practical ideas that will help us deliver value for our members and contribute to our continued success. All positions will start from January 2023. Becoming a member of our Board and GA will broaden your planning experience, allowing you to take part
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in the challenging discussions and decisions that impact the Institute and the wider profession. Members of the Board of Trustees and other committees come from a wide range of sectors, geographical locations and backgrounds, and are from all stages of their careers in planning. A diverse pool of opinions and points of view is important, as it allows us to ensure that we continue to truly represent the profession. This year, vacancies in the Nations and Regions will be advertised separately to the vacancies for the General Assembly and Board of Trustees. Nominations for all RTPI positions will open on Monday 27th June. Please note the timeline and look out for the nominations email from elections@mi-voice.com With best wishes, Victoria Hills MRTPI FICE FRSA RTPI Chief Executive
The RTPI is looking for nominations for the following positions: Presidential Team n Vice-President for 2023 progressing to President in 2024) n Chair of the Board (1 position) n Chartered Trustees (three positions) n Trustee for Nations (1 position) The elected body is responsible for setting the strategic direction of the RTPI’s affairs including responsibility for RTPI’s finances and health and safety. The Vice-President will become the President in 2024 – the figurehead for the RTPI and the planning profession. The Vice-Presidency will allow the person elected to office to take on some duties in 2023 in preparation for the Presidency in 2024. The main duties will be speaking at engagements to promote the profession to a wide national and international audience, and to inspire members through visits and events. The General Assembly (GA) n Chartered Members (14 positions) n Legal Member/Legal Associate (one position) n Student/Licentiates (three positions) GA is the debating chamber of the institute, meeting three times a year.
THE PLANNER \ JUNE 2022
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Editorial E: rtpinews@rtpi.org.uk
RTPI (switchboard) T: 020 7929 9494
Registered charity no. 262865 Registered charity in Scotland SCO37841
INSTITUTIONS COOPERATING
Built environment sector bodies unite to improve diversity, equity and inclusion Key membership bodies in the built environment sector signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to drive forward the creation of a more diverse, equitable and inclusive sector – ensuring that it is more representative of the society it serves. The MoU brought together six bodies from across the sector: the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB), Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE), Landscape Institute (LI), Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) – collectively representing around 350,000 members. “The RTPI places Equality, Diversity, and Inclusivity at the heart of
the institute, for our ur members, the profession, ession, the community and d the built environment ent sector,” said Victoria ia Hills, Chief Executive ive of the RTPI. “However, r, we know that we cannot not change the sector by working alone. That’s t’s why it is not only a great pleasure to sign thiss groundbreaking MoU oU with our friends, but ut an honour.” Over the next few months the institutes will work together to produce a detailed plan of work – setting out how each of the objectives will be
tackled and start making progress to deliver a more inclusive sector. A collectively agreed action plan will be published later this year.
I M AG E S | RT P I / S H U T T E R S T O C K
RTPI’s pilot NURTURE programme inspires mentors and mentees The RTPI has completed its pilot NURTURE mentoring programme, with the majority of respondents achieving their professional objectives. The programme, designed to support the professional development of chartered RTPI members in the UK and Ireland, offered structured, professional mentoring for 25 RTPI’s members at a ‘mid-career’ point and hoping to advance their professional development. The pilot of the NURTURE scheme was designed and delivered for the RTPI by Women in Transport CEO Sonya Byers and independent consultant Angela Gainsford of Gainsford Elliott Associates. "It was a pleasure for Angela and I to
design and deliver the pilot NURTURE programme, applying our experience of Women in Transport's Advance mentoring programme,” said Byers. Responding anonymously to a survey run by the RTPI, mentees highlighted the inspiring relationships that grew out of the programme, where mentors helped them to think about how they approach challenges in a more positive way, coming away from each session with a sense of satisfaction. Some reported finding new senior roles within the industry following their mentorship. Mentors reported the useful feeling they had helping younger planners, as well as underpinning their own career
development. Outside of professional development, however, mentors noted the feeling of wellbeing they had helping their mentees, dealing with issues from management to life-changing career decisions. Gainsford and Byers were delighted with the positive feedback on the application, training and matching. “The mentors and mentees were highly engaged throughout the whole process and have provided invaluable feedback to help shape the future of NURTURE,” said Byers. “We are pleased to be able to support the RTPI with exploring the strategy and next steps following this successful pilot.”
