The Planner- May 2022

MAY 2022 PLANNER LIVE NORTH // p.4 • ECOLOGICAL ECONOMIST SOPHUS ZU ERMGASSEN: WE NEED TO RETHINK OUR HOUSEBUILDING MODEL // p.18 • BIODIVERSITY NET GAIN YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED // p.30 • FLOOD WARNING PLANS // p.42

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

Satellite schemes HOW PLANNING IS PROVIDING THE LAUNCHPAD FOR THE UK’S BURGEONING SPACE INDUSTRY

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CONTENTS

MAY

9 NEWS 4 News and views from the RTPI’s Planner Live North conference 8 More ‘robust’ policies needed in NPF4, argues RTPI Scotland 10 Cambridge council endorses children’s hospital plans 11 Newsmakers: 10 top stories appearing now on The Planner online

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“NET ZERO BY 2050 ACTUALLY MEANS VERY LITTLE BECAUSE THE DEGREE OF GLOBAL WARMING WE WILL ACHIEVE IS COMPLETELY INDEPENDENT OF WHAT LEVEL OF EMISSIONS WE HAVE IN THE YEAR 2050.”

OPINION 14 Louise BrookeSmith: Life after the nine-to-five

16 Roger Blake: Don’t wait for fresh policy to press for sustainable transport to new homes

FEATURES

INSIGHT

16 Neal Allcock: Will London-style devolution work elsewhere in the UK?

18 Sophus zu Ermgassen tells Simon Wicks why we need to radically rethink our housebuilding model – and our economy

38 Cases & decisions: Development decisions, round-up and analysis

17 Mark Bridgeman: Housebuilding lifeline could transform rural communities

24 Huw Morris explains how planners are helping to turn the UK into a place for the race into space

17 Rebecca Windemer: Onshore wind in England needs better policy support if it is to thrive

QUOTE UNQUOTE

“ANALYSING A BROADER SET OF DATA THAT LOOKS BEYOND THE IMMEDIATE CONFINES OF A SPECIFIC DEVELOPMENT SITE IS CRUCIAL TO SHIFTING THE WAY WE THINK ABOUT DEVELOPMENT” JONNY BRITTON, FOUNDER OF LANDTECH

30 We recently hosted a webinar on biodiversity net gain in light of the Environment Act and its ramifications for planners.

Here we consider the issues the event raised

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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 { PLANNER LIVE NORTH

Supporting local centres Keynote 1: Regeneration & renaissance Speaker: Mark Dickens, lead officer, spatial planning, Liverpool City Region Combined Authority How are we creating place? asked Mark Dickens. Being “brutally honest” the government’s agenda is about housing numbers, “development for development’s sake; it is not about creating place”.

He pointed to Future Wales: The National Plan 2040, noting that “it’s actually sidelined the issue of housing numbers and talks about creating places being the most important thing and I think that’s where we need to be”.

For Dickens, it is about supporting local centres. He advocates for the 15 or 20-minute neighbourhood;

for walking, cycling and supporting local independent businesses that tend to invest in local communities.

In Liverpool, they are helping local centres to create bespoke identities.

“Our town centres have different characteristics, we need to support those characteristics. I know not all of this is necessarily easy, but it’s something which I think is really important.”

It is important that one of the factors in this is integrated sustainable transport. “I think there’s a clear hierarchy: we need to make development and places firstly around walking and cycling, which reinforces those 20-minute neighbourhoods and local centres. But then after that, we need to make sure that our buses and trains are working properly.”

“WE NEED TO MAKE DEVELOPMENT AND PLACES AROUND WALKING AND CYCLING, WHICH REINFORCES THOSE 20­MINUTE NEIGHBOURHOODS AND LOCAL CENTRES … [AND] MAKE SURE OUR BUSES AND TRAINS ARE WORKING PROPERLY” 4

Lessons from the design code pilots Plenary 1: Making Places Green and Beautiful Again Speaker: Sarah Allan, head of architecture at the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Fourteen local authorities took part in the National Model Design Code pilot.

Some already had guidance for design codes, some had baseline evidence, others had internal resources they could draw on and some started from scratch.

At the end of phase “THERE IS one, eight authorities A NEED FOR produced design codes.

STRONG Sarah Allan said the PLACEMAKING government is reviewing LEADERSHIP the learning from the

BY LOCAL pilot projects, which will AUTHORITIES, be shared alongside case BOTH IN THE studies. She highlighted EXECUTIVE three of 10 lessons: TEAM AND AT n The design code process A POLITICAL did meet the participants’ LEVEL” aspirations so far, and all said they will prepare design codes again. They felt design codes send a clear message to developers about the quality of design that councils were expecting. n They highlighted the time, skills and resources needed to produce a design code using the National Model Design Code guidance. Most of the pilots had to draw on external expertise for at least some work. n There is a need for strong placemaking leadership by local authorities, in the executive team and at a political level.

This can unlock the resources needed to prepare design codes and help to prioritise the importance of planning for achieving well-designed places at an early stage in plan-making.

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PLAN UPFRONT

Affording social value Plenary 2: Social Infrastructure and Strategic Connectivity: An empowered North Speaker: Tim Foster, interim strategy and programme director, Transport for the North The integration of spatial planning and transport is a “central part” of transforming the north of England, said Tim Foster.

“The key to all of that is to have a really holistic evidence-base.” He argues that Transport for the North’s strategic transport plan, published in 2019, is a central part of effective decision-making.

It set out what was required in terms of

connectivity and investment and the way that needed to be embedded in placemaking, and local connectivity”.

Foster considered the need to get an effective approach to social value in transport planning to address transport-related social exclusion. “We think there’s around two million people at risk from transport-related social exclusion. That’s critical in the context of how do you grow and transform [the transport network] and the economy, if you’re not improving the labour market and giving people access to opportunities.”

Affordability and accessibility are important.

The keys to a Northern resurgence Panel 2: Urban Renaissance Speakers: Dr Steve Millington, director, Institute for Place Management Simon Newall, principal planning consultant, Capita Andrew Carter, chief executive, Centre for Cities Chair: Jen Patterson – Associate Director, DPP UK Limited Cities are both a problem and solution to the North’s economic challenges, stressed Andrew Carter.

They may be seen to be in conflict with towns, for example. But it is important to view “the relationship between towns and cities as mutually beneficial: the better the city does, the better the neighbouring towns do”.

Dr Steve Millington criticised the tendency to allow the

larger retailers to dominate town centres.

“We lost the distinction of many of our town centres," he lamented.

This, he continued, has led to people losing their sense of attachment to their towns and cities, which – with the continuing rise of online shopping, – has resulted in “about 450 billion square feet of redundant retail space”.

Millington challenged Northern leaders to deliver partnerships with high streets that could reach “untapped potential” within their communities.

Simon Newall suggested that “increasing the density of our towns and cities is a key way to achieve [zero carbon]”, with denser, more carbon-efficient homes that have good links to public transport hubs.

Opportunity and productivity can characterise future coastal town developments Panel 1: Rural & coastal regeneration Speakers: John Sturzaker, chair of planning, University of Hertfordshire Adrian Spawforth, managing director, Spawforth Steve Hunt, head of planning and development management, East Riding Council Chair: Jen Patterson, associate director, DPP UK Limited For coastal communities, affordable housing remains the critical issue. Steve Hunt spoke of how, in East Riding, the council had pursued the goal of keeping developers invested in coastal regeneration. “It would have been easy for the council to release more land for development in more viable places to sustain housing land supply, but we held firm.".

Outlining the RTPI’s rural communities research project, John Sturzaker noted the potential for increased productivity in coastal towns from people either relocating or more

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routinely basing themselves out of such towns, particularly post-pandemic. The challenges? Constraints on land availability (phosphates, green belt, nature designations) and the lingering effects of Covid-19.

Lack of connectivity and the impact of Brexit both add to over-extended local planning authority workloads. But rural and coastal areas could achieve more sustainable and “just” development, with the pandemic’s effects likely to lead to a more diverse rural economy.

Reimagining the coastal town experience means being bold, said Adrian Spawforth as he detailed the new mixed-use Blackpool Central development. In this case it meant avoiding the temptation to focus mainly on retail. The work ahead now needs to be cultural, said Spawforth, with consumer expectations of coastal leisure experiences evolving. “Where is the [new] cultural offer to compete with the slot machine, bucket and spade experience? How do you create footfall?”

MAY 2 022 / THE PLA NNER

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NEWS

Report { Place equality The power of working with nature Keynote 2: Climate & Character Speaker: Jeremy Purseglove, environmentalist and author of Taming the Flood and Working With Nature Climate change and poor land and water management have made flooding commonplace in the UK, particularly in Cumbria and Yorkshire, Jeremy Purseglove observed. Intensive farming removes the vegetation that soaks up water; ploughing compacts earth, limiting its capacity to hold water; and straightened watercourses can no longer slow flow. “Water is sent down embanked and canalised rivers to flood downstream towns,” he remarked.

Solutions? SUDS are fine, but often squeezed by developers. Yet there are successful projects.. Purseglove cited the large ‘balancing lake’ in Cambourne that provides an attractive as well as functional environment.

In London, the deculverting of the River Quaggy in Lewisham had turned a “dreary” park into a wetland oasis that halted downstream flooding.

“Natural flood management” is about making space for water, said Purseglove. As intensive agriculture is the main cause of poor water management and flooding, that means working with farmers to persuade them to make space for water. The new Environmental Land Management System had a key role to play here, he said.

Plenary 4: Inequality & Fairness (in policy) Speaker: Pooja Agrawal, co-founder and chief executive of Public Practice How do inequality and fairness play out in our places? Pooja Agrawal identified three prominent areas: n Air quality, usually linked to poor housing, disproportionately affects minority ethnic groups. n Safety in public spaces, as highlighted by high-profile murders of women in public. n The fuel and cost of living crises that will have the greatest impact on the poorest.

Place professionals can address all but, Agrawal stressed, it must be a multidisciplinary effort involving planners, surveyors, architects and more, driven by public sector leadership.

“The role of planning is critical. You are able to take a longer-term view.”

For example, a revision of central Middlesbrough had seen the creation of ‘quarters’ attracting distinct investment. The council had led by taking hold of its own assets and transforming a retail area into a ‘leisure quarter’. With a businessfocused approach and strategic visioning, Middlesbrough was turning the town around.

“Green renewal” could enhance equality through investment in green skills, sustainable lifestyles and transport, new working practices and retrofitting.

Likewise, good design “should be a given for everyone. It shouldn’t be seen as an elitist concept. Good quality of life should be for everyone.”

Addressing inequality in place is about “making sure that we have the right skills to be able to tackle these issues”. The right people, too: built environment professions must reflect the make-up of the communities they serve.

Climate is the priority for planning Plenary 3: Addressing the Climate Crisis Speaker: Bernadette Hillman, partner and head of planning at Sharpe Pritchard, climate change champion for the RTPI “Time is running dangerously short,” warned Bernadette Hillman. “We can achieve a sustainable future. But we must act now.” It is an existential, communal threat.

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The impacts of flooding and overheating from climate change “stand in the way of everything we want to achieve in terms of vibrant and sustainable communities” and undermine efforts to create just societies.

Planning must be central to endeavours to achieve net zero and develop climate resilience. What does it need to do? Hillman offered three

principles: put tackling the climate crisis at the heart of visions for communities; recognise what planning can do practically to address climate concerns; and place these actions within a concept of healthy, ecologically rich and prosperous places.

These principles could be reinforced by following six steps in planning practice, starting with “unlocking the

potential of the local plan” through understanding legal and policy obligations, to fully assessing the climate impacts of decisions that are made contrary to policy.

“Addressing climate change must be a central priority of the planning system,” Hillman concluded, “if we’re to make sure our future economic, environmental and social wellbeing thrives and survives.”

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PLAN UPFRONT

A balancing act Panel 3: Balancing Rural and Coastal Character and the Climate Challenge Speakers: Maurice Brophy, service manager, planning and housing strategy, Lancaster City Council Hanna Latty, head of strategy and rangers, Lake District National Park Authority Rob Murfin, interim executive director, Northumberland County Council Chair: Kieran Blaydes, senior planner, Kingswood Homes Lancaster is predominantly rural but with two “very different” areas of

outstanding natural beauty and long coastlines. Maurice Brophy explained that flood risk, particularly in Morecambe, together with geography constraints, meant “a very limited opportunity for growth in much of the district”.

The council has taken a mixed approach. “We've adopted two locally specific DPDs – the Morecambe area action plan; the Arnside Silverdale AONB DPD; and we adopted a local plan

that covers everything bar those DPD areas.”

Balancing varied needs is at the heart of what the Lake District National Park Authority does, said Hanna Latty. The Lake District National Park Partnership has a vision for 2030, supported by a management plan. “It helps us secure investment, develop projects, as well as influence our own policies such as local plan policies.”

The plan identifies five challenges: the future of

farming and nature recovery; vibrant communities following Covid-19; a Lake District for everyone; sustainable travel; and climate action.

“They very much reflect what society at large is trying to grapple with.”

Rob Murfin talked of the reconciliation of growth with sustainable development. “We need to have a more mature debate about the climate change issue. It cannot be as simple as consumption generation going up equals more and more environmental degradation. The challenge for planning should be about getting win-win outcomes.”

Transport – the biggest challenge for 21st-century rural development Panel 4: Towns and cities Speakers: Catherine Auld, assistant director of economic regeneration, Sunderland City Council Dan Phillips, innovation fellow, Royal College of Art and Julie Gibbon, chairman of Haltwhistle Partnership Richard de Cani, director and global planning leader, Arup Chair: Mark Ketley, director, BH Planning and Design Perhaps, said Dan Phillips, planning’s most successful solutions are those that can be found in rural towns with

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their “deep roots in local history shaped by religion, trade, political protest and the Industrial Revolution. These forces have created towns that are sometimes the happiest places in the UK”.

Not necessarily sustainable, though – particularly from a transport perspective. Phillips cited RCA research findings that locals “wanted more community-owned services that provide focal points for work, and play and for learning; and to connect green spaces and public transport and support walking and cycling across

their towns”. People see technology as an enabler in all of this – “something that rural communities need to engage with more creatively”.

The city of Sunderland, explained Catherine Auld, is transitioning to a net-zero economy based on battery technology and electric vehicles. Promoting active travel and involving a young people’s advisory group are key to the city’s progress.

“There’s an understanding, in terms of the ethos and the culture, of what we’re trying to achieve in terms of the city’s development.”

For Richard de Cani, future rural development needs to consider everything “at the neighbourhood scale – it has to work from a human perspective”.

That said, the popular concept of a 15-minute city cannot easily work in a rural setting, but it can in rural town centre suburbs.

There is also fresh momentum for change.

“There was a time when people felt they were always having something done to them," said de Cani. “I don’t recognise that now. It’s completely changed.”

MAY 2 022 / THE PLA NNER

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NEWS

News { East Cardiff business park and rail station loom A new business park linked to a transport hub on a site in South Wales has been backed by Cardiff City Council. However, at the time of going to press, it remained subject to a direction from Welsh ministers, meaning it cannot be approved while they decide whether to call it in.

Cardiff Parkway Developments’s proposals for land south of St Mellons Business Park include 90,115 square metres of commercial floor space, a four-platform rail station (Cardiff Parkway) and a 650-vehicle park-and-ride facility. Buildings could be 15 storeys high.

The land is low-lying and mainly within a Site of Special Scientific Interest in the Gwent Levels, a landscape of outstanding historic and ecological interest as well as an archaeologically sensitive area.

