APRIL 2021 PLANNING FOR NATURE’S RECOVERY // p.4 • BUDGET 2021// p.8 • ENSURING EFFECTIVE INFRASTRUCTURE PLANNING // p.26 • DAME SARAH STOREY ON THE FUTURE OF ACTIVE TRAVEL // p.30 • TAKING ON THE CONSULTATION TROLLS // p.35
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
REBECCA WRIGLEY ON HOW REWILDING CAN RESTORE OUR ECOSYSTEMS, HEALTH AND ECONOMY IN A POST COVID WORLD
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UK Employers
The way you hire from the EU has changed
You need to be a licensed sponsor to hire eligible employees from outside the UK. Becoming a sponsor normally takes 8 weeks and fees apply.
The new points-based immigration system has also introduced new job, salary and language requirements that apply when hiring from the EU. This does not apply when hiring Irish citizens or those eligible for status under the EU settlement scheme.
Find out more at GOV.UK/HiringFromTheEU
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CONTENTS
APRIL
08 NEWS 4 What can planners and developers do to create space for nature? 8 The chancellor promises a spring start for UK infrastructure bank in Budget 10 Gender mainstreaming should feature in decisionmaking practices 12 1,800-home development near Livingston takes shape 13 Newsmakers: 10 top stories from The Planner online
20 OPINION
16 Louise BrookeSmith: Every breath you take… 18 Jane Dann: Why a national design code paves the way for better design locally 18 David Taylor & Thomas Bender: Beauty, durability and utility: heritage assets and the updated NPPF 19 Rebecca Brookbank: Five key considerations for an air quality strategy that delivers 19 Sue Manns: Covid has shown us that it’s time to address inequality in the built environment
20 21
“PEOPLE IN BRITAIN ARE ENTHUSED BY THE WONDER OF NATURE. WE’RE ONE OF THE MOST NATURE LOVING COUNTRIES ON EARTH” COV E R I M AG E | R I C H A R D G L E E D
FEATURES
INSIGHT
20 Rewilding is a route to improving nature, health and economy, says Rebecca Wrigley
38 Cases & decisions: Development decisions, round-up and analysis
26 The planning, installation, funding and maintenance of utilities are an uncoordinated mess, says James Harris
17 35
30 Dame Sarah Storey explains why active travel infrastructure makes cities more inclusive 35 Tech landscape: Taking on the consultation trolls
QUOTE UNQUOTE
“PLANNING IS ABOUT PEOPLE. PLANNING IS ABOUT HEALTH. PLANNING IS ABOUT THE WELLBEING OF OUR IMMEDIATE ENVIRONMENT.” DR WEI YANG FRTPI, PRESIDENT OF THE RTPI
42 Legal Landscape: Opinions from the legal side of planning
24 A closer look: Five of the best rewilding projects across the UK
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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 – mouse over our links for more information
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NEWS
Report { NATURE
Planning for nature’s recovery By Laura Edgar
In 2019, the State of Nature report How can planners make space for – based on a collaboration between nature’s recovery? conservation and research organisations Local authorities have a legal duty to across the UK – found that 41 per consider biodiversity and most planning cent of UK species had declined policies reflect this commitment since 1970. Butterflies and moths had by supporting decreasing wildlife suffered a 17 per cent and 25 per cent populations, said the Wildlife Trusts. decline respectively, with 26 per cent Initiatives range from bat boxes and bee of mammal species now at risk of bricks to creating dedicated wildlife disappearing altogether. habitats in development areas. Worse still, 97 per cent of wildYet the charity told The Planner a flower meadows have been lost since piecemeal approach is not enough. “We the Second World War, with up to need to kick-start a strategic operation 90 per cent of lowland ponds having to reconnect isolated habitats into a disappeared over the past century. thriving network for nature." Hedgehogs, wildcats and water voles Planners can play a key role in are all under threat of creating a Nature vanishing from the Recovery Network by “THE MOST CRUCIAL UK’s shores. ensuring that local plans CHANGE NEEDED IS Evidence from the and policies identify and A MOVE AWAY FROM past 50 years shows protect existing habitats, SIMPLY LIMITING “significant and ongoing recognising opportunities ENVIRONMENTAL HARM to create new habitats changes” in the way the TOWARD ENSURING UK manages land for that join places together. ALL PLANNING agriculture, alongside Local Nature Recovery PERMISSIONS ARE the effects of the climate Strategies (LNRS) should NATURE POSITIVE” crisis, are having the help planners to identify CHARLIE NATHAN biggest impacts on priorities for habitat nature. The destruction restoration to support and degradation of species in decline. habitat and pollution, Sue Young, head of such as the use of land use and planning pesticides, are factors too. at the Wildlife Trusts, This year, the UK said: “We need to bridge hosts COP26 where nations will seek together nature reserves, woodlands, to accelerate action to achieve the Paris and other green spaces by rewilding agreement goals and the UN Framework parts of our landscape. Convention on Climate Change. “Creating, restoring and joining up But the climate and nature crises are habitats will give birds, insects, and intertwined, according to the Wildlife mammals the space they need to move Trusts, which insisted in its Let Nature across landscape, and a fighting chance Help report last summer that “the to recover.” climate crisis is driving nature’s decline Planning for nature often centres while the loss of wildlife and habitats on protecting the most sensitive leaves us ill-equipped to reduce our habitats through formal conservation emissions and adapt to change”. designation which, while “vital”, said
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Sue Young: “We need to bridge together nature reserves, woodlands, and other green spaces by rewilding parts of our landscape”
Carl Bunnage, senior policy office, planning, at RSPB (England), has not prevented nature’s decline.“Proactive policies, both within plan-making and development management, are required to provide opportunities for biodiversity enhancement and nature’s recovery.” Seeking a 'nature positive' approach Bunnage thinks that if species are to recover, the planning system must “maintain robust and fit-for-purpose environmental assessment mechanisms that not only support better upfront ecological and environmental assessment in plan-making using higher quality and up-to-date national environmental data sets than currently exist, but also specific on-site ecological assessment and appraisal”. Locally specific information is “essential” if declining species are to be protected and impacts of policy on their return best understood. RSPB Scotland's Charlie Nathan, head of policy and advocacy, added: “In planning, the crucial change needed is a move away from simply limiting environmental harm toward ensuring all planning permissions are both nature positive and help take us
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PLAN UPFRONT
"“Rewilding fundamentally is about connectivity – ecological connectivity and economic connectivity, but also social and cultural connectivity.” More from Rewilding Britain's Rebecca Wrigley on page 20
Since 1970 butterflies and moths have suffered declines of 17 per cent and 25 per cent respectively
towards net-zero.” Isabella Krabbe, RTPI research officer, explained that local authority planners can develop local environmental improvement plans (LEIPs) in alignment with spatial plans. These “would bring together all aspects of the environment into a single plan for a place to meet targets and draw together currently disparate streams of environmental funding and planning to support the delivery of blue and green infrastructure strategies, and direct payments for environmental improvement from the government and from developers”. Local plans, she continued, can set out policies requiring development to deliver accessible green infrastructure that incorporates sustainable drainage and creates habitat networks that effectively link to networks beyond the site. Several Scottish planning authorities have prepared green network strategies and place guidance recognising opportunities for habit enhancement. Simon Brooks, strategic planning manager at NatureScot said development plans can identify opportunities for restoration and I M AG E | I STO C K / S H U T T E RSTO C K
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establish policies that require delivery of restoration. When applications come forward, habitat restoration should be considered part of the development management process to secure its delivery. Achieving all of this, Brooks said, “depends on planners having the necessary ecological knowledge or access to it, which requires resourcing”. At a government level The Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management (CIEEM) believes that better strategic land use planning is needed, and suggests a national nature infrastructure plan linking planning decisions to local biodiversity plans. “We need to ensure both planners and ecologists are better aware of nature-based solutions that make a real difference for both biodiversity and climate action." The CIEEM is calling for the UK to adopt the recommendations of the Dasgupta Review, which calls for urgent change in how economic success is measured. Natural capital accounting and an approach to land valuation including natural capital are required, CIEEM added.
The environment bill is key for Ben Kite, managing director at EPR Ltd. Passing it would put pressure on local authorities to develop strategies for realising environmental enhancements talked about for a long time, he explained. Well-resourced environmental regulators mandated to assist environmental and ecological enhancement are also needed, said Kite, with local authorities able to access ecological support and advice. Suggested planning reforms need better integration with provisions in the environment bill, Bunnage added, “in particular through LNRS being given formal weight within the planning system through a requirement for local plans to take them into account”. Furthermore, the system must maintain a developer contribution framework which ensures that financial support for strategic mitigation schemes and other conservation measures continues to be forthcoming, said Bunnage. He worries that Planning for the Future’s proposals to abolish CIL and section 106 and establish a consolidated infrastructure levy will make funding for conservation “much
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NEWS
Report {
Barratt Developments has joined forces with the RSPB to make sure wildlife is prioritised on its sites
What can housebuilders do to create space for nature? Helen Nyul, group head of biodiversity at Barratt Developments plc, said the firm either incorporates existing biodiversity into the design of developments or protects them from future impacts. It seeks to establish new habitats on-site such as meadows, ponds and hedgerows as well as installing integrated nesting bricks for birds, bat boxes and hedgehog highways across back gardens. Barratt and the RSPB have joined forces to make sure wildlife is prioritised on its sites. The partnership will see show home gardens following strict RSPB guidance that prioritises wildlife through specialist planting and landscaping, with at least 50 per cent of the gardens to receive special RSPB commendations, explained Nyul.
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When asked if there were any policy initiatives that would help housebuilders to provide space for nature, Philip Barnes, group land and planning director, said: “As with any policy initiative the key to successfully embedding a better approach is a clear message, consistently applied. That is the strongest platform from which to build positive responses from developers and landowners. In a post-Covid world the government perhaps needs to increase the priority to defining clear and justified policy requirements, backed up with robust guidance, which can then be applied consistently across the country.” Bunnage explained that “much can be done ‘on-site’ within existing policy frameworks”. For example, the charity has advised Barratt on
the design and creation of wildlife features and nature-rich green space within and around the new houses at its Kingsbrook development, near Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire. When complete, Kingsbrook will have 2,450 new houses with 60 per cent of the site made up of green space not including gardens, and a 100-hectare nature park. In Scotland, Barratt East Scotland has committed to providing a long-lasting home for nature at its developments in East Lothian, with the RSPB commending show home gardens at Preston Square in Prestonpans and Barratt @ St Clement Wells in Wallyford. The partnership sees the RSPB accredit each development with a point-scoring system for the wildlife-friendly features that are present in its show home garden.
I M A G E S | B A R R AT T H O M E S
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Biodiversity in Northern Ireland: more difficult to secure”. Should proposed zoning come about, Krabbe suggested that planning all land use designations in alignment with LEIPs would accommodate migration of wildlife and protected species across zones. It will also be “important that ‘protect’ zones are split into sub-categories which distinguish between different environmental land uses”, such as minerals and waste, carbon sinks, forests, ancient woodlands and specific conservation designations. Brooks expects the Scottish Government’s National Planning Framework 4 to embrace protection, management and planning for nature. NatureScot wants this guided by a vision of a nature-rich future for places in which people live, work and visit; but it will only work if NPF4 aligns the various sectoral land use plans and strategies that impact on nature. RSPB Scotland has called for the framework to feature a Scottish Nature Network. “Strategic planning is needed for vast landscape-scale interventions, like restoring or planting woodland, to local projects such as enhancing city parks and creating new nature-rich green spaces within communities. A Scottish Nature Network offers a way to coordinate investment and delivery of these projects to help create a nature-rich Scotland and help to address the biodiversity crisis we face.” Nature’s future There is a long way to go if the UK is to reconnect isolated habitats and restore nature’s overall health. Current tools and policy frameworks enable much to be done already, resources permitting. But forthcoming legislation offers opportunities to further connect the dots between land use, transport, the environment, housing and health. The UK Government maintains its commitment to the environment, but its environment bill has been delayed a third time as campaigners argue it does not go far enough. In an open letter to the prime minister, more than 50 nature charities urge him to put his commitment to reverse nature’s decline by 2030 in law by backing a state of nature amendment to the bill, introduced by Hilary Benn MP. This, they say, is “vital” to ensure that promises to protect nature are delivered. As Beccy Speight, chief executive at the RSPB, said in a statement about the letter: “Actions, not just words, are now required.”
Terrestrial protected sites under favourable management 204.83km2 in 2019/20, up from a baseline of 2.63km2 in 2015/16. This is a positive change. Terrestrial protected sites under favourable management – 204.83km2 in 2019/20, up from a baseline of 2.63km2 in 2015/16. This is a positive change.
The state of nature 11% of 2,450 species assessed are threatened with extinction from the island of Ireland 75% of Northern Ireland’s land is managed for agriculture Northern Ireland produces 12% of the UK's ammonia emissions but covers only 6% of the land An assessment of 185 bird species that breed or winter in the whole of Ireland placed 37 (20%) on the Red List and 90 (49%) on the Amber List
8% of species in Wales are threatened with extinction from Great Britain 88% of Welsh land is managed for agriculture 11% of species in Scotland are threatened with extinction from Great Britain
19% of Scottish land is covered by woodlands 13% of species in England are threatened with extinction from Great Britain 35% of species in England have decreased in population since 1970
48% of species in Scotland have seen their populations decrease since 1970
69% of England's land is managed for agriculture
68% of Scotland's land is managed for agriculture
9% of land in England is covered by woodlands
Sources: Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs bit.ly/planner0421-daerani State of Nature 2019 bit.ly/planner0421-rspb
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NEWS
Analysis { BUDGET 2021
Budget promises spring start for UK infrastructure bank Chancellor Rishi Sunak used his 2021 Budget to promise that the new UK infrastructure bank will be able to deploy £12 billion of equity and debt capital and issue up to £10 billion of guarantees. It will be headquartered in Leeds. Financing support for private sector and local authority infrastructure projects across the UK will be part of its remit, in an attempt to help the government to meet its objectives on the climate crisis and regional economic growth. The bank will begin operating in an interim form later in spring 2021. Speaking in the House of Commons, Sunak said he would do “whatever it takes” to support people and business as he set out a Budget to “protect the jobs and livelihoods of the British people” as the UK emerges from the Covid-19 pandemic. But, he warned, repairing the long-term damage wreaked “will take time”. As part of the Budget, the government said it would make an “offer of support, in principle” to the Able Marine Energy Park on Humberside following the conclusion of the competition to upgrade ports infrastructure for the next generation of offshore wind. It will also sign a memorandum of understanding with Teesworks Offshore Manufacturing Centre on
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Teesside to support the development of another offshore wind port hub. Sunak launched the £4.8 billion Levelling Up Fund prospectus alongside the Budget. The fund will be invested in infrastructure that aims to improve everyday life across the UK. This includes town centre and high street regeneration, local transport projects, and cultural and heritage assets. The prospectus sets out guidance to local areas on the process for submitting bids, what kind of projects are eligible and how bids will be assessed. The Budget will also see 750,000 eligible businesses in the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors in England benefit from business rates relief. On housing, the document states that the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) will establish an MMC task force, which will be backed by £10 million of seed funding. This is intended to accelerate the delivery of MMC homes in the UK. The task force will consist of world-leading experts from across government and industry to fasttrack the adoption of modern methods of construction. It will be based in the MHCLG’s new second headquarters in Wolverhampton.