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NEWS
HONORARY MEMBERSHIP
RTPI awards honorary membership to Dame Katherine Barker The RTPI award of honorary membership to Dame Katherine Barker recognises her contribution to the advancement of planning. Barker has made substantial contributions to planning policy and the understanding of the interaction between state and market in the operation of land and property markets, and is much appreciated by the planning profession. Past President of the RTPI Vincent Goodstadt MRTPI, one of three people who nominated Barker for the award,
said: “It has left me in no doubt about the honour we have as an institute to have Kate as one of our honorary members. She is not only exceptional in her own field of economics, but she has contributed hugely to the debate about planning, which has stimulated the profession to think more seriously about the link
between planning and policy.” “I’m delighted to be made an honorary member,” said Barker. “I’ve learnt such a lot from the RTPI about what planning can achieve. Today, planning is more important than ever as we struggle with the challenges of climate change and increased awareness of biodiversity issues." Barker’s work has been highly influential, helping to shape and lead the planning and property industry.
Education Policy Review begins A review of the RTPI’s degree-accreditation procedure is appropriate to ensure that it remains fit for purpose. This is because the context for initial planning education, the profession at large and the Institute has changed significantly since 2003, when the current principles of accreditation were adopted. The Institute’s Education & Lifelong Learning Committee is overseeing this work and will make recommendations for a new Accreditation Policy Statement to the RTPI Board of Trustees by December. It is a vital element of the Institute’s corporate strategy programme 2020-30 and page 26 of the strategy sets out the context and scope for this project: Undertake a detailed review – Education For Everyone – to broaden access to pathways into chartered membership, to attract diverse talent, which will include reviewing the time taken, the delivery mechanisms and the content of courses. Review the existing model of entry and learning outcome requirements for accredited Planning Schools to ensure that it fits our new, more inclusive and reactive model, seeking to accredit further Planning Schools that support delivery of our vision and mission. The RTPI wished to retain the strong principles for
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initial planning education of academic quality and preparing graduates for planning practice, while supporting expansion of course delivery and numbers of students studying, and completing, a planning degree. The review is therefore focused on the professional standards and core learning outcomes for initial planning education, and is not looking at the subsequent post-qualification Licentiate process nor the assessment of professional competence to become a Chartered Town Planner. That said, removing unintended barriers to the development of professional planners, for universities and employers, is a key aim and this review will look at options to expand fully accredited and specialist planning at threeyear undergraduate level, alongside the current master’s level. An independent adviser, PARN (Professional Associations Research Network), has been appointed to support the officer team undertaking this ‘task and finish’ project. Together, they have begun the initial analysis phase. Transitional arrangements will also be considered throughout as well as consulting with existing higher education partners, Accredited Planning Schools. Evaluation phases will follow later this year, including a survey of members so look out for an update in the RTPI monthly bulletin. If you have views now, you can send comments and suggestions directly to educationreview@rtpi.org.uk until the end of August.
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NATIONAL PLANNING FRAMEWORK 4
I M AG E S | RT P I / S H U T T E R S T O C K
RTPI Scotland welcomes Scottish Government’s draft National Planning Framework 4 The Royal Town Planning Institute Scotland welcomes the ambitions of the Scottish Government’s draft National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4), but highlights the need for more robust policies and a focused delivery plan to make these a reality. Once adopted, the NPF4 will set out the Scottish Government’s priorities and policies for the planning system up to 2045. They will demonstrate how planning and development will help to make Scotland net-zero and sustainable over coming decades. RTPI Scotland highlights the need to ensure that planners have the skills and resources required to implement the ambitions of the framework. This is particularly essential when planning services are diminishing and additional work is being generated through the new planning act and the NPF4. Andrew Trigger, Convenor of RTPI Scotland, said: “RTPI Scotland is very pleased to see the framework recognise that planning can play a pivotal role in addressing the key challenges of our age, including the Global Climate Emergency, improving health outcomes and supporting inclusive green growth post-Covid-19. “For this to happen, our place is to address the needs of our communities and support net-zero targets. This means that policies must provide the utmost clarity for those submitting planning applications, as well as for those who will be using the framework to inform decisions on development proposals. “We also need to know how the ambitions of the framework will be financed and resourced through a detailed delivery plan setting out what resources will be deployed where.” RTPI Scotland was responding to the Scottish Government’s consultation on the draft National Planning Framework. The full response can be read here: bit.ly/planner0622-NPF4response.
