The Planner February 2019

FEBRUARY 2019 HAPPY PLANNERS? // p.4 • HELEN HAYES: CONNECTING YOUNG PEOPLE WITH PLANNING // p.18 • REVITALISING THE PUBLIC SECTOR ROLE // p.22 TECH LANDSCAPE: PARTICIPATR GAME // p.31 • NATIONS & REGIONS: SOUTH WEST // p.34

T H E B U S I N ES S M O N T H LY FO R P L A N N I N G P R O F ES S IO N A LS

PLANNING FUTURES CAREERS EDITION: HOW TECH, MONEY AND POLITICS ARE CHANGING THE GAME

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CONTENTS

FEBRU ARY

07 NEWS 4 Happy planners – but only just: Careers survey 2018/19 6 Housing the suburbs: the annual RTPI London Summit 7 Boost for Ireland’s greenway infrastructure 8 Box-ticking prevents proactive planning 9 OECD drafted in to help work up Welsh economic blueprint 10 Commission calls for 20-year social housing programme

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“THE BIGGEST INFLUENCES ON PLANNING AS A PRACTICE ARE LIKELY TO BE URBANISATION, CLIMATE CHANGE, MONEY AND TECHNOLOGY”

OPINION

14 Louise BrookeSmith: Democracy – a daring concept but should we give up on it?

C OV E R I M A G E | H I TA N D RU N M E D I A . C O M

16 Jackie Mulligan: The internet is not the reason high streets are struggling 16 Aidan Culhane: Ireland’s planning regulator could transform attitudes 17 Nick Bridgland: Battlefield Registration – what is it trying to protect?

17 Ju Judi Greenwood: Wid Widening participation in the th regeneration gam game

15 QUOTE UNQUOTE

“PLANNING LAW IS SIMPL SIMPLE IN NOTORIOUSLY PRINCIPLE, BUT NOTORIO COMPLEX IN PRACTICE” WITH A LAW COMMISSION REPORT PROPOSING PROPOS AT LEAST 190 TECHNICAL REFORMS TO PLANNING LAW AS A IT APPLIES IN WALES, PUBLIC LAW COMMISSIONER NICHOLAS PA PAINES QC TELLS IT LIKE IT IS

FEATURES

INSIGHT

18 Planning has the tools to address many of the challenges that face young people and their communities, says Helen Hayes 22 Is the UK seeing a reanimation of public sector planning? asks Francesca Perry 26 How do planners embrace the new while preserving the best of the old? In short, how do you make a 21st century planner? Simon Wicks reports 34 Nations & Regions: South West

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31 Tech landscape: Participatr is one of several online platforms shaking up planning consultation. And it’s built and operated by one man on a mission to bring more democracy to planning

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38 Cases & decisions: Development decisions, round-up and analysis 42 Legal Landscape: Opinions, blogs and news from the legal side of planning 44 RTPI round-up: News and interviews from the institute

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NEWS

Report { CAREERS SURVEY 2018/19

Happy planners – but only just

Do you agree with this statement: “I'm happy with how my salary is developing in relation to my work”?

49%

51%

Yes No

By Simon Wicks

Are you happy with opportunities for development provided by your employer?

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% How happy are you with your progress towards your goals? > I'm happy with how I am developing as a planner > I'm concerned that I will not achieve what I set out to do > I can no longer see a longterm future for me in this profession

6%

12%

21%

> Other

60%

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%

4

65

n Salary: 55% of all respondents said they were happy with their salary progression; but 45% said they felt they were underpaid. n Development: 65% said they were happy with opportunities for development provided by their employer; 35% said they were not. n Career progress: 60% of all respondents said they were happy with how they were developing as a planner; 33% expressed doubts. n Value: 61% of all respondents said they felt their team or department was valued by their organisation; 24% said they did not feel their team or department was valued. n Resources: Significantly more than half of all respondents – 53% – said they did not feel their team or department had the resources it needed to deliver its goals.

One respondent noted: “I think there could always be more staff, and workloads are very high, but currently we have the resources”.

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More than half of planners are happy with pay, conditions and opportunities for development – but a significant minority register dissatisfaction in The Planner’s 201819 Careers Survey.

The degree of discontent is more apparent among public sector planners than private sector planners, according to almost 1,000 responses from the survey conducted last October and November. In particular, the survey finds that:

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> My team or department is valued by my organisation > My team or department is not valued by my organisation

14%

25%

61%

> Other

Public versus private

Do you feel your team or department has the resources it needs to deliver its goals?

How would you make planning more influential in strategic decisionmaking? Please rank in order of importance

53 %

How valued is your team or department?

47 %

PLAN UPFRONT

> Make training mandatory for elected members who sit on planning committees

40%

> Lobby local authorities to have planning represented on the corporate leadership team

20% 16%

15%

11%

n Resources: Only 31% of public sector planners felt their team or department had When we compared the responses of the resources it needed to deliver its goals. people who identified as either public or More than twice the percentage of private private sector planners, we found some sector planners – 71% – thought they had marked differences between the sectors: the required resources. n Salary: 50% of public sector workers One respondent explicitly linked the believed they were underpaid compared levels of dissatisfaction in the public sector with only 28% of private sector workers. with government policy since 2010, saying: n Development: 59% of public “The team is much smaller than it was sector planners said their employer prior to austerity. The amount of work has provided them with good opportunities increased since then and therefore there is for development; 41% said they did an element of being under-resourced and not. By comparison, 81% of private this does affect the speed of delivery.” sector planners were happy with their (We explore initiatives that seek to boost opportunities, 19% were not. public sector planning n Career progress: on pages 22-25.)

Among public sector “THE MOST IMPORTANT planners, 51% were ELEMENT OF A 21ST happy with how they are A snapshot of CENTURY PLANNING developing as a planner; EDUCATION? TRAINING planning careers 22% were concerned that The survey sought to IN URBAN DESIGN” they would not achieve take a snapshot of how what they set out to do; planners feel about their 14% said they could see profession at a time of no long-term future in the political, economic and profession. By comparison, technological. upheaval.

67% of private sector planners said they It has also been conducted amid a growing were happy; 15% were concerned, and just awareness of the need to attract more 6% saw no future in the profession. young people into the profession.

In addition to questions about well-being n Value: 51% of public sector planners at work, the survey asked planners how added that they felt their team or best to attract more people into the department was valued by their organisation, and 32% said they felt it was profession and their feelings about the future of planning. not. By comparison, 69% of private sector When asked what they felt employers planners said they felt that their team is could do to attract a more diverse range of valued and just 9% said they did not.

> Emphasise specific authority set-ups where the prominence of planning has positively affected outcomes > Create campaigns that promote planning specifically for chief executives and decision-makers > Greater use of statistical data to describe positive outcomes

young people into the planning profession, 77 per cent of respondents said “Offer more work experience placements”, with attending careers fairs and giving talks in schools also proving popular.

When asked which ‘mega trend’ would have the greatest effect on how planners work, urbanisation and digital tools to help productivity came out on top. The most important element of a 21st century planning education? Training in urban design, closely followed by climate change mitigation, then economics and finance.

And when asked how they would make planning more influential in strategic decision-making, our respondents’ feelings were clear: 40 per cent felt that mandatory training for elected members on planning committees would have the biggest impact on strategic decisions involving planning.

Andrew Close, RTPI head of Careers, Education and Professional Development, said the institute “has long campaigned for government and local authorities to assign more resources to planning teams, a campaign which resulted in planning fees going up and feeding back to planning authorities. We haven’t stopped lobbying for more resources for planning authorities, and our campaign is backed up by continuing research into the issues.”

A PDF of the full careers survey report can be downloaded at bit.ly/planner0219survey, while some of the topics raised are considered in more detail on pages 18-21, 22-25 and 26-29.