What else featured in the 2021 Budget – a round-up INFRASTRUCTURE
The government will commission a study from the National Infrastructure Commission on towns and regeneration. The commission will consider how to maximise the benefits of infrastructure policy and investment for towns in England. £135 million will go towards accelerating the start of construction on the A66 Trans-Pennine upgrade to 2024. This builds on the Spending Review 2020 announcement that the construction phase will be halved from 10 to five years as part of Project Speed. £59 million towards the construction of five new stations in the West Midlands. GROWTH DEALS AND TOWN FUNDING
Investment is being accelerated in city and growth deals: Ayrshire, Argyll and Bute, Falkirk, Swansea Bay, North Wales and Mid Wales. 45 Town Deals across England will receive a share of more than £1 billion from the Towns Fund. ENERGY AND GREEN
£27 million for the Aberdeen Energy Transition Zone so North East Scotland can play a “leading role” in meeting the UK’s net-zero ambitions. £4.8 million, subject to business case, to support the development of a hydrogen hub in Holyhead. A £20 million programme to support the development of floating offshore wind technology across the UK. The government will issue its first sovereign green bond – or green gilt – this summer, with a further issuance to follow later in 2021 as the UK looks to build out a ‘green curve’. Green gilt issuance for the financial year will total a minimum of £15 billion. A framework to be published in June will detail the types of expenditures that will be financed.
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PLAN UPFRONT Read on The Planner website in full: Budget 2021: bit.ly/planner0421-Budget2021 Reaction: bit.ly/planner0421-Budgetreaction
First response “While we welcome the funding announced for the UK infrastructure bank, we expect to see it use its focus on climate change and regional growth to back Britain’s army of small builders who stand ready to help build back better, and greener” BRIAN BERRY, CHIEF EXECUTIVE AT THE FMB
Chancellor has ‘missed a trick’, says RTPI Responding to the Budget, the RTPI warned that the government’s plans to reopen the high street will not work if it proceeds with its proposals to extend permitted development rights (PDR). Chief executive Victoria Hills welcomed the continuation of business rates relief but is concerned that the revival of high streets from the Covid-19 pandemic “will be undermined by the proposals by government to allow developers carte blanche to turn our high street shops and services to residential without going through the democratic planning process that supports a mixed-use approach to placemaking”. This, she continued, would really affect local economies and communities. “Housing supply could have been increased instead through government loans guaranteed for developers to build on currently uneconomically viable sites within our cities and towns. We believe that the chancellor has missed a trick.” The institute broadly welcomed a number of commitments, including the infrastructure bank, but said more resources are needed for underfunded planning authorities if they were to be realised. I M AG E s | G E T T Y / A L A M Y
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“This Budget appears to ignore the huge part that greening our buildings can play in delivering our postCovid economic recovery"
“Growing the green economy will be the engine of our future wellbeing and economy – but the chancellor yet again failed to deliver”
JULIE HIRIGOYEN, CHIEF EXECUTIVE AT THE UKBGC
MIKE CHILDS, HEAD OF POLICY AT FRIENDS OF THE EARTH
“Encouraging more developers, investors, councils and housing associations to increase their uptake of off-site manufacturing will not only be vital in the UK economy’s efforts to reach net-zero, but also to avoid costly retrofitting programmes later down the line, as the products we deliver already exceed current and soon-to-be-introduced building regulations” DAVE SHERIDAN, EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN AT MODULAR HOUSEBUILDER ILKE HOMES
“Our region has the biggest financial and professional services sector outside London so it’s the right call for the chancellor to locate the UK infrastructure bank here… [It] will benefit not just Leeds but also Bradford and the wider region. It will bring good jobs and be an incentive for other businesses to locate here.” SUSAN HINCHCLIFFE, CHAIR OF THE WEST YORKSHIRE COMBINED AUTHORITY AND LEADER OF BRADFORD COUNCIL
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NEWS
News { Gender mainstreaming should feature in decisionmaking practices Urban planning policies that are sensitive to gender-specific needs should be enacted in all policy, legislative and decision-making practices, suggests an RTPI report. Women and Planning: Creating Gender-sensitive Urban Environments Post-Covid-19, published on International Women’s Day (8 March), explains that this approach would help to make sure that future built
Welsh spatial strategy published
environment solutions have equal regard to the experiences of all people – irrespective of gender. The study concludes that gender mainstreaming has “not been effectively implemented as a means of integrating the needs of women and men equally into spatial planning”. It has been held back by a number of factors, including inadequacies of both the education and planning systems, resulting in gender inequalities going largely undiscussed. It states: “These inadequacies hinder women’s ability to shape policies and progress decisions that have positive implications for gender equality attainment.”
Housing and local government minister Julie James has launched Future Wales, a blueprint setting out where housing, employment and infrastructure should be developed to support town and city centres; achieve decarbonisation and climate resilience; and improve the health and wellbeing of Wales in the period up to 2040. Future Wales: The National Plan 2040 focuses on growing existing urban areas and ensuring that homes, jobs, and services are in the same area. It identifies Wrexham and Deeside; Cardiff, Newport and the Valleys; and Swansea Bay and Llanelli as nationally significant areas for growth. The framework sets out the spatial issues that the four regional strategic development plans (SDPs) – for North Wales, Mid Wales, south-west Wales, and south-east Wales – will be expected to accommodate. The requirement for the planning system to be “plan-led” is reiterated, as is the need to make SDPs. Local development plans must comply with Future Wales and forthcoming SDPs.
Read the full story here: bit.ly/planner0421-gender
Read the full story here: bit.ly/planner0421-FutureWales
RTPI says NPF4 is on the right track but needs resourcing The new National Planning Framework for Scotland must be deliverable and connected but also underpinned by action plans and clearly defined success metrics, insists RTPI Scotland. The institute has broadly welcomed the direction of travel in the government’s latest position statement on NPF4 and welcomed the ‘clear synergy’ with its Plan The World We Need campaign. But RTPI Scotland contends that NPF4 needs to be supported by resources to deliver its ambitions through a linked capital investment programme, coordination between other national strategies and stakeholders and
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a commitment to make NPF4 a key corporate document that serves as the core of future policy development in Scotland. Barbara Cummins, convenor of RTPI Scotland, said: “RTPI Scotland is in no doubt that the NPF4, with new collaborative thinking and new ideas, has the potential to help transform Scotland’s environment, places, communities and economy. “But success will depend on implementation of the plan, not its preparation. RTPI Scotland wants to see clear emphasis on deliverability and action plans and clearly defined success metrics.” Read the full story here: bit.ly/planner0421-NPF4
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Powering up the North through planning 12 May 2021, online View the programme and book: rtpi.org.uk/plannerlivenorth
Tickets:
The planning agenda in the North is more relevant now than ever, and we’re taking to the virtual stage on 12 May to talk about it! Powering up the North through planning is a 1-day online event shining a spotlight on the uncapped potential of this globally competitive area of England. We look at how we can create opportunities in our underfunded Northern cities to attract investment and drive sustainable business growth. We consider areas of innovation such as infrastructure, green growth, housing and how the focus on social impact is set to change. So how can planners help?
• Early bird tickets £75 members, £85 non-members
From wherever you are located, join us and bring your ideas to the virtual conference table.
(First 50 bookings).
• Full price tickets
• Political address and keynote
• Networking
• Plenary and focus sessions
• Expo
£95 members, £110 non-members
@RTPIPlanners
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RoyalTownPlanningInstitute
rtpi.org.uk/plannerlivenorth
Royal Town Planning Institute
#PlannerLiveNorth
05/03/2021 11:41
NEWS
News { 1,800-home development near Livingston takes shape A £275 million residential-led mixeduse development involving around 1,800 new homes is shaping up for land currently occupied by the Clapperton poultry farm complex east of Livingston. The scheme, known as the Drumshoreland Garden Community, is the subject of two planning-inprinciple applications just submitted to West Lothian Council for the 108-hectare site. As well as openmarket housing and affordable homes (a quarter of the total), the low-carbon development includes employment, educational and other community facilities.
The scheme has been designed in line with the ‘20-minute neighbourhood’ principle promoted by the Scottish Government and would sit in a parkland setting comprising nearly 20 hectares of ancient woodland. The homes would be built by Elan Homes (Scotland) Ltd, sister company of Amber REI Ltd, the scheme’s landowner and developer. The developer is planning to invest £150 million back into the Scottish food and agriculture sector, through the company’s poultry supply chain operations. Current facilities at the Clapperton site will be relocated elsewhere in West Lothian.
Derry City regional growth deal reaches milestone The heads of agreement for the Derry-Londonderry Strabane City Deal has been signed, which will see investment totalling £250 million in the north-west region. The UK Government and the Northern Ireland Executive are each contributing £105 million with the council, Ulster University, North West Regional College, the Western Trust and the C-TRIC initiative providing the remainder. Among the strategic schemes included in the city deal are Ulster University projects involving artificial intelligence and data analytics (CARL) and robotics and
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automation (CIDRA) as well as the extension of the Magee campus in Derry with a new School of Medicine. A Health Research Institute is also planned. About £50 million will be targeted at regenerating Strabane town centre. There will also be investment in tourism initiatives in Derry and renewal works along the riverfront and Queens Quay. John Kelpie, chief executive of Derry City and Strabane District Council, said the area already had the building blocks in place to draw people, business, and investment to the region.
Key Irish e-planning initiatives loom into view Ireland’s e-planning portal for local government is close to going live, with five local authorities set to take part as the initiative begins in earnest this quarter (April/June). Dublin City Council, South Dublin County Council, Dún Laoghaire– Rathdown County Council, Fingal County Council and Wexford County Council are set to be the ‘guinea pig’ authorities. This was confirmed to The Planner by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. The Local Government Management Agency is managing and coordinating the development of the e-planning project on behalf of the department. The scheme is integrating the IT systems of the 31 planning authorities using a single online portal that allows for the online submission of planning applications, appeals, submissions and associated fees. The proposed system is now in its final stages of development and testing. It will subsequently be rolled out to all other local authorities on a phased basis by the end of the second quarter of 2022.
I M AG E | G E T T Y
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CATCH UP WITH THE PLANNER
Newsmakers N Nature recovery should be in plans to ‘grow back better’ from pandemic
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The Environmental Audit Committee has stated that it is “vital” that the recovery of nature is prioritised in the UK’s economic recovery efforts alongside action on climate change to grow back better from the Covid-19 pandemic. bit.ly/planner0421-Naturegrow
Go-ahead for Newport data centre A huge new two-storey data centre has been approved by Newport City Council. The scheme, proposed by Next Generation Data, will be built on land south of The Courtyard at Imperial Park, near the firm’s existing facility. bit.ly/planner0421-Newsportdata
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Government wants growth body to support OxCam Arc Housing minister Christopher Pincher has announced the government’s intention to establish an “arc growth body” to support the OxfordCambridge Arc’s development into a “a global innovation powerhouse”. bit.ly/planner0421-OxCamArc
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Shropshire Council has granted full planning permission for a purposebuilt airbase and charity headquarters for the Midlands Air Ambulance Charity. bit.ly/planner0421airambulance
Not enough housing for older people in capital, warns think tank
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Lack of local authority resources a barrier to flood management ‘Scarce’ local authority resources coupled with ‘low levels’ of private sector investment are preventing the effective management of flooding, especially given the Covid-19 pandemic, the Public Accounts Committee has concluded. bit.ly/planner0421-floodingPAC
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Homes England buys sites in Harrogate Homes England has announced that it has acquired two development sites in Harrogate that will deliver a total of 880 family homes. Both sites will provide 40 per cent affordable housing. bit.ly/planner0421-Harrogate
Opportunities to adapt and enhance existing provision to include a vocational/work-based learning programme would offer an immediate solution to developing routes into the planning profession, a report recommends. bit.ly/planner0421-Scotsapprenticeships
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New HQ plans for air ambulance approved
Scottish apprenticeship scheme could provide routes into planning profession
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There should be a “stronger and more coordinated approach” to building homes that suit older people living in London, according to the Centre for London think tank. bit.ly/planner0421-olderhousinglondon
CPRE calls for strategic planning to feature in forthcoming bill Strategic city regional planning should be set out in the forthcoming planning bill to ensure that the green belt can fulfil its function while at the same time allowing for the delivery of new homes, CPRE has said. bit.ly/planner0421-greenbelt
Green light for 295 new homes in Derry Derry City & Strabane District Council has given the thumbs up to proposals for a mix of detached and semi-detached houses and 19 flats on land to the east of Clooney Road, overlooking the Caw roundabout. bit.ly/planner0421-Derry295
I M AG E S | I STO C K / S H U T T E RSTO C K / A L A M Y
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Visualisations for a positive outcome
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npavisuals.co.uk
05/03/2021 11:42
LEADER COMMENT
Event The remote meeting genie is out of the bottle Over the course of the last twelve months, with all of our working arrangements transformed, predictions for what will emerge as postpandemic workplace norms have ranged from the idea of a slightly more accepting attitude towards the odd day working from home through to the full-on embracing of an entirely ‘hybrid’ operation in which offices are but one of several places within which to conduct business. What no one is saying is that we will simply return to how it all was before. Well, actually that’s not strictly true – the prime minister and a handful of business bosses have made noises about workers needing to recommence the daily commute, though frankly it is difficult not to see their comments as anything more than basic rallying cries seeking to quickly reboot city centre economies. Surely any calculations
Martin Read about returning people to buildings should take into account the value in what are now, in many cases, more effective ways of working. The gradual opening up of society in 2021 is set to see emergency 2020 regulations – rushed into force last year to ensure the planning process didn’t grind to a halt – either rescinded or, more likely, adapted, despite noises to the contrary. There is plenty of logic to support the idea of remote local authority meetings
continuing past 6 May when the term of emergency legislation currently in effect comes to an end. And some, including RTPI CEO Victoria Hills, talk of virtual meetings having allowed a more diverse range of voices to contribute to the planning process. Why would we want to reverse this positive step? The odd truth of it is that what started as a crisis response to the pandemic has led to new working models that, in part at least, would seem absurd if now put aside. Older residents who may once have preferred attending council chambers are often just as much Zoom zealots as the rest of us. Yes there are limits to new models of consultation, but surely, instead of simply snapping back to 2019 modes, what we need is an energetic debate about what now constitutes optimal ’hybrid’ planning meetings.