Local communities say the development could become “the biggest white elephant in Wales”. Concerns centre on the height of parts of the proposals.

Land levels will have to be raised by up to two metres to safeguard the development areas north of the rail line from flooding. Extensive mitigation measures include replacement field ditches, hedgerows, and woodland.

Read the full story: bit.ly/ planner0522-businesspark

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More ‘robust’ policies needed in NPF4, says RTPI Scotland RTPI Scotland has welcomed the Scottish Government’s ambitions set out in the draft National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4), but argued that there is a need for “more robust policy and a focused delivery plan” to make these a reality.

The NPF4 sets out the Scottish Government’s priorities and policies for the planning system up to 2045.

Responding to the consultation, RTPI Scotland explained that it is pleased to see commitments to tackling the climate crisis in the section on the national spatial strategy and welcomed the importance being attached to place-based approaches, especially by embedding the 20-minute neighbourhood idea and the stronger presumption against out-of-town retail.

However, to deliver such ambitions, it sets out a number of steps that need to be taken, including:

n There is a capital investment

programme working alongside the framework to provide the resources to deliver the development and infrastructure required. n Adequate investment in planning services to ensure there are planners in place to manage the service and deliver the NPF’s ambitions. n There is clarity in definitions of key concepts such as 20-minute neighbourhoods, community wealth building and so on, especially given the semi-legal nature of planning.

Andrew Trigger, convenor of RTPI Scotland, said: “We 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.

“We believe there is a need for some important redrafting to ensure policies provide the certainty required.”

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PLAN UPFRONT

County Dublin housing scheme for Balbriggan The Land Development Agency has submitted a planning application to An Bord Pleanála for a new urban quarter at Castlelands in Balbriggan, County Dublin, on land owned by the Housing Agency.

The two agencies have worked closely with Fingal County Council over the fasttrack scheme for 817 houses and flats on a 25.3-hectare greenfield site overlooking the Irish Sea. The project will involve both cost rental and affordable homes for purchase delivered through the government’s Housing for All policy.

This new community will include 600 square metres of retail space, a crèche, 1,033 car parking spaces, 1,092 bicycle spaces and nearly three hectares of public open space or communal space.

RTPI NI calls for measured response in light of criticism The RTPI’s Northern Ireland director is urging politicians to step back before considering radical changes after another critical assessment of the country’s planning system.

Roisin Willmott FRTPI was responding to a report by the NI Assembly’s Public Accounts Committee, stating that the system is “not working” and that an independent commission is needed to make it “fit for purpose”.

The report followed another damning assessment by the NI Audit Office. The RTPI’s view is that, rather than changing the system, there is a need for

precision interventions to revive the promise of the 2015 reforms.

“There is good work being done by planners and politicians in Northern Ireland,” Willmott said, “and our view is that we should take this forward when looking at improvements.”

Rather than pick apart a planning system seen as transformational in 2015, Willmott believes that a focus on the publishing local development plans would allow other misfiring aspects to fall into place.

Read the full story: bit.ly/ planner0522-NIplanning

Approval times for offshore wind to be cut as part of energy strategy The UK Government has announced that it will use planning reforms to cut approval times for offshore wind farms from four years to one as part of its energy security strategy.

It is seeking to deliver up to 50GW of offshore wind power by 2030 which, it says is “more than enough to power every home in the UK”.

Of this, it wants up to 5GW to come from offshore wind in deeper seas.

The strategy sets out how Great Britain will accelerate the deployment of wind, new nuclear, solar and hydrogen power.

In the near term it supports the production of domestic oil and gas.

The strategy was published two days after the IPCC published its

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Sixth Assessment Report, which emphasised that to limit global warming big transitions in the energy sector are required, involving a “substantial reduction in fossil fuel use, widespread electrification and improved energy efficiency”.

The government said talks will be held on developing partnerships with “a limited number of supportive communities who wish to host new onshore wind infrastructure in return for guaranteed lower energy bills”.

The strategy outlines that up to 24GW by 2050 will come from nuclear power. Agovernment body, Great British Nuclear, will be established immediately to bring forward projects.. The strategy also seeks to increase solar capacity and includes a licensing round for new North Sea oil and gas projects.

Read the full story: bit.ly/ planner0522-energystrategy

MAY 2 022 / THE PLA NNER

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NEWS

News { 'Strong start' for planning submissions in 2022

Cambridge council endorses children’s hospital plans

55,055 planning applications were submitted in England and Wales during February 2022

55,055 13% 13% 22% £ £24,746,133

This is 13% more than the figure submitted in January 2022

The figure is a 13% decline on the number submitted in February 2021 There was a 22% increase in submissions in the North East

Cambridge City Council has approved plans for a children’s hospital in the East of England.

The hospital will be built on Cambridge Biomedical Campus to provide care for children and young people nationally and internationally. It will be located opposite the Rosie Maternity Hospital on Robinson’s Way. The building will feature several outdoor spaces such as gardens, courtyards and terraces to provide access to nature, as well as spaces for play and relaxation that support biodiversity and wildlife.

The main hospital building will be enclosed within a wide landscaped green perimeter that recreates the feel of a summer meadow.

Andrew Tollick, senior programme manager for design and construction, Cambridge Children’s Hospital, said: “I’m delighted that we have taken another big step

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towards making Cambridge Children’s Hospital a reality. There is still a long way to go before building work can begin, but planning approval for the early external designs is a rock-solid foundation.

We are determined to realise our vision for ‘a whole new way’ – one that integrates children’s mental and physical health services alongside world-class research to provide holistic, personalised care in a state-of-the-art facility.”

Clinton Green, director at Turner & Townsend and design team project director, said: “The new hospital is a trailblazer in how integrated children’s mental and physical care is delivered. Its landmark design for a state-of-theart healthcare facility, with its focus on sustainability and wellbeing, will set a new standard of paediatric care as an example for other hospitals across the UK and beyond to follow.”

Planning fees totalled £24,746,133

Permission sought for 106,600 developments in last quarter of 2021

106,600 5% 90,700 86% 9,500

District level planning authorities in England received 106,600 applications for planning permission between October and December 2021

This is 5% fewer than the same period in 2020

90,700 decisions were granted

86% of major applications were decided within 13 weeks or the agreed time 9,500 residential applications were granted, 7% fewer than from October to December 2020

S O U R C E S : P L A N N I N G P O R TA L / D E PA R T M E N T F O R L E V E L L I N G U P, H O U S I N G A N D C O M M U N I T I E S D L U H C

12/04/2022 17:20

CATCH UP WITH THE PLANNER

Newsmakers N MSPs sound warning note over planning resources

Green light for huge paper mill on Deeside Flintshire County Council has approved a paper mill located on land at the Northern Gateway (Airfields) site on Deeside. The scheme has a floor space of 124,000 square metres and building heights that will range from 10 metres to 39 metres. bit.ly/planner0522-papermill

Two offshore wind farms granted DCOs

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Energy secretary Kwasi Kwarteng has granted development consent orders for two wind farms off the coast of East Anglia: East Anglia ONE North and East Anglia TWO. bit.ly/planner-0522windfarmDCOs

MSPs have warned that planning departments could lack the resources to properly implement the “transformational” new national planning policy set out in National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4). bit.ly/planner0522-MSPsNPF4

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Surge in Dublin housing projects Revised plans have been unveiled for the proposed development of almost 700 flats and a hotel on lands that once formed part of the RTÉ campus in the south side Dublin suburb of Donnybrook. bit.ly/planner0522flatsDublin

Planning application submissions decline in Northern Ireland Scottish organisations call for a pause on NPF4

I M AG E S | S H U T T E R S T O C K / I S T O C K / A L A M Y

Scotland’s planning minister, Tom Arthur has been urged to “press the pause button” on the development of National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) amid concerns about what the framework and the Scottish Government intend to achieve. bit.ly/planner0522-pauseNPF4

Increasing rail capacity features in Midlands transport plan Midlands Connect has launched its strategic transport plan for the region as it looks to improve economic growth and productivity and address social exclusion. bit.ly/planner0522Midlandstransport

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Cash for councils to address coastal erosion

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M Mallon’s D-day: Three major schemes decided The fate of three major schemes was settled last month when Northern Ireland’s infrastructure N minister Nichola Mallon cleared some of her in-tray. bit.ly/ planner0522-Mallondecisions

A total of 3,163 planning applications were submitted to councils in Northern Ireland in the third quarter of 2021/22, according to statistics published by the Department for Infrastructure.

This tally is nearly 5 per cent fewer than the number submitted during Q2 and down by nearly 12 per cent on the same period a year earlier. bit.ly/planner0522-NIstats

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The UK Government has announced a £36 million investment in exploring “innovative approaches” to adapting to the effects of coastal erosion. The initial areas to receive funding from the Coastal Transition Accelerator Programme ogramme will be the East Riding of Yorkshire and North Norfolk. bit.ly/planner0522-coastalerosion

Listed homes need no permission for solar panels in London borough Residents in the borough of Kensington and Chelsea will no longer need to apply for individual consent from the council to have solar panels fitted on their listed homes. bit.ly/planner0522Kensingtonsolar

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U Urrban an nD De essiiig gn, n, Pub Pu lic li Re Realm alm lm an and Mas ast a stte errp erp r lan lannin nin ni ning iing R Re eg gen en e ne era er ra atti tio io on and n Ren Renew wa w al He Herit iitta age ag ge La Lan nd dsscap d cap pes e an nd Re nd Resto stto sto ora rat ation at on n La Lan nd nds dscap ds ca c ape De Desi es gn es n and a Im Imple plemen eme men entta attion a tio ion on n Ec Ecol olo o llo og gic ic ca ca all Cons Co C onssul on su ulta ta cy and tan nd d BR BREEA EE EAM EA

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07/04/2022 15:23

LEADER COMMENT

Event Housing targets need to come from a sustainability-first mindset A question asked by Peter Canavan, a partner at Carter Jonas, caught my eye last month. You’ll find his opinion piece on our web site - bit.ly/Planner0522Canavan - but his question is essentially this: is there any point in housing targets? Or specifically, “when a target is consistently missed, does it cease to have a purpose?”

Canavan wonders whether, when 93 of the UK’s 315 local planning authorities failed to reach the required 95 per cent delivery target over the last three years – as per the most recent Housing Delivery Test results - there is any merit in the system remaining as it is.

Larger, regional targets could be a solution, perhaps, but “this is so much more than a numbers game,” he says.

While I take his point, it’s always ultimately a numbers game - it just depends on what those numbers are and

Martin Read what the root starting point for their calculation is.

Which is where our ecological economist interviewee this month comes in. On page 18, Sophus zu Ermgassen talks of his team’s research and, most strikingly, how that overall target of 300,000 homes a year, pursued through to 2050 along current lines, would consume 113 per cent of the UK’s cumulative carbon budget for 1.5°C. Even retrofitting existing houses

to 2018 emissions standards – while new building continues – would eat up the vast majority of the carbon budget. These numbers are surely critically important in themselves.

Zu Ermgassen and his team propose more radical solutions that require a fundamental reappraisal of genuine housing demand. His is a withering assessment of a housing market fashioned over the last forty years to force excessive demand and sustain what are now long standing issues of both availability and affordability.

Some more numbers: the Zu Ermgassen report suggests no fewer than 1.2 million homes in England are currently either empty or next to empty. “If we can develop incentives that bring

“IT IS ALWAYS A NUMBERS GAME ­ IT JUST DEPENDS ON WHAT THOSE NUMBERS ARE"

these back into use and distribute available housing space more fairly, we will simply not need to build so many homes,” he suggests.

In responding to these compelling climate crisis demands we would surely see genuine innovation in the country’s perennial housing crisis. Housing metrics need to evolve from being primarily responsive to economic stimuli, instead having at their core the country’s carbon budget and how it is deployed Yes, this kind of thinking would require a transformative rethink of policy. Surely, however, our climate emergency compels it.

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13/04/2022 13:02

LO U I S E B R O O K E ­ S M I T H O B E

O Opinion

Life after the nine-to-five Retirement: is it something you are looking forward to or dreading? So many friends and colleagues are now deciding to tackle their bucket lists and quit the nine-to-five.

A number are reassessing what they need to live on, as opposed to languishing in the status of their job, and corresponding salary.

They are recalculating their pension pots and deciding that they only need a proportion of that monthly pay cheque, so are cutting the hours and enjoying a parttime approach or a complete Saga makeover.

They are lucky. Many more are finding that high costs of fuel, food, energy and the mortgage mean that they have no alternative other than to keep working.

Perhaps you are lucky and fall into the first group.

Or perhaps you have a few more years to go before you can hang up your well-worn copies of the Planning Act, the NPPF and the GPDO. Either way, do you move into a new world, brave or bland, or does a lifetime in planning leave its mark?

I raise this because an acquaintance of mine recently retired a couple of years’ earlier than anticipated with a clear aim to spend time doing anything not associated with the nature of their previous 40 years at the grind. Adamant about severing all ties with their previous day-to-day existence, they have stepped down from chat rooms,

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networks, professional groups et al, and have, to all intents and purposes, vanished from view.

Do people really see retirement, for whatever reason, as a time to pivot to something totally different?

Is it normal to close the door on one‘s former working life? I can understand that it’s a time to embark on new chapters and embrace new opportunities (excuse the clichés) but to shut the door on their previous life – really?

There are those among us who have become ground down by the system, the red tape, the humdrum nine-tofive. They are sick of the office bullies, bosses who don’t listen and belligerent coworkers who make arriving at the office something to dread.

Flexible working during the pandemic might have been a blessed relief and it has

“I’VE ALWAYS FELT THAT YOU ARE THE SUM OF ALL YOUR EXPERIENCES – THE UPS AND DOWNS” presented a glimpse of what life after work could be. The idea of a new direction with new interests might be a fabulous escape route.

But I’ve always felt that you are the sum of all your experiences – the ups and downs. Whatever road you travel, however bumpy the journey, you use what you’ve learnt and remember the relationships you have forged.

You apply your responses to tricky situations and how you made the most of the chances that came along. Is that being too heuristic?

I think that those of us

who work across the built environment, as planners, designers, or urbanists in all our great and varied forms, have carved out our careers because we care about the physical world around us.

I am envisaging a world where we can’t help but put on our ‘planners’ hat when we see a particularly striking development. Or feel our hackles rise when we come across proposals that jar – traffic-calming measures in the name of climate change that create polluting lines of frustrated static drivers, or developments of a scale and nature that are an affront to basic design principles.

And so we share things on social media with other like-minded guardians of good taste and ask anyone in earshot: “How did they get away with that?”.

I hope that when I hang up that patchwork coat of section 106 agreements, SPGs, application forms and appeal statements, that I will still want to be involved with and comment on the world around me.

Dr Louise Brooke-Smith is a development and strategic planning consultant and a built environment non-executive director

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13/04/2022 09:31

Quote unquote FROM THE RTPI AND THE WEB “One of the worst examples of siloworking within the public sector that this committee has encountered” A PUBLIC ACCOUNTS COMMITTEE REPORT DOESN’T HOLD BACK IN ITS ASSESSMENT OF NORTHERN IRELAND’S PLANNING SYSTEM

“The reality is that most emissions ons arise not from digging fossil fuels out of al use use” u the ground, but from their actual

“This is a multistorey car park with a difference. If you think concrete exposed always has to be mean and messy, then look at the grand sweep of this; strength and elegance.”