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NEWS

Analysis { OUTER LONDON

Housing the suburbs

By Laura Edgar

Facilitating and nurturing sustainable growth in the capital’s suburbs was the focus for the annual RTPI London Summit.

There are many issues for suburban councils to address, including a severe shortage of good-quality affordable housing. As James Clark, head of housing strategy at the Greater London Authority (GLA) highlighted, people are being forced to live in homes that are just not suitable.

It isn’t a case of whether outer London should grow but how, he said, stressing that “we need to plan in order to get the benefits”. This must include improving housing standards, as well as increasing numbers.

Clark added that the Mayor of London is advocating in the draft new London Plan for small site development and giving cash to councils to build council homes.

But local authority housing is just one potential solution to suburban need.

Ed Thomas, customer experience and insight lead at co-living developer The Collective, was vehement in persuading the audience of the benefits of shared living space.

The Collective Old Oak – home to a community of more than 500 people in West London – seeks to solve two problems, Thomas explained – affordability and loneliness. He believes that the scheme, with its diverse community ranging in age from 18 to 68, and a male/female split of 57/43, proves that co-living could provide an answer to these challenges.

As well as receiving cash from the mayor, councils are setting up their own development agencies to meet their housing demand. Croydon Council set up Brick by Brick in 2016 and now has 30 projects either on site or going through a tender process. The first site will be

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The Collective Old Oak in West London is home to 500 people

complete this month, delivering 60 homes, explained Chloe Phelps, who is head of design.

Meanwhile, BeFirst, Barking & Dagenham Council’s development and regeneration company, plans to deliver 50,000 homes and 20,000 jobs over 20 years. The borough’s industrial land is key to its future success, said Caroline Harper, chief planner, as are planners.

“I think good planners are critical thinkers who successfully navigate turning our policy of words into the actual living, breathing status that we live and work in.”

Planning for people On the future of the suburbs, Euan Mills, urban future team lead at Future Cities Catapult, said it is already here, “it is just unevenly distributed”. One of the key factors that has changed the way places work is technology, and the notion that space is fluid.

Pop-up shops and flexible workspaces, for example, are changing the way that cities are used.

He cautioned that we have to be aware of what these factors and trends are because the reality is that it is incredibly hard to plan for the future. We have to be aware of technology, he insisted, but not plan primarily for technology – “we have to plan for people”.

The quality of employment has to be addressed in tandem with housing, argued Paul Hunter, deputy director at The Smith

Institute think tank. Low pay, he said, is prevalent in outer London boroughs, while the proportion of people in the private rented sector seeking housing benefit is also greater there.

Research by The Smith Institute questioned people in suburbs about whether they would prefer good jobs locally or travel to the centre of London to better-paid jobs.

“The resounding response was that people wanted good jobs locally and people on low incomes don’t tend to travel too far just because of the time and the expense of doing that,” said Hunter.

He added that people in the suburbs do see the benefits of regeneration, but many feared they would be pushed out.

So how do we accommodate a lack of quality housing and jobs? Does it, as Jonathan Manns, head of planning at Rockwell Property, suggested, involve taking a closer look at the green belt?

London’s green belt is 516,000 hectares in size.

Manns said there is a very legitimate question to be asked about whether it needs to be so large.

It has a “fundamental implication” for the way London grows. We could be talking about sustainable urban extensions, especially given that if we build the one million “that people keep talking about at a fairly low density, this would use less than 2 per cent of its total land”.

I M AG E S | T H E COL L ECT I V E / G E T T Y / I STO C K

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PLAN UPFRONT

Go-ahead for urban village at Swansea

Greater Manchester plans 50,000 affordable homes The Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) is planning to deliver 50,000 affordable homes by targeting brownfield land.

This target, which consists of 30,000 designated as social housing, forms a key part of the revised draft of the Great Manchester Spatial Framework (GMSF). In total, leaders hope to deliver a lowered target of 201,000 homes.

The original GMSF, published in 2016, identified sites for 227,00 homes and aimed to create 20,000 jobs by 2035. A number of green belt sites were allocated in the framework iwn order to deliver the houses, including land at Pilsworth, Carrington, Cheadle Hulme and Ashton Moss.

The revised draft, though, cuts its reliance on green belt land by more than half, focusing on making the most of Greater Manchester’s brownfield sites and prioritises redevelopment of town centres.

Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham will work with Stockport Council to consult on bringing forward a Mayoral Development Corporation (MDC) for the town, using the powers devolved to him through the city deal. He said the shift to redeveloping towns “breathes new life” into them. The GMSF also outlines that the councils across the region will not support fracking as it seeks to become carbon-neutral.

In 2017, Burnham appointed Paul Dennett, Mayor of Salford, to rewrite the GMSF, but the process was fraught with delays. It was due to be published by October 2018, but issues with the government’s household projections disrupted the standard method for calculating housing need.

The masterplan for a sustainable urban village providing up to 1,950 new homes on the northern edge of Swansea has been approved by the city council.

The scheme is earmarked for 115 hectares of farmland close to the M4, formerly used for coal mining off Swansea Road, Llangyfelalch.

The residential-led project, the brainchild of Llanmoor Development Co Ltd, also includes proposals for a new primary school, a local centre, a pub, outdoor sports provision, community facilities and a linear park as well as a new link road, footpaths and cycleways and would involve sustainable drainage.

The location is designated as the largest of six strategic development areas identified in the emerging local development plan. The inspectors’ report into the draft LDP is due shortly.

However, the scheme represents a departure from the existing but now out-of-date urban development plan.

The developer will be expected to make up to 20 per cent of the housing affordable and will have to provide £900, 000 towards establishing a responsive bus service.

n An overview of the strategy can be found on the GMCA website (pdf):

Fillip for Ireland’s greenway infrastructure Nearly 80 walking and cycling greenways and trails across rural Ireland are to be developed and upgraded, thanks to €11 million funding just announced as part of the Irish Government’s action plan on rural development.

This is a joint initiative

between the government and Fáilte Ireland.

The grants will support a mix of mediumscale new developments, and the repair and upgrade of many existing recreational trails in rural areas. The successful projects will receive grants of up to €200,000 each.

The projects include:

n The development of an outdoor activity hub in Graiguenamanagh, County Kilkenny. n A pedestrian walkway from Cashel to the Rock of Cashel and HoreAbbey in County Tipperary. n The development of a walkway/cycleway at Mallow Castle grounds in County Cork. n The creation of the Boyne Greenway in Drogheda, County Louth. n The extension of the

Westport to Achill greenway in County Mayo.

Michael Ring, minister for rural and community development, said competition for greenway/ walkway funds from local communities nationwide was hugely competitive.

“Every area in the country is now fighting for funding,” he said. “Communities realise the benefits of activity tourism.”

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NEWS

News { Box-ticking prevents proactive planning Under-resourcing and a box-ticking culture have closed off the space many planners traditionally used for reflection, professional discretion and proactive planning, according to a report by the RTPI. This makes it harder to undertake the long-term strategic thinking that is needed to deliver the public interest.

Serving the Public Interest: The Reorganisations of UK Planning Services in the Era of the ‘Austerity Planner’ and Reluctant Outsourcing considers eight focus groups of planning professionals from Belfast, Bristol, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Leeds, Leicester, Greater London and the South East.

Authored by Dr Daniel Slade, research officer at the RTPI, and Dr Susannah Gunn and Dr Abigail Schoneboom, both from the University of Newcastle, it says austerity means local planning authorities are operating in a harsh environment that makes resourcing a “serious challenge”.

The government’s pro-housing and pro-

growth stance has seen resourcing overwhelmingly focused on these two issues, “often to the detriment of other important agendas and a more holistic model of planning”.