Two extras to mention this month. As well as keeping an eye out for the web and video links we’ve placed alongside our content in these pages, I must also mention the great me work done by my colleagues Simon Wicks and Laura Edgar, together with our volunteer judges, in selecting The Planner’s 2021 Women of Influence. Click the logo above to read about the women recognised for what they have achieved during this extraordinary past year.
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12/03/2021 09:51
LO U I S E B R O O K E S M I T H O B E
O Opinion
Every breath you take… Remember when we entered the first Covid-19 lockdown and everyone noticed how clear the air was and how you could hear the birdsong? Then we had the second, and the weather was a bit rubbish so less people were outside and the novelty wore off. Now the third lockdown is taking its toll, moving from the depths of winter and dark cold nights into a long-awaited spring. Not surprisingly, we are making the most of any sunny days to get outside again. Even with the Van-Tam and Whitty duo keeping us in line, we have become blasé in terms of sticking to the guidelines. There is more traffic on the roads so, sadly, it’s unlikely that the unexpected benefits of that first lockdown, air quality and birdsong, will be as impactful as a year ago. But, along with renewed attention to mental health, exercise, wholesome food, and a better work-life balance, it seems that we are becoming more serious about the air we breathe. And it’s about time. Technically, people living in a high proportion of conurbations near motorways shouldn’t venture out of their homes at all because the air quality is so bad. The implications of diesel and petrol fumes from our insatiable appetite for our own private tin boxes to move us from A to B, mean that people are dying. The cocktail of fumes –
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carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, formaldehyde, benzene and soot from vehicle exhausts are all detrimental to the human body and this has now been recognised by the coroner presiding over the death of Ella Kissi-Debrah. For the first time, road air quality has been cited as a major contributor to her demise, with the coroner declaring that the failure to reduce pollution levels to legal limits was a factor in her death in 2013. She was exposed to nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter far in excess of WHO guidelines. Much of this came from traffic fumes. Lawyers argued there had been a violation of Article 2 of the Human Rights Act 1998, concerning the right to life. Lots of politicians were contrite and HM Gov quickly cited
“PERHAPS WE WILL SEE A NEW CYCLING OR JOGGING COMMUNITY AS THE NORM” its £3.8 billion plan to clean up transport and tackle pollution with the emerging environment bill. But Ella isn’t alone. There are thousands of asthma sufferers whose ability to simply walk to the shops is restricted because of pollution. Legislation has helped over the years and the pea-soupers prevalent from the 1930s to the 1950s were eventually stopped by statute responding to the basic fact that more cars meant more fumes and more coal fires meant more smoke. Particularly in
winter, the perfect storm of smog debilitated thousands of urban dwellers. The phenomenon can still be experienced on a daily basis in parts of China and the US. Luckily for most of Europe, however, restrictions mean that the gloom of a pea soup is a rare occurrence. With a global reawakening of all things ‘green and healthy’, our attitude to air quality is getting better. This is underpinned by buzzwords including ‘route to net-zero’, ‘carbon-neutral’ and ‘climate change champions’, in every development plan under way – complemented by the government’s goals for 2030 in terms of the end of diesel and petrol vehicle sales. So as we say goodbye to diesel-guzzling urban tanks on the school run and ‘get into the green scene’, perhaps we will see a new cycling or jogging community as the norm in place of eight-lane highways. We might even reap the benefits of cleaner air and shriller birdsong. We, and the families of kids like Ella, can live in hope.
Dr Louise Brooke-Smith is a development and strategic planning consultant and a built environment non-executive director I L L U S T R AT I O N | Z A R A P I C K E N
11/03/2021 15:53
Quote unquote FROM THE RTPI AND THE WEB
“I’m not sure how a barn can be criticised for looking like a barn” INSPECTOR SIMON HAND DISMISSES A COUNCIL CLAIM THAT A BARN WAS TOO TYPICALLY BARN SHAPED FOR ITS SURROUNDINGS
“The government’s proposed reforms do not adequately reflect the role of planning as a key strategic vehicle for decarbonising the economy, enhancing climate resilience and reversing biodiversity decline”
“ Natture iss our home. home “Nature demands Good economics econ we manage it better.” PROFESSOR SIR PARTHA DASGUPTA AFTER THE PUBLICATION OF THE ECONOMICS OF BIODIVERSITY: THE DASGUPTA REVIEW
JULIE HIRIGOYEN, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF THE UK GREEN BUILDING COUNCIL, ONE OF 18 HOUSING, PLANNING, TRANSPORT, ENVIRONMENTAL, HERITAGE AND PUBLIC HEALTH ORGANISATIONS TO HAVE JOINTLY CRAFTED AN ALTERNATIVE ‘VISION FOR PLANNING
“Planning for the Future made almost no reference to national parks – a worrying omission given that national park authorities have responsibility for plan-making and planning decisions in their areas”
“I’m always incredibly struck by the passion that so many people clearly feel about the green belt, but also very often a profound lack of understanding about what it means”
ANITA KONRAD, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF CAMPAIGN FOR NATIONAL PARKS, ANOTHER OF THE 18 ORGANISATIONS BEHIND THE ‘VISION FOR PLANNING’ ALTERNATIVE TO THE GOVERNMENT’S PLANNING WHITE PAPER
I M AG E S | A L A M Y / S H U T T E RSTO C K / I STO C K
ZACK SIMONS, PLANNING BARRISTER AT LANDMARK CHAMBERS ON THE GREEN BELT
“Planning is about people. Planning is about health. Planning is about the wellbeing of our immediate environment.” DR WEI YANG FRTPI, PRESIDENT OF THE RTPI
“There has been an overfocus on consumption and an underfocus on production & services” LIAM KELLY, MEMBER OF THE LIVERPOOL TOWN CENTRES COMMISSION, CONSIDERS THE ROOT CAUSES OF TOWN CENTRE DECLINE
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B E S T O F T H E B LO G S
O Opinion
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Jane Dann is director of Tibbalds Planning and Urban Design
Why a national design code paves the way for better design locally
Proposed changes to the NPPF reinforce its emphasis on design quality and placemaking, requiring local planning authorities to prepare “design guides or codes” consistent with the National Design Guide and National Model Design Code (NMDC), published in draft along with Guidance Notes for Design Codes (GNDC). Until recently, design codes have mainly been used for proposals involving significant change or development, the evidence showing that they help deliver design quality. Now the NMDC promotes a different, essentially districtwide approach, supported by the GNDC, which identifies potential topics that may be included in a design code. Its three-stage process – Analysis, Vision and Coding – is important. Analysis is critical, especially if we are to code for smaller-scale change in existing contexts. Vision is fundamental – without knowing what we want to achieve we cannot tell if a code will deliver it. And coding is the conclusion to the process, not an end in itself. At the heart of the NMDC is the concept of area types. It proposes classifying, say, all villages or outer suburbs within a district into a single category with a shared local design code. Does this presume a common vision for local areas of this type? And will common
design code requirements be appropriate for distinct places that fall into an area type? If engagement is to underpin codes, will communities want to see a place-specific rather than an area-type based code? And how will area types interact with the mooted planning system reform classification by growth, renewal or protection? However, there is more flexibility than is immediately apparent, with references to ‘design codes and guides’, a choice to code for a district, selected parts of a district, or development sites only, and area types also being optional. This will enable local authorities to find their own route through some of the questions, and balance the effort that goes in and the benefit that comes out of a code or guide. Resources, together with certainty in the light of planning reform, are likely to be key factors for many but so too is the right approach for each place. How best to balance local design priorities, challenges and community aspirations and create a workable code or guide? Following this framework, with appropriate time, support, consultation and consideration should influence our approach, enable positive steps towards improving design quality and creating good places.
“THERE IS MORE FLEXIBILITY THAN IS IMMEDIATELY APPARENT”
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2 BLOG
David Taylor is partner and Thomas Bender is senior heritage adviser with Montagu Evans
Beauty, durability and utility: heritage assets and the updated NPPF
The drafting of the revised NPPF makes only one amendment to chapter 16 (‘Conserving and enhancing the historic environment’). The new paragraph 197, giving greater weight to the retention of historic statues, plaques or memorials is welcome. It is perhaps the repercussions of amendments to chapter 12 (‘Achieving well-designed places’) that will have more far-reaching implications for the planning system and heritage. The design chapter has embraced the ‘beauty’ agenda. The underlying principles are commendable; however, as a concept, beauty is completely subjective. . Following Vitruvius’s philosophy, good design is based on beauty, durability/firmness and utility. The last two must not be overlooked, and indeed should encompass sustainability and environmental aspects that must become more prominent in planning policy. These points have long been central to debates on heritage assets. Looking through this lens, it is interesting to note that in addition to development that achieves outstanding/ innovative design, the new paragraph 133 places equally significant weight on those schemes “which reflect local design policies and government
guidance on design”. While skewing the importance of groundbreaking design – fortunately driven by more than the need for planning permission – this is a positive nudge which should result in better standards overall. To achieve this, design codes and guides need to be well resourced to truly represent each area and its potential. They need to include specialist advice to make sure they are set out well from the start but still flexible enough to evolve over time. The opinions of local stakeholders are invaluable, too, but must be distilled and incorporated into the wider vision alongside practical and technical points before carrying weight in the planning process. What must be avoided is all design codes looking the same. Villages, towns and cities need daring and quirky buildings – old and new – to remain attractive and vibrant. It is encouraging that MHCLG is helping fund communities to identify historic buildings of local interest. These contribute to the quality of places and a strong local identity. Creative ideas can give any building another lease of life. We need a more inclusive discussion about the idea of beauty and how it evolves over time to achieve a sustainable outcome.
“WE NEED A MORE INCLUSIVE DISCUSSION ABOUT THE IDEA OF BEAUTY AND HOW IT EVOLVES OVER TIME”
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Have your say Would you like to see yourself in these pages? Get in touch by email – editorial@theplanner.co.uk Topical, inspirational, angry or amusing – we consider all relevant comment
3 BLOG
Dr Rebecca Brookbank is technical director and principal ecological consultant with ecological consultancy EPR
Five key considerations for an air quality strategy that delivers
In some parts of the UK, high levels of air pollution around sites protected by the UK Habitats Regulations have forced a moratorium on development to avoid unacceptable effects to communities and wildlife. For example, there has been a long-standing moratorium on development in Epping Forest District over concerns about air pollution effects on Epping Forest Special Area of Conservation. This moratorium can start to ease following the adoption of an Interim Air Pollution Management Strategy (APMS) – while challenges still remain regarding an unpopular requirement to deliver a Clean Air Zone by 2025. To ensure a way forward for planning applications without more harm to the environment, there are five considerations for an effective APMS: 1. Detailed monitoring, modelling and assessment of predicted air quality impacts that takes account of current guidance. Air quality assessment is complex and ever-changing, with recent court judgments shaking up entrenched practice. Natural England, the IAQM, Highways England and CIEEM have now provided guidance on assessing and interpreting the ecological
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and legislative implications of air quality change in the context of protected sites. A robust APMS will use the latest guidance to withstand scrutiny. 2. A flexible strategy catering for evolving, evidence-based demands for housing delivery that may reasonably deviate from local plan assumptions will support a smooth planning determination process. 3. Open, democratic consultation: early, inclusive stakeholder engagement regarding an emerging APMS will ensure the strategy is well received. 4. Accountable deliverability: an APMS must provide confidence that its measures can be secured and delivered to meet the requirements imposed by the Habitats Regulations. This means providing detail on who is responsible for delivering the strategy, on what timescales and how it will be funded. 5. Forward planning: an APMS is most effective in unlocking development when prepared sufficiently in advance of the development it is required to facilitate. Finding mitigation solutions for air pollution on a project-by-project basis can be challenging, so a strategic solution is often required. Liaison with statutory consultees ahead of local plan reviews is advised to pre-empt emerging air pollution issues.
“THERE HAS BEEN A LONG STANDING MORATORIUM ON DEVELOPMENT IN EPPING FOREST DISTRICT”
Sue Manns is the immediate past president of the RTPI
Covid has shown us that it's time to address inequality in the built environment
I suspect no one was prepared for the year we have just experienced, least of all me as I took on the role of RTPI president. The pandemic and lockdown restrictions brought into sharp focus the strengths and weaknesses of our places, exposing the inequalities inherent in our way of life. We must not forget what it has taught us all about the importance of sustainable, resilient and inclusive places. The digital world into which we were thrust provided a chance to reach new audiences and planning was rarely out of the news. Debates were wideranging, from how to deliver better places, health and wellbeing, betterdesigned housing, affordable housing, the decline of the high street and climate change. One topic that had particular resonance was the importance of equality, diversity and inclusivity in the way in which we engage with communities and within our profession. We all use spaces and places, but we all do it differently and the way that we do it changes during our lives. With complex issues, such as those tackled by planners, it is simply not possible for a group of people from similar backgrounds to have all the relevant insights.
Seeing things from different perspectives leads to more informed and sometimes different decisions. We must listen to the many voices across our communities, not just those who shout loudest. Turning to the profession, in the 1980s women made up 15 per cent of RTPI membership. By January 2020 it was 39 per cent; progress, but still some way to go. Our BAME members are equally under-represented, with lack of diversity greatest at senior levels. In essence the higher you climb, the wider the gap. This cannot be right. Talent does not disproportionately rest within one section of our profession or membership. In February 2020 I launched the CHANGE Action Plan, which is part of the RTPI Corporate Strategy, to help achieve a more balanced profession. Planners have themselves stepped up. Women in Planning has been making a difference through its CPD and networking events and in 2020 two new diversity networks, the BAME Planners Network and the Neurodiversity in Planning network, were launched. It was an honour to recognise the dedication of the founders of these networks as recipients of the RTPI President’s Award for Planning Achievement 2020.