20TH CENTURY ARCHITECTURAL CRITIC IAN NAIRN SPEAKS PASSIONATELY ABOUT THE FORMER TRINITY SQUARE BRUTALIST GATESHEAD CAR PARK

KATIE DE KAUWE, SOLICITOR WITH FRIENDS OF THE E EARTH, EA ARTH,, AT SURREY S RESPONDING TO THE COURT OF APPEAL RULING THAT G EN ND USE COUNTY COUNCIL ACTED LAWFULLY IN DISCOUNTING END USE POS SAL EMISSIONS WHEN ASSESSING AN OIL WELL PROPOSAL

“Analysing a broader set of data that looks beyond the immediate confines of a specific development site is crucial to shifting the way we think aboutt development” JONNY BRITTON, FOUNDER OF LANDTECH, ON RESEARCH CONDUCTED BY THE RTPI SHOWING THAT NEW HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS IN ENGLAND S CONTINUE TO BE BUILT IN AREAS WHERE RESIDENTS WILL BE FORCED TO RELY ON CARS INSTEAD OF PUBLIC TRANSPORT

“Communities value nature on their doorstep. Placemaking that responds to what local people prize means designing so that people can engage with nature on an everyday basis.”

EMMA MARSH, DIRECTOR OF RSPB ENGLAND, SPEAKING AS THE RTPI AND THE ROYAL SOCIETY FOR THE PROTECTION OF BIRDS CALL FOR DESIGN CODES TO PUT NET ZERO, NATURE RECOVERY AND EQUALITY AT THE BEGINNING OF THE PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT PROCESS

I M AG E S | S H U T T E R S TO C K / I S TO C K / A RC H I T E C T U R A L P R E S S A RC H I V E, R I B A CO L L E C T I ON S

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“Fracking? No thanks.

Onshore wind? Certainly not. Nuclear power? We’ll get back to you.”

A LEADER COLUMN ON THE CONSERVATIVE HOME WEBSITE HAS A BLUNT ASSESSMENT OF ATTITUDES SHAPING THE UK’S ENERGY SECURITY DEBATE

“It takes careful unpicking, analysis and a delicate balance of what residents want with regional and national policy and the shifting landscape of sustainability and the green agenda.”

ARTHUR TSANG, DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITIES AT BOURNVILLE VILLAGE TRUST ON THE NEED TO STRIKE FRAGILE BALANCES

MAY 2 0 22 / THE PLA NNER

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12/04/2022 16:59

B E S T O F T H E B LO G S

O Opinion

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Roger Blake MRTPI is director of infrastructure and networks for Railfuture

Don’t wait for fresh policy to press for sustainable transport to new homes

Railfuture is not waiting for a redrafted National Planning Policy Framework “to ensure that new homes are built near sustainable transport only” (The Planner’s April news report ‘Delivering sustainable transport to new homes’).

In London, we funded an independent report to make the case for a station reopening and were instrumental in directing section 106 funds from Stratford City to reopening Lea Bridge station.

In Hampshire, the planned 6,000-home garden village of Welborne has a site earmarked for a new station in its section 106 agreement largely because local Railfuture campaigners had been articulating the case.

In East Sussex, the decades-advocated Wealden Line extension would, as a solely transport project, serve no new populations. However, over the lifetime of districts’ next local plans, the equivalent of the two market towns which it would connect will need to be accommodated. Agglomeration rather than dispersal of that housing growth offers the chance to serve it by that new rail link.

In North Devon, the Railfuture-affiliated ACE Rail campaign for a new BidefordBarnstaple rail link and Tarka line upgrade to Exeter

is driven in part by the need for a sustainable transport intervention to support the capacity and connectivity requirements of new as well as established populations.

In West Oxfordshire, the Railfuture-affiliated Witney Oxford Transport Group is a participant in the examination of the area action plan for Salt Cross Garden Village. The county administration has set aside funds to support the case for a new Windrush Line, building on work already commissioned by the group, part-funded

by Railfuture, establishing a viable rail route and the significant contribution to the rail line’s costs through the Land Value Capture financing model pioneered by E-Rail.

These are just five examples of pragmatic working to deliver sustainable transport to new homes. The knowledge, intelligence and skills required to make such things happen are at least as much in the ‘human factors’ arena as in the technical – and less straightforward to define or prescribe. There’s no rule-book for this way of working; it becomes intuitive.

Even as planning professionals we still have personal choices, so here’s one – as practitioners, are we prepared to make waves, or content just to tread water?

“AS PRACTITIONERS, ARE WE PREPARED TO MAKE WAVES, OR CONTENT JUST TO TREAD WATER?”

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2 BLOG

BLOG

Neal Allcock is a partner with Carter Jonas in Birmingham

Will London-style devolution work elsewhere in the UK?

The levelling-up white paper proposes a new framework for devolution for England. Unlike previous devolution deals, this sets a deal for “every area of England that wants one”, underpinned by four principles: effective leadership, sensible geography, flexibility, and accountability. So will the extended planning powers of London-style devolution work elsewhere in the UK? Being based in the Midlands, I will be interested to see how this expands on the 2015 ‘devolution deal’ that created a metro mayor.

Andy Street has been in post since 2017. Viewed through a lens of development, his tenure can generally be regarded as a success as he regularly champions the region and has the ear of government ministers – although his role as MD of John Lewis failed to prevent closure of its central Birmingham store.

However, his powers are relatively limited. If they were expanded to have sway in planning decisions, we might see that he is not afraid to make a populist political statement – for example, regarding the allocated Eastern Green site in Coventry. If his scope were to include a greater geographical area – for example, more rural

green belt authorities within the West Midlands housing market area – would this successfully serve the quite different needs of ‘shire’ districts, compared with nearly three million people whom he currently represents in the metropolitan county area?

On this basis, I don’t believe an expansion of the current West Midlands mayoral area would be a success.. I cannot envisage how rural South Staffordshire could be a ‘sensible geography’ with urban Birmingham or Coventry.

Conversely, there could be a move towards a single tier of local governance whereby county cities (such as Nottingham, Derby, Leicester and Worcester) are reintegrated with their historic shire counties and hinterlands. There are familiar ties with communities surrounding these shire ‘hub’ cities that would more likely fit the bill of sensible geography. A mayor would also help raise issues that often get lost in the bureaucracy of the two-tier system of local governance, by creating a single, accountable institution.

Turning back to the West Midlands and the proposals for more powers for the mayor, the answer is not ‘London-style’ powers at this time.

“THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN SUCH A LARGE URBAN AREA AND ITS SURROUNDINGS WOULD BE TOO GREAT A DICHOTOMY”

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13/04/2022 09:32

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

3 BLOG

Mark Bridgeman is president of the Country Land and Business Association

Housebuilding lifeline could transform rural communities

A common misconception of life in the countryside is that it is all farming, tea shops and village politics.

The reality is, unsurprisingly, different. People remain reliant on dwindling public transport options to get around.

Salaries are below the national average. Household utilities costs are high. Most worryingly, affordable housing options are increasingly scarce.

The housing crisis is just as pervasive in the countryside as in urban areas.

In 2020, more than 260,000 people were on a housing waiting list in rural areas.

Then lockdown made the prospect of a countryside bolthole even more attractive, driving up house prices and pushing locals’ dreams of buying a home in their childhood community further out of reach.

A potentially transformative solution does exist: smallscale developments across a large number of UK villages.

These could finally see the countryside’s untapped potential harnessed.

They would support local employment and bring wide economic benefits to the rural ecosystem, ensuring that pubs, shops and schools – the lifeblood of any thriving community – can stay open.

4 BLOG

Dr Rebecca Windemer MRTPI is a lecturer in environmental planning at the University of the West of England

Onshore wind in England needs better policy support if it is to thrive

Small-scale projects would also allow the government to circumvent the complicated issue of large-scale developments, which often negatively alter the fabric of local communities.

But an impenetrable barrier remains – our outdated planning system. The required style of organic, incremental growth is impossible under our current framework. It is inherently inflexible, and often asks individuals to pay thousands upfront, only for their applications to be refused.

This is a blindingly clear indicator of a broken system, and without urgent policy action, we will continue to fight a losing battle.

So now all eyes are on DLUHC, which has the potential to reshape planning policy that works for rural communities by supporting organic growth.

The implications would transform rural economies.

Young families could continue to live in their communities, and key workers could find a home near their workplace.

Without an accommodating planning framework, youthstarved rural communities risk shrivelling up – to the detriment of not just the countryside, but the UK as a whole.

“THIS IS A… CLEAR INDICATOR OF A BROKEN SYSTEM, AND WITHOUT URGENT POLICY ACTION, WE WILL CONTINUE TO FIGHT A LOSING BATTLE”

There have been many headlines recently about changing the planning policy for onshore wind farms in England. The current debate relates to a policy change that happened almost seven years ago: in 2015, a written ministerial statement led to a change in planning policy for onshore wind farms in England, and at the same time financial support was removed.

My research has found that the combined impact of these changes is a 97 per cent decrease in the number of wind turbines granted planning permission in the period 2016-2021 compared with 2009-2014.

Although financial support has now returned, current policy (NPPF footnote 54) continues to prove challenging.

Currently, new wind farms can only be built in England if they meet two requirements. First, the turbine(s) must be located in an area identified as suitable for wind energy in a local or neighbourhood plan. Second, it must be demonstrated that “the planning impacts identified by the affected local community have been fully addressed and the proposal has their backing”.

Since the policy was introduced, only 11 per cent of local authorities have adopted policies allocating suitable

areas for onshore wind farms.

Authorities have struggled to assess the community backing requirement.

Opinion polls have shown that onshore wind is widely supported and costs have decreased over time. So what change do I think is needed?

Current NPPF policy needs to be replaced. It is essential for local communities to be at the centre of any future policy or guidance. An onshore wind statement like the Scottish Onshore Wind Policy Statement would provide an opportunity to ensure that community and environmental benefits are secured.

Meaningful community engagement must also be ensured.

The government is considering the idea of lowering energy bills for those living near wind farms.

This is a good suggestion, however, we also need to facilitate greater community ownership of renewable energy.

We must also consider the future of existing sites. Most English onshore wind farms have been granted time-limited consents of 25 years. Our oldest wind farms have already reached this point. There is a need to consider opportunities to repower the best-located sites in ways that involve and benefit communities.

“ONLY 11 PER CENT OF LOCAL AUTHORITIES HAVE ADOPTED POLICIES ALLOCATING SUITABLE AREAS FOR ONSHORE WIND FARMS”

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13/04/2022 09:33

INTERVIEW: SOPHUS ZU ERMGASSEN

CARBON CONSCIENCE T

he finding astonished even the researchers behind the analysis. By 2050, under the current development model, housing will have consumed 113 per cent of England’s cumulative carbon budget.

Yes, that’s all of it, and then some – 12 per cent via ‘embodied’ emissions in construciton, a staggering 101 per cent via ‘operational’ emissions in use.

What the research suggests is that the current housebuilding model we’re pursuing is not only unsustainable, it’s quite possibly catastrophic. Can we do things differently? Yes, but that might mean not simply changing our planning and development model but partially dismantling our economy to boot.

It may seem overwhelming, but it’s a task that doesn’t appear to daunt Sophus zu Ermgassen, the ecological economist who led the team that published A home for all within planetary boundaries: pathways for meeting England’s housing needs without transgressing

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national climate and biodiversity goals.

Yet even he, used to exploring iconoclastic thinking, was taken aback.

“When my collaborator André Serrenho gave me the results of the operational emissions model that was a big aha moment,” he recalls.

“Before that we’d been working with my collaborator Michal Drewniok’s embodied emissions model and we thought those results were staggering at 10 per cent of the cumulative carbon budget. I was like, ‘We’re going to write an amazing analysis based on this’. When the operational emissions model came through, that really blew my mind.”

The results expose the chasm between two concepts that are all too easily conflated: the government’s ‘net zero pathway’, to an economy that achieves net zero emissions by 2050; and the cumulative carbon budget, the maximum total emissions we can allow between now and 2050 while maintaining a 50 per cent probability of keeping temperature rise at 1.5°C or below. The

two are not the same.

“UK Government policy is not aiming for 1.5 degrees, not even close,” zu Ermgassen declares. “Net zero by 2050 actually means very little because the degree of global warming we will achieve is completely independent of what level of emissions we have in the year 2050. What counts is the cumulative carbon you put in the atmosphere in the meantime.”

So, even if we meet the government’s target of net zero emissions in the year 2050, we will already have “smashed through” the 1.5°C barrier with all the irreversible emissions poured into the atmosphere in the meantime.

“The only way you don’t do that is by incredibly rapid immediate reductions in the operational emissions of the stock.

Every year we don’t do anything adds one year’s worth of current emissions to the cumulative budget.”

It “makes no sense,” he says, struggling to remain dispassionate, “to look at emissions reductions in the future”.

I L L U S T R AT I O N | PA D D Y M I L L S

SOPHUS ZU ERMGASSEN IS AN ECOLOGICAL ECONOMIST WHOSE WORK ANALYSES THE COSTS AND BENEFITS OF EVERYTHING ENVIRONMENTAL, FROM REWILDING TO INSULATION. HE TELLS SIMON WICKS WHY WE NEED TO RADICALLY RETHINK OUR HOUSEBUILDING MODEL – AND OUR ECONOMY

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12/04/2022 17:21

INTERVIEW: SOPHUS ZU ERMGASSEN

A trio of possibilities Herein lies the challenge for the housing market. Zu Ermgassen et al postulated three possible scenarios from this point: 1. Business as usual: we continue building 300,000 houses per year to 2050 along current lines. That will consume 113 per cent of our cumulative carbon budget for 1.5°C. 2. Supply side greening: we continue building at current rates but retrofit all homes to 2018 emissions standards by 2035. This would consume 79 per cent of our cumulative carbon budget to 2050.

3. Strong sustainability: massive and immediate change. We decarbonise the entire housing stock as soon as possible and make more rational use of available housing (see ‘Four solutions to housing’s carbon and affordability crises’, page 23). In theory, this could mean that by 2035 we will have met our housing requirements to 2050 and can simply stop building houses. This scenario would use 69 per cent of the cumulative carbon budget to 2050.

At the heart of the ‘strong sustainability’ scenario is a need to resolve the asymmetric relationship between housing demand and housing need, zu Ermgassen “WHEN THE explains. The OPERATIONAL financialisation EMISSIONS of housing since the MODEL CAME 1980s has THROUGH, THAT overstimulated REALLY BLEW MY demand, MIND” leading to avoidable availability and affordability crises According to the analysis, 1.2 million homes in England are either empty or almost empty.

If we can develop incentives that bring these back into use and distribute available housing space more fairly, we will simply not need to build so many homes.

Though accepting that scenario 2 – supply side greening – is probably the easiest to sell politically, “it remains biophysically unimpressive,” he says. “Basically that’s the idea that we can continue building houses at the exact same rate but we can very rapidly decarbonise those new homes as new builds, and we can very rapidly decarbonise the existing housing stock as well. So it’s not addressing the underlying processes of housing expansion and how housing needs are satisfied.”

The only way to meet housing’s carbon

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Housing’s carbon and inequality crises in numbers Zu Ermgassen and colleagues’ research contains a litany of jawdropping statistics which help to tell the tale of England’s housing carbon, affordability and space inequlity crises. Here are just a few.

113%

Housing alone will be responsible for using 113% of England’s cumulative carbon budget for 2050.

101% 2/3

101% of emissions will come from existing stock; 12% from construction and operation of newbuilds.

Two-thirds of all homes in England (16 million) have energy performance certificate (EPC) ratings of D or worse.

7.9 MILLION

Up to 7.9 million people in England currently experience some symptoms of unmet housing needs – primarily because England has one of the highest rates of housing unaffordability.