Participants believed effective leaders with a good knowledge of planning make the case for keeping local authority planning services in-house, but austerity has led to a lack of experienced senior planners, with consultancies offering a well-paid alternative to the public sector.

Councils outsourcing work to meet demand is being met with increasing dissatisfaction. Participants said relationships with clients are weaker and

the turnover of staff greater.

Planners whose careers have been defined by austerity and post-2010 planning reforms, or indeed, “austerity planners”, have had to adjust their relationships with the public interest as well as expectations and career trajectories.

Senior participants said their skills are in high demand but collectively the participants said they often have “little room for proactive planning or independently executing their professional judgement”, which can erode job satisfaction and critical reflection.

Furthermore, while they are often well thought of and in high demand, the austerity planner’s tendency to move jobs rapidly comes at the expense of building long-term relationships with customers, place and colleagues, and is having a “polarising effect on local service delivery”.

The authors acknowledge that this is a “rough” and “purposefully provocative” profile of planning practitioners’ careers but it raises important questions about the future of the profession and its relationship with the public interest.

£50m boost for Tay region An additional £50 million investment in the Tay Cities Region has been announced by the Scottish Government.

It aims to support manufacturing businesses and the delivery of the CrossTay Link Road.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said that £40 million would be invested in the new road, which would link the A9 over the River Tay to the A93 and A94 north of Scone, reducing congestion in Perth and opening sites for housing and economic development.

The remaining £10 million would fund an industrial investment programme to

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support manufacturing businesses across the region – covering Dundee, Perth, Angus and the north of Fife.

This funding is in addition to the Scottish Government’s £150 million commitment

to the Tay Cities Region Deal and brings overall Scottish Government investment in the area to £200 million over the next 10 to 15 years.

Sturgeon said: “As well opening up land for new housing and employment sites, the Cross-Tay Link Road will reduce traffic congestion in and around Perth and improve the air quality in the city centre and Bridgend.

“The £10 million industrial investment programme will help drive forward our ambitions to be a global manufacturing leader, creating opportunities for businesses right across the region.”

I M AG E S | I STO C K / G E T T Y

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PLAN UPFRONT

OECD drafted in to help work up Welsh economic blueprint

Department for Infrastructure officials get stuck into planning decisions Civil servants at Northern Ireland’s Department for Infrastructure have begun determining a slew of regionally significant schemes previously put on ice at Stormont because of the absence of a minister.

This move comes in the wake of new legislation and guidance on departmental decision-making that came into force last November.

To date, four schemes that had been languishing in the department’s in-tray have been decided.

Three have been approved: the closure and reprofiling of a former landfill site at Newbuildings, County Londonderry; a four-turbine wind farm at Killeter, Castlederg; and a turbot fish farm at Kileel.

One – a £25 million tourist scheme in County Fermanagh earmarked for the site of a former seaplane base on the eastern shore of Lower Lough Erne, a few miles from Enniskillen – was refused.

The proposed Catalina Bay Resort involved proposals for an 83-bedroom hotel, 68 self-catering apartments and 10 holiday lodges.

The department said it was rejected because it was unacceptable in terms of the scale and design of the new buildings, would be detrimental to the rural character of the locality, be unduly prominent on the landscape, and would have an adverse impact on Lower Lough Erne and compromise its tourist value.

Welsh ministers have announced that the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has been commissioned to support the development of a regional economic development blueprint for Wales.

The Paris-based experts will use their international experience of regional economic development to advise the Welsh Government as it implements its new economic action plan and develops plans for regional investment in Wales after Brexit.

This initiative should help to ensure that Wales’s future regional economic development model embodies international best practice. International experts will visit Wales to discuss regional economic challenges and opportunities. This in turn will help the Welsh Government develop a new toolkit for action as well as clear international benchmarks to monitor performance.

The OECD has provided advice to the Welsh Government before; in 2014 it produced a major report to help improve schools in Wales. In subsequent years it has also supported work on schools’ reform.

Ken Skates, minister for economy and transport, said: “Our new economic action plan is a major public policy reform and I want to ensure we receive the very best advice and strongest international challenge to help us achieve our economic ambitions.

“We have asked the OECD to advise us on ways to strengthen regional economic governance, build capacity, and support more joined-up economic policymaking, including through developing a practical toolkit.”

Birmingham City Council announces partner for Smithfield development Birmingham City Council has announced Lendlease as its development partner to deliver its plans for the 17-hectare Birmingham Smithfield site.

Lendlease and the city centre will form a contractual joint venture, with the property and infrastructure development company leading the project.

The redevelopment includes a new home for the city’s Bull Ring retail markets, a leisure

and cultural offer, a new public square, integrated public transport and 2,000 homes.

It forms part of the Big City Plan, which was launched in 2010. It sets out a 25-year vision to grow the city centre by more than 25 per cent.

Ian Ward, leader of Birmingham City Council, said: “The delivery of Birmingham Smithfield will be a major boost for Birmingham. Lendlease have committed to invest in the

community and create thousands of new jobs and training opportunities.

This scheme will create a legacy for the citizens of Birmingham and become an exemplar for inclusive economic growth.”

The site is next to the Bullring shopping centre and New Street Station. The new

HS2 city centre terminus station will be a 10-minute walk away once it opens in 2026.

Renewal of the area is expected to take 15 years. The first phase includes new homes, the new retail markets building and public realm.

Lendlease was selected following an OJEU competitive dialogue procurement process.

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NEWS

News { February: a month of careers content from The Planner For The Planner, the month of February is all about careers in planning – online as well as in this print edition. On each Wednesday of the month we’re sending out focused emails examining a key finding from our recent survey.

Here’s what each week will bring: n 30th January – Happiness at

work Overview: The Planner’s careers survey • What makes a happy workplace for planners? n 5th February – Planning in the public sector How do private and public sector roles differ in the 21st century? n 13th February – Making planning attractive to young people What do planners think will inspire a new generation to follow in their footsteps? n 20th February – Building the 21st century planner What are the new career development opportunities? • Maximising the new RTPI CPD framework n 27th February – The

future of planning careers The trends and technologies that are set to reshape the profession.

All current recipients of The Planner’s Tuesday newsletter will be sent the first email in this series. If you do not yet subscribe to any of our weekly newsletters, you can sign up at bit.ly/planner0219-register

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S H E LT E R C O M M I S S I O N R E P O R T

Call for 20-year social housing programme

NATIONAL DATA

13% The drop, between 2017 and 2018, in the number of homes approved during Q3 of the year, as reported in the Home Builders Federation and construction data firm Glenigan’s latest Housing Pipeline report, from which the following figures have been obtained.

By Laura Edgar A call for government to build 3.1 million homes for social housing over a 20-year period has been made in a report published by the charity Shelter’s social housing commission.

The suggested 3.1 million breaks down as follows: 1.27 million for those in greatest need, such as the homeless and those with a disability or long-term illness or living in poor conditions; 1.17 million for ‘trapped renters’, i.e. younger families who cannot afford to buy; and 690,000 for older private renters, such as those over 55 who are struggling with high housing costs and insecurity “BENEFITS beyond retirement.

OF SOCIAL Analysis by Capital Economics HOUSEBUILDING on behalf of the commission WOULD … suggests that the economic OUTWEIGH THE benefits of social housebuilding INITIAL COSTS” would ultimately outweigh the initial costs. The construction phase of the programme would require a £10.7 billion investment, with Capital Economics estimating that up to two-thirds of this could be recouped through housing benefit savings and increased tax revenue, making the net additional cost to government £3.8 billion a year over 20 years, with the investment paid for after 39 years.

Other recommendations include the government: • Ensuring Right to Buy is sustainable, and that any social housing sold is replaced.

• Reforming the Land Compensation Act 1961 so that landowners are paid a fair market price for land, rather than the price it might achieve with planning permission it does not actually have.