“IN THE 1980S WOMEN MADE UP 15 PER CENT OF THE RTPI MEMBERSHIP. BY JANUARY 2020 IT WAS 39 PER CENT; PROGRESS, BUT STILL SOME WAY TO GO”
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INTERVIEW: REBECCA WRIGLEY
SYSTEMS T H INKER REWILDING IS MORE THAN PLANTING TREES AND REINTRODUCING BEAVERS, REBECCA WRIGLEY TELLS SIMON WICKS. IT’S AN APPROACH TO REVIVING ECOSYSTEMS THAT CAN SAVE THE WORLD
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INTERVIEW: REBECCA WRIGLEY
I M AG E S |
RICHARD GLEED
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’m a systems thinker,” Rebecca Wrigley declares. “My mind works in systems. I’m not an expert in anything. I’m not an ecologist. But I think there’s huge value in that because I need to understand things by understanding the bigger picture and therefore I can make connections.” The word ‘system’ crops up a lot in conversation with Rewilding Britain’s founder and chief executive. She speaks of food production systems, natural systems, life support systems, regulatory systems, economic systems – and the planning system, of course. Above all, she talks about ecosystems, upon which all other systems depend. “We’re part of that web of life, part of those ecosystems,” Wrigley stresses, the “amazing, wonderful complexity and dynamism” of a “naturally functioning ecosystem”. She continues: “We’ve come to understand it’s not this pyramid with predators at the top. There are key parts of it that, if taken out, the whole system collapses. That’s why keystone species are so important because if you don’t put them back into an ecosystem, you can’t upgrade it again.” It’s well established that ecosystems globally are suffering, in part because of the loss of keystone species (see pages 4-7). But it’s a complex picture. Can we really reverse this decline and restore our ecosystems to a “naturally functioning” state? “It’s about going back to having a holistic approach and being mindful of that whole system and how different interventions flex it, rather than separating into silos,” she says. We speak just after publication of the Dasgupta Review, the government-commissioned report into the economics of biodiversity. Written by Cambridge economist Partha Dasgupta, it lays out, systematically, the links between human activity and the destruction of the ecosystems on which we depend. Dasgupta describes our relationship with the natural world as one primarily of extraction without replenishment. He cautions that urbanism is disconnecting us from nature and fatally distancing us from this cycle of exploitation. Many solutions to these problems are touted, from biodiversity net gain to natural capital accounting. Another is rewilding. Broadly, this is the idea that we allow ecosystems to return to a selfsustaining condition with minimal intervention. Though it may evoke a Romantic idea of communing with untamed nature, the modern notion of rewilding is rooted as much in evidence as imagination, as aware of the latest thinking in ecology and economics as it is of the impact of the picturesque on our wellbeing. It is perhaps better understood using more technical language, such as ‘ecosystem restoration’. Wrigley founded Rewilding Britain in 2014 to promote this idea, that ecosystem restoration is
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INTERVIEW: REBECCA WRIGLEY
counters that Rewilding Britain is already the foundation for healthy functioning of working with large landowners who the other systems on which human life want to “diversify the economics of their depends. It is a necessity. The charity’s goal is to rewild 30 per cent land use” with a more “dynamic” mix of “intensive” and “extensive” production, of Britain, around seven million hectares. along with rewilding. “Who would have Five per cent would be ‘core’ rewilding thought the big niche product was gin?” on large tracts of land; 25 per cent “a rich The classic success story here is Knepp mixture of high nature value land use Wildland in Sussex, a types and protected sites, with beacon for landowners a high level of connectivity “REWILDING wanting to turn rewilded between them”. This would FUNDAMENTALLY land into a profitable be farmland particularly, but IS ABOUT concern. “There’s interest also private estates and public CONNECTIVITY in rewilding across the open spaces. Indeed, – ECOLOGICAL spectrum,” Wrigley Boris Johnson appears CONNECTIVITY points out. “Rewilding supportive, pledging to AND ECONOMIC fundamentally is about ‘protect’ 30 per cent of Britain CONNECTIVITY, connectivity – ecological by 2030. But this is not the BUT ALSO connectivity and economic same as rewilding, says SOCIAL AND connectivity, but also social Wrigley. “It’s great that Boris CULTURAL and cultural connectivity.” Johnson has said that it’s a CONNECTIVITY” “What I’d love to see target, but it’s not enough is rewilding happening to just increase protected in people’s gardens and areas when the state of our neighbourhood rewilding protected areas is so poor.” groups leading into areas of What Wrigley envisages is a parks rewilded. Schools as more mixed “mosaic” of land well, so we connect children to the idea of uses than at present: intensive agriculture rewilding.” Eventually we would have “a where appropriate, but also more land fundamentally integrated approach to the falling within the rewilding spectrum, where land use occurs at a “lower intensity, way that we manage the land and sea”. but could potentially be of higher rates of return” as a result of a “much more Incentives for landowners diversified rural economy”. When I The bureaucratic complexity of land observe that this feels a little utopian, she management in the UK is a barrier
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to change. Wrigley speaks of “siloed” thinking, how farming and forestry have different regulatory systems, how the planning system has little jurisdiction over agricultural land and how even the conservation sector is held back from a systems-wide approach by its attachment to conserving individual locations or species. “What we need to do is bring that under one umbrella and say, ‘What is our land use strategy?’,” she insists. Britain’s pattern of land ownership, designation and occupation helps to put the aim of rewilding seven million hectares into perspective. Some 70 per cent of England, for example, is owned by less than 1 per cent of the population, with the National Trust, MoD, RSPB and Crown Estate among the big landowners. Green belt is 13 per cent of England. Seventy per cent is designated agricultural land. As Rewilding Britain notes, three million hectares are sporting estates. Peatlands, in poor condition, cover 2.3 million hectares. Marginal grade agricultural land is one million hectares. National Parks are 11 per cent of England and Wales. What all of this hints at is a range of opportunities to redirect land management towards biodiversity, perhaps through incentives to landowners. The Environmental Land Management Scheme, launched last year, does precisely this. It’s a “really good start”, says Wrigley. “[But] if you don’t have a regulation framework that is then enforced it becomes meaningless. A good example is the Water Framework Directive, a very good piece of legislation from the EU. At the end of last year a study found that none of our rivers are in good ecological condition, which is shocking.” She continues: “If we had a land use strategy, landowners could be held to account for what they do on the land. We also need to boost community involvement in the way land and sea is managed.” Recovery from Covid-19 presents an opportunity to move away from a fossil fuel-based economy to one founded on green industries, along the lines of USA’s Green New Deal. There’s another ‘but’. “In our enthusiasm for rebooting the economy, are we genuinely going to move towards a greener economy? Where we have just as many but different jobs and where we use the opportunity that we have to invest billions of pounds?”
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INTERVIEW: REBECCA WRIGLEY
CU RR I CU L U M VI T AE
Born: Cambridge, 1969 Education: BSc Genetics, University of Leeds 1990; MSc Environmental resources and rural policy, Imperial College, London, 1993; PG cert, Personal and business coaching, University of Chester, 2009 Career highlights
Jan 2014 present Chief executive, Rewilding Britain
Jan 2015 Oct 2017
A rewilding glossary Trophic cascade: The idea that removing one species from the food chain within an ecosystem can alter the behaviour, abundance and health of other species within the chain and thus the entire system. This can be catastrophic. Keystone species: A species which, even
though it may be just a small part of an ecosystem by number or mass, plays a critical role in maintaining the integrity of the system. Example: In Pacific kelp forests, sea otters feed on sea urchins. In some areas the otters were hunted almost to extinction for their fur. Sea urchins flourished
but overgrazed the kelp forests, destroying an ecosystem that provided food and shelter for many species. This trophic cascade caused by the removal of a keystone species has been reversed in southeast Alaska, where 400 sea otters were released, a population which has now grown to 25,000.
Associate coach, Genius Within Ltd
Sep 2010 Jun 2013 Team leader, communities and neighbourhoods, Oxford City Council
Apr 2007 Jun 2011 Programme manager, University of Oxford
Apr 2004 Apr 2007 Programme manager, INTRAC (not-for-profit providing training, consultancy and research globally to help civil society organisations and networks be more effective)
Apr 2001 Apr 2003 Programme director, Oxfam New Zealand
Apr 1999 Jun 2000 Programme development officer, Concern Worldwide
Apr 1996 Apr 1999 Programme manager, World Wildlife Fund
19951996 Campaigns Volunteer, Oxfam Regional Campaigns Office, Cambridge
19931995 Researcher and community worker, programme for the management and conservation of natural resources, University of the Yucatan, Mexico
We must, she urges, create an economy “that sustains ecosystems, boosts wildlife and reverses biodiversity losses but provides just livelihoods for people in rural areas and addresses the climate crisis we’re about to face”. “We can’t separate those things. They are all integrally interlinked.” Planning and planners are critical. “It’s about integrating natural processes into their thinking.[Natural regeneration] is a mindset. People find it difficult to let go of the idea that we need to be in there all the time managing it, rather than thinking ‘What are the processes we could put back into the system to allow it to, as much as possible, manage itself?’.”
Rocky paths Land use is almost always contested and Rewilding Britain’s first big project, ‘From Summit to Sea’, generated such tension with Welsh farmers that the charity withdrew and refocused. “We realised that our role is much more as a catalyst and an enabler. That’s why we’ve set up a rewilding network, a platform for peer learning, sharing. We’ve got lots of interest from public landowners.” Wrigley is keen to see more community involvement in decisions around land use, a legacy of her days working with Mayan communities in Mexico. She praises Scotland’s regional land use partnerships. “People should have a say and no one of them should have more of a say than another about how the land is to be managed.” Wrigley favours natural regeneration
of trees over planting (a hot debate in rewilding circles) and expresses reservations about biodiversity net gain. “I am cautious about it in the same way as carbon offsetting, because that sense that you can offset what you’re doing in one place by planting trees in another has its risks, not least that you might be destroying an ancient woodland in one place and planting a whole load of trees with plastic tree guards in another. “It’s about sort of financialising everything. [But can we] consider the ecological, social, cultural value, or costs and benefits of what’s happening?” Rewilding is perhaps a more nuanced idea than it may at first appear. But the simple directness of the term is a strength: mass appeal is necessary to change our land management habits. “People in Britain are enthused by the wonder of nature. We’re one of the most nature-loving countries on Earth and we’re members of conservation organisations in our millions,” Wrigley remarks. “But we’re also one of the most nature-depleted nations on Earth. There’s a kind of cognitive dissonance there.”
P4. Planning nature’s recovery P24. Rewilding in the UK Find out about Rewilding Britain’s Rewilding Network
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CASE STUDY
CLOSER LOOK: REWILDING IN THE UK
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Cairngorms Connect: Britain’s largest habitat restoration project – or series of projects, over 60,000 hectares in the Cairngorm National he Park Pa in northern Scotland. It’s a diverse landscape of ancient forest, lochs, rivers, lan mountains, bogs and wetlands that has m been be profoundly damaged by commercial forestry and agriculture, particularly for overgrazing. The project unites public and ov private landowners within a 200-year pr vision. Click the image to watch a fivevis minute film about the project. m
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I M AG E S | RS PB / DE N N I S PE DE RS E N / W E S T A C R E / J O N H AW K I N S / C A I R N G O R M S C O N N E C T / S COT L A N D B I G P I C T U R E. COM / P RO J E C T S E AG R A S S
WHETHER YOU CALL IT REWILDING, ECOSYSTEM OR HABITAT RESTORATION, THE PROCESS OF REINSTATING BRITAIN’S LAND AND SEASCAPES TO THEIR NATURAL STATE IS A GROWING TREND. HERE ARE FIVE OF THE BEST REWILDING PROJECTS
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CASE STUDY
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West Acre: Close to 800 hectares of lowland farmland in Norfolk were committed to rewilding in 2020. The landscape of woodland, flood meadows, rivers, wetlands and grasslands had been traditionally managed with sheep grazing, arable farming, coniferous forestry and beef cattle grazing. A more natural grazing regime has been introduced with the removal of sheep and introduction of Exmoor ponies and Iron Age pigs. White stork and pine marten are being considered for future species reintroductions.
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Pirbright Ranges: This 730-hectare site in Surrey – a military firing range owned by the Ministry of Defence – hosts important populations of nightjar, Dartford warbler and woodlark in its lowland heathland and mixed woodland habitat. Natural grazing processes have been kick-started with the introduction of red deer, and there are prospective reintroductions of native species of sand lizard and smooth snake.
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Project Seagrass: The UK has lost 90 per cent of the seagrass beds that once surrounded the nation and provided both a rich habitat for shrimp, dogfish and seahorses, and a natural carbon store. More than a million seagrass seeds have been collected by Project Seagrass from seagrass in North Wales, grown in aquaria and then planted in Dale, West Wales. This new healthy habitat aims to showcase that marine rewilding is possible. Click the image to watch a two-minute video about the project.
3 RSPB Wallasea Island nd in Essex is a landscape pe of marshland, lagoons, ditches ches and sea supporting a rich variety of plants, birds and invertebrates. More than three million tonnes es of earth from Crossrail tunnels nels created was transported ed to Wallasea to create a new 115-hectare intertidal area of saltmarsh, mudflats and islands. Click the image to watch a five-minute film about the project.
Explore more habitat restoration projects in Rewilding Britain’s Rewilding Network
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U T I LI T I E S P L A N N I N G
UTILITY PLAYERS
UTILITIES ARE THE ‘CIRCULATORY SYSTEM’ OF OUR TOWNS AND CITIES BUT THEIR PLANNING, FUNDING, INSTALLATION AND MAINTENANCE ARE AN UNCOORDINATED MESS, SAYS JAMES HARRIS. WHAT CAN PLANNERS DO?