RTPI HEAD OFFICE
Office renewal Last year the Board of Trustees agreed to make a significant investment into the RTPI’s headquarters in Botolph Lane in London. Since then, we’ve been busy with the renovations and the first phase of the programme has been completed. We have already stripped out all mechanical and engineering fixtures, partition walls and floor coverings in the building and got an opportunity to see the full condition of the structure. Given the age of the original building, and the fact that the conversion to offices was done in the 1970s, when building regulations and standards were different from today’s, there was some concern that the strip-out might reveal structural issues that would require rectification. Fortunately, no significant defects were found but several other issues were identified including the need to make sure the building is compliant with current regulations. Our Trustees have agreed on additional funding to address these points. This includes providing a fire roller shutter and additional fire partition, rebuilding the risers to
meet fire safety standards, providing disabled refuge call points, the removal of a small amount of asbestos, and replacing a leaking cold-water tank. We are also committed to improving the building’s accessibility. For example, we are working to provide a bigger lift car to accommodate someone using a wheelchair, within the constraints of the existing lift shaft. We will also be installing double-glazed partitions around meeting rooms for confidentiality and to manage the acoustics, as controlling noise within the working environment is particularly important for those with neurodivergent conditions. We also plan to use high-contrast colours in the accessible toilets to make them easier to use by someone who is visually impaired. Now that the scope of works and budget have been agreed and the final designs have been approved by the Programme Board, we are now finalising the contract with the contractor so the main phase of works can commence. We will continue to provide updates as the project progresses and these can be seen on our dedicated webpage.
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Here is a selection of the most recent opportunities from a few of those organisations working with The Planner to recruit the best quality candidates in the marketplace.
Senior Planning Consultant Salary: Negotiable/ Dependent on experience Location: Edinburgh (blended flexible working)
Senior Planning Officer (Major Projects)
Salary: Career Grade 10 – 11 £34,415 - £40,717 + Car Allowance + Market Supplement Location: Maidstone, Kent
Area Team Leader Salary: LGE 12 £40,914 - £44,783 pa Location: Lochgilphead, Argyll and Bute
Planning team Salary: £22,571 - £59,841 pa Location: Broxbourne, Hertfordshire
Planning & Development Service Salary: £19,650 - £46,662 pa Location: Kirklees, Yorkshire
Senior Planner Salary: Competitive Location: West of Ireland
To a dve r ti s e pl ease em ai l : the pl a n n e r jobs@redact ive. co. uk o r ca l l 0 2 0 7 880 623 2
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Recruitment {
RECRUITMENT ADVERTISEMENTS To advertise please email: theplannerjobs@redactive.co.uk or call 020 7880 6232
Assistant Development Manager up to £46,492 Senior Planning Officer up to £44,272 Team Leader (enforcement and S106 monitoring) up to £46,492 Assistant Planning Officer (enforcement) up to £24,920 Would you like to work for an RTPI award winning team? Rochdale Borough Council’s Development Management Team is recognised in the industry for providing a highly professional, commercially focused service and placing staff wellbeing at the heart of what we do. We can offer you the chance to work out of our award winning offices with hybrid working, and be part of a team that prides itself on what we deliver.
We have a number of exciting roles available, with the salaries ranging from £22,571 up to £46,492 which includes market factor supplement available for the senior positions.
Rochdale Borough Council has ambitious plans for growth and investment. Work is well under way on the final stages of the £400m transformation of Rochdale town centre and our wider regeneration strategies includes proposals for large scale residential growth with a focus on town centre living and strategic sites.
Closing date: 8 June To discuss the opportunities contact: Emma.heron@rochdale.gov.uk or Alison.truman@rochdale.gov.uk
In addition to being a great place to work, opportunities for training and development and a chance to be involved in schemes that will define your career whilst shaping the future of Rochdale and the city region. You’ll also enjoy a generous annual leave entitlement, access to the local government pension scheme, flexible working arrangements and subsidised gym membership.
Visit The Planner Jobs for more details: jobs.theplanner.co.uk
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Reach out to our audience of membership professionals The Planner job board offers you an opportunity to attract the attention of a guaranteed, dedicated audience of membership professionals, and reassure them that you are still looking to recruit. Whether you have vacancies now, or will be looking to recruit at a later time, remind our readers what sets your organisation apart,and let them know your plans. You might also consider advertising in The Planner magazine, and ensure you are seen by the profession’s top-calibre candidates and kept at the forefront of their minds.