• Specifying the need for social housing in future housing assessments.

• Increasing resources to tackle rogue landlords and poor conditions, in line with the growth in the number of private rented properties.

• Removing exemptions that mean Section 106 rules do not always apply to new developments and conversions.

• Embracing modern construction methods to reduce risk and build public confidence • Creating a regulator to protect social renters and make sure that their voices are heard.

More details about the proposals, and reaction to them, can be found at www.theplanner.co.uk

3% Drop in the number of homes granted planning permission in the first nine months of 2018 compared with 2017.

361,971 Sites with planning permissions granted and allocated for 21,848 different sites – the highest ‘moving annual total’ since the Housing Pipeline series began in 2006.

156 Social housing projects of three or more units approved in the last reported quarter – 13% fewer than the previous quarter and 15% lower than the same quarter in 2017.

35% Percentage decline in year-on-year approvals in the North West in Q3 2018.

Declines were also recorded in the North East (24%), East of England (24%), South East (15%) and Wales (18%).

13% Year-on-year rise in approvals in the East Midlands. The South West also went up 7%.

81,900 Private units approved on private sector projects in Q3 2018 – 13% down on Q3 2017.

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LEADER COMMENT

Opinion onn A career to be nurtured: for planners, every day is a learning day – When I spoke at the RTPI’s Young Planner Conference last year I found myself musing on why I had become a planner, and why it was that I had enjoyed my career so much.

As I spoke to the young planners I recounted the 1992 Audit Commission report wherein it candidly concludes that the work of planners is rarely praised and indeed that “popularity is probably an unachievable objective for planners” (para 2 if you want to look it up).

But I countered this with a reference from the Rt Hon John Burns MP, who said in introducing the 1909 Housing and Planning Act, that its purpose was “to secure the home healthy, the house beautiful, the town pleasant, the city dignified and the suburb salubrious”.

Over time the language may have changed, but the

"THE PLANNING PROFESSION MAKES A POSITIVE DIFFERENCE TO PEOPLE’S LIVES AND THERE IS HUGE SATISFACTION TO BE GAINED FROM ACHIEVING THIS"

Steve Quartermain underlying message still stands true. I believe that the planning profession makes a positive difference to people’s lives and there is huge satisfaction to be gained from achieving this.

Popularity is not a good measure of achievement; as a planner you use your skills to mediate between competing views and uses, resolve competing ambitions, and help to create well-designed solutions.

The legacy of the work of planners is all around us and there are many great examples of what has – and can be – achieved.

A career in planning is something to nurture, every day is a learning day, but I do want to stress that it is not just about being competent; it is as much about having the confidence to know that your professional training enables you to make the judgements needed. As

Sub-editor Deborah Shrewsbury

ISSN 2053-7581

chief planner, I attend many events and I am often asked what “I think the answer is“ to a variety of planning issues, my response is always to encourage planners to be confident and realise that they are well able to reach such conclusions themselves. One of the things that has driven my career was the desire to be the one who ‘decided’, and of course it is never that simple, but it helps if you are confident in your ability to plan; and I think all planners should aspire to that ambition.

Planning is a wonderful career; I want to see the profession become more diverse to better reflect the communities we plan for and I want to see the profession respected for its role and celebrated for its achievements. I hope you share this vision too.

Steve Quartermain CBE is chief planner for England

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All rights reserved. This publication may not be reproduced, transmitted or stored in any print or electronic format, including but not limited to any online service, any database or any part of the internet, or in any other format in whole or in part in any media whatsoever, without the prior written permission of the publisher. While all due care is taken in writing and producing this magazine, neither RTPI nor RPL accept any liability for the accuracy of the contents or any opinions expressed herein. Printed by PCP Ltd.

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FE B R U AR Y 2 0 19 / THE PLA NNER 11 editor_February 2019_The Planner 11

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CORRESPONDENCE

Inbox

YOUR NEWS, VIEWS AND QUESTIONS F E E D B A C K

David Porter

Ian Wray

Peter J Page

– Dave the Postman was later than his customary time when he delivered my most recent copy of The Planner.

As he also had a parcel to deliver, I took the magazine, parcel and a clutch of Christmas cards from him at the front door.

“Interesting read,” said Dave, clearly glad to have full access to my naked copy, “but could you put me right on something? What does ‘we need a more holistic and collaborative system rooted in place’ mean?” I admitted that I had no idea.

Dave lamented the retirement of Chris Shepley’s column, with its down-to-earth, pithy insights and absence of blather. He told me that he had recently had a conversation with Nick Raynsford on the doorstep at his holiday home down the road. Mr Raynsford had said that his review of the planning system was much more than campaigning for the advancement of chief planning officers. We both agreed that the RTPI seemed slow to join with others to press for reform of the planning system. I said that he had missed his vocation, but would prefer it if he avoided the temptation to open the pages of my magazine and kept to time on his delivery round. Noting that he also had a naked copy of Cul-de-Sacs Today in his hand, addressed to the council’s highways engineer, I did not hold much hope for a speedier service in 2019.

– I agree with Ian Tant, our new president. Planners should blow their own trumpets, celebrating their heritage and the profession’s achievements. But where are the illustrated books, the guides, the photographic collections, the exhibitions, the documentaries, the podcasts, the videos?

How much do we make of our World Heritage Sites, so many of which (like Saltaire, the Lake District and Liverpool) are examples of great planning achievements?

I have an interesting book produced by the RTPI on Britain’s planning heritage and achievements. It is almost 40 years old, and illustrated poorly in black and white. But at least we did something back then.

Instead of celebrating and marketing the greatest British town planning achievements from the past two millennia, we dissipate our energy on regulatory trivia and contradicting our opponents. It is little wonder our stock is so low.

– The Planner’s Tuesday Newsletter of 18 December headlined an NIC programme initiative to “link transport and housing opportunities”. This is something I consider to have done all my professional life.

It’s called planning.

David Porter MRTPI

Martin Bradshaw PPRTPI

– The statutory planning system in Britain has seen many alterations and extensions since the universal regime was introduced in 1947.

The many new tasks loaded into the system over the years have often made legislation more complicated in an attempt to simplify things.

The public sector element of the statutory system is under-resourced in relation to what it is expected to deliver.

To resolve this, politicians have two options: increase available resources or reduce load. I’d prefer the second option and have long awaited a planning white paper entitled Doing Less Better. If today’s system were a building, we should look at it and ask how it ever got planning permission.

In 1947 the system was introduced to enable the public interest to be taken into account in decisions about the use of land. Looked at against the historical background, the beneficiary of the system is the public at large rather than those wishing to undertake development.

No compensation was paid for the restriction of pre-existing private development rights that the system imposed.

That means that, in fairness, the system should be entirely funded by the beneficiary – from the public purse – as it was in the early days.

Any new system would have to be designed to be affordable within those limits, as well as being built on our unique core skill as town planners, which is the understanding, planning and management of broadbrush land use issues.

Much of the detail now

Ian Wray FAcSS, Professor of Civic Design, Liverpool University

Martin Bradshaw

considered by development management under a ‘tickbox standards’ approach – parking standards, plot ratios, internal space standards, relationships between buildings – could be moved to an enlarged building control regime. Highway authorities and the water industry could be given powers to impose their requirements directly.

Design control would almost certainly need to be sacrificed. After 40 years on the front line, and six in retirement, I am unconvinced that it is something many planning professionals or politicians are good at. Many of our most interesting townscapes have arisen without any design control.

My key features of a design for a new system would be: • The definition of development restricted to material changes of use to keep workloads manageable and cost-effective, with a far more broad-brush use classes order than the present one.

• A statutory requirement on councils for all development plan and development management issues to be considered by the same committee, in the same meetings, to ensure the plan remains relevant to current issues and pressures.