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during construction and ‘plug in’ the building. n urban planning, discussions on There are reasons to question this approach. infrastructure often focus on transport, As utility networks become stretched, and for good reason. Transport networks developers are hit with unexpected costs to form the skeleton of our towns and fund new capacity. The government is aiming to cities, with roads and railways providing deliver 300,000 new homes a year, and has set a framework for growth. Decisions made in high targets for settlements where infrastructure this sector directly shape the pattern and form capacity is already stretched. In high growth of the built environment, giving us the carareas, utility connections seriously disrupt dependent sprawl of Phoenix in the US, the communities and commuters as roads are pedestrian-friendly superblocks of Barcelona, repeatedly dug up by separate contractors. and everything in between. These coordination failures are likely to With its influence on sustainability, many increase. The transition to a have called for transport to zero-carbon economy will be fundamentally integrated “THE CLIMATE transform the urban energy with land use planning. City AND ECOLOGICAL landscape, requiring major leaders have started thinking CRISIS REQUIRES investment in heat networks, differently about transport and REDUCTIONS IN renewable energy, smart grids place, resulting in Paris’s plan for OVERALL DEMAND and vehicle charging points. As 15-minute neighbourhoods and FOR ENERGY climate breakdown accelerates, London’s ‘Healthy Streets’. AND WATER, AND water pipes will need to be If transport provides the city’s ASSOCIATED adapted to handle run-off from skeleton, then perhaps utilities CARBONINTENSIVE increasingly severe storms. are akin to the circulatory INFRASTRUCTURE” Telecom networks will need system: a complex web of further upgrades as remote pipes and cables which quietly working gains pace. provide energy, water, Wi-Fi If investments are not and waste removal. As in the properly coordinated, towns body, we only think of these and cities could experience during times of failure: a flood, disruption on a far greater scale, creating an blackout or frozen face on Zoom. Otherwise age of perpetual roadworks and costly retrofit utility networks largely function out of sight – programmes. But perhaps more significantly, a occasionally glimpsed when passing roadworks, lack of coordination could mean that we stifle or announced by the roar of a drill. innovative, holistic and place-based solutions. This lack of visibility extends to urban The climate and ecological crises require planning. While utilities are clearly essential to reductions in demand for energy and water, growth, most assume that network connections and carbon-intensive infrastructure. Solutions will continue in the usual way: with individual include building designs that minimise resource developers making requests to separate energy, consumption, mixed use developments and water and telecom providers, who come along
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Case study: Infrastructure coordination in the capital The Mayor of London’s Infrastructure Coordination Service is reducing disruption while saving Londoners money in the delivery of vital infrastructure, writes Thomas O’Connor The scale of London’s growth is placing increasing pressure on its ageing infrastructure, with assets requiring repair, maintenance and modernisation. Before development comes forward, infrastructure must be coordinated, to guarantee that it is in place to meet the transport, water, energy, waste and digital needs of new development. This activity inevitably causes disruption and congestion, which not only impacts on liveability but also on the economy and wider environment. The National Infrastructure Commission is among those recommending action to better coordinate infrastructure with growth. In response, the Mayor of London has created the Infrastructure Coordination Service (ICS) to foster new approaches to planning and delivering London’s infrastructure. The ICS’s interventions directly benefit the infrastructure stakeholders who fund it, whilst also
improving the lives of residents and benefiting the wider economy. The ICS is partially funded through Transport for London’s (TfL) lane rental scheme which aims to reduce levels of highway occupation caused by street works. The Street Service, one of the three ICS services, supports this aim by facilitating collaborative street works between infrastructure providers. This saves them money while reducing the number of days of disruption to Londoners. Developers also benefit from the consultancy style Development Service that places ICSfunded ‘infrastructure coordinators’ in boroughs to speed up developer connections to local infrastructure networks. This helps to reduce delays to housing delivery, helping local authorities meet their annual targets. The Planning Service, meanwhile, works closely with local authorities and utility providers to generate a clearer picture of likely future infrastructure demands in fast-growing areas. Partnering with the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, the service is helping to
deliver substantial infrastructure investment on the Isle of Dogs in East London. Through this partnership, the service is delivering London’s first local area energy plan, which will provide a pathway to a net-zero energy system by 2030, an integrated water management strategy and detailed data on the area’s development pipeline to assist with utility planning and investment. The three ICS service lines complement each other. For example, to meet increased electricity demand on the Isle of Dogs, the Planning Service is working with the Streets Service to identify an optimal site for a new substation that will reduce levels of disruption caused to the local road network when routing cables. The ICS’s work wouldn’t be possible without the GLA’s data tools, namely the Infrastructure Mapping Application (IMA) and London’s Underground Asset Register (LUAR). The IMA, an online mapping tool, allows infrastructure providers (eg, Thames Water) and local authorities to share data on forward investment plans and future development in one place. LUAR (still in its trial phase) digitally maps
Guidance: Utilities and local planning Following workshops with stakeholders from across London, the RTPI and the Infrastructure Coordination Service have developed a handbook describing how utilities infrastructure can be coordinated through local planning. Its three sections – Place Leadership, Integrated Planning and Coordinated Delivery – set out key leverage points in the system which can support collaboration between planners, developers and utility companies. With case studies from London Boroughs, and tools and resources from the GLA, the handbook aims to help planners starting to get involved in the world of infrastructure planning.
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Alongside the handbook, the RTPI has published a policy paper, Planning for Critical Infrastructure in London, which describes actions needed by the government to support utility planning and delivery. Recommendations include the completion of key national strategies, resourcing for local infrastructure teams, and changes to the regulatory frameworks that govern infrastructure investment. Many of these would not only benefit London, but towns and cities across the country. Download the policy paper ‘Planning for Critical Infrastructure in London’
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Commuter’s nightmare: Endless roadworks are unsightly and create havoc for travellers
“BEFORE DEVELOPMENT COMES FORWARD, INFRASTRUCTURE MUST BE COORDINATED, TO GUARANTEE IT CAN MEET TRANSPORT, WATER, ENERGY, WASTE AND DIGITAL NEEDS”
underground infrastructure assets to support project efficiency and avoid accidental strikes on underground pipes and cables. Building on its successes with Tower Hamlets, the Planning Service is now exploring the potential for ‘subregional’ infrastructure planning across London. Through this approach, local authorities and infrastructure providers could use the IMA and other tools to better understand current levels of electricity, water and digital supply and test the impact of different development scenarios on the available capacity in a given area. In turn, this would help to justify investment needed by infrastructure providers to respond to increased demand and provide the additional capacity which will allow for more informed planning decisions. Click to find out more about the work of the Infrastructure Coordination Service
neighbourhoods that tackle cardependency, and green infrastructure for urban cooling, rainwater harvesting and sustainable drainage. Done correctly, these measures can alleviate the need for new infrastructure, reducing bills, cutting carbon and creating healthier, more resilient places. But delivering these measures requires early and ongoing engagement between landowners, developers, designers, utility companies, highways authorities and local communities.
Coordination with growth Planners seem perfectly placed for the job. So in 2018, I commissioned the University of the West of England and Stantec to help us understand how this works in practice. Their report looked across all infrastructure sectors, and set out three roles for the profession: Place-leadership: creating a shared vision with clear objectives, and engaging across infrastructure sectors Plan-making: identifying infrastructure needs and providing a strategic overview Development management: regulating, setting conditions and raising revenue for infrastructure Although the research found plenty of good practice, it also identified barriers to effective infrastructure planning. These included complex governance arrangements, limited data sharing, a lack of resource, skills and capacity, and a host of misaligned incentives. For example, since privatisation took hold in the 1980s, utilities have been managed by for-profit companies I M A G E S | A L A M Y / I A N H AY
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operating under regulatory frameworks set by central government. This approach has helped to keep consumer bills low, but it has provided few incentives for early collaboration across sectors and with local stakeholders to deliver upfront investment in place-based solutions. Meanwhile, planning reforms have focused on speeding up land allocation and development, with infrastructure treated as an afterthought. While Infrastructure Delivery Plans (IDPs) have become a welcome part of the evidence base for local plans, they are some way from being able to prioritise and coordinate transformative infrastructure investment across the built environment. Although these issues are felt across the country, they are particularly critical in London. Recent analysis estimated that the capital needs £968 billion of infrastructure investment by 2041, with a £121 billion funding gap. Boroughs, developers and providers have had to find innovative solutions to infrastructure constraints on complex brownfield sites. In 2018, the mayor established the Infrastructure Coordination Service (ICS) which has been working in partnership to overcome the barriers described above (see left, Case study: Infrastructure coordination in the capital). I worked directly with the ICS in 2019 to further explore how the planning system can be leveraged to better coordinate utility infrastructure with growth. Through speaking to borough officers, developers and utility companies, we translated existing best practice into a handbook for local authorities. Launched in 2020, this provides an introduction to planning for utilities, with links to case studies, tools and resources. Using this process, we also developed a better understanding of the complementary actions we need from central government. So we also published a policy paper that makes practical recommendations for changes that could help London – and other places across England – plan for the coming infrastructure transformation. n James Harris was the policy and networks manager at the Royal Town Planning Institute from 2016 to 2021. He now works as a senior policy adviser at the National Infrastructure Commission.
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Q&A: DAME SARAH STOREY
“THE PREREQUISITE TO HAVING ACCESS TO OPPORTUNITY SHOULDN’T BE THAT YOU NEED A CAR”
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Q&A: DAME SARAH STOREY
DAME SARAH STOREY IS A SUCCESSFUL ATHLETE AND ACTIVE TRAVEL COMMISSIONER FOR SHEFFIELD CITY REGION. AHEAD OF HER APPEARANCE AT THE PLANNER LIVE NORTH ON 12 MAY, SHE TOLD SIMON WICKS WHY ACTIVE TRAVEL INFRASTRUCTURE MAKES CITIES MORE PROSPEROUS AND INCLUSIVE
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arah Storey is Britain’s most successful paralympian and has made the rare crossover to able-bodied competition with great success, too. In April 2019 she became one of just four active travel commissioners in the UK, alongside Chris Boardman (Greater Manchester), Will Norman (London) and Lee Craigie (Scotland). In March 2020, Storey and her team published Sheffield City Region’s Active Travel Implementation Plan, outlining steps to improve active travel infrastructure and take-up between now and 2040.
Are you an active traveller yourself?
SS: Unfortunately, there’s very little infrastructure near where I live. We have off-road routes that we can access and generally that’s what we do with the children, but to do trips to tennis or to go to the supermarket we’re still confined to a vehicle, unfortunately. The supermarket is less than four kilometres away so it’s easily doable on an e-cargo bike. But the route is along the main A6 from the Peak District where all the big quarry trucks go. There’s no part of the strategic road network where we live, so there’s no route for those vehicles that isn’t through little villages and along the original cart track from Carlisle to London. It’s Q. How did you become Sheffield City just been made into a road for everybody – but Region’s active travel commissioner? the ‘everybody’ is very much now focused on big, Sarah Storey (SS): I had been working with British motorised, polluting vehicles. Cycling as a policy advocate since 2013 at the On a cargo bike that journey would be horrific. request of Chris Boardman, their policy adviser. It’s bad enough cycling part of That gave me the opportunity to that route to get to the station to understand the processes that are “EVEN I come over to Sheffield for work. gone through to formulate new FIND MYSELF Even I find myself contemplating strategies and to use my athletic CONTEMPLATING the pavement. You can’t expect platform for good. THE PAVEMENT” people to risk their lives to As an athlete preparing for the increase the amount of people Tokyo Games, I hadn’t expected a role that make that mode shift. to come my way that would enable me to continue to be an athlete, yet progress a career outside of racing. Safety is a necessity People suggested it to me and, after for good active travel discussions with Mayor Dan Jarvis, it became infrastructure. But what’s the major apparent we could make it work. benefit of introducing it? SS: We have to have the platinum standard of facility in order to reach the hardest-to-reach How have you managed the transition populations. It’s about access to opportunity. from athlete/advocate to commissioner/ If everywhere is only accessed by vehicle, strategist? then you’re instantly removing a third of the SS: Pete (Zanzottera, Sheffield City Region’s active population who don’t have access to that vehicle travel project director) is an incredible educator in the first place. The prerequisite to having and provides me with a lot of resources, and I try access to opportunity shouldn’t be that you need and read as much as I can. a car. Pete and I were on the same page when we Even for something as simple as becoming a met and talked about what we would like to see registrar in the process of becoming a medical from a set of standards. I talked from a layperson’s doctor, one of the requirements is a vehicle in experience, and people with technical experience order to be able to do the community work. are more able to say, ‘These are the widths that Wow, you’re asking a student who potentially you’re talking about when you say it needs to be is in oodles of debt anyway, and not sure that wide enough for this’. Pete’s experience across the they’ll ever pay it back, to then take on the extra globe has been invaluable to us in being able to cost of a vehicle? provide evidence to the people making decisions We have to make sure that we provide journey on behalf of their residents. I M AG E | C H R I S FO ST E R
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Q&A: DAME SARAH STOREY
options for everybody because the more people that are working, the better the economy is, the more they can contribute, and the more opportunities to get a diverse population within roles.
Are there particular challenges you’re encountering? SS: One of the challenges is where the infrastructure is so poor and there’s a pinch point. If you live either side of that pinch point and you need an adaptive cycle of some kind, then you can’t make that journey on your bike because it’s too narrow in the middle. So the whole journey is unusable and you go in your car again. That’s why we have to uphold standards and talk about the reasons why we’re going to inconvenience vehicle journeys on this particular stretch. Those are the difficult decisions that require political will, and there will be a tipping point where they’re easier to make because we’ll have a groundswell of support because more people will have seen them working in other places. But if you’re the first to implement them, that’s where some of the challenge comes.
Sarah Storey is GB’s most successful Paralympian, with 14 gold medals
How do you deal with opposition to change? SS: There are so many opportunities for people to try and pick holes, more so than if we were building roads for vehicles. Whenever we have a meeting, we’re always looking one or two steps ahead of where things may go, so that we can be prepared with our messaging. You have to have a strong strategy and leadership for that strategy – and the constant underlying bubbling of the right messages: the reasons the standards are the way they are, the reasons we have to address this, the reasons why the other parts of the jigsaw puzzle are so important, like the driver behaviour, and revenue funding to support people in making good decisions, the health agenda, the pollution and air quality agenda…
Is it a case of ‘build it and they will come’? SS: More people being able to walk comfortably enables them to then look out for pedestrians more [when driving a car]. You go to some places and it’s normal to stop in a built-up area to
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allow a pedestrian to cross at any point they choose. In the UK, you’re apologising for crossing the road to a driver, because you feel like you’re in their space. You visit somewhere like Waltham Forest and car ownership has been driven down so significantly that pedestrians occupy the road space as well as the footway and vehicles are expecting to see pedestrians in the road space. It’s really interesting how behaviour can change just by actually doing [ie, putting infrastructure in place].
Planner Live – Powering up the North Dame Sarah Storey will be speaking about active travel at The Planner Live – Powering up the North, the RTPI’s virtual conference on Wednesday 12 May 2021. Find out more and book on the RTPI website: bit.ly/planner0421-north
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Q&A: DAME SARAH STOREY
HEFFIELD A PLAN FOR S Launched in 2020, the Sheffield City Region Active Travel Implementation Plan envisages 620 miles of accessible routes, 800 safe crossings and nearly 200 square miles of low-traffic neighbourhoods through and between the four large conurbations of Sheffield, Rotherham, Barnsley and Doncaster – a region of 1.8 million people. The strategy aims to increase walking and cycling by 21 per cent and 350 per cent respectively by 2040. It contains a slew of shocking statistics that provide a powerful argument for change:
85% of Sheffield City Region (SCR) workers commute within the city region boundaries 71 per cent of these journeys are by car, just 2 per cent by bicycle and 10 per cent on foot Almost 40% of journeys to work of just one kilometre are taken by car Fewer than two thirds (62.9%) of SCR residents are physically active at recommended levels Nearly 66% of adults in SCR are overweight or obese Physical inactivity is estimated to cost the UK as much as £1.2 billion
a year and directly contributes to one in six deaths A person who is active every day reduces their risk of coronary heart disease by 20-35% and their risk of death by the same In South Yorkshire, nearly 5% of deaths can be attributed to particulate air pollution More than one in five households within SCR have no access to a car. This figure increases in the most deprived areas Research suggests that the poorest 20% of the population on average can spend 25% of their
But it’s not just infrastructure that solves the problems we have in the UK – it’s also about driver awareness. Drivers in the Netherlands are very aware because everybody also rides a bike. So when you get out of the cities the bike infrastructure is advisory lanes – the road has cycleways painted [rather than physically segregated]. Those sorts of roads seem to function very well. But our driver awareness over here is really poor and that’s one of the other areas that we have to address alongside building the infrastructure. Storey and Sheffield City region mayor Dan Jarvis launch the active travel plan
income running a car. Sarah Storey set out five guiding principles for the infrastructure. Active travel infrastructure should: 1. Give active travellers confidence by separating them from traffic 2. Continue across junctions 3. Have sufficiently wide tracks and paths to include all active travellers 4. Be inclusive and accessible 5. Have legible routes with clear signage and wayfinding. Download the Active Travel Implementation Plan
Vehicles are weapons and that message has to get out there a lot more than it does currently.