Show them that you are here, your brand is strong, and your organisation needs them. For more information and rates, contact us now on: T: 020 7880 6232 E: jobs@theplanner.co.uk S ea rc h t h ep l a nn e r.co .u k / j o b fo r t h e b e s t v a canci e s PLN.JUNE22.048-049.indd 49
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Activities
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CONTENT THAT'S WORTH CHECKING OUT
A digest of planning-related material. Each month our work takes us around the internet in search of additional detail for our stories, meaning we invariably come across links to items we think you’ll find educational, entertaining, useful or simply amusing. Here’s our latest batch.
What’s caught our eye US and European Zoning, Compared
How Manchester Fixed Its Industrial Decline How Manchester reversed its decline and became one of Europe’s top creative capitals is the subject of this sponsored content from The B1M, a video channel that continues to impress, in particular through its camera work. Viewers of this particular case study get links to a series of charts showing why Manchester is apparently ‘a city of the future’. bit.ly/planner0622manchester
A tidy comparison in this 12-minute explainer from City Beautiful – a channel that may just have become our joint favourite. It is dedicated “to educating everyone about cities and city planning”. Yes, it’s a US channel, but this comparison piece is well produced and some of its other content is fascinating (‘The Most Miserable City in America’, anyone?) bit.ly/planner0622-citybeautiful
Grand Designs: The Streets In this series, Kevin McCloud returns to Graven Hill, Bicester, to watch households as they embark on “an epic mission” to construct their own homes and create brand-new streets in Britain’s biggest self-build project. A neat bit of human interest to link into the original designs that come from the project – and in this second series, there’s another self-build street in Glasgow too. Fascinating stuff. bit.ly/planner0622-granddesigns
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Podcast: Architecture Off-Centre A podcast highlighting unconventional design practices and research projects, which reflect various emerging discourses within the design discipline and beyond. It’s hosted by architect Vaissnavi Shukl, who speaks to individuals who have, here we go, “extrapolated the traditional fields of architecture, planning landscape and urban design to unexplored frontiers”. Your aural commitment per episode will vary between 30 and 50 minutes.
Shaping the City to Come: Rethinking Modern Architecture and Town Planning in England, c. 1934-51 A reassessment of modern architecture and town planning in mid20th-century England, highlighting ideas and debates that were in circulation as modernist ideals took root. It reveals a visionary culture with an impact that carried on post-war. Publisher: Liverpool University Press ISBN: 9781800856547
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LANDSCAPE
Birmingham Big City Plan – City Centre Masterplan Birmingham’s Big City Plan of 2007 was trumpeted by the city council as “the most ambitious and far-reaching citywide development project ever undertaken in the UK”’. So now, with the “world-class city’ masterplan midway through its transformation and with the Commonwealth Games about to thrust it under the spotlight, is Brum
Design resilience – Building for longevity & the route to net-zero Assael Architecture’s ‘Design Resilience’ campaign centres on the concept of ‘resilience’, ie, the adaptability of the built environment and its responsiveness to change. It’s a series of Q&A interviews exploring resilience in several dimensions, and this link to the first instalment is focused on Meridian Water’s net-zero strategy. Interesting, but expect Assael’s RightSizer construction system to come up. bit.ly/planner0622-assael
Podcast: The Developer
becoming “a global city with a local heart”? This video is from 2007 and explains plans to expand the city core area by 25 per cent and add more than 1.5 million square metres of new floor space. bit.ly/planner0622brum
How do we make places where people want to live, work, play and learn? A perfectly reasonable question, which this podcast on cities, property, architecture and urban design seeks to answer through episodes covering topics ranging from doughnut economics, dementia-friendly engagement and design, the alternative to gentrification and the social value of good design. Lengths vary, but assume it’s the same commitment as for an hour-long TV drama during which you can skip through the ads.
Pimlico in 1970: Creation of the Churchill and Lillington Estates Last month we featured a documentary about the life and work of late 20th-century TV critic Ian Nairn. This month it’s a link to his 1970 examination of London’s Pimlico districts and how the pioneering developments of the Churchill and Lillington Estates during the 1960s helped to sustain the character of this central London area. Nairn is a good, if slightly uncomfortable narrator. bit.ly/planner0622-nairn
What we’re planning A joyfully eclectic mix of material in our July edition in which you’ll find us exploring nutrient neutrality, the integrated rail plan and the city of Birmingham and the ways in which planning has been involved in planning this summer’s Commonwealth Games. As ever, we’re open to your ideas for our future feature programme.
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If undelivered please return to: The Royal Town Planning Institute 41 Botolph Lane, London EC3R 8DL
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