• Public sector professional staff should give priority to prompt and free on-demand engagement with developers and the public.

• Major changes to, and contraction of, the listed building and conservation area regimes to focus on things that really matter in economic and public realm terms.

Peter J Page MRTPI(retd)

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LO U I S E B R O O K E ­ S M I T H

O Opinion

Democracy – a daring concept, but should we give up on it?

“Democracy is a daring concept – a hope that we’ll be best governed if all of us participate in the act of government. It is meant to be a conversation, a place where the intelligence and local knowledge of the electorate sums together to arrive at actions that reflect the participation of the largest possible number of people.”

So said Brian Eno, the celebrated musician, producer and songwriter, but perhaps not the first person anyone thinks of when considering the planning system. While his view of democracy was admirable – is it still realistic when applied to the development arena?

I am aware that to challenge this basic tenet of the British uncodified constitution could be deemed seditious, but last time I looked we weren’t a Middle Eastern state or ruled by a Russian oligarch.

Anyone who has had any involvement with our land use regime will be aware that while the approach has remained fairly stable, the systems, regulations and policy context have been the subject of well-meaning but inevitably frustrating variation over the years.

The basis of decisionmaking, in theory, comprises the sensitive act of encouraging enterprise through the use and development of land and property, and balancing this with the protection of our environment; it’s a principle taught to all planning students.

But when the pressure for something as fundamental

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as a roof over people’s heads reaches breaking point, perhaps we need to review that principle.

The value of public participation, the gentle art of debate by a balanced quota of elected members sitting on a planning committee and the measured role of a chairperson helping to ensure that the right decisions are made and those homes are built, can be a struggle. Indeed, in some parts of the country that sweet theoretical Ladybird book of our youth, ‘How the Town and Country is Planned’ with idyllic watercolour illustrations, should perhaps today be a trilogy of From Here to Eternity, Battle Royale and Nightmare on Elm Street, with graphics from their respective screenplays. Now decisions struggle to get through a political dogfight in which

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“THE NEEDS OF THE MAJORITY ARE SQUASHED

BY THE INTRANSIGENCE AND DOGMA OF THE FEW” the needs of the majority are squashed by the intransigence and dogma of the few.

No wonder a more strategic approach is being seen as a potential solution to balance the apple-pieand-motherhood call for democracy – with the pragmatic need to support more housing. Should a fundamental need to create homes really be at the whim of a local pressure group or, heaven forbid, elected members who, in some cases, have little if any training or understanding of the

planning process and who, notwithstanding their political platforms, fail to grasp that their professional officers have spent time and energy to present them with clear and balanced recommendations?

Examples of members overruling those recommendations are repeated week in, week out, across the country. And many proposals return to the drawing board at a great loss of cost, time, energy and enthusiasm, or face the uncertainty of the appeal system. So should we be bold and accept that sometimes democracy does more harm than good?

Perhaps an approach that supports intelligent debate and rational comment on important principles and then sets realistic parameters for development at a local level would be a better way forward.

What could possibly go wrong – other than perhaps a few more homes are built, fewer sofa-surfers bounce around their neighbourhood and fewer people sleep on our streets?

Dr Louise Brooke-Smith is a partner at Arcadis LLP and UK Head of Development and Strategy Planning I L L U S T R AT I O N | Z A R A P I C K E N

15/01/2019 16:40

Quote unquote FROM THE RTPI AND THE WEB nd too much time “We spend explaining why we are asking for the o happen and not [development] to ing to why people enough time listening nt that to happen” don’t want

“There need needs to be a profound profoun shift to see ssocial housing as a national asse asset like any other othe infrastructur infrastructure” LORD JIM J O’NEILL,, COMMISSIONER ON THE SHELTER SOCIAL HOUSING HO COMMISSION

ANNA ROSE, HEAD OF THE PLANNING LANNING ADVISORY SERVICE

“You ou can’t ignore the fact l that precarious, poorly paid employment, paired with its toxic twin, insecure expensive housing, is a disastrous brew propelling people on to the streets” PENNY ANDERSON, WRITER, ARTIST AND MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS SUFFERER, WRITING IN THE GUARDIAN ABOUT LOSING HER HOME AFTER A RENT RISE

“The ageing conundrum is the elephant in the room.

Britain is going to feel a lot older in 20/30 years’ time.”

JON NEALE, HEAD OF UK RESEARCH FOR JONESLANGLASALLE, ON AN INEVITABLE DEMOGRAPHIC TRUTH

“Quality matters.

The secretary of state wants places that are built to be beautiful.”

CHIEF PLANNER STEVE QUARTERMAIN ROMANTICISES THE AIMS OF NPPF 2

“Outside id off iinnerurban examples, all the good things we know we should be doing to constrain growth of traffic are not happening.

Car-based, relatively low density suburban development is the norm pretty much everywhere in Britain.”

STEVE MELIA, LECTURER IN TRANSPORT AND PLANNING AT THE UNIVERSITY OF THE WEST OF ENGLAND, LAMENTS THE GAP BETWEEN TRANSPORT PLANNING RHETORIC AND REALITY

“Planning law is simple in principle, but notoriously complex in practice” WITH A LAW COMMISSION REPORT PROPOSING AT LEAST 190 TECHNICAL REFORMS TO PLANNING LAW AS IT APPLIES IN WALES, PUBLIC LAW COMMISSIONER NICHOLAS PAINES QC TELLS IT LIKE IT OBVIOUSLY IS

I M AG E S | I STO C K

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

O Opinion

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Dr Jackie Mulligan is a social psychologist and founder of ShopAppy, which enables high street businesses to trade online and lets consumers shop after opening hours

The internet is not the reason high streets are struggling

Threats tto town centre retail are not ne new. For decades, places have been de-centred by outof-town retail parks offering big brands and free parking. Rates and rental systems have forced many small businesses to close.

Yet, even as the media reports on the giants toppling in the doom and gloom of 2018/19, it is these small businesses, and home-based entrepreneurs building their businesses, that provide an answer to how we can revitalise local economies.

But the environment needs to be small-friendly, collaborative and place-centred.

It does not mean shrinking the commercial footprint, as Philip Hammond’s Future High Streets proposal to repurpose retail as housing would suggest. It means nurturing new businesses.

Businesses play a role in social cohesion and inclusivity. Markets, for example, provide access to fresh produce for vulnerable people, and local services reduce the need for car journeys.

Moreover, interaction in healthy town centres reduces loneliness.

Commercial hearts are not only crucial to our economies, they are critical to our sense of belonging, community and identity.

On a recent trip to a big town I found a beautiful Tudor building boarded up in the main thoroughfare. It had been like

that for years. Landlords who have empty domestic properties pay council tax. But commercial property landlords can leave a property vacant for three months without any pain and sometimes longer. Yet closed commercial properties damage perceptions.

Remote landlords are often accused of assuming a rental value higher than the reality of the local marketplace. This calls for negotiation at a local level and where giants have fallen there is a chance for councils to repurpose larger units to enable smaller businesses to take up spaces at peppercorn rents.

There are growing businesses in living rooms behind our main high streets that need encouragement to take up bricks and mortar.

Whether it is rent/rate relief, co-sharing and managed spaces, or promotional support, councils and business improvement districts should be exploring ways to grow their commercial offer before they start reducing it.

Digital, often blamed for the high street’s demise, could be part of its salvation. My website ShopAppy, for example, provides a shop window for small businesses, allowing people to buy online during the day and collect their goods after closing time. Online activity does not have to mean our local economies lose out.

“COMMERCIAL HEARTS ARE NOT ONLY CRUCIAL TO OUR ECONOMIES, THEY ARE CRITICAL TO OUR SENSE OF BELONGING, COMMUNITY AND IDENTITY”

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BLOG

Aidan Culhane MRTPI is chair of RTPI Ireland, director of housing at Urbeo Residential, and former special adviser on housing & planning to Ireland’s Department of Environment, Community and Local Government

Ireland’s planning regulator could change attitudes to planning

It is profoundly profo to be hoped that the least-commented-upon least-co functions of Ireland’s new independent Office of the Planning Regulator will become its most important – research and education.

The Planning and Development Act 2018 empowers the regulator “to undertake research and conduct programmes of education in respect of proper planning and sustainable development”.

This could be transformative in developing an understanding of planning principles among the public, and advancing knowledge across the construction and development sector.

I m a g i n e what could be achieved with a we l l -re s o u rce d office charged with promoting planning across society.

Imagine what a cutting-edge research programme could do in terms of developing the planning response to climate change, carbon-neutral cities, new housing and settlement patterns, smart cities and how we will live, work, and play.

Imagine what well-designed education programmes could do to advance the role of planning with the public, elected members, and across government and the private sector.

Ireland has been without a government agency to research planning issues for almost 25 years. As the infrastructure, housing, and climate change

challenges mount, we are missing it more with each passing year.

Ireland’s National Planning Framework is an ambitious document. There is a need to flesh out how its principles can be implemented and to explore what new ways of doing things can be found. A research agenda driven by an independent state agency would be an enormous asset to Ireland.

The education function too, could be tremendously important in changing hearts and minds. In a country where absurdly dispersed settlement patterns in rural areas are routinely promoted by some politicians and where there remains a firm preference among the people for traditional houses rather than the apartments and more compact development forms that changing demographics demand, there is a need for an ‘honest broker’ who can present the facts about housing – renewable energy, the future of retail and town centres, and mixed-use neighbourhoods in easily explained forms.

Most of the regulator’s focus will be on the other two key functions of the office: monitoring of plan-making, and ensuring the planning system is run properly in councils. But the research and education function is a remarkable opportunity to enhance the role and function of planning in public policy.

“IMAGINE WHAT WELL­DESIGNED EDUCATION PROGRAMMES COULD TO ADVANCE THE ROLE OF PLANNING WITH THE PUBLIC”

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Have your say Would you like to see yourself in these pages?

Get in touch by email – editorial@theplanner.co.uk Topical, inspirational, angry or amusing – we consider all relevant comment

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Nick Bridgland is a heritage director at Lichfields with 25 years’ experience in the sector

Battlefield Registration – what is it trying to protect?

battles are milestones in Great ba journey through the past and our jour they capture the imagination in a way that other events do not.

Since 1995 English battlefields have been protected by Historic England’s Register of Historic Battlefields, but unlike with Listed Buildings or Protected Wrecks, it is not always clear what a Registered Battlefield is trying to protect.

Why are 47 areas of what is often unassuming farmland across England given the same protection in the National Planning Policy Framework (paragraph 194) as grade I listed buildings and World Heritage Sites?

Historic England has two essential criteria for choosing battlefields for protection1: was the battle important enough, and do we know where it was fought? Other factors (association with historical figures, archaeological survival, topographical integrity) add to its interest but, essentially, battlefield registration is about linking a key historical event to a place, enabling the romantic imagination to people these places with massed armies risking – and losing – their lives for a cause.

Thorough examination of a battlefield and historical sources allows us to understand how the battle played out across the landscape; to make an intellectual and imaginative connection between the site and the incidents of a particular day, allowing us to appreciate how this

4 BLOG

BLOG

Judi Greenwood is project manager and director of operations at Regeneration Brainery

Widening participation in the regeneration game

location contributed to the course of English history.

It is not immediately obvious what this might mean for managing battlefields or making decisions regarding development on or in the vicinity of the battlefield. How do you measure the impact of a proposal on the imaginative response to an event that has left little trace? What are you trying to protect when making decisions about these sites?

The NPPF’s focus on preserving the significance of heritage assets serves battlefields well. These are landscapes that were not designed to be battlefields; they became so by an accident of history and in the intervening centuries they have carried on evolving.

Their identity as battlefields is only one aspect of the landscape and because their significance can be less immediately physical, their sensitivity to change is different from other heritage assets.

Careful assessment is needed to identify the features and characteristics that contribute to a landscape’s identity as a battlefield. With this comes an appreciation that they can frequently absorb change such as small developments without losing their ability to relate back to the events of the battle, the qualities for which they were registered.

1 Battlefields Selection Guide: bit.ly/planner0219-battle

“THE NPPF’S FOCUS ON PRESERVING THE SIGNIFICANCE OF HERITAGE ASSETS SERVES BATTLEFIELDS WELL”

Regenera Regeneration Brainery has found that the there is an abundance of industry d experts willing to share their experiences and top tips to a successful career in regeneration.

We are always overwhelmed at the amount of time and effort professionals are willing to give freely to our workshops amid their busy schedules and work pressures.

We mostly rely on the experience and understanding of those giving careers advice. It is possible that some advisers and parents see the industry as a whole in a negative light.

We need to work more collaboratively to bridge this gap.

The biggest challenge we find is in engaging young people in the first place. This largely relies on the proactive facilitation of those working with them on a regular basis. Teachers, careers advisers and parents need a better understanding of the various roles involved in regeneration and the value that this has in building community.

Efforts to attract young people into regeneration should show the various careers in a positive light; not only is it a professional industry with varied job opportunities for talented individuals, but regeneration also helps to shape communities and improve people’s lives. The use of innovative technologies and the rise of BIM are key ways to attract the interest of young people who have grown up in a digital world.

Regeneration Brainery is a great way of opening up a chance for young people to experience a wide variety of roles in the property industry, and regeneration in particular, that otherwise they might not see. We believe that giving young people an insight into potential careers is undervalued and under-delivered by our education system and industry. We need to make property more diverse, to benefit all our communities and so reaching out to a wider audience is the first step to show people what they could achieve and to open their eyes to the variety and exciting challenges property can bring.

The Brainery has one clear aim – to identify the next generation of property leaders. It does this by promoting the property industry to a diverse audience of young people who, without this initiative, may never have the opportunity to learn about how they can access a career in property.

There are a considerable number of challenges but for me it is about disrupting the traditional ways of getting into property so as to build a more diverse group of people from a wide range of backgrounds. If that is successful, then they will ultimately create better buildings and the spaces between – essentially, great communities!

More on Regeneration Brainery: bit.ly/planner0219-brainery

“GIVING YOUNG PEOPLE AN INSIGHT INTO POTENTIAL CAREERS IS UNDERVALUED AND UNDER­DELIVERED”

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V I E W P O I N T : H E LE N H A Y E S

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PLANNING HAS THE TOOLS TO ADDRESS MANY OF THE CHALLENGES FACING YOUNG PEOPLE AND THEIR COMMUNITIES, SAYS HELEN HAYES MP. IT’S VITAL TO MAKE PLANNING A CAREER OF CHOICE FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE

By changing the definition of affordable As the only recently practising town planner in housing to bear no relationship to either social Parliament, I’ve had the opportunity since being rents or average incomes; and by introducing elected in 2015 to reflect on the profession, the viability assessments as a basis for developers to very significant challenges it has faced as a argue that they cannot afford to comply with consequence of government funding cuts, and local policy on affordable housing, the the important role it has to play, both in government has created a system which is all delivering on some of the biggest practical too often incapable of delivering against the real challenges our country faces, and in helping to needs of local communities. rebuild trust in our democratic processes and Community engagement has also been a public services. casualty. Genuine, meaningful engagement on Our post-war planning system is a framework local plan-making, and establishing good for redistribution, for ensuring that development standards of pre-application consultation as an meets the needs of local communities, and for expectation of applicants, takes time and brokering and mitigating the gap between resources, and cut-back planning departments individual private interests and collective have often been left unable to devote the time community needs. that is needed to engage communities in a way Local plans safeguard land for particular that builds trust and credibility for purposes, including housing, proposals, and achieves informal employment, education, and “IT IS TIME consent from local residents. community uses. Our heritage FOR PLANNING At its best, planning is visionary, protection regime and national TO STEP UP progressive and aspirational. New parks safeguard the buildings and AND PLAY ITS towns and garden cities were spaces that communities value.

FULL PART IN forged from a comprehensive Planning policies seek to ensure HELPING TO vision of economically diverse that across many dimensions of RESTORE TRUST communities living in attractive design, from building height to places, with good-quality, energy performance standards, new IN DEMOCRATIC PROCESSES” affordable housing to rent and to buildings take due account of their buy, beautiful open spaces, surrounding community and wider excellent public services and a environment. wide range of amenities, local And our planning system aims to ownership of utilities and a high ensure that developers contribute to level of economic self-sufficiency. meeting the needs in the community that will They were rooted in a strong framework of be generated as a consequence of their activity values – redistribution, environmental – for example, by funding new schools, GP stewardship, inclusivity and community. surgeries and public spaces.

By contrast, the current government’s Every community is affected by planning, and Building Better, Building Beautiful Commission, planning issues often give rise to the strongest launched with a flourish last year but quickly feelings and most vociferous campaigns at local marginalised following controversy about its level. Planning-related issues, particularly the chair, has no such articulation. housing crisis and climate change, are among Any attempt at a public discourse on design the most important facing the UK. quality must start by recognising that all design But our planning system has been at the hard is underpinned by values – design can be edge of both austerity and government policy inclusive or exclusive, outward focused and over the past eight years, and it has not fared community-oriented or inward looking and well. A government that on the whole sees insular, generous or mean, and it can look to the planning as another category of red tape to be future or echo the past. removed has stripped out many of the more Design quality is also much more than the progressive policies – for example, lifetime appearance of buildings once they are homes, and zero-carbon homes.

I M AG E S | I KO N

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V I E W P O I N T : H E LE N H A Y E S

completed. Our current planning system, which is relatively weak on building control, incentivises applicants to invest in design quality at the planning application stage, only for some to cost-engineer out much of that quality during the build phase.

The result is that often communities can be sold one scheme at the planning stage, only to be left with something which is a poor reflection of the images used to illustrate the planning application.

The expansion of permitted development rights is also fundamentally undermining our planning system, allowing buildings to be converted from office to residential use with no consultation, no affordable housing contribution, no section 106 agreement and no check on design quality.

Future planners It is time to restore a vision of planning as the key to delivering the needs of local communities, while also safeguarding their interests – whether in terms of character and appearance, capacity in local services or the environment and climate change – for future generations. It is time for planning to step up and play its full part in helping to restore trust in democratic processes.

To do that, the planning profession urgently needs a more diverse workforce. The RTPI’s recent commitment to diversity is very welcome, and it needs to be supported by measures to encourage people from a diverse range of backgrounds to choose planning as a career, starting in our schools.

In my constituency of Dulwich and West Norwood, many young people are deeply affected by issues related to planning, whether because they are living with the consequences of the housing crisis, or seeing their local neighbourhood change as private rents increase, or because they are worried about climate change.

The young people I speak to have an excellent grasp of local issues, and a passion to make a difference. But for the most part they have no idea that their knowledge and interest could, with training, translate into a rewarding career as a planner.

By contrast, the source of many planning related controversies across the country is so often a proposal that has misjudged or misunderstood what a particular local community really values.

Many years ago, I briefly worked in Chicago on a campaign to safeguard a number of buildings on the south side of the city that were not in themselves necessarily beautiful or of architectural interest, but which were culturally 20

important sites to the local community. They included the former headquarters buildings of the first black-owned insurance business and newspaper, and a well-known jazz club.

There had been a fundamental failure to appreciate how important these locations were to the history and identity of present-day South Side Chicago residents by planners who saw only a series of run-down buildings.

Planning professionals drawn from a more diverse range of backgrounds will bring a richer understanding of the particularity of individual communities, and enable processes and plans better to reflect local priorities from the beginning.

Engagement for democracy We also need the profession to speak up for the processes at the heart of planning practice that are neither red tape nor needless bureaucracy, but the vital steps towards well-informed, transparent and democratic decision-making.

For example, planning can only build confidence in local communities if there is the time and resource to run meaningful processes of community engagement, locally and democratically owned.

We need the best practice seen in many

“YOUNG PEOPLE ARE DEEPLY AFFECTED BY ISSUES RELATED TO PLANNING, BUT FOR THE MOST PART THEY HAVE NO IDEA THAT THEIR INTEREST COULD TRANSLATE INTO A REWARDING CAREER”

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CAREERS SURVEY: INVITING IN, REACHING OUT Here's what The Planner's Careers Survey 2018/19 revealed about careers in planning, writes Simon Wicks.

neighbourhood planning processes to be reflected in local plan-making, and we need planning authorities to be setting the highest expectations for pre-application consultation and engagement, and holding applicants to account for delivering it.

Local authority planning departments that have been cut to the bone cannot possibly achieve this [The Planner’s careers survey (see pages 4-5) illustrates the pressures felt by public sector planners – Ed.]. But unless the profession makes the case for the importance of engagement, it will continue to be overlooked.

Engagement processes must also be designed to capture a genuinely representative range of voices from within any given community. Our current planning system tends overwhelmingly to give voice to existing homeowners – to the almost total exclusion of those urgently in need of social housing or seeking to get on the housing ladder. Planners should be resourced to devise new processes and forms of engagement that genuinely capture a representative range of views.

We need an agenda for reform, at the heart of which must be reform of the rules on land values and viability. How can communities be expected to trust a system that so often fails at the final hurdle because developers can argue that they cannot comply with local policy on affordability or when the system is forced to prioritise the hope value of a private landowner over the pressing need of a local community for more affordable homes?

Finally, we need a much more robust set of policy standards, from space and accessibility standards to fire safety to thermal efficiency.

Planning must deliver new development of genuine long-term benefit both to individuals and communities.

Having inspired a new generation of planners to enter a visionary, progressive profession, we also need new routes into planning, including apprenticeships, which enable people to learn and to gain qualifications while they are working (see box – ‘Inviting in, reaching out’).

A strong agenda for reform will help to make the planning profession a career of choice for young people who want to make a difference in their own communities and beyond – and it’s up to all of us to shout about it! n Helen Hayes is a former town planner and has been the Labour MP for Dulwich and West Norwood since 2015. She sits on the Housing, Communities and Local Government select committee, and is a member of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Housing and Planning. This article is written in a personal capacity.

What can employers do to attract a more diverse range of young people to the profession?

77%

Offer more work experience placements

69%

Attend careers fairs at colleges and schools with high diversity of population

67%

Give talks in schools in areas with high diversity of population

46%

Create relationships with industry networks that cater to diverse populations

38%

Advertise jobs in a wider range of publications/jobs boards

28%

Alter recruitment processes to minimise unconscious bias

20%

Create aspirational diversity targets and measure progress against them

16%

Other

One respondent suggested: “Education from primary level through to sixth form/ university – this is where planning can begin to ensure and enable the profession to have a strong and capable workforce.”

Another said: “It’s not just employers, it’s the RTPI and universities. The RTPI apprenticeship scheme is one of the most important things that could be done to attract a more diverse range of planners. Planning is so exciting; it affects how and where we live/work/play (and so much more besides) and yet is seen as dull/boring and a block to progress. The RTPI needs young ambassadors.”

WHAT IS THE RTPI DOING? Ambassadors: The RTPI ambassadors scheme offers RTPI members the chance to speak to school and university students about planning.

Apprenticeships: The RTPI oversees a level 3 diploma apprenticeship in town planning technical support and a level 7 degree apprenticeship is in development.

Bursaries: The RTPI Trust offers a £2,000 diversity bursary to BAME undergraduate planning students and those with disabilities. The Future Planners bursary is for postgraduate students who choose planning as a career.

In schools: The Agent Plan-It radio show is aimed at 8-13-year-olds; the Place Makers interactive role-play game is tied to the GCSE geography curriculum; and there are planning-based classroom resources for teachers..

Young Planners: Chief Planners of Tomorrow enables young planners to shadow a chief planner for a day.

Andrew Close, the RTPI’s head of careers, education and professional development, said: “The RTPI is passionate about the recruitment of planners from the widest pool.

We've broadened routes to chartered membership and we're seeing a 19 per cent year-on-year increase in applications through non accredited routes. Plus, more students are taking the next step towards chartered status and converting to Licentiate status." bit.ly/planner0219-outreach

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PUBLIC SERVICE

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LOCAL AUTHORITY PLANNING ROLES ARE DIVERSIFYING, COUNCILS ARE DELIVERING SERVICES IN MORE INNOVATIVE WAYS AND BORROWING CAPS HAVE BEEN LIFTED. ARE WE SEEING A REANIMATION OF PUBLIC SECTOR PLANNING IN THE UK? FRANCESCA PERRY REPORTS “There is now more joined-up working between planning, housing and economic development – and some ambitious projects emerging.”

Finn Williams, a former planner at the Greater London Authority and co-founder of Public Practice, agrees. “Local authorities are realising they need to build back in more agency, be more cross-cutting and be smart with limited resources,” he says.

The very existence of Public Practice is an indication that change is needed. A not-forprofit social enterprise, it places design-led built environment experts within local authorities looking for increased planning and placemaking capacity.

Momentum is building, says Negrini, pointing out that the role of local government in regeneration has changed dramatically, even in the past five years. More councils, for example, are building homes Austerity innovation and developments themselves.

Thousands of jobs have been lost “Councils are becoming a lot as funding has haemorrhaged “THERE IS NOW more entrepreneurial, pursuing from public planning MORE JOINED­ agendas that are appropriate for departments. Remaining public UP WORKING the places they serve,” she says. planners, many of whom had BETWEEN Williams stresses that forged their careers amid PLANNING, “councils have to get on the front increasing fragmentation of the HOUSING AND foot” to survive in a demanding profession into siloed, technical ECONOMIC political and commercial roles, were forced to take on more DEVELOPMENT” environment. “They’re realising responsibilities, often cutting they need to use their assets across multiple council functions. more intelligently,” he says.

Although the changes were Croydon has its own awardchallenging, austerity has winning development company, arguably forced public planning Brick by Brick, set up in 2016 to deliver to blend separated planning functions into homes for local residents. But authorities as wider, more inclusive roles. far afield as York and Dorset are delivering “Historically, planning was very separate homes, too. from other local government functions,” One stimulus for change has been a explains Jo Negrini MRTPI, Croydon Council growing frustration with private sector chief executive and an urban planner. dominance over planning and development “Planning departments used to be focused on in the UK. “Our reliance on the private sector policy and development control – it was a to deliver has made people realise its much more passive approach. At Croydon, we limitations,” comments Williams. “There’s a think planners should be involved in whole generation of practitioners who realise everything else going on in the council.” that working to a commercial brief is limiting This sentiment is echoed by Heather their ability to do the kind of planning that Claridge MRTPI, a principal planning officer motivated them to enter the profession in the at Glasgow City Council and the RTPI’s Young first place.

Planner of the Year 2018. “There is an “In the public sector, planners can have far increased recognition within the public more impact and create many more benefits sector that no one department can address – socially, environmentally and economically place-based problems alone,” she says.

Catalysed by the creeping stigmatisation of the public planner since the 1980s, we have relied on the private sector for the past three decades or so, even more so since the introduction in 2010 of austerity policies that led to steep decreases in central government funding to public planning departments.

But change may well be afoot. Austerity – as a professed policy – has fallen out of favour and the government is speaking more positively about planning as an instrument for solving the housing crisis. There is also a broader awareness that the status quo is inadequate for addressing the big challenges of our generation, such as climate change and inequality, and that a greater sense of public purpose is required.

Something seems to be happening in response. But what – and how?

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– than in the private sector.”

Charlotte Morphet MRTPI, principal policy planner at Waltham Forest Council and co-founder of Women in Planning, agrees that the sector is attracting new talent: “Councils are building again and have their confidence back. I think that is why so many planners are making the switch [from private to public], as there are such interesting opportunities to shape places for the better.”

All around, there are signs of an emerging reappraisal of the idea of the ‘public good’, and the role of both the public and private sectors in creating and maintaining this. But are we giving the public sector the tools it needs – financially, politically, and in terms of skills and knowledge?

At University College London, a new master’s degree in public administration (MPA) is set to provide a counterbalance to the classic MBA (master of business administration), suggesting that the ideological pendulum is shifting back towards ‘public’ again, as opposed to ‘private’. As Anna Rose, head of the Planning Advisory Service, observes: “I think it took a while for the penny to drop that if local authorities fail, everybody fails.”

PUBLIC VS PRIVATE

The line between public and private sector is not clear for all planners, writes The Planner’s deputy editor Simon Wicks. But the 2017 RTPI member survey revealed that 49 per cent work in local government, with a further 6 per cent working in central government. So more than half are definitively ‘public sector’ planners.

In many respects our latest careers survey confirmed the perception that public sector planning has been hit hard, leaving a significant proportion of public planners feeling undervalued, under-rewarded and, most significantly, under-resourced.

Here are some of the key findings – you can download the full survey at: bit.ly/planner0219-survey

PAY

I believe I'm underpaid for my position/responsibility

50%

Public sector

28%

Private sector

Step change

How happy are you with your progress towards your goals?

14%

Public

S ec

6%

to

15%

at

or ec t

22%

Pri v

eS

24

CAREER PROGRESS

r

There is plenty of catching up to do, however.

For one, a revitalised role for the public sector planner requires a new approach to recruitment to ensure that the right people are brought in.

There are hundreds of vacancies in public planning departments across London alone, explains Williams. “Those vacancies are not being filled because there’s a mismatch between the traditional job descriptions of the development control or planning policy officer and the kind of planning that ambitious and creative practitioners want to do.”

“You’re looking at a different skill set for people coming into the profession,” says Negrini. “It’s not just about development control. What I look for in my planners is someone passionate about driving an agenda for what kind of place the borough should be, someone who is actually going out and talking to people, with an outward focus.”

Claridge notes that the new role of a public sector planner is rooted in breadth and creativity. “Being an all-rounder is very important. The ability to develop new initiatives and demonstrate good placemaking, to be creative, build and maintain different partnerships including those with the local community and lever in external funding, is essential.”

51%

67%

I'm happy with how I am developing as a planner I'm concerned that I will not achieve what set out to do I can no longer see a long-term future for me in this profession

VALUE

My team or department is not valued by my organisation

32% 9%

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DEVELOPMENT

41 %

I don’t feel that my current employer provides me with good opportunities for development

Public sector

19 % Private sector

RESOURCES

ec

tor

Publ ic

S

Do you feel your team/department has the resources it needs to deliver its goals?

31% YES

69% NO

Priva te S

ec

tor

29%

NO

71% YES

But public sector recruitment is a bit “onesize-fits-all” in terms of job descriptions and qualifications, observes Williams. And uncertain funding makes it a risk to invest in full-time employees. “Local authorities are currently forced to rely on agencies, contractors and consultants – but this means