Has being an athlete prepared you for the role in any way? SS: My parents always talked about controlling what I was able to control and having a plan and always looking for the solutions. I think it becomes part of your DNA, eventually. Strategy planning is one of my strengths as an athlete and I’ve found strategy planning a major part of my role as an athlete this past 12 months, because we’ve been replanning everything. Having that kind of slightly out-ofreach end point [in the active travel implementation plan] is no different to that slightly out-of-reach end point of a gold medal. The outcome goal is there but it’s not something that we focus on. We focus on the process. That’s where the similarities to sport are really strong, because if we constantly thought about that 2040 map, it would become massively overawing and Pete and I would be crying under our desks. n Simon Wicks is deputy editor of The Planner
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TAKING ON THE CONSULTATION TROLLS WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOUR CONSULTATION IS HACKED? WHEN ZEALOUS CAMPAIGNERS FIND WAYS TO USE TECHNOLOGY TO UNDERMINE THE PROCESS? PARTICIPATR’S PAUL ERSKINEFOX CONSIDERS THE CURRENT SITUATION AFTER A PARTICULARLY NEWSWORTHY ATTEMPT TO DIGITALLY MANIPULATE RESULTS Newcastle City Council recently ran a consultation process related to the banning of traffic from five bridges in residential areas of the city. The problem? Thousands of comments from automated computer accounts seeking to steer the process in their favour. News reports suggested that more than 7,000 responses in opposition to the closures were linked to a single computer server, while Forbes reported the setting up of 7,131 fake accounts generated 176,036 comments. The council branded it a
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“malicious attempt” to disrupt the consultation process. Perhaps these kinds of attempts are inevitable in our digital age, with social media campaigns and the publishing of ‘fake news’ as a depressing backdrop. But when consultation as localised as this is compromised what can be done? How can platforms, councils and developers detect it? And on the other side of the coin, is it such a serious issue anyway, given that even traditional ways of responding to consultations have
involved an element of amplification over the years? We spoke to Paul Erskine-Fox, director at the digital public participation platform Participatr, who had taken to LinkedIn in the light of the news to describe the Newcastle situation “an extreme case of organised NIMBYism for the post-Covid digital age”.
Q. Does this kind of thing happen often? PE-F: “Automated responses (from bots, etc.) to online consultations started happening very suddenly a few years ago for us. It’s not unique to consultations, or ‘political’ or ‘contentious’ matters, and I’d say most ‘automated’ responses that we got were motivated by commercial objectives (trying to advertise, hijack systems, etc.; for the fun of it, almost). So in that sense it’s not a particularly
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TTech { L A N D S C A P E new phenomenon. We had to respond quickly by putting Google reCAPTCHA verification in place on forms, questionnaires and polls. Our tracking finds that we get on average 50 failed automated responses a day. “However, I think what we’re seeing with the Newcastle bridge closures case study is a digitisation of triedand-tested methods that opposition groups have been using for a long time to turn consultation and community engagement outcomes in their favour. “For years, they’ve been better at playing the numbers game than developers, local authorities and other agents of change, treating the process like a campaign and using whichever methods they have at their disposal to drive their numbers up, whereas developers would treat it as a PR exercise. The difference being that the old methods (like petitions, setting up Facebook groups, placards outside the committee chamber, emotive language) were kind of legitimate – and using automated bots to drive the numbers up in their favour is clearly not.”
Q. Is the problem growing? PE-F: “I don’t think what we saw with Newcastle is common, and I think it was a bit of a one-off. But I think we could potentially see a lot more of it in the future, where consultation outcomes are much more about data and macro-insights into community feelings and sentiments. “It’s right to say that consultation is not purely a numbers game, but part of the issue with outdated consultation methods that we’re increasingly moving away from (village hall exhibitions, for example) is that the numbers are seldom given enough attention: the turnout tends to be low, the age demographic tends to be skewed towards older people, the outcomes aren’t representative no matter how insightful or interesting the feedback is. “That’s why digital consultation is important, to get a more representative, democratic picture of overall community sentiment, aggregated insights from the whole community rather than the select views of a small group. “So consultation should be about
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tools are available besides ReCAPTCHA?
A constant battle “Having the right security and verification checks in place for your online consultation is vital. At Participatr, we put measures in place a few years ago to put a stop to them. reCAPTCHA verification, end-to-end encryption, API keys, in-line email address validation and establishing a private web server were vital to put a stop to bots. But, much like the virus, they’re mutating, so our approach has got to evolve to beat them.”
numbers and data if we’re to make it mean something and stack up as evidence to support change. That makes it all the more important to guard against things that could hijack the numbers.”
Q. What are the inherent risks of a consultation process being influenced by fake responses? Why is this a bad thing? PE-F: “The key risk is evidence supporting the democratic process for making planning decisions being skewed and undermined. Politicians and officers at local and national government level make decisions based on the evidence presented to them, and consultation outcomes are a big part of this. If that evidence isn’t robust, it means we will make decisions that are skewed towards those with the most resources.”
Q. Digital consultation may be more ‘democratic’ than traditional consultation, but it can be an instrument for committing fakery on a much larger scale than hitherto. What
PE-F: “It’s very difficult to guard against. The technology probably isn’t there yet to offer a second line of defence beyond stopping automated bots from making the fake responses in the first place. We really need to be looking at ways to analyse the responses themselves for signs of automated versus human behaviour. The technology is out there for that but we haven’t found a way to implement it in the context of public consultation, as far as I’m aware.”
Q. Lobbying is a problem and developers have considerable resources to shape and influence digital processes. Isn’t it understandable that communities will try to sway consultations in their favour? PE-F: “The key thing is that it tends to be the best-resourced members of a community that have the tools and time at their disposal to influence the process. It isn’t necessarily a community versus business battle, it’s a haves versus the have-nots within a community – the people who tend to lose out are younger, poorer, busier, time-pressed people that are trying to get on the housing ladder or looking to find more sustainable ways to live their lives, in favour of those that own their home and have the time and natural motivation to exert their influence. “However, political lobbying is a problem in the development industry and it doesn’t help itself in this regard, hiring people to lobby on their behalf based on closed relationships rather than open and transparent conversations. Lobbying is legitimate, but only when it is based on evidence and not who you know, special relationships or cronyism. Frankly, if planning decisions were made in a more transparent way, opponents would have less ammunition and influence to hijack change. The planning and development industry can sometimes be its own worst enemy in this regard. “Technology won’t solve it, but it is part of the solution – making conversations more transparent and open.”
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5.5 MILLION SQUARE FEET To put that into context, that equates to the creation of approximately 6,700 new jobs*. In 2020 we secured planning consents for more sq ft than ever before. So, to you; the consultants, the local authorities, the landowners and the countless others that gave us their support, helping us secure consents for over 5.5 million sq ft, we would like to say, ‘thank you’. *HCA Employment Density Guide November 2015, 3rd Edition
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A N A LY S E D B Y M A T T M O O D Y / A P P E A L S @ T H E P L A N N E R . C O . U K
Enforcement upheld against ‘thriving creative hub’ An inspector has reluctantly upheld enforcement action against a ‘successful and thriving artistic community’ in Tottenham despite noting that it was ‘a more attractive place to live’ than many flat conversions he had seen, saying that it was ‘a shame’ the use could not be controlled through conditions. The appeal concerned two units at a business centre in an industrial area of Tottenham, North London. The appellant began renting one of the units in 2010 as a base for his younger brother’s band. By 2012, he had taken on a neighbouring unit and installed mezzanine floors in both units, renting out the space for people to live and work. Throughout the 2010s, the enterprise evolved into a “successful and thriving artistic community” known as The Hub. In 2019, however, the council issued an enforcement notice ordering the cessation of what it described as an unauthorised mixed use comprising residential and live-work accommodation. There was no dispute that the accommodation at The Hub fell short of standards for housing. However, inspector Simon Hand noted, the council had created a ‘Catch-22’ situation whereby
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applying standards to live/ work units that were meant for regular homes meant that they often “morphed into exactly that”, but any relaxation of standards for live/work units was deemed unacceptable. His impression of the space was “airy, light and welcoming”, and indeed “a considerably more attractive place to live than many flat conversions [he] had seen”. The Hub was “certainly somewhere I would have been happy to live when I was younger”, he commented, agreeing with the appellant’s argument “not that young people should put up with lower standards of accommodation, but that there are certain groups who at certain times in their lives and careers have different priorities”. The key problem in the case, the inspector noted,
LOCATION: Tottenham AUTHORITY: Haringey Borough Council
INSPECTOR: Simon Hand PROCEDURE: Inquiry DECISION: Dismissed REFERENCE: APP/ Y5420/C/19/3226931
was “how to ensure the use remained as a high-quality creative employment hub and did not just subside over time into a pleasant HMO”. It was “a shame” that the appellant had “not made any real effort to come up with a condition... suited to the specific nature of the use”, he said, noting that the council’s attempts to control this type of development through policy instead was akin to use “a sledgehammer to crack a nut”. In his conclusion, Hand decided that there was no way for him to allow the appeal that would give “reasonable comfort to the
council that the use would remain a positive economic asset going forward”, such that its conflict with policy might be justified. In a separate decision seeking costs, the council argued that “the complete abandonment” of various key arguments after 20 months in favour of new arguments so close to the inquiry was “a textbook example of unreasonable behaviour” on the appellant’s behalf. Although he sympathised with the appellant that he had been “badly let down by his agent”, the inspector agreed that a partial award of costs was justified.
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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, sponsored by Landmark Chambers, is sent out every Monday. Sign up: bit.ly/planner-newsletters
Bristol regeneration scheme’s design is deemed inadequate Plans to regenerate a ‘rather neglected’ retail centre in Bristol that would include a 16-storey residential block and a cinema have been rejected by an inspector, as the scheme failed to provide ‘a high-quality urban design’. LOCATION: Bedminster, Bristo
Jenrick blocks housing after predecessor’s approval is quashed
I M AG E S | A L A M Y / I STO C K / S H U T T E RSTO C K
Plans first submitted in 2014 to build 50 homes in East Sussex have been rejected by communities secretary Robert Jenrick after his predecessor’s decision to grant permission was quashed by the High Court following a Conservative peer’s challenge. The appeal concerned plans submitted more than six years ago to build 50 homes (revised down from 63 homes) on land south-west of Newick, a village in East Sussex. The appeal was recovered by the then-secretary of state Greg Clark, who moved to grant permission. However, this decision was challenged in the High Court by Baroness Julia Cumberlege, a Conservative life peer who comes from Newick. Clark’s decision was quashed, and the developer’s Court of Appeal challenge was dismissed in 2018. As a result, incumbent secretary of state Robert Jenrick was left to redetermine the application. In his decision, Jenrick engaged the ‘tilted balance’ on the basis that the council was not able to demonstrate a fiveyear supply of housing. Although the scheme was not likely to have any effect on the statutorily protected Ashdown Forest, he found, it would have “a seriously LOCATION: Newick damaging impact on the character and appearance AUTHORITY: Lewes District Council of the local landscape”, along with “substantial INSPECTOR: John Felgate visual harm”. Although the benefits PROCEDURE: Appeal of delivering the 50 homes proposed carried DECISION: Dismissed significant weight, he concluded, there were no REFERENCE: APP/ material considerations P1425/W/15/3119171 that justified a departure from the development plan. On this basis he dismissed the appeal.
AUTHORITY: Bristol City Council INSPECTOR: David Wildsmith PROCEDURE: Inquiry DECISION: Dismissed REFERENCE: APP/ N5660/W/20/3248960
The appeal concerned St Catherine’s Place shopping centre in Bedminster, south of Bristol city centre. The council had approved plans to demolish an office block to make way for one eightstorey and one 15-storey building providing 188 homes with commercial floor space at ground level. But the block was then converted into flats under permitted development rules. The appeal scheme – as originally submitted – sought permission for 271 homes on the site across five blocks, along with new commercial space and refurbished retail space. However, developers
then reduced the block from 22 to 16 storeys, cutting the number of homes to 205. The council objected on affordable housing, traffic and design grounds, but agreement was reached on the first two issues, making design the sole point of difference. The council accepted increasing density on the site but deemed the appeal scheme’s “height, scale, massing, inadequate public realm and overall design quality” unacceptable. Inspector David Wildsmith agreed that the plans to renew the “neglected and tired” retail centre would be a “clear benefit”. But plans for the 16-storey tower would “appear cramped and crowded”.He also agreed that a lack of dedicated play space weighed against the scheme. At the inquiry, Wildsmith maintained “grave misgivings” about the scheme’s impact on residents in the converted office building. Although the scheme would help with the council’s homes shortfall, he concluded, its poor design and harm to living conditions carried decisive weight.
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LANDSCAPE
C&D { C 841-home Sefton scheme would deliver ‘specific benefits'
The appeal concerned plans submitted in 2017 by a consortium of developers Persimmon and Countryside for a new community of 1,721 homes on land north of Maghull, Merseyside, which was removed from the green belt earlier that year. The development was proposed through two applications, both of which were deferred by the council in January 2020 after local objections. The developers decided to alter and resubmit one application, and to appeal
on the other. The appellants indicated that during the busiest part of the 70-month construction period, there would be 290 construction vehicle movements to and from the site each day. The local community supported the use of a haul route for construction traffic, but this had not been agreed. The appellants suggested five routes for construction traffic. Inspector Richard Clegg decided that the appellants’ construction management plan would need to preclude
Jenrick in green belt U-turn following High Court battle The housing secretary has redetermined an application to build 500 homes on green belt near Bradford after his 2019 decision to reject the plans contrary to his inspector’s advice was quashed by the High Court. In 2016, developer CEG submitted plans to build 500 homes and a school on green belt land near Burley-in-Wharfedale, West Yorkshire. The council intended to grant permission, but the application was called in by then-secretary of state James Brokenshire. Following a six-day inquiry, inspector David Wildsmith recommended the scheme for approval, stating his “firm view” that the “significant and in some regards unique” benefits of the scheme
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“clearly outweighed” the green belt harm he had found. In November 2019, Robert Jenrick, who had
LOCATION: Maghull AUTHORITY: Sefton Council INSPECTOR: Richard Clegg PROCEDURE: Hearing DECISION: Allowed REFERENCE: APP/ R1845/W/19/3243291
become housing secretary in July 2019, decided to refuse permission contrary to his inspector’s recommendation, citing green belt harm. But CEG subsequently brought a successful legal challenge against the decision, which was quashed by the High Court. After deciding that there was no need to reopen the inquiry, Jenrick set out to redetermine the application. In his earlier decision, Jenrick had disagreed with his inspector’s finding that the topography of land to the west of the site would create a “defensible boundary” to the green belt. Returning to the case, however, he said that although the scheme would inevitably lead to encroachment into the countryside, “any impacts could be mitigated through careful landscaping”.
the use of the proposed routes that would involve the traffic passing through residential areas west of the site as these would disrupt residents’ living conditions. Clegg found that as well as making a “significant contribution” to housing need in Sefton, the scheme also offered “specific benefits”, including the improvement of a water vole habitat and a reduction in flood risk. He allowed the appeal, subject to traffic flow conditions.