1.23 MILLION The UK has a surplus of dwellings relative to households that has grown from 660,0001.23 million homes from 1996-2019 x5 By 2011, the most spaciously-housed decile of the population had five times the rooms/capita than the bottom decile.

Source: A home for all within planetary boundaries: pathways for meeting England’s housing needs without transgressing national climate and biodiversity goals https://osf.io/5kxce/

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SHUTTERSTOCK I M AG E |

sky” idea, for now. crisis, he argues, is to “WHEN PEOPLE The second new idea in tackle demand as well HAVE EXCESS he paper is equally radical: as supply – to take on its INCOME THEY another researcher, Nick inextricably linked carbon BUY MORE Cannon, has posited the and affordability crises HOUSING SPACE. notion that our economic simultaneously.

WE COULD reliance on housing as an “You will never be CONTINUE TO investment asset can be able to satisfy demand BUILD HOMES undone within the planning within our biophysical FOREVER AND NOT system by classing all new limits, because demand SATISFY DEMAND” builds as either ‘resident’ is essentially insatiable,” or ‘investment’ housing, zu Ermgassen stresses. each subject to different “Once you recognise that, ownership rules and tax it becomes interesting policies. As the paper to start thinking of explains: “Households mechanisms whereby we would be allowed to purchase a single can meet people’s housing needs without resident home which would be subject relying on actual expansion.” to high capital gains taxation when Many of the mechanisms proposed by sold on to prevent homeowners from zu Ermgassen’s team have been around extracting economic rents. This ‘resident’ for a while – but two are new and would housing would be broadly designed have major implications for planning and to satisfy basic housing needs, leaving development: ‘cap and trade’ of housing ‘investment’ housing as a financial asset space, and ‘resident and investment’ to be consumed by investors, but without planning classes. the flow of investment capital competing “[Cap and trade] was put up by Stefan with ordinary homeowners for housing Horn, who’s a PhD student working with space and crowding out buyers looking Dr. Ryan Collins, [one of the report’s coto secure a home to meet their housing authors],” zu Ermgassen elaborates. needs.”

“The idea here is like that applying in Zu Ermgassen adds: “How can we many other kinds of systems, like carbon solve this feedback loop of near limitless cap and trade. We’ve accepted that there credit going into private housing? is some kind of biophysical limit and we Somehow the rules of the game have need a way to allocate rights up to the to be changed so that we’re not all remaining limit in a way that’s safe. competing with institutional asset “There are now models that can identify managers for homes that we just want to roughly what the carbon emissions are live in for the sake of our families.” associated with a given square metre of Such ideas are, he stresses, “all about housing space. In theory, we should be trying to think of mechanisms that can able to work out how much space per unpick this distinction between housing person can feasibly be decarbonised by a given time in the future, and everybody in the economy should be allowed to According to the research, 650,000 homes in England are permanently empty. have that much space as a minimum.

This is a social threshold; enough space for everybody to have a good life. For anybody who wants to consume more than that amount of space, you could create a kind of cap and trade system where maybe they could buy it from somebody else who’s willing to sell.”

Living in less space can be offset by other advantages such as easy access to amenities and open space, insists zu Ermgassen – and some people might be willing to make that trade-off. I observe that this would need very tight regulation to avoid the space inequality that currently exists; zu Ermgasen acknowledges that it is a “pie-in-the

need and housing demand; between the use of housing as a consumption good and the acquisition of housing as an investment so that those two things aren’t competing within the same market”.

System change In sum, Zu Ermgassen is making a case for profound change not just to the way we build houses but to the way we manage the economic system that provides the framework within which we make policy and personal decisions every day.

The current system, built around incentives and rewards for making decisions that prioritise economic growth as measured by GDP, is predicated on limitless growth. Limitless growth requires limitless consumption, which requires limitless resources – which we don’t have. Something has to give. This is where ‘ecological economics’ comes in.

“It’s basically economics but the starting principle is creating an economy that operates within planetary boundaries,” he glosses. “Once you start from that principle, once there are hard limits to how far human activity can go, then the answers that ecological economics derives are often quite different from those in mainstream economics.”

He continues: “I’m doing a PhD looking at the ecological impacts of infrastructure.

Why is there such extraordinary investment in infrastructure in countries that already have a huge amount? Why don’t people spend time talking about the ecological costs of this infrastructure and including the hidden costs, like the embodied emissions and biodiversity impacts? What’s the fundamental relationship between ever expanding infrastructure stocks and people’s wellbeing? I just don’t think people think

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Zu Ermgassen argues that only an immediate, nationwide retrofitting of homes to low or zero caron standards will give us a chance to remain within our cumulative carbon budget. This would include insulating homes and installing heat pumps (below).

“There are some aspects about those questions, but “IT CAN’T JUST of current societies’ they turn out to be really BE ROGUE material consumption, important for creating a ECOLOGICAL some specific infrastructure future that our kids want to ECONOMISTS classes, that pretty live in.”

THINKING ABOUT unambiguously we need The strong sustainability THIS” to shrink,” he observes. option to housing’s carbon In many cases we are crisis is built on this burning carbon without philosophical position, any social utility, “to deliver leading zu Ermgassen and something that essentially his team to visualise an doesn’t deliver anybody any benefits”. economy in which monetary policy is You need to weigh it all up. Yes, there used to prioritise need and wellbeing over may be a decline in economic activity, desire and remorseless economic growth. but will that actually affect wellbeing?

Within this ‘post-growth’ economics, Governments may fear loss of tax income public investment in public goods for a decline in economic activity, but if compensates those who would otherwise those taxes are being spent on projects lose out from change, while providing that don’t actually offer any social benefit, the foundation for expansion in more then has society lost or gained? sustainable industries, such as installation It’s a “complicated picture” but “there’s of energy efficiency. an awful lot of excessive consumption, “The idea that we have no money which could definitely be caught without to invest in public goods and services, having welfare impacts”. Meanwhile it’s is really, really oversimplified. And important to remember, zu Ermgassen especially when you invest tax revenue reminds me, that “the monetary value of in opportunities that deliver future goods and services flowing through the productivity increases in growth; lots of economy is not necessarily a wonderful that pays itself off in future tax paid.”

The slowing, or suspension, of economic proxy for wellbeing”.

Change “will probably come at the growth is something that some will find cost of reductions in GDP growth”, he hard to swallow. Zu Ermgassen, though, is accepts. ‘But where it then becomes really philosophical about its consequences.

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interesting is unpicking the structural reason why our economies are dependent on growth and this is where our paper comes in. We’re the people trying to unpick those dynamics for housing. We’re dependent on house price appreciation in our current economy and unless you start unpicking that, it causes a whole lot of future sustainability and inequality implications further down the line.”

But how feasible is it really to change our economic system so profoundly?

Zu Ermgassen – inevitably – turns the question on its head.

“How feasible is it to not unwind the system? It’s obviously completely politically and economically transformational, to unwind these huge historic path dependencies that are centuries old. But if you take it for granted that climate change beyond 1.5 or 2 degrees of warming is extraordinarily dangerous that means that it’s basically worth unwinding systems to avoid that small chance of complete tragedy. And I think that seems like a very sensible idea.”

He concludes: “We need to get the best economic minds thinking about this. It can’t just a small group of rogue ecological economists thinking about these issues.”

A natural iconoclast Born and raised in London with a German father and Danish mother, zu Ermgassen describes himself as European. He is clearly not bound to the mental habits and customs of the English.

“The lack of compassion towards social justice issues [in England] has been kind of fascinating to me,” he reveals. “From a very young age, my parents taught me

Heat pumps are considerably more energy efficient than fossil-fuel intensive alternatives, and produce far fewer carbon emissions.

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GETTY / SHUTTERSTOCK

that ‘meritocracy’ is absolute crap. And once you know that, an awful lot of things follow: you genuinely don’t believe that people’s misfortune is a function of their character. Then it naturally leads to solutions that are organised around a more compassionate way of divvying up the benefits of our collective welfare, and the same comes with climate.

“I have family who are sustainability scientists and [while growing up] I was just learning about the way in which fundamental societal decision-making processes just kick the can down the road.

It made me realise these are the most interesting problems.”

Academically voracious, he has masters degrees in zoology, management and ecological economics and is currently studying for a PhD at the University of Kent.. The commercial world he has found underwhelming – good minds wasted on working out ever more creative ways to persuade people to unnecessarily increase their consumtpion, basically.

Why does he care so much? In part it’s a love of nature for its own sake. He immerses himself in he landcape both in England and Germany, where there are places that remain more or less wild, putting to shame England’s tragically “depleted” nature. “It’s been such a long historical culture now [in England] of living without the threat of wildlife.

[But] when I go walking in the woods in Germany, knowing that there are wolves in the surrounding area changes your psychology. I love it. I want that feeling.”

I M AG E S |

INTERVIEW: SOPHUS ZU ERMGASSEN

n Simon Wicks is deputy editor of The Planner

Strong sustainability: Four solutions to housing’s carbon and affordability crises Make more efficient use of existing housing stock 1.2 million homes in England are unoccupied: 495,000 second homes are not rented; 650,000 are empty. 2011 saw the highest housing space inequality in over 50 years. Policies incentivising greater equity in housing space consumption could make more efficient use of the existing stock, including: tax reforms to disincentivise second home ownership; enhanced powers for local authorities to repurpose empty homes as social housing; and a ‘cap and trade’ system for floorspace to be based on national decarbonisation targets.

Reduce demand for housing as a financial asset Solutions to speculativelydriven house price inflation typically target land rents or the unearned increase in house values that is not due to the owners’ own productive investment, as well as reforms to slow the movement of wealth into housing. These include: a land-value tax on the annual incremental increase in the unimproved market value of land; tighter loan-to-value and loan-to-

income ratios; incorporating housing costs into inflation measures; reforming planning law to distinguish between ‘resident’ and ‘investment’ housing; bringing land into public ownership so that the public gains from rising land values, not rentiers.

Mandate new principles for new builds New principles are required for new builds to be compatible with national sustainability targets whilst targeting unmet social needs. This means delivering social housing over ordinary market housing; ensuring all new homes achieve net zero operational emissions and minimise embodied emissions as soon as possible; and strengthening biodiversity net gain and species mitigation legislation.

Retrofit the existing stock Currently, existing housing stock consumes 4 per cent of the cumulative carbon budget (to keep to 1.5°C) each year. The main strategies for decarbonising the existing stock revolve around electrifying heating and improving home insulation and energy efficiency.

Source: A home for all within planetary boundaries: pathways for meeting England’s housing needs without transgressing national climate and biodiversity goals https://osf.io/5kxce/

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SaxaVord Spaceport Space Hub, Sutherland Spaceport 1

GOMX (12U)

Spaceport Machrihanish CUBESPEC (6U) Prestwick Spaceport

Spaceport Snowdonia SUNSTORM (2U)

Spaceport Cornwall

RADCUBE (3U)

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IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS, A SMALL SATELLITE WILL BE PROPELLED INTO ORBIT FROM THE UK FOR THE FIRST TIME. HUW MORRIS REPORTS ON AN EMBRYONIC INDUSTRY THAT IS ALREADY A STRATEGIC PRIORITY – AND THE PLANNERS HELPING TO TURN THE UK INTO A PLACE FOR SPACE

F

‘pocketqube’ satellites to be launched from rank Strang and his team have been Sutherland and Prestwick). According to the on a journey for the past five years.

UK Space Agency, which was at the forefront of They have faced numerous obstacles establishing the spaceport network, there were but in February their destination about 50 launches of small satellites worldwide in was tantalisingly within reach. That 2012. That rose to more than 400 by 2019 and the destination is out of this world. market continues to expand.

Shetland Islands Council’s decision to grant The country already boasts a thriving space planning permission to SaxaVord UK Spaceport, sector employing more than 45,000 people in where Strang is chief executive, was “monumental highly skilled jobs, ranging from space scientists in supporting the UK’s ambitions of becoming a and researchers to engineers and global science superpower” and satellite manufacturers. Altogether, the establishing the country as the “SPACEPORTS industry generates £16.4 billion a year.

European hub for commercial HAD NOT BEEN The UK Space Agency’s head of local spaceflight, he says.

THOUGHT OF growth strategy, Colin Baldwin, describes The privately funded spaceport AT THE TIME it as going “from a nice-to-have sector will comprise three launch pads THAT ANY OF to a heavyweight industry over the past at the Lamba Ness peninsula in THE PLANNING decade and trebling in size”.

Unst. The site aims to achieve up REGULATIONS The prizes are glittering. According to to 30 launches a year of small AND GUIDANCE a Department of Business, Enterprise satellites into either polar or sunHAD BEEN (BEIS) analysis, the global space synchronous, low Earth orbits.

ISSUED” economy is projected to grow from Those satellites will support a around £270 billion in 2019 to £490 panoply of industries and services billion by 2030. And then on to infinity. including telecommunications, The UK government now sees space as media, weather and defence. a strategic priority, aiming to capture 10 To the uninitiated it might per cent of the global space market by 2030. seem a small step, but to seasoned observers it So what is propelling this market? The first is is another giant leap for the UK’s space industry. price. Commercial launching companies, like Elon Shetland SaxaVord is one of seven spaceports Musk’s SpaceX, have slashed the cost of putting endorsed under the UK government’s National a kilo of material into the atmosphere from Space Strategy (see box, Hub floats over court hundreds of thousands of dollars to action) and follows Space Hub Sutherland in around $1,000. winning planning approval.

This in turn has enticed internet providers to The next few months is likely to see a small plan launches of small satellites for worldwide satellite propelled into orbit from UK soil for the broadband coverage. University departments first time. The first horizontal launch is expected studying climate change are another big client, from a carrier aircraft at Spaceport Cornwall, while other organisations are looking to exploit followed by a vertical launch from either the opportunity for communications technology, SaxaVord Spaceport or Space Hub Sutherland. test materials in microgravity and to monitor These developments put a spotlight on disasters or severe weather. tomorrow’s world today. The UK is looking to “We are on the cusp of a new technical capture the growing global market for launching revolution, based around existing space assets,” small satellites, which are usually less than says AeroSpace Cornwall director Gail Eastaugh.

500kg in weight (but can be as little as the 250g

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Hub floats over court action Wilding Ltd, which owns land near Space Hub Sutherland and aims to rewild parts of the Highlands, launched a judicial review of Highland Council’s planning approval for Sutherland Space Hub, claiming the scheme could disturb the local environment, which is known for its peatlands and rich biodiversity. It also questioned whether Highlands and Islands Enterprise’s environmental impact assessment took into account the number of visitors travelling to the site.

The Court of Sessions rejected the challenge last August, with Lord Doherty saying “none of the grounds of the challenge is well founded”.

In September, the Land Court approved a change of use of croft land for building the facility.

This ruling stated that land around the rocket hanger and launch pad must remain available for agricultural use outside of launch periods.

Sustainability features of the scheme agreed with crofts included peat restoration and re-wetting, reusable rocket stages to ensure zero waste on land or sea, minimal fencing, and low-impact ‘floating roads’ to minimise disruption to the habitat.

The operation of the site will also be carbon-neutral using such measures as reusable rockets with lightweight 3D-printed engines and low-carbon bio-propane fuels.

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In Cornwall and Isles of Scilly, this success is partly down to the Local Enterprise Partnership’s industrial strategy. “This has been created to drive the growth and prosperity of Cornwall, and the accelerated growth of the data and space sectors will play a key part in accelerating Cornwall’s economy over the next 10 years.”

UK Space, a sector trade association, says the country is “home to some of the world’s leading satellite manufacturers, Mission control which currently ship their products Equally pioneering are the planners overseas for launch”. Fostering a preparing the ground for the industry. new domestic launch market, with Aurora Planning was planning spaceports and launch operators consultant for the Sutherland Space Hub, providing services across the country, the first to win planning approval. will catalyse investment from all over “No one had ever done a spaceport the world, it adds. before, certainly not in Scotland,” says “The pandemic demonstrated just its director Maggie Bochel. “There was how dependent we’ve become on space: no digest of decisions, no guidance. data beamed from satellite to hospital Spaceports had not been thought of is critical to the ongoing fight against at the time that any of the planning Covid-19 and our rapid transition to regulations and guidance had been remote working has saved great swathes issued and they weren’t something that of the economy,” says the association’s had been predicted. president Will Whitehorn. “It’s also “There were no spaceport regulations. highlighted the need for ubiquitous, highWe were having to predict where speed connectivity and it’s encouraging to they might be applied and what the see British companies such relationship might be with as Avanti and OneWeb planning regulations, which “THE PANDEMIC offering remote and rural was all challenging. There DEMONSTRATED broadband. is so much technical detail JUST HOW “Their work will hugely around a spaceport that needs DEPENDENT benefit regions unable to to be worked through that you WE’VE BECOME enjoy the communications need a wide, multidisciplinary ON SPACE” revolution that so many team with expertise that you have been privy to – wouldn’t normally have with a thereby helping revitalise planning application.” rural economies.”

A particular challenge was

Operation of Space Hub Sutherland is planned to be be carbon-neutral

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5

A place for space: The UK’s spaceports

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6

1. SaxaVord Spaceport

how diverse professionals are divided by a common language. One example concerned “adversarial pathways”, a crucial security issue. “We needed to understand how the security operations would work, and as part of that the team would be looking at how protestors might access the site,” says Bochel.

“We then had to assess the impact that might have on any designated sites, how that would be managed and whether any mitigation might be required. More generally, the technology – the launch mechanism, the fuels used, the launch exclusion zone required – is a key driver in the layout of the site and therefore on the potential planning impacts.”

A second issue is overcoming the perception that a spaceport will be as big as Cape Canaveral, with massive rockets lifting off. The client, Highland and Islands Enterprise, had spent several years before appointing Aurora educating the community that the scheme would be on a far smaller scale.

This theme is also unfolding at Prestwick’s proposed horizontal launch, for which Aurora recently held the first public consultation. Initial feedback revealed the public “had pictured it to be quite different, and that it looks like an aeroplane taking off”, says director Pippa Robertson. “With space launches, people think of vertical not horizontal launches.

“We’ve all been to public consultation events in an empty hall when nobody turned up but the genuine energy and enthusiasm at Prestwick, from children through to engineers all interested in the jobs they might get, was obvious. Even when we had dinner in the pub after, people came up to us and were excited about it. That’s why you do planning.”

Located at a former RAF radar station at Lamba Ness on Unst, the UK’s most northerly inhabited island, it is expected to launch rockets this year. Shetland’s high latitude allows a greater payload to be launched for the same fuel load and its remoteness is a strength for security and safety. SaxaVord will spend £43 million in the next 18 months, rising to £100 million in the next five years.

2. Spaceport Snowdonia at Llanbedr, Gwynedd, Wales The site regularly provides air and ground services and facilities for the research, development, testing and evaluation of aerospace systems and emerging future flight technology.

This includes drones, electric aircraft, urban and regional air mobility vehicles, balloons, airships and nearspace testing vehicles.

3. Spaceport Cornwall A joint project between Cornwall Council, Cornwall and Isles of Scilly LEP, Goonhilly Earth Station and Virgin Orbit, it will launch satellites horizontally from Cornwall Airport.

The programme will use a modified 747 jet taking off from a near 3km runway with direct access over the sea. The project will include mission operations facilities, laboratories and research and development workspace. It aims to create 150 direct jobs by 2025.

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2

5. Space Hub, Sutherland Backed by Highlands and Islands Enterprise, it will be a compact 3 vertical launch site and enable spacecraft to access polar and sun-synchronous orbits from the sparsely populated A’ Mhòine peninsula in northern Scotland.

The site was the first to secure planning permission in August 2020 and will feature a launch pad, operations control centre and assembly building. The scheme will support about 250 jobs and the intention is to launch up to 12 small communications satellites a year.

6. Spaceport Machrihanish Based in Campbeltown, Argyll, the site includes a three-kilometre runway, hangars, specialist fuelling facilities, an engine test area, training centre with extensive workshop and office space.

7. Spaceport 1 4. Prestwick Spaceport The site at Prestwick, South Ayrshire, hosts an international airport with a main runway of 3km. Strong transport links allow rapid access to major space industry and academic hubs in Glasgow and Edinburgh, as well as other UK launch sites.

The area already boasts a strong aerospace presence with BAE Systems, Collins Aerospace, GE, National Air Traffic Services and Spirit AeroSystems.

Located at Scolpaig Farm on North Uist in the Outer Hebrides, Spaceport 1 is suitably remote for regular operations and easily accessible by sea and air for launching communications technology. The site will offer an adaptable launch pad, with two pads from 2025, allowing access to suborbital and orbital launch vehicles, Services will include tracking, telemetry as well as air, land and sea logistics.

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LOTS IN SPACE THE UK’S SPACE INDUSTRY IN NUMBERS

45,000

50 Launches of small satellites worldwide increased from 50 in 2012 to more than 1,200 in 2020.

More than 45,000 people are already employed in the UK’s space industry, mainly in high-skilled jobs. They range from scientists to engineers to satellite manufacturers.

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8,500

Concerns are growing about the cluttering of the low Earth orbit. Currently, around 8,500 objects of 10cm or above are being tracked in this region. There may be up to a million ‘dangerous’ objects larger than 2mm.

800 KILOMETRES

Sources: NASA, UK Space Agency, Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Arecibo Observatory, Wikipedia

16.4 BILLION The value of the UK’s space industry annually.

A sun-synchronous low Earth orbit is around 800km from the surface of the Earth. At this height, satellites can take advantage of consistent lighting of the Earth’s surface. Low Earth orbits generally are between 160km and 1,000km.

10 % The UK plans to capture 10% of the global space market by 2030.

500

KILOGRAMMES

Small satellites are typically less than 500kg in weight, although miniaturised satellites can weigh as little as the 250g pocketqube satellites to be launched from Sutherland and Prestwick.

Typical uses are in communications (especially broadband internet) and climate monitoring.

£270 BILLION The value of the worldwide space industry in 2019.

£490 BILLION Projected value of the worldwide space industry in 2030.

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The ABC of

BNG

I L L U S T R AT I O N | S H U T T E R S T O C K

IT’S THE HOT PLANNING TOPIC OF THE MOMENT AND OUR MARCH WEBINAR ON BIODIVERSITY NET GAIN GENERATED TENS OF FOLLOW­UP QUESTIONS. WE’VE TRIED TO ANSWER THEM...

In March The Planner hosted a webinar looking at biodiversity net gain in light of the Environment Act 2021 and what this may mean for planners.

It wasn’t possible to cover everything in an hour, so we invited viewers to submit follow-up questions and received an imposing 175. We whittled these down to 56 and sent them to our panellists for some answers.

Here’s a small selection, answered by the Environment Bank’s founder Professor David Hill and environment and planning barrister Nina Pindham.

The full list of questions and answers can be read on our website at bit.ly/ planner0522-netgain In the following pages you can also find out how one local authority is dealing with biodiversity net gain via Local Environment Management Plans; and read the case for Local Environment Improvement Plans, put forward by the RTPI’s Richard Blyth.

Listen to the webinar again bit.ly/planner0522environmentaction

BNG: Your questions answered Measuring biodiversity Q. To what extent does the biodiversity metric measure the environmental services that a scheme produces and value these appropriately (stacking), as opposed to simply counting individual elements in isolation (such as nutrients, carbon, and so on)?

David Hill (DH): “The metric uses habitat area, distinctiveness and condition to calculate a value in biodiversity units. It does not accommodate species apart from through a tweak to the distinctiveness score. Nor does it include nutrients and carbon. However, work is being conducted on measuring and incorporating other asset classes into the BNG metric. Moves towards environmental net gain will also include the ecosystem service benefits that an area of land provides.”

BNG site selection and management Q. By pushing all or most of BNG off-site, is there a risk of creating ‘ecological deserts’ in and around developments, which would further disconnect people from nature and harm wellbeing? Don’t habitat banks just allow developers to exacerbate these problems by maximising the ‘quantum’ of development?

DH: “No, the developers will always want to sell houses and so excellent landscaping and planting – which is placemaking – is really important.

However, this is not biodiversity. There is much evidence now that on-site delivery of BNG has minimal value to biodiversity because they will always be fragmented areas and are usually untidy and where these have been tried the residents’ association usually manicures them back to amenity grassland or similar. Nor is on-site BNG consistent with the Lawton principles of bigger, better and joined. Providing great placemaking and biodiversity are often very different things.”

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BNG and planning policy Q. Doesn’t the government’s proposed standard condition for BNG in the environment act go against the six tests for conditions in the NPPF (para 55)? Ie, it is imprecise and may relate to off-site land, so is not under the control of the developer?

Nina Pindham (NP): “No. When imposed, there will be a requirement for a specific net gain plan for each site. There is no legal requirement that all land required to deliver development is under control of the developer, provided a legal mechanism exists to secure delivery of off-site benefits in compliance with the condition or legal instrument. This is why the condition has been framed as a pre-commencement condition. The development cannot start until the off-site benefits have been secured by way of a legally enforceable mechanism.”

Q. On brownfield sites, does BNG trump existing section 106 requirements, such as education and affordable housing? Will it be subject to viability assessment?

NP: “Viability will be a factor to bear in mind where relevant. There is no mandatory viability assessment under the BNG regime. What trumps what aspect of mitigation will be a matter for the local planning authority.”

BNG credits – what they are and how they work Q. How is a BNG credit calculated?

DH: “It’s based on market value once all costs for a) habitat creation, b) longterm management, c) RPI applied, d) monitoring and reporting, e) legals, have been accounted for. Credit pricing differs markedly depending on habitat type, location, geology, geography, hydrology and intervention extent.”

Funding BNG Q. Who will bear all costs of this?

Developers? Landowners (getting paid less for land)? The public, through fewer affordable homes and site mitigations?

DH: “Initially, developers will pay, but costs of off-site BNG are usually less than 0.5 per cent of gross development value.

Ultimately, the cost will come off the residual land value such that a landowner will receive a little less for their land than they might otherwise have done.”

Read all 56 answers on The Planner website: bit.ly/planner0522-netgain

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The ABC of BNG: How Tunbridge Wells is managing biodiversity net gain David Scully, the landscape and biodiversity officer at Tunbridge Wells Borough Council, pointed out during the BNG webinar that his authority had been securing onsite biodiversity net gain “in perpetuity” using landscape ecological management plans (LEMPs) secured through a section 106 agreement. We asked him to tell us more

Q. How long has Tunbridge Wells been using LEMPs? David Scully (DS): “We’ve been using LEMPs for about five or six years and in the past three years more consistently. We’ve been using them to secure BNG ever since we introduced BNG – our first successful negotiation for BNG and LEMP for on-site and a contribution to BNG off-site on a single site was in 2019.”

Q. How did this come about?

DS: “We had previously had successes on some sites with our existing policy of no net loss. But how do you determine no net loss? There’s no real measure. So when the metrics came out, we thought this was a way of demonstrating no net loss because you should demonstrate a gain. At the same time we were preparing our local plan and our emerging policy was for a 10 per cent gain. So using the emerging policy, changes to the NPPF in 2012, the metric and our existing policy, we started asking for net gain [managed by LEMPs].”

Q. Has this approach survived appeal?

DS: “Yes, we had a previous decision where inspectors talked about how they couldn’t be certain that a gain had been achieved or provided. But now we’ve had them discussing the metric and what its results

show. The difficulty we have is technically at the moment under our current policy, a 1 per cent gain is policy compliant, but in reality you need more than that. But they also acknowledge the emerging legislation and policy as well.”

Q. Are you generally looking for on-site gain or off-site?

DS: “Priority and all the guidance is that on-site is preferable. We recognise that sometimes it’s not practical or it’s not in the best interest of biodiversity. If you’ve got a very small site and you’re building several units, what’s the point of creating a very small piece of grass that’s isolated from everything else?

“Where a developer has managed to meet most gain on-site so that they need, say, another unit to make the full 10 per cent, do you remove a few houses or provide it off-site?

It’s quite difficult [the way] our policy’s worded. I think we’ve now put in something like “exceptional circumstances” and maybe that’s not right. But that was at the request of Natural England. The other issue is that on-site we get it in perpetuity [as mandated by the LEMP].”

Q. So LEMPs only apply to the development site and not also the off-site gain?

DS: “That’s right. The off-site has to be provided through a legal agreement. At the moment, we have an interim strategy where developers pay into [a central pot] if they want to and that’s

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What is a LEMP? A landscape and ecological management plan (LEMP) provides instructions and processes for the management and operations of a site. Plans are site-specific and intended to protect and enhance ecology and biodiversity on or around a development site. A LEMP is usually a condition of planning permission that follows an ecological survey of the site to establish the habitats and species that are present.

providing off-site gain. If they want to do something else they’ll have to provide it through some kind of legal means.

“We have 100 hectares of land, which has so far been managed for timber extraction, [for which] we’re going to do a 50-year management plan. That’s an interim strategy, so it’s not ideal and has a limited capacity. This scheme may not meet the full requirements of the emerging legislation in terms of likefor-like habitats but it does provide for measurable net gain. In the absence of the legislation, we can deliver the gain and enable development to progress.”

Q. You said these are legally binding management plans to hold the gain in perpetuity. How do you enforce that?

I M AG E S | S H U T T E R S T O C K / A L A M Y

DS: “There would be a management

“At Knight’s Wood (in Tunbridge Wells), we’ve got a 60-hectare woodland site with a LEMP that’s attached to a scheme of 500 dwellings and a school and that’s been very successful. We’ve spent a half million pounds on woodland restoration and we have an annual budget to maintain that and develop it.”

company. We try and specify that it involves the actual residents. That’s one area where we could do with much stricter guidance as to how those companies will be formed and the way they will be operated. We use British Standard 42020 [2013 Biodiversity: Code of Practice for Planning and Development] as a template for our conditions. We always require sessions about community engagement – that sort of thing is written into the LEMP.”

Q. Are you finding that your approach works to deliver BNG? DS: “It’s a game changer, yes. We don’t now have to just accept that we’re mitigating harm to protected species and anything else really doesn’t matter. Now the metric shows that it does matter. We get extra land, extra features, extra areas,

“One thing that people talk about is restorative agriculture. Can net gain be used to change those practices? In some ways, rather than have a onehectare field put out production for 30 years and turned into some kind of nature reserve, wouldn’t it be better to take 30 hectares and improve its biodiversity while it remains in production? Margins, corners – the actual methods of cultivating the soil, the kind of crops you grow, and so on.

“There’s the Wadhurst Estate down the road, where they’re doing restorative agriculture. There are these issues going on, but quite how we’re going to, and whether we possibly even can, tie into this I don’t know.”

extra measures for enhancement that we wouldn’t have got previously. And we get it secured through legal agreement.”

Q. What’s your view of the ‘environment bank’ concept?

DS: “I think we need to be careful about environment banks, because there’s a lack of control over where they are and how they’re managed. The question is, do they tie up and deliver the more strategic improvements that are needed?

They should really be tied into things like nature recovery, for instance.

“And what is the point of creating nature reserves for 30 years? It seems like we’re just throwing money at a project that is ultimately coming to very little and it would be better to look at how we can invest in the landscape in a way that improves biodiversity.

“Environment banks have a role to play and they could be very useful. There are occasions where you need to be able to let development go ahead and if they can provide the solution then that’s fine.

You need to look at the context.”

Read the full interview on The Planner website: bit.ly/planner0522tunbridgewells

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B I O D I V E R S I T Y N ET G A I N

The ABC of BNG:

THE VIEW FROM THE

INSTITUTE HAVING TAKEN PART IN THE PLANNER/ENVIRONMENT BANK WEBINAR, RICHARD BLYTH – THE RTPI’S HEAD OF POLICY AND PRACTICE – RAISED A NUMBER OF QUESTIONS ABOUT BNG’S INTEGRATION WITH LOCAL PLANS AND THE DEGREE OF DEMOCRATIC ENGAGEMENT WITHIN THE ENVIRONMENT BANK MODEL. HE SHARED HIS THOUGHTS WITH SIMON WICKS

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B I O D I V E R S I T Y N ET G A I N

“There’s a whole series of potentially conflicting purposes, to which I think the only solution is local political decision-making” “I was very concerned [during the webinar] that there are people in the industry who think that it would be better if we didn’t have democratic engagement on how biodiversity net gain operated. Also that if we didn’t have a way of linking the sites where biodiversity net gain takes place into some kind of strategy – a wildlife corridor, an active travel corridor.

The idea that it depends entirely on where farmers may have entered into agreements with a third party which is going to take over their land is the complete opposite of the way I think we should be going.”

“There’s a whole series of potentially conflicting purposes, to which I think the only solution is local political decision-making. You could plant a very un-biodiverse stand of sitka spruces and you get a completely black forest floor but you get an awful lot of carbon sequestered in 60 years. If you want to grow a new forest with oaks that don’t reach maturity until they are 100 and have pretty nice light canopies and a lot of other stuff coming underneath it, that won’t achieve very much in carbon terms. So how are we going to do these different things?”

I M AG E | I KO N

“You can’t really plan the environment if you just talk species; you have to think about the environment as a whole” “Three years ago the debate was ‘onsite good, off-site bad’. I think now the question is much more between a strategic and planned approach to biodiversity investment; investment in nature recovery, and a purely random approach which is dependent on who owns what land. We need local environment improvement plans to make sure that they [sites for nature recovery] are consistent with local plans.”

“Local environment improvement plans are an outgrowth or replacement for local nature recovery strategies in the Environment Act 2021, which are limited to just local nature recovery. They don’t

were told this is the one opportunity for you to shape the environment of your area.”

“The local environment improvement plan would be operative over a wide area. It would need to be consistent with a number of things, including any local plan in that space, but also possibly transport strategies for the same area. It would be overarching, though, above that dozen or so Defra family plans – there’s such a bundle of stuff, which is a massive job to produce but also a daunting challenge for anybody to understand.”

“In an ideal world, we’d have a very large pool of ecologists waiting in the wings” tackle water and climate. You can’t really plan the environment if you just talk about species; you have to think about the environment as a whole.”

“There’s such a bundle of stuff, which is a massive job to produce but also a daunting challenge for anybody to understand” “I would say we produce a plan for the environment with democratic involvement, which is likely to be more forthcoming because it’s one environment plan; at the moment there are about a dozen equally applied to any one territory. So people would get interested in the environment if they

“Every single house has got to have a biodiversity management plan. In an ideal world, we’d have a very large pool of ecologists waiting in the wings for the secretary of state to clap his hands then step up onto the stage and do all this work. But if you think that planning’s been run down, specialist services like ecology, archaeology, conservation, arboriculture have been really slaughtered. Where are they?

How are we going to find enough ecologists to do all this stuff on the first of October 2023?”

“It might be necessary to replace it with something broader in the future”

Local environment improvement plans The RTPI is part of the Broadway Initiative – a network of commercial and civil society organisations that is working to ‘mainstream’ sustainability into the UK economy. The network supports the concept of the local environment improvement plan, one that is produced alongside and in relation to the local plan and which would provide a coherent framework for providing location-specific environment plans.

Read the RTPI’s description of local environment improvement plans from Planning for a better future (March 2021) bit.ly/ planner0522-betterfuture Read the Broadway Initiative proposal for local environment improvement plans (pdf) bit.ly/planner0522-broadway

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B I O D I V E R S I T Y N ET G A I N

“There are quite a lot of people in the environment sector who think that BNG ought to be replaced by ENG – environment net gain. We are where we are: we have an act on the statute book; we have a metric produced by Natural England; we have challenges to that metric. I would say rather than throw out biodiversity net gain, the question is where do we take it in the future? It’s a starting point, but it’s a very narrow take on the environment so it might be necessary to replace it with something broader in the future.

There are quite a lot of philosophical problems for biodiversity net gain in terms of things like ‘is it more important to house species than people? Is it more important than affordable housing?’”

Read the full interview with Richard Blyth on The Planner website: bit.ly/planner0522-blyth

All developers will have to develop an approach to biodiversity net gain and some are ahead of the game. Barratt Developments worked closely with the RSPB on its 2,450-home Kingsbrook development in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire where ancient hedges were maintained, a 250acre nature reserve was created and homes were concentrated in the least biodiverse areas of the site.

The firm’s partnership with RSPB now routinely informs R its approach to housing, where landscape-based SUDS, bee-friendly landscaping, swift bricks and hedgehog highways are common. The housebuilder has h also pledged to provide a minimum 10 per cent net gain in all designs submitted g for fo outline planning permission from p January 2023.

Ja Barratt also built the houses on the Trumpington ho Meadows development near M Cambridge, masterplanned Ca

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by Grosvenor, which is marking its tenth anniversary this year.

The scheme was designed to be a nature-friendly development and the company says that it has achieved a 48 per cent biodiversity net gain on the site.

In new developments Grosvenor says that it will deliver a minimum 10 per cent net gain, while aspiring to 15 per cent. A spokesperson told The Planner: “As at Trumpington Meadows, Grosvenor will do this by ensuring biodiversity is at the heart of designs, prioritising green infrastructure and plant species that support air quality improvements, surface water attenuation, UHI mitigation and climate resilience, biodiversity and ecological enhancement.

“A minimum of 20 per cent of each site will be dedicated to green space and should be within 15 to 20-minute walk from all homes. Other targets include ensuring new streets are tree-lined, considering an effective planting and maintenance strategy and resource plan.”

I M AG E S : © C H R I STOPH E R V H A D OW / M AT T H E W J ST R E T E N / I M AG E C R E AT I V E PA RTN E RS H I P LT D / PAU L M I L L E R

How are developers responding to BNG?

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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

Inspector dismisses flood concerns to approve student flats POLICY POINTS

A development of four new buildings in Bristol totalling 595 student bedrooms, retail units and communal spaces has been allowed after an inspector deemed that it would be able to withstand serious flood.

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( Developments in flood risk areas must satisfy the “exception test” in paragraph 164 of the NPPF. ( This requires the proposal to demonstrate that the site will be safe from flooding for its lifetime. A suitable flood warning and evacuation plan (FWEP) could demonstrate this.

LOCATION Bristol BS2 0SB AUTHORITY Bristol City Council INSPECTOR J A Vyse PROCEDURE Inquiry DECISION Allowed REFERENCE APP/Z0116/W/21/ 3279920

for student housing in the city, freeing up family homes.

Turning to the second aspect of the test, Vyse was satisfied that the development provided protection against the “design flood”, a nominal flood based on historic data in the area. Both the appellant and the council agreed that the design flood level would be 10.14 metres above ordnance datum (AOD), the mean point of sea level in the UK. All bedrooms and study rooms are 11.945

metres AOD or higher, meaning they would not be affected by flood waters.

Floods in the area are the result of low pressure in the Atlantic Ocean, events that are usually predicted by the Met Office days in advance, providing warning to residents.

In the event of a flood, the plan is to “stay put’ within the safety of the buildings. A generator would be able to power the site for 24 hours. Vyse was also satisfied with the plans for access for emergency service with route 2, a pedestrian walkway leading to Brock Bridge, well above the projected flood levels. This would provide emergency services with access to vulnerable residents.

Addressing the concerns for nearby heritage assets, the inspector agreed with the council that any harm to the grade I listed Temple Meads Old Station would be “less than substantial”, because of the difference in height of buildings between the two sites. Assessing the

( An FWEP can’t reduce the risk of a flood itself, but can ensure a safe response. However, the higher the flood hazard rating for a site, the less appropriate the FWEP becomes as a way of fulfilling the exception test. ( James Cook’s Legal Landscape on page 42 offers some expert analysis on this topic. grade II* St Vincent’s Works, the inspector judged that the site’s setting did not contribute to its heritage value.

Vyse also dismissed fears that the development would harm the nearby Silverthorne Conservation Area, observing that the proposals “would enhance any appreciation and experience of the heritage significance of the Conservation Area”, because of its “positive response” to the local setting and character.

Concluding that a flood warning and evacuation plan would make the site safe from floods,, and that local heritage would not be harmed, the inspector allowed the appeal.. bit.ly/planner0522-bristol

I M AG E S | I STO C K / S H U T T E RSTO C K

Summix FRB Developments’ plan for the site proposed one five-storey building, and part-seven, part-eight and part-14-storey buildings interlinked at the ground floor. The appeal site, which lies alongside the Feeder Canal, currently houses an industrial building.

The site is located within a Flood Zone 3A, representing the highest risk of flooding, and the council rejected the proposal because of this risk, a move supported by the Environment Agency. The council was also concerned that the development would affect nearby heritage assets.

The NPPF requires new developments to undergo a sequential test to ensure that no sites with a lesser risk of flooding are available. If the council is satisfied that no other sites are suitable, the NPPF requires proposals to undergo an ‘exception test’, to clarify the risk of flooding.

This test requires developers to prove to the inspector that their plan has a sustainability benefit to the community, and is safe for its lifetime in terms of flood risk.

Inspector J A Vyse found that the development met the first part of the test, because it addressed a need

Flood warning and evacuation plans

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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

Pub can become juice bar – but with restrictions The Duchess of Kent pub in Islington, which closed in 2019, will reopen as a juice bar after an inspector granted a change of use from sui generis to class E. LOCATION Islington, London N1 8PR AUTHORITY Islington Council

Aberystwyth Aldi at risk of flooding An application for an Aldi supermarket in Aberystwyth has been dismissed after a Welsh minister backed an inspector’s conclusion that the plan failed to demonstrate flood-risk management measures.

The application was called in by Julie James, then minister for housing and local government – now minister for climate change – in July 2019. Aldi proposed a two-storey supermarket of 1,254 square metres with 85 parking spaces be built on the brownfield site next to the river Rheidol.

Inspector Janine Townsley identified the location as a concern, as it is designated zone C1 by Technical Advice Note 15: Development and Flood Risk (TAN 15).

Aldi had submitted a multiple flood-risk model in 2021, which showed that the store was not at risk of fluvial flooding for the 1 per cent risk,a flood that occurs once in 100 years, adjusted for climate change; and that the store would not flood in a 0.1 per cent flood event (once in 1,000 years), if the floor was elevated to 5.33 metres above ordnance datum (mean sea level). The appellant suggested that the flood modelling, plus a culvert system to drain water, would accord with TAN 15, which allows developments in C1 zones if the risk of flooding on the site were managed effectively.

Townsley addressed the issue of flooding, noting LOCATION Aberystwyth SY23 1PG that the appellant had committed to producing AUTHORITY Ceredigion County a flood emergency plan.

Council However, she observed that no specific procedures INSPECTOR Janine Townsley or plans had been put forward.Townsley PROCEDURE Inquiry recommended that the flood risk conflicted with DECISION Dismissed TAN 15, and outweighed the benefits of the REFERENCE APP/D6820/ proposal. Julie James V/19/3232472 confirmed the inspector’s recommendation, refusing the application.

INSPECTOR R Morgan PROCEDURE Site inspection DECISION Allowed REFERENCE APP/V5570/W/21/ 3281724

The local development plan requires a pub to be marketed as a pub for 24 months before a change of use can be granted, and that the pub should be vacant for two years while being marketed as a pub for this period.

Islington Council had refused the application for a change of use because of concerns about whether there was enough evidence to justify losing a pub, a valuable hub for socialising.

Inspector R Morgan was satisfied that the pub had been effectively marketed for the required two years with little interest, and concluded that there was little prospect of the site being used as a pub in the future.

The inspector addressed the London plan 2021, which protects pubs with particular significance. Morgan accepted that it was an “attractive example of an early 20thcentury pub”. However, the inspector noted that the proposed juice bar would not alter the frontage.

The inspector also observed that the building's new purpose would retain a social function, and benefit the local economy.

The council was concerned that because of the wideranging nature of use class E, the juice bar would be able to change to another business use without needing planning permission. The inspector imposed a condition that the premises could not be changed to a business falling under class E(d) – indoor sport, recreation or fitness – or E(f) – crèche, day nursery or day centre – uses which the council felt could harm the living conditions of neighbouring residents.

Concluding that the premises did not have a future as a pub, the inspector allowed the appeal. bit.ly/planner0522-juice

bit.ly/planner0522-aldi

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C&D { C Minister changes condition so Essex autism school can be run by London borough

young adults with Autistic Spectrum Disorder”.

The NAS also sought to delete clause 5.7.3: “That the ASD School will be managed and run by the National Autistic Society” replacing it with a clause stating: “That the School will be managed and run by an Autistic Spectrum Disorder school provider”, as it felt that allowing Redbridge Borough Council, an “‘experienced and responsible public body, with experience in providing for ASD”, to take over would ensure the school’s future.

Epping Forest District Council argued that allowing the neighbouring council to

Proposed retail centre to be replaced by care home A 64-bed care home can go ahead on a site in Wimborne, Dorset, replacing already approved plans for a retail unit, after an inspector ruled that the prospect of finding an operator was unrealistic.

The site lies within five kilometres of the Dorset Heathland Site of Special Scientific Interest. The home will provide 24-hour care for the elderly.

Inspector Martin Allen identified one of the main issues in the appeal to be the fact that a retail unit had been approved on the site.

Addressing the change of proposal from retail to care home, Allen scrutinised policy WMC8 of the Christchurch and East Dorset

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Local Plan, which identifies the site as being suitable for a local centre serving day-today needs, including retail.

take over would harm the level of ASD care available

LOCATION Chigwell, Essex AUTHORITY Epping Forest District Council INSPECTOR John Felgate PROCEDURE Recovered appeal DECISION Allowed REFERENCE APP/J1535/Q/ 21/3276932

The proposed care home – a C2 (specialist housing) use – would therefore conflict with this policy.

Allen noted that the appellant had marketed the site as a retail unit for two years to gauge its viability.

Although multiple queries were received, no firm interest was ever shown in using the site for retail. This lack of interest, Allen reasoned, outweighed the conflict with the local plan.

Allen was also satisfied that the design of the threestorey care home would “reflect the scale of residential development nearby”. The inspector dismissed concerns about the development’s proximity to the SSSI. Despite the new proposal’s conflict with the local plan,

in Essex, as Redbridge would merge the school with its own special needs schools.

Inspector John Felgate said that the ‘’opportunity to consider a wider range of organisations with relevant skills and expertise seems to me an advantage’’. He judged that it was not the job of the planning system to judge which educational approach to ASD is most appropriate.

He concluded that the planning permission should be amended. Stuart Andrew concurred, and the appeal was allowed.

ISTOCK / SHUTTERSTOCK

Permission was given in 2015 to create the Anderson School for children with autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) – on condition that it could be managed only by the National Autistic Society (NAS). The school opened in 2017, but closed after three years.

The NAS sought permission to alter clause 1.1 of the planning permission, deleting the specific reference to the NAS running the school, and widening the definition of school provider to read: “ASD School Provider: An organisation regulated

by Ofsted, or its statutory successor, providing education to children and

bit.ly/planner0522asdschool

I M AG E S |

Housing minister Stuart Andrew has allowed a school for autistic children to vary a planning condition so that it can be run by a local authority rather than a charity.

the inspector concluded that there was no “realistic prospect” of the site hosting a retail centre. The appeal was allowed. bit.ly/planner0522wimborne

LOCATION Wimborne, Dorset AUTHORITY Dorset Council INSPECTOR Martin Allen PROCEDURE Hearing DECISION Allowed REFERENCE APP/D1265/W/21/ 3272399

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DECISIONS DIGEST{

SUBSCRIBE S to our appeals digest:

https://subs.theplanner. htt co. co.uk/register

Need for office space outweighs plan conflict in Cambridge ATM to remain as inspector dismisses enforcement notice

A plan to construct two new office buildings and renovate a pub can proceed after an inspector ruled that the proposal offered a major contribution to office space in central Cambridge. bit.ly/planner0522cambridge

An appeal by a Wolverhampton shop against an enforcement action over an ATM cash machine installed outside the shop has been successful, after an inspector described himself as being “at a loss” over the council’s decision. bit.ly/planner0522-enforce

Homes denied on land earmarked for employment use Rugby club to garden conversion kicked into touch

A development of 58 houses in Morpeth, Northumberland, has been refused because the inspector decided that the proposal would result in the unacceptable loss of employment land. bit.ly/planner0522-morpeth

Plans to sell off a portion of Hertford Rugby Club’s training grounds to extend residential gardens have been rejected by an inspector who judged that the scheme would result in an inappropriate development in the Metropolitan Green Belt. bit.ly/planner0522-rugby yp g y

Large housing development allowed on land allocated for employment A large housing development in Shaftesbury has been approved at appeal because the appellant succeeded in convincing an inspector that the development would provide significant employment. bit.ly/planner0522-shaftesbury yp f y

Conversion plan provides no proof that pub is unviable A plan to convert the Crown n Inn pub in Midsomer Norton, Somerset, omerset, t,, into three apartments, and construct two additional homes mes has ha as been dismissed following the inspector’s conclusion that hat the pub was a valued facility y within the community. bit.ly/planner0522-pub

Green belt concerns G dash industrial building proposal Ou Outline permission for a 53,327-square-metre 5 industrial building with office space, and full planning permission for two industrial units of 39,857 square met metres in Stockport has been refused. The inspector concluded that the harm caused to the green belt outweighed the proposal’s benefits. bit.ly/planner0522-stockport

SSchool’s need for sports hall overrides ov open land objections Housing minister overrules inspector on caravan park flood risk

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A called-in application for a new caravan site in Bristol has been rejected after Stuart Andrew, the housing minister, disagreed with an inspector’s report, deciding that the site was a serious flood risk and would harm the green belt. bit.ly/planner0522-caravan

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Chislehurst and Sidcup Grammar School can construct a new sports hall and groundsman’s hut after an inspector deemed that the school’s need for improved facilities outweighed any impro harm to the surrounding metropolitan open land. bit.ly/planner0522-sportshall

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LLegal landscape OPINION

Taming the flood: Why it’s crucial to get your flood warning plan right Two recent appeal decisions illustrate the importance of having an adequate flood warning and evacuation plan where flooding could be an issue in a proposed development, as James Cook explains Two recent secretary of state (SoS) decisions have considered the use of a flood warning and evacuation plan (FWEP) when applying the exception test under NPPF paragraph 164.

Decision APP/D2510/V/ 20/3262525 related to the proposed extension of the period of occupancy of three caravan parks in Skegness. Decision APP/ Z0166/V/21/3270776 related to the proposed change of use of a former police dog and horse training centre in Bristol to a touring caravan site. The Environment Agency (EA) appeared as a rule 6 party in both proceedings.

Limb (a) of the exception test requires it to be demonstrated that a development will provide wider sustainability benefits that outweigh the flood risk. Limb (b) includes a requirement to demonstrate that a development will be safe for its lifetime. NPPG advises that one of the considerations for ensuring any new development is safe, including where there is a residual risk of flooding, is whether adequate flood warnings would be available to people using the development. An FWEP is a

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specific requirement for sites at risk of flooding that are used for holiday or short-let caravanning/camping.

everyone would leave a site before being affected by a flood event. It followed that the proposal had failed to satisfy limb (b) of the exception test as well as the requirements of NPPF 167 (d) and (e) in relation to the management of residual risk and safe access and escape routes.

Skegness The EA contended that a FWEP could not be the sole mitigation against residual flood risk but there were concerns about the “BOTH THE Bristol adequacy of INSPECTOR The SoS the FWEPs in AND THE SOS concluded that any event and CONCLUDED THAT neither the NPPF they required THE ADEQUACY OF nor NPPG clearly modifications.

THE FWEPS WAS state whether The inspector INTEGRAL” an FWEP can said it was or cannot be conceivable the sole means that failure of of dealing with an FWEP may flood risk, but result from agreed with the EA that shortcomings in procedure design risk and residual risk and/or implementation. If must be kept as distinct the FWEP failed in any way, concepts, and that an FWEP such that people were still on should not be seen as a site when flooding occurred, routine way of dealing with they would likely to have design risk. The SoS agreed been in need of rescue. with the inspector that Both the Inspector and whether or not an FWEP can the SoS concluded that the be used as the sole means adequacy of the FWEPs was of mitigation would depend integral and that it was not on the case and whether the appropriate to condition FWEP could be relied upon the redrafting of the FWEPs to make the development until a later date. It could safe for its lifetime. not be concluded with The inspector concluded any reasonable degree of that the EA’s flood warning confidence that redrafted system would provide FWEPs would ensure that

sufficient time for the site to be evacuated in accordance with the FWEP, and that the risk of failure was sufficiently low to conclude that the development would be safe for its lifetime in accordance with limb (b) of the exception test.

But the SoS disagreed, finding the FWEP dependent upon fallible processes which meant a residual risk of failure and that the applicant had no plans for managing those residual risks. The SoS therefore concluded it had not been demonstrated that the proposal failed not only limb (b) of the exception test, but also limb (a).

James Cook is head of planning law at Blacks Solicitors

In brief Two called-in appeals considered the use of an FWEP when applying the NPPF’s exception test Both applicants needed the SoS to agree that the FWEP would ensure the development would be safe The SoS rejected the first because the FWEP was inadequate, and the second because it did not include

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CASES

LEGISLATION

NEWS

ANALYSIS

NEWS

LEGAL BRIEFS Kent landowner jailed over woodland destruction

Homeowner ordered to pay £30k under POCA Reading Crown Court has ordered a homeowner to pay a confiscation order of £31,914.35 under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (POCA) for building a side and rear extension without planning permission.

On 26 October 2018, Slough Borough Council served Saghir Malik, 53, of Mortimer Road, with a planning enforcement notice that required him to cease the unauthorised use of the land as two separate dwellings and demolish the unauthorised extension.

Malik appealed against the notice but this was dismissed. A site inspection found that the enforcement notice had not been complied with. On 12 March 2021, Malik pleaded guilty at Reading Magistrates’ Court to an offence under section 179(2) of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 for failing to comply with the requirements of the enforcement notice. He had also benefited from renting out the unauthorised extension as aself-contained unit.

He was sentenced on Friday 4 March 2022 by Judge John Burgess QC at Reading Crown Court. As well as the confiscation order, which he has three months to pay or face 12 months in prison, he was issued a fine of £6,000 and ordered to pay £4,000 costs (given six months to pay or face a threemonth prison sentence).

Pavitar K Mann, deputy leader of the council and cabinet member for transport, planning & place, said: “This resident has not only ignored the planning permission process and enforcement notice, he has also illegally rented out the annexe that he was required to demolish. This has cost him tens of thousands of pounds and council staff will continue to monitor what is being developed in the borough.”

Challenge lodged over London borough plan The Maidenhead Great Park campaign has raised enough money to get legal advice on whether the Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead’s local plan can be challenged at judicial review. On its campaigning page, the group said it has raised £11,000 “for the legal and ecological advice needed to inform the next steps of our campaign to protect the publicly owned parkland leased to Maidenhead Golf Course from development”.

Tina Quadrino, chair of the Maidenhead Great Park campaign group, noted that the local plan facilitates where housing can be built in the borough, with 2,000 homes designated for green belt land at Maidenhead Golf Course and 330 at Spencer’s Farm.

“So much development has already taken place in our small town centre, with close to 7,000 new homes built or given planning permission since 2013.

Many of these are flats, with residents desperately needing access to green space for their physical and mental health and wellbeing. We have been raising money for a legal assessment of the plan to determine if we have a case to take it to judicial review.”

High Court gives green light to Cornish Heritage Coast development challenge The High Court has given two local residents permission to challenge a decision by Cornwall Council to grant planning permission for a mixed-use hotel development on the Cornish West Penwith Heritage Coast.

Four grounds have been advanced by the claimants, Mr Noble and Ms TaylorMartin, including a failure to apply a relevant development plan and National Planning Policy Framework policy on Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) / heritage coast applications and a failure to consider the merits of a planning condition to limit the harm from intensification.

Daniel Stedman Jones of 39 Essex Chambers is acting for the claimants, instructed by Irwin Mitchell.

Local Government Lawyer reports that the imprisonment relates to the breaching of an injunction against works on an ancient woodland site following enforcement action launched by Maidstone Borough Council in relation to the site on land the village of Harrietsham, where trees protected by preservation orders were destroyed. bit.ly/planner0522-KentWoodland

Larne Lough gas storage project heads to court Environmental campaigners have been given the go-ahead to mount a High Court challenge over the Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs’ licensing of a controversial gas storage project under Larne Lough. bit.ly/planner0522-LarneLough

Romany Gypsy succeeds in tussle over Milton Keynes housing site A small livestock farmer who is also a Romany Gypsy has succeeded in the High Court in establishing that he has so-called adverse possession of land on which Milton Keynes Council wants to build a housing development. bit.ly/planner0522-RomanyMK

Homeowner ordered to pay £30k under POCA Reading Crown Court has ordered a homeowner to pay a confiscation order of £31,914.35 under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (POCA) for building a side and rear extension without planning permission. bit.ly/planner0522-ReadingPOCA

Bristol Airport expansion decision set to go to High Court Campaigners opposed to the expansion of Bristol Airport are taking their battle to the High Court. (For more on this case, read our April edition feature.) bit.ly/planner0522-BristolAirport

Canterbury defeats Thanington judicial reviews Canterbury City Council has defeated a number of judicial reviews brought by a local environmentalist over its decision to approve the masterplan for a development

by Redrow of 400 new homes, 3,716 sq m of commercial space, and a community building at a site in Thanington. bit.ly/planner0522-Thanington

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NEWS RTPI news pages are edited

by Ashley Lampard at the RTPI, 41 Botolph Lane, London EC3R 8DL

WOMEN OF INFLUENCE

Strong showing for RTPI members in this year’s Women of Influence list Every year for International ernational Women’s Day, The Planner publishes its Women men of Influence list, a non-ranked on-ranked and non-competitive itive list of inspiring and influential women throughout the industry, ndustry, and each year, the RTPI PI awaits the list, excited to see e friends and colleagues, and new ew entrants, gain the recognition ion that they deserve. This year, r, the RTPI was honoured to see its ts immediate past president Dr Wei Yang make the list, along ng with 25 other RTPI members. bers.

The list continued ued the tradition of celebrating rating the impact of women n on planning and planners and d showed the importance of recognising cognising women within town wn planning.

Claire Petricca-Riding, -Riding, Partner and National onal Head of Planning g and Environmental tal Law at Irwin Mitchell h ll LLP and Women of Influence judge explained that the scale, diversity and quality of nominations was to an exceptionally high standard this year.

“There were over 200 nominations for 130 incredible women, this shows the talent that is out there. The nominations were ranked to provide the final list, but it was an incredibly difficult task to whittle the list down as each nomination had such a compelling narrative attached to it. The end result, however, is a list that is diverse in both private and public sector together with one that incorporates every area of the UK.”

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Previous evidence has suggested that female planners have been more likely to experience barriers to their professional advancement than their male counterparts. Non-competitive and non-ranked lists such as this help to highlight and showcase the important impact women are having on our industry.

Continuing to avoid a fixed number of women, this year’s list features 51 women who the publication felt illustrated the breadth of women impacting planning and planners across sectors and disciplines.

This year saw a focus on 2021

achievements, a year that saw an ever-changing political direction, a pandemic and issues arising out of COP 26. “Navigating through all of this has tested both public and private sector professionals. Said Petricca-Riding.

“But hopefully we emerge stronger and more determined to be more unified in overcoming these issues and championing the positive role planning has in shaping Britain’s future. What is clear from the nominations is that women are now at the heart of defining what that future looks like.” n bit.ly/ThePlannerWoI2022

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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

INTERNATIONAL

RTPI highlights work of international members with Planning is Global In a new report, the institute highlights the work of its many members working outside of the UK and Ireland, shining a light on their expertise to ensure they receive the recognition that they deserve.

“As a well-respected global professional body for planners, we want to take a moment to celebrate the important contribution that our members make around the world,” said RTPI Chief Executive Victoria Hills.

Expertise, experience and reputation of town planning in the UK and Ireland is recognised globally, but Hills believes more could be done to highlight its important contribution to global exports.

The export value of planning to the

UK economy isn’t yett individually collected, d, but rather included with architectural services. RTPI research ch suggests that planning earns millions of pounds for the UK and has the potential to make a far larger impact if the expertise of consultancies both large and small was showcased as a key export alongside higher education, the creative industries and finance.

“My hope is that the examples included in these pages will be the start of that process,” said Hills. “However, it is not all about economics. What these examples highlight is the tireless efforts

that our members go to, to help improve the lives of people throughout the world, providing the place-based solutions that allow healthy happy communities to realise their full potential.”

Case studies within the report show the positive impact RTPI members are having across the world, from Atkins hav in Kenya, to Jacobs and URBAN Silence in Oman, RPS Australia East Pty Ltd in Australia and Arup in Peru.

Au Former RTPI President Wei Yang F expressed her pride in presenting the exp case studies on show in the report. “The cas knowledge of our members and the kn teams within which they work proves to tea me that no matter the location, the UK’s planning expertise can improve the lives pl of countless people and begin to realise place-based solutions for societies throughout the world,” she said.

The RTPI hopes that Planning is Global can illustrate how the profession has contributed to the UK Government’s export strategies, and will be a key step in helping the government to recognise fully the planning’s value as an export, while highlighting the positive impact its members have in a global context.

RTPI and RSPB say proposals must offer net zero and nature recovery The Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) and the Royal al Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) are calling for a new generation of design codes, which put net zero, nature recovery and equality y at the front of the planning and d development process in their ir new joint report released today. d Emma Marsh, Director of RSPB England, said: “Climate change is the greatest long-term threat to wildlife and humans, and nature is in freefall.

This research shows how the location and design of future growth must be informed and directed by the impact

tha it has on carbon emissions that and on habitats, green and blue an infrastructure and our amazing inf wildlife that depends upon them." wi All A local authorities in England are expected to provide design guidance for development sites. gu But the potentially transformative Bu role of design codes are often rol near the end of the iintroduced t process to set standards for building heights, typologies and aesthetics.

“The planning system is responding to the imperative of net zero, but we must, at the same time, act to arrest an unprecedented decline in nature and biodiversity,” said Victoria Hills, Chief

Executive of the RTPI. The RTPI’s research, Cracking the Code: How Design Codes Can Contribute to Net-Zero and Nature’s Recovery, was conducted in partnership with the RSPB and led by planners at independent consultancy LDA Design.

The project benefited from support by data, climate and transport specialists, City Science, and ecologists, BSG. Frazer Osment, Chair of LDA Design, noted the serious ramifications of the research. “It shows that national policy needs to be more strategically integrated, with climate, smart energy and nature being given equal weight to housing, transport and economic growth.”

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NEWS

FELLOWSHIPS

RTPI new Fellows Christa Masters and Teresa Strachan

The Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) would like to congratulate Christa Masters and Teresa Strachan, who have been elected as Fellows of the Institute.

With this latest move, Masters and Strachan join the 1 per cent of members who are in this exclusive qualification – the highest professional membership grade offered by the RTPI. Teresa Strachan said: “Being elected as a Fellow of the RTPI has both personal and professional significance for me.

Personally, it endorses the career pathway that I was passionate about pursuing, even from the age of 16, and my decision to stand against voices at the time who considered it to be an unsuitable profession for a woman.

“Professionally, it reinforces the importance of the engagement work that I am passionate about, especially with students, young people and stakeholders, as they learn about the value of planning for the environment and for their communities. I am delighted and proud to be awarded this honour and look forward to continuing the work that it recognises.”

Conduct and Discipline Appeal decision Following an appeal against the decision of the Conduct and Discipline Panel, Mr Philip Brown of Philip Brown Associates, based in Rugby, has been found to have breached clauses 4), 14) and 23) of the Code of Professional Conduct.

Mr Brown commissioned an ecology assessment to support a planning application but then made significant changes to the report without making it clear which elements were his own, with the intention to mislead the local authority and others of the ecological appraisal of the proposed development.

As a result there was evidence of

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plagiarism with improper accreditation of the material. By changing the report in the manner he had, the Appeal Committee found that Mr Brown had not acted with honesty and integrity, he had not discharged with due care and diligence his responsibilities to his client and others and in doing so had brought both the profession and reputation of the Institute into disrepute.

Mr Brown’s membership of the Institute has been suspended until 31st December 2022 and he has been asked to undertake training on professional ethics matters.

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I M AG E S | RT P I / I S T O C K

OBITUARIES

Christa Masters said: “I am delighted to have been awarded fellowship of the RTPI. I have been fortunate to have worked with some very talented colleagues within the profession over the years. I am passionate about the built environment and will continue to support and inspire the next generation of planners.”

Timothy David Crawshaw, RTPI President for 2022 said: “I would like to congratulate Christa and Teresa on this significant achievement. The award of RTPI Fellowship shows they are at the pinnacle of the profession, having made a major personal contribution to the planning profession for the benefit of the public.

“I am particularly delighted to see two more inspirational women planners become Fellows of the Institute, joining past presidents, leading academics and directors across both the public and private sector.”

In memoriam It is with regret that we announce the deaths of the following members. We offer our sincere condolences to their families and colleagues.

n John Thompson

n James O'Flaherty

East Midlands

n Robin Meakins

South East n Peter Cuming

n Mohammad Khan

London

South East

n Graham Wall

South West n Gordon Gilfillan

n Howard Rowlands

West of Scotland

n Christopher Dardis

n Mary McClune

n Alec Mallory

East Midlands

North East

n Peter Swallow South West

n Steven Wallsgrove

North West n Lawrence Cordingley

Yorkshire n Helen Edwards

West Midlands

East Midlands n Nigel Stocks

n Isaac Smith

n Edward Cassidy

East of England

North West

n Peter Short

n George Adams

n Raymond Young

West Midlands

South West

South West

n John Norman

n Arthur Lemon

n Henry Jones

South West

London

n Keith Roberts

n Geoffrey Kenning

South West

East Midlands

n Jeremy Birkbeck

n Hugh Phillipson

West Midlands

North East

n Gerald Fitzhenry

n Stewart Cypher

London

South West

n Robert George

n Alan Robertson

West of Scotland

West of Scotland

n John Phillips

n Robin Bretherick

South East

South East

n Lisa Chandler

n Robert McConnell

East of England

London

n Richard Amor

n Mary Clemence

East of England

North West

n Ian Walker

South East

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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.

Principal Planning Policy Officer Salary: £48,117 £52,880 p.a Location: Hybrid (Remotely / Milton Park, Didcot)

Town Planners all levels Salary: Highly competitive salary Location: England exible/Hybrid working

Planners Work Down Under Salary: Attractive salaries based on experience & sponsorship paid for Location: Australia wide

Heritage Enforcement and Landscaping Team Manager Salary: £51,055 £55,412 pa Location: Epping, Essex

Planning Of cer Salary: £29,174 £31,895 pa Location: Ash eld, Nottinghamshire

Principal DM Planning Of cer Salary: £47 £50 per hour Location : Essex

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 6232

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Recruitment {

RECRUITMENT ADVERTISEMENTS To advertise please email: theplannerjobs@redactive.co.uk or call 020 7880 6232

Assistant Planner About Rectory Homes:

Rectory Homes are a high-end residential developer based in Haddenham, Buckinghamshire. Rectory are a family owned and ran business that pride themselves on local community engagement, building the highest quality homes and ensuring their employees have the tools to progress their careers.

Rectory Homes are looking for a keen and proactive individual to join the growing business as an assistant planner, reporting directly to the Planning Manager. We recommend potential candidates familiarise themselves with the Rectory brand and product: www.rectory.co.uk

Key employment details:

ɨ ĚŠîÒ ɦDzǯȢǯǯǯȺɦDzǴȢǯǯǯ íÒŧĚî ŧÒĮÒŠƗ ƑĚŰĕ ÒĹĹŸÒĮ íŃĹŸŧ ÒĹô ŃŰĕúŠ íúĹúƥŰŧȤ ɨ ¾ŃŠīĚĹĎ ÒŰ ŃŸŠ EÒôôúĹĕÒķ ŃčƥîúȢ ĚôúÒĮĮƗ ĮŃîÒŰúô ĨŸŧŰ ǰǯǯķ čŠŃķ EÒôôúĹĕÒķ ÒĹô ĕÒķú ŠÒĚĹ ŰÒŰĚŃĹȤ ɨ DZǴ ôÒƗŧ ŝÒĚô ÒĹĹŸÒĮ ĮúÒƐú ŝĮŸŧ ƗŃŸŠ ĚŠŰĕôÒƗ Òŧ ÒĹ ÒôôĚŰĚŃĹÒĮ ĕŃĮĚôÒƗ ôÒƗȤ ɨ XŃĚĹĚĹĎ ÒĹ úŧŰÒíĮĚŧĕúô ÒĹô ƑúĮîŃķĚĹĎ ŰúÒķ ƑĚŰĕ ôĚŠúîŰ úƖŝŃŧŸŠú ŰŃ Űĕú ŃķŝÒĹƗ %ĚŠúîŰŃŠŧ ÒĹô ĕÒĚŠķÒĹȡ

Key role details: • • • • • •

A varied role primarily tasked with discharging planning îŃĹôĚŰĚŃĹŧ ÒĹô ķÒĹÒĎĚĹĎ ŧǰǯǵ ŃíĮĚĎÒŰĚŃĹŧȤ ŧŧĚŧŰĚĹĎ ĚĹ Űĕú ŝŠúŝÒŠÒŰĚŃĹ Ńč ŝĮÒĹĹĚĹĎ ÒŝŝĮĚîÒŰĚŃĹŧȤ Providing pre-application planning advice, local plan ķŃĹĚŰŃŠĚĹĎ ÒĹô ŧĚŰú ÒŝŝŠÒĚŧÒĮŧȤ ¾ŃŠīĚĹĎ îĮŃŧúĮƗ Ò ŠÒĹĎú Ńč ôúŝÒŠŰķúĹŰŧ ĚĹîĮŸôĚĹĎ ĮÒĹô ÒĹô ŰúîĕĹĚîÒĮ ŰúÒķŧȤ ŸîîúŧŧčŸĮ îÒĹôĚôÒŰúŧ ķŸŧŰ íú ÒíĮú ŰŃ ôúķŃĹŧŰŠÒŰú Ò ĎŃŃô īĹŃƑĮúôĎú Ńč Űĕú ŝĮÒĹĹĚĹĎ ŧƗŧŰúķȤ Excellent organisational and communication skills are required.

ŸÒĮĚƥîÒŰĚŃĹŧȣ

Relevant town planning or a related degree.

Experience:

At least a year experience in a town planning role at either a local planning authority, consultancy, or developer.

A full driving license is required Ń ÒŝŝĮƗ ŃŠ ŰŃ ƥĹô ŃŸŰ ķŃŠú ŝĮúÒŧú úķÒĚĮȣ Careers@rectory.co.uk ŃŠ îÒĮĮ ŰúƐú ZúŠŠƗ ŃĹ ǯǰǷdzdz DZǸǴDzǵǰ

Dover District is an exciting place to come and work, live and enjoy life. The area is steeped in history, with the iconic White Cliffs, Dover Castle and the historic coastal towns of Dover, Deal and Sandwich. Leisure opportunities abound along our stunning coastline, within our vibrant and growing towns and attractive countryside, part of which includes the North Downs AONB. The district is amongst one of the most attractive and diverse in Kent and offers a stimulating and varied range of environments and opportunities within which to develop and advance your planning career.

Senior Policy Planner Salary £36,422 - £42,492 per annum (Grade G) Contract Type Permanent - Contractual hours 37 - Full time This is an exciting opportunity for a quali¿ed planner to take a senior position within a positive and dynamic planning policy team and to shape the future of the district. You will play a key part in preparing the emerging district Local Plan and its evidence base for examination and adoption, and managing its long term delivery.

You will also have the opportunity to independently manage key projects related to planning policy and infrastructure planning and to mentor junior staff.

Flexible working hours and arrangements (home/of¿ce).

Generous annual leave, local government pension scheme and bene¿ts including private health care.

Opportunities to undertake further professional development.

For an informal discussion about this post, please contact Carly Pettit at carly.pettit@dover.gov.uk or on 01304 872422 Closing Date: 15th May 2022.

Principal Planner (Development Management) Salary £43,557 - £49,297 per annum Contract Type Permanent - Contractual hours 37 - Full time This is a new post within the Strategic Sites and Place team in a a newly restructured and expanding development management section that is needed to help address a signi¿cant increase in developer and inward investment interest within the district.

This is a senior role that will make a positive contribution to the shaping and delivery of the Council’s planning service.

Having a breadth of experience in processing major planning applications and negotiating S.106 agreements with minimal supervision, you will take responsibility for your own caseload and also contribute to a development team approach focused on processing pre-application enquiries and planning applications for the Council’s strategic (plan allocation/project) sites.You will present cases at planning committee and at appeal and will deal with all applications in a timely way and to target. The role provides an opportunity to take on line-management responsibility to assist the Team Leader as required. Knowledge/experience of dealing with Urban Design, viability and other specialist issues aligned to this role would be an advantage.

For an informal discussion about this post, please contact Luke Blaskett at luke.blaskett@dover.gov.uk or on 01304 872449.

Closing Date: 15th May 2022

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

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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 What is meant by character and local distinctiveness in urban design?

In Conversation with Steve Quartermain Recorded last year, this video sees England’s former chief planner speaking to young planners Robin Skerratt, Viral Desai and Charlotte Morphet about a range of futurefocused issues – the future of planning, what motivated them to become planners, community engagement, the post-pandemic profession, the UN sustainable development goals and more (40 minutes). bit.ly/planner0522futureplanner

Is character and distinctiveness subjective? To what extent does character stem from something more than the physicality of a place? How might local character be ascertained by disparate interest groups? Here, Scott Elliott Adams, urban designer and UDG executive committee member, chairs a useful session with input from Rob Cowan, Chuck Wolfe of Seeing Better Cities and Jon Cooper of Oxford Brookes University. bit.ly/ planner0522urban

Waterfront Design in Small Mediterranean Port Towns This book addresses problems that waterfronts face in small Mediterranean port towns because of increases in tourism and a subsequent demand for a sustainable regeneration of the urban waterfront. Integrating theory and pragmatic approaches, Waterfront Design in Small Port Towns proposes a design matrix that can go on to be implemented in waterfronts globally.

Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd ISBN: 9780367516239

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The Urban Design Legacy of Colin Rowe Colin Rowe is acknowledged as a key figure in architectural theory in the second half of the 20th century.

This book critically examines Rowe’s urban design theory and its evolution, which began at the Cornell University Urban Design programme in 1963 and continued until his death in 1999. It provides a window to explore past, present and future themes central to the discipline of urban design.

Publisher: Oro Editions ISBN: 9781940743516

Podcast: Strong Towns Here’s a campaigning podcast from the US focusing on North American cities. Presenter Chuck Marohn and others debate issues of community engagement and the defence of ‘strong town principles’ in the face of largescale developers’ plans.

There’s a constant focus on the need to dial down the slavish love affair with the ‘automobile’ and a lament that so many cities are “dangerous by design”.

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LANDSCAPE

Ian Nairn – the Man Who Fought The Town Planners A sensational documentary on a remarkable architectural critic, with clips characterised by Nairn’s emotional outbursts and noprisoners-spared attacks on those he felt responsible for poor planning and design. (Nairn coined the word ‘Subtopia’ to indicate drab suburbs that look identical.)

Bill Patterson narrates this assessment of the

Building liveability: Copenhagen's sustainable urban development Under the headline: “Partnerships for sustainable development: The Copenhagen case”, Copenhagen was one of the main themes at the Buenos Aires Architecture Ai Biennial 2017.

Bi This Th short film shows how The sh Municipality of M Copenhagen, BIG, Co Smith Innovation and the t Embassy of Denmark in Argentina cooperated to create an exhibition on sustainable development in Buenos Aires. bit.ly/planner0522-sustainability

Pandemic doesn’t mean ‘death of cities’

former Architectural Review writer and TV critic. Nairn was evangelical in his campaign to stop poor design blighting the UK, creating what he called “The Counter-Attack Bureau”. Clips from the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s are tremendous (59 minutes). bit.ly/planner0522nairn

Urban designer and architect Hala El Akl gives her insight into wellbeing and living spaces, how the pandemic has changed the way we view these now, what the future holds for this field as we “try to link the past and the future in a space” and how people’s fresh understanding of the link between environment and health will be what most influences future design trends. bit.ly/planner0522-akl

Podcast: Urban Design Room We recently found this seemingly defunct (last episode June 2020) British podcast about cities, planning and urban design – a shame as it’s lively across its 11 episodes Urbanist and planner Lucy Wallwork is among the presenters covering everything from green infrastructure, postSoviet cities, co-housing, urban design in the Middle East – as well as the extraordinary and surely inaccurate view that there is “no such thing as sexy planning”. bit.ly/planner0522urbandesignroom

What we’re planning Currently on our agenda are pieces considering the relationship between design codes and the quest for net zero emissions, an interview with Scotland's chief planner Fiona Simpson, new town heritage and the growth of active travel commissioners. As ever, we’re open to your ideas for our future feature programme. programm

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