I M AG E S | A L A M Y / S H U T T E RSTO C K / I STO C K
Plans for 841 homes on former green belt in Merseyside have been granted by an inspector, subject to conditions governing impacts of construction traffic, after he found ‘specific benefits’ relating to water voles and flooding.
LOCATION: BurleyinWharfedale AUTHORITY: City of Bradford District Council
INSPECTOR: David Wildsmith PROCEDURE: Called in decision DECISION: Allowed REFERENCE: APP/ W4705/V/18/3208020
He decided that the exceptional circumstances cited by the council in seeking to use green belt land to meet its housing needs did justify the scheme. Engaging the tilted balance of NPPF paragraph 11, he opted to allow the plans.
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DECISIONS DIGEST{
SUBSCRIBE S to our appeals digest:
https://subs.theplanner. h o.uk/register g co co.uk/register
‘Fluid’ mixed use at nine bedroom home approved Plans submitted by the prospective buyer of a listed ninebedroom home in Enfield for a “fluid” mixed use of the property as a guest house and family home can go ahead, after an inspector ruled that the two uses were not mutually exclusive. bit.ly/planner0421-fluid
Nitrate neutrality policy scuppers chiropractor conversion Plans to convert a listed chiropractor’s clinic in Andover have been denied by an inspector, who was not persuaded that a residential use of the building would necessarily lead to a fall in nitrate levels entering the Solent. bit.ly/planner0421-solent
505home scheme approved despite loss of historic pub A dual application to build 490 homes on greenfield land next to Bromsgrove along with a further 15 homes in place of a historic but dilapidated listed pub in the town has been approved by an inspector after a four-day public inquiry. bit.ly/planner0421-pub
Gaspowered generator would not be air quality neutral Plans for a fossil fuel-burning electricity generator in Hayes, an area with existing poor air quality, were rejected by an inspector, who ruled that the scheme could not be described as ‘air quality neutral’. bit.ly/planner0421air
‘Ingenious’ beach hut turned down Despite praising its “ingenious” design, an inspector has refused plans for a replacement beach hut featuring an openable roof on the Llŷn Peninsula, ruling that it would not “respect the surrounding built environment” when open. bit.ly/planner0421-hut
University’s fundraising housing scheme allowed in green barrier One of nine applications submitted by Wrexham Glyndwr University to “address its depleted cash reserves” and fund campus improvements has been allowed by an inspector, who identified “very exceptional circumstances”. bit.ly/planner0421-uni
Ministerial statement does not justify unlimited working hours An inspector has refused to lift a condition limiting construction hours at a 250-home development near Maidstone, finding no evidence that it had “acted as a barrier” to progress on the scheme during the Covid-19 pandemic. bit.ly/planner0421-minister
Costs against appellant for 'evolving scheme' after 196 objections
‘Eco studios’ for holidaying gliders blocked despite support
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The applicant behind plans to build 18 affordable homes near Bath must pay costs after an inspector ruled that he had attempted to “evolve the scheme through the appeals process” without properly consulting interested parties. bit.ly/planner0421-evolve
Plans for eight hot tub-equipped ‘eco studios’ at a Denbighshire airfield have been rejected by an inspector despite letters of support from the British Gliding Association and others, after he found unacceptable intrusion into the countryside. bit.ly/planner0421-eco
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LLegal landscape OPINION
Home truths: How street votes could unlock housing across the country Policy Exchange’s proposal for a system of hyperlocal referenda to drive development heralds a new approach to addressing the housing shortage that is worthy of consideration, says Mustafa Latif-Aramesh Strong Suburbs, a new report conventional debates on from Policy Exchange, puts the appropriate use of the forward an exciting proposal green belt and whether to increase housing. In short, increasing house prices are ‘street votes’ would enable the driven by demand or supply. devolution of plan making This is because the proposals to a street level to enable rely on using existing the existing built volume to residential areas, and on local be increased in communities accordance with approving the “THE PROPOSAL a design code – if plans, showing a IS NEAT IN THAT local demand. 60 per cent of the IT CIRCUMVENTS residents of any No doubt CONVENTIONAL particular street cautious DEBATES ON THE endorsements agree. While the APPROPRIATE proposal is by no from Robert USE OF THE means a panacea, Jenrick and the GREEN BELT it could lead RTPI’s Richard AND WHETHER to a significant Blyth arise INCREASING number of new from carefully HOUSE PRICES homes: in Israel, balancing a ARE DRIVEN where analogous robust process BY DEMAND OR proposals to ascertain SUPPLY” have been residents’ desires implemented, with existing they are protections. On responsible for process, the more than a third proposals set of new housing out how a street starts in the country’s central would initiate approval (at region. They would also likely least 20 per cent of residents lead to an additional boon or one person from at least 10 to both local authorities and different homes – whichever current homeowners (the is greater) and the details report estimates an average of the quorum for any vote of £79,000 per new home for on enabling this kind of the former, £900,000 for the development (including a latter), and a 0.5 percentage requirement for at least one point increase in GDP. person from 50 per cent of The proposal is neat in the houses to vote in favour that it circumvents the of the proposals) – much
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more community consensus than a conventional planning application. On existing protections, green belt, national parks, and areas of outstanding natural beauty are all excluded from such street plans. The report recommends planning conditions which control working hours and require carbon net-zero homes. What is the legal effect of a passed street vote? Any street which passed a street vote would be treated as its own ‘renewal’ area, a term taken from the government’s white paper zoning proposals. In effect, any street plan would provide the policy support for development. Practically, local authorities will have issues grappling with a flurry of related applications, and monitoring the proper enforcement of any street votes. In addition, how the street votes work with the government’s forthcoming environment bill will also need close consideration – what would be the role, for example, of the Office of Environmental Protection when it comes to these kinds of street votes? In London, how would streetbased plans work with the mayor’s call-in powers? A further constraint may be
how the government wishes to amend wider European legislation, particularly the Environmental Impact Assessment directive and Strategic Environmental Assessment directives, now the UK has left the EU. These issues, however, should not detract from the implementation of street votes. Given the importance of housebuilding, even significant issues like environmental impact assessments or mayoral call-in should accommodate street votes, rather than the other way around. Mustafa Latif-Aramesh is senior associate at BDB Pitmans
In brief A Policy Exchange report proposes ‘street votes’ on development to increase housebuilding There are numerous potential benefits, particularly when balanced with sensible planning constraints How the proposal integrates with existing plans and legislation remains to be seen –- but, in essence, street votes on development show the way forward
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EVENTS
CASES
LEGISLATION
NEWS
ANALYSIS
NEWS Caravans must be removed from green belt site The High Court has granted Cheshire East Council an order that means several caravans must be removed from a green belt site following imposition of an interim order to prevent the siting of more caravans on a privately owned field near Broadoak Lane, Mobberley. The order prohibited construction of hardstanding and the erection of buildings and other structures without permission. But additional works were carried out, breaching the injunction. In response, the council filed contempt of court proceedings against several people involved in the breaches, including 10 allegations against Michael Maloney. He is now detained in HM Prison Altcourse on unrelated matters. Manchester’s High Court granted in principle a final injunction restraining development on-site and limiting the number of caravans to eight, pending the result of a planning appeal. Justice Turner QC said Maloney’s evidence in defence of allegations of contempt was “unsatisfactory in several respects”. Contractors W Doherty and Sons, Total Plant Hire, Paul Rennie and Adrian Draper also admitted to contempt of court and agreed to contribute to the council’s costs. The Broadoak Lane site is subject to separate planning enforcement action. An appeal hearing will be set by the Planning Inspectorate.
LEGAL BRIEFS Planning Law Update: A Yorkshire perspective This webinar, to be hosted by RTPI Yorkshire on 19th April, will feature “a diverse mix of legal analysis, significant Planning Court decisions and Inspectorate appeals, housing, retail, town centres and economic developments, all with their roots in Yorkshire and the Humber”. bit.ly/planner0421--yorkshire
Slough landlord must pay £109,000 for illegal extension Slough Borough Council has secured a confiscation order of £109,000 against a landlord who built illegal extensions to a family home and housed up to 14 people, Local Government Lawyer reports. bit.ly/planner0421-slough
Pressure group wins fight over car park plans Trees Not Cars has won a judicial review against Manchester City Council over plans for a 440-space car park next to the city centre’s only primary school. The city council paid £37 million in 2017 for the Central Retail Park as part of a joint venture with a private equity company owned by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al-Nahyan, the owner of Manchester City Football Club. The council granted itself planning permission to build the car park on the 10.5-acre plot on the edge of Ancoats and New Islington in 2019. A development framework consulted on last year would see the site become a one million-square-foot, office-led, mixed-use scheme. Neither a park nor green space is featured, except for a revamp of nearby Cotton Field Park. Trees Not Cars, a grassroots community group, campaigned against the plans as it believes the council “completely ignored the impact on air pollution in an attempt to force the plans through”. The group successfully argued that the council had failed to consider the impacts of air quality on the area and of building a 440-space car park next to the city centre’s only primary school. A council spokesperson said the council would appeal against the judgment. Read the full story: bit.ly/planner0421-communitygroup
Jenrick urged to intervene over Kent local plan
Judge rescinds approval for Norfolk wind farm
Dame Judi backs judicial review over ancient tree’s relocation
A High Court judge has overturned the energy secretary’s decision to grant a DCO to construct and operate an offshore wind farm off the coast of Norfolk. Norfolk Vanguard Ltd’s plans were for about 592 square kilometres over two distinct areas – Norfolk Vanguard East and Norfolk Vanguard West. A DCO was granted for 180 wind turbine generators and associated infrastructure In its determination, the Planning Inspectorate had advised refusal of the scheme. The judicial review was brought by Norfolk resident Raymond Pearce, who cited impact on landscape and view. Justice Holgate noted that the Vanguard development is “closely related” to Vattenfall’s (parent company of Norfolk Vanguard) Boreas offshore wind farm project, which would be located north-east of the Vanguard site. The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy expects a decision on Boreas to be made in April. Holgate said he was in no doubt that the energy secretary “did act in breach of the [Infrastructure Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2009] by failing to evaluate the information before him on the cumulative impacts of the Vanguard and Boreas substation development, which had been assessed by Norfolk Vanguard Limited as likely to be significant adverse environmental effects. The defendant unlawfully deferred his evaluation of those effects simply because he considered the information on the development for connecting Boreas to the National Grid was ‘limited’”. The judge resolved to quash the DCO. Read the full story: bit.ly/planner0421-Vanguard
The leader of Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council has written to the housing secretary urging him to intervene, after inspectors indicated that they considered it a “very strong likelihood” that they will fail its local plan. bit.ly/planner0421-tonbridge
Art 4 Life Planning lawyer Simon Ricketts ruminates on the role of Article 4 directions and the effects of upcoming PDR changes on them. bit.ly/planner0421-article4
Dame Judy Dench is supporting a campaign by the East End Preservation Society to stop Tower Hamlets Borough Council relocating an ancient tree, Local Government Lawyer reports. bit.ly/planner0421-dame
More homes stalled by JRs The number of potential units in Strategic Housing Developments in Dublin that have either been quashed or held up by judicial reviews rose by more than 1,000 per cent last year, reports the Irish Times. bit.ly/planner0421-shd
Class E or not Class E? Alice Culkin and Jamie McKie of Dentons reflect on the controversial start to the new Class E addition to the Use Classes Order. bit.ly/planner0421-use
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NEWS RTPI news pages are edited by Will Finch at the RTPI, 41 Botolph Lane, London EC3R 8DL
Town planning ‘heroes’ to be recognised at RTPI Awards 2021 The innovative work of planners in response to the Covid-19 pandemic is to be recognised at this year’s RTPI national awards ceremony, to be held online on 29 April. The annual RTPI Awards for Planning Excellence are the longestrunning and most respected in the UK planning industry. The awards celebrate exceptional examples of planning and highlight the contribution planners make to society throughout the UK and around the globe. Finalists in the Planning Heroes in a Pandemic category include consultancies AEC, LUC and Pegasus Group, and the planning teams at Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council, Cheltenham Borough Council and the Planning Inspectorate. In total, more than 90 projects, teams and individuals across 15 categories have been selected as finalists by a panel of independent judges. RTPI President Wei Yang FRTPI said:
“For over 40 years, these prestigious awards have celebrated the exceptional work undertaken by town own planners. In the middle of a global pandemic, I believe they are more relevant than ever before as we e showcase the very best st of our profession from alll the RTPI’s regions and nations tions and from countries around ound the world. “I am particularly pleased leased to see this year a new category has been created to recognise the incredible commitment and dedication of planners who have risen to the challenge of responding to the impacts of Covid-19 on the planning system.” The judging panel in 2021 is chaired by Dyan Currie Hon MRTPI, Chief Planner at Brisbane City Council, Australia and immediate Past President of the Commonwealth Association of Planners. Headline sponsor of this year’s event is engineering firm AECOM.
Sarah Elliott MRTPI, UK&I Town Planning Lead for Buildings and Places at AECOM, said: “AECOM is proud to A once again be a headline sponsor of the RTP RTPI Awards for Planning Excellence. Excellenc The finalists are a mixture of outstanding diverse m examples example of planning, including includin new responses driven by the pandemic and change. Once again this climate ch demonstrates the breadth of the demonstrate profession has on quality impact the profe placemaking and delivery in the built environment, alongside our resilience to evolve and adapt.”
Join us online This year’s RTPI Awards for Planning Excellence 2021 will take place online on 29 April at 4pm – and tickets are now available! The ceremony, hosted by leading planning barrister Sasha White QC (pictured) will take place on virtual platform The Awards Room by Evessio – it’s a fantastic virtual experience with a range of features beyond watching the ceremony itself, including the ability to network with other guests via video chat. n bit.ly/planner0421excellence
Finalists at the RTPI Awards 2021 include (clockwise from top left) Imogen Thompson (AEC), Gideon Amos (AEC), Michelle Simpson-Gallego (Pegasus Group), Emmeline Reynish (Arup), Laura McCombe (Boyer), Daniel Wilson (HGH Consulting), Rebecca Dewey (WSP), Daniel Young (Portsmouth City Council)
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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
MY VIEW ON…
PLANNING APPRENTICESHIPS
The enthusiasm of Chartered Town Planner Apprentice Cara Collier hasn’t been dampened by online learning and working from home I started my first professional role in January 2020 at the London Borough of Havering as a planning policy technician. My line manager, Lauren Miller MRTPI, development planning team leader, was engaging and involved from the start. Her support was vital as I got to grips with the transition to working from home, which came early on in my career. The Chartered Town Planner Apprenticeship route, at entry point 2, was offered to me soon after I started at Havering and I thought it was a great opportunity to accelerate my learning and put me on track to become a RTPI-accredited town planner. Guidance offered by London South Bank University’s apprenticeship team helped both Lauren and me to
understand fully what was involved and to feel more confident about what to expect. I was at first apprehensive, but the support I have received from Havering has been exceptional. The team at LSBU has also provided extra support, including placing more importance on seminars and working groups to make connections with other students, and allowing for more flexible learning arrangements with pre-recorded content and extensive online resources. I am able to apply what I learn straight away in my role, while also having some base knowledge and a practical angle to contextualise the topics we are discussing in lectures. I have already learned so much and I am excited about the new modules I
have just started on Planning Law and Housing Regeneration. . n Cara was writing for the RTPI blog bit.ly/planner0421-cara o For more on the RTPI Chartered Town Planner Apprenticeship, visit bit.ly/planner0421-apprenticeship
POSITION POINTS
PERMITTED DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS RICHARD BLYTH, RTPI HEAD OF POLICY The government has proposed a new permitted development right which would allow change of use from commercial, business and service uses (Class E) to residential use (C3) in England. Class E was introduced as a new use class in September 2020. In our response to the consultation, we said that although we recognise the need for greater flexibility, expanding PD rights in this way would not only tear at the fabric of local character, weaken the capacity to deliver locally agreed visions and further jeopardise the vibrancy of our high streets and town centres, it could also lead to a huge increase in poorquality homes for the poorest in our society. Essential local services such as convenience stores, pharmacies, solicitors and post offices could be wiped out for good, impacting those who can least afford to travel and reducing local employment. We also question the possible negative impacts on physical activity with gyms, swimming pools and sports and leisure facilities included within Class E. Read the RTPI’s full response at bit.ly/planner0421-pdr
SCOTTISH NATIONAL PLANNING FRAMEWORK BARBARA CUMMINS, RTPI SCOTLAND CONVENOR RTPI Scotland broadly welcomes the direction of travel outlined in the Scottish government’s recent National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) position statement, and is pleased to see a clear synergy with the RTPI’s Plan The World We Need campaign. We’re in no doubt that NPF4 has the potential to help to transform Scotland’s environment, places, communities and economy. It provides us with a strong and very promising foundation for this and shows how planning can support a sustainable and equitable green economic recovery that delivers the new normal we need post-Covid. However, NPF4 must be supported by resources to deliver its ambitions through a linked capital investment programme, coordination between other national strategies and stakeholders and a commitment to make NPF4 a key corporate document that serves as the core of future policy development in Scotland. Read RTPI Scotland’s full response at bit.ly/planner0421-npf4 I M AG E S | RT P I
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NEWS
The RTPI’s International Strategy for 2021-2030 has been launched by President Wei Yang FRTPI at a special online event featuring members from around the world. The International Strategy centres on a vision of planning as a positive force for global sustainable development and is focused on a mission to empower members to lead the Institute’s action internationally. Its launch is part of the RTPI’s Guests at an online event to launch the RTPI’s International 10-year Corporate Strategy, Strategy included (clockwise from top left) Rebecca Wong (Hong Kong), Omar Islam (UAE), Sandy Penfold MRTPI published last year, which aims (Barbados), Janet Askew MRTPI, Prof. Vanessa Watson to raise the profile of planning (South Africa), Sophie Butcher (Australia), for global challenges and Wei Yang FRTPI, Ian Tant MRTPI increase diversity and inclusivity in the profession through Sustainable Development Goals. internationalisation. Other RTPI members and Among the guests joining partners based across all Wei at the online launch continents joined the discussion, event were International sharing how they saw the Committee Chair Janet Askew strategy engaging members and MRTPI, and Commonwealth stakeholders in their region. Association of Planners VicePresident Ian Tant MRTPI, who spoke n Read the strategy in full at bit.ly/ about the Strategy’s alignment with planner0421-strategy – and watch the ongoing global efforts to achieve the UN’s launch event at youtube.com/theRTPI
Research Awards open for entries Submissions are open for the RTPI Awards for Research Excellence 2021. These awards recognise and promote high-quality, impactful, spatial planning research from RTPIaccredited planning schools and RTPI members from the UK and around the world. There are a range of award categories this year: n Sir Peter Hall Award for Excellence in Research and Engagement n Student Award n Early Career Researcher Award n Planning Practitioner Award In addition, RTPI members who
are practising planners are invited to submit research proposals for the Practitioner Research Fund. Two winners will each receive £5,000 of research funding courtesy of the RTPI. The winners of this year's awards will be revealed online in September during the opening ceremony of the UK-Ireland Planning Research Conference hosted by the School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape at Newcastle University. n For more information and to make
your submission, visit bit.ly/planner0421-research
New RTPI Learn module Members can now enrol on RTPI Learn’s new bite-size module Mental Health and Town Planning: Building in Resilience. This module considers the impact that the built environment can have on mental health and looks at good practice through case studies. The module will take approximately one hour to complete and can count towards meeting CPD requirements. n bit.ly/planner0421-rtpilearn
Former President George McDonic The RTPI was sad to hear of the recent death of George McDonic MBE FRTPI, President of the Institute in 1986/7. Born in 1927, Mr McDonic worked as a county planning officer and director of environmental services at Wiltshire County Council, retiring in 1987. He was also chairman of CPRE Wiltshire, and a founding representative and chairman of the Stonehenge Alliance. In 1996, he was presented with the RTPI’s Outstanding Service Award in recognition of his work at both national and regional levels. Amongst the tributes on Twitter, former President Peter Geraghty FRTPI said that Mr McDonic was ‘a gentleman and dedicated to the Institute’ while former Chair of the Board Graham Stallwood FRTPI described him as ‘a kind, compassionate man with encouragement and wisdom for those that followed him’. n bit.ly/planner0421-donic
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RTPI launches International Strategy
I M AG E S | RT P I
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G PLANNIN AHEAD
Key dates for 2021 12 MAY The Planner Live – Powering up the North Through Planning
CONDUCT AND DISCIPLINE IN 2020 The planning agenda in the North is more relevant now than ever, and we’re taking to the virtual stage on 12 May to talk about it! Powering up the North Through Planning is a one-day online event shining a spotlight on the untapped potential of this globally competitive area of England. We’ll be looking at how we can create opportunities in our underfunded Northern cities to attract investment and drive sustainable business growth. We will also be considering areas of innovation such as infrastructure, green growth, housing and how the focus on social impact is set to change. Special guests already confirmed for this exciting event include Housing Minister Christopher Pincher, Dame Sarah Storey (Paralympian and Active Travel Commissioner for Sheffield City Region), Jane Healey-Brown FRTPI (Greater Manchester Combined Authority Planning Commissioner), Jane Meek MRTPI (Carlisle City Council), Bridget Rosewell (National Infrastructure Commission), and Mary Creagh (Living Streets). n Book your place now at The Planner Live North 2020 by visiting bit.ly/planner0421-north n Follow us on Twitter for all the latest details using hashtag
#PlannerLiveNorth
Despite the difficulties that 2020 threw at us, the RTPI’s Complaints Service and its provision of advice for members on professional ethics has continued. Requests for advice from members on how the pandemic has affected their work and whether they are complying with the Code of Professional Conduct were particularly high, with an increase of 50 per cent in the number of enquiries dealt with during the year. In addition, 43 new complaints were received in 2020, one fewer than in 2019. The Conduct and Discipline Panel met virtually on four occasions and made decisions on 25 complaints while officers considered a further 16 complaints where a decision was made not to investigate the matter. Eleven members were found to have breached the Code of Professional Conduct, resulting in four members being warned, three being reprimanded and four members being suspended. A further five letters of advice were issued as members could have improved their practice even though they hadn’t breached the code. Three appeals were submitted, one has been determined and two remained outstanding at the end of the year.
A large number of the complaints received related to statements made by members – either in promoting a development or in committee reports – with an allegation that they were false or misleading. Two cases related to an alleged conflict of interest. In past years, the number of consultant planners complained of vastly overshadowed those of local authority members. However, in 2020, of those cases that were investigated, 56 per cent concerned consultant members. Two cases related to self-referrals where members reported themselves for investigation. It is notable that, although most complaints received relate to Chartered members, we also received complaints against one Associate, one Affiliate and three Licentiates. All members, irrespective of their category of membership are required to abide by the Code of Professional Conduct. n For information on the procedures that guide the conduct of planners and maintain public trust in the profession, visit bit.ly/planner0421-standards o Queries relating to conduct and discipline matters should be emailed to conduct@rtpi.org.uk
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Reach out to our audience of membership professionals There’s never been a more important time to reassure the planning community that their skills are in need.
The Plannerr job board board offers offfers you an opportunity it to t attract tt t the th attention tt ti of a guaranteed, dedicated audience of membership professionals, and reassure them that you are still looking to recruit. Whether you have vacancies now, or will be looking to recruit at a later time, remind our readers what sets your organisation apart, and let them know your plans. You might also consider advertising in The Planner magazine, and ensure you are seen by the profession’s top-calibre candidates and kept at the forefront of their minds. Show them that you are here, your brand is strong, and your organisation needs them.
For more information and rates, contact us now on: T: 020 7880 6232 E: jobs@theplanner.co.uk The Planner full page ad2 option 2 BLEED.indd 1 p49_PLN.MAY20.indd p48-49_PLN.Apr21.indd 48
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Throughout the pandemic, organisations are still actively and successfully recruiting for planning professionals. 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.
Planning Of·cer (Development Management)
Salary: £38,149 £41,432 pa Location: Balivanich
Team Leader Development Management Salary: £40,876 £43,857 pa
Principal DM Planning Consultant
(Six months initial contract) Salary: Negotiable Location: Hertfordshire
Planner/Senior Planner Salary: Dependant on experience Location: Bristol
Major Developments Manager Salary: £43,857 £46,845 pa Location: Bradford
Asset Protection Planner Salary: Up to £43k Location: Hat·eld, Hertfordshire
To a dve r ti s e pl ease em ai l : t he pl a n n e r jobs@redact ive. co. uk or ca l l 0 2 0 7 880 6232
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theplanner.co.uk/jobs 11:56 09/03/2021 11:38
Activities
Click where you see this icon
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 – mouse over each item for more.
What’s caught our eye A Decent Home: Planning, Building, and Preserving Affordable Housing
Disaster Resilience Management of Infrastructure Systems: Computational Modeling and Geospatial Technologies
Alan Mallach, non-resident senior fellow of the Metropolitan Policy Program at the Brookings Institution, presents an interesting American perspective on what constitutes a decent home. Chapters address design, site selection, project approval, financing, and the history of housing policy in the United States. It seeks to present the full picture of the how, why, what and where of affordable housing in the States. ISBN-13 978-1932364583
Dr Waheed Uddin outlines the geospatial technologies and analytical tools needed for safeguarding built infrastructure assets from natural disasters, and preparing for disaster resilience and risk reduction. Topics include infrastructure resilience management, critical lifeline infrastructure performance, and recovery and mitigation using real-world examples. ISBN 3 9781498754736
The Future of Energy: The 2021 guide to the energy transition - renewable energy, energy technology, sustainability– and more John Michael Armstrong, a fellow of the Institute of Mechanical Engineers, takes readers through a future for energy generation, transportation, and use. The book covers climate change, hydrogen, heat, sustainability, and renewable energy. ISBN-13 : 979-8643731597
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Engaging with Heritage and Historic Environment Policy: Agency, Interpretation and Implementation Editors Hana Morel and Michael Dawson deliver a review of policy and practice in the historic environment, exposing the tensions faced by the heritage sector while examining the implementation of policy and its unexpected outcomes. ISBN: 9780367725648
Measuring What Matters: Planning Outcomes Research and Toolkit Outcomes from the Measuring Whatt Matters: Planning ng Outcomes Research arch is discussed by the he research team off Iain MacPherson n MRTPI, Kevin Murray FRTPI, Rim Chouaib MRTPI, Dr Neil Harris MRTPI, Jerry Barnes MRTPI and Craig McLaren (RTPI). bit.ly/planner0421-outcomes
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LANDSCAPE
The Planner’s Women of Influence 20211 Who are the women working in and around planning who have had an impact over the past year - a year of Covid-19, of planning reform, of growing awareness of the relationship between health, inequality and the built environment, of increasing urgency about the need to deal with the climate crisis? Here are our Women of Influence for 2021. bit.ly/planner2021WoI
London: The World’s Greatest Unplanned City Prof Peter Rees CBE, former planning officer for the City of London, clearly had a ball giving this Bartlett School of Planning Lecture. Sample quote: “London has little appetite for planning. Apart from the interventions of the landed gentry and Victorian engineers, i planning left London with the Romans. As a Londoner, I relish this untrammelled landscape of change.”bit.ly/planner0421-rees
The Planning Brief Landmark Chambers and Town Legal LLP got together last year to produce this podcast, in which barristers from Landmark and solicitors from Town Legal came together to discuss, in brief, “pretty much anything and anyone with a link to planning and the development industry”. All are lunchlength sessions, lasting 30 minutes or so. bit.ly/planner0421-brief bit.ly/planner0 yp brieff
Regional Planning in Post-Industrial Great Britain (5 min) Edward L Glaeser, professor economics at Harvard University, discusses with Professor Henry Overman, professor of economic geography at the London School of Economics, the inequities among UK regions, thinking through policy approaches for correcting them. From 2018, it’s an interesting take on n the situation. bit.ly/ planner0421postindustrial
Jay Foreman’s Unfinished London Last month we lionised Jay Foreman’s joint video venture, Map Men – this month it’s his brilliant ‘Unfinished London’ series. The depth p of research and lightness of touch make these videos thoroughly ly entertaining and just as educational. This one is about a 1930s “town planning cock-up” p” concerning London’s Northern Line. bit.ly/planner0421-northern
What we’re planning p g In our May 2021 edition we’ll be talking to Paul Gilfedder, head of planning for HS2, about this most controversial of projects. We also consider the effects of gypsy traveller planning policy and will be making space for an examination of the best practice in planning as determined by the RTPI’s judges in the upcoming 2021 Planning for Excellence Awards. Ideas for themes? Send them to editorial@theplanner.co.uk
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Book today rtpi.org.uk/training training@rtpi.org.uk + 44 (0)20 7929 8400 @RTPIPlanners #RTPICPD
View our brand new 2021 list of online masterclasses: rtpi.org.uk/training
Boost your CPD with interactive online masterclasses
40+ courses: • 8 new courses • Brand new How to succeed in your new job series for recently qualified planners
High-quality expert training for planning professionals PLN.APR21.052.indd 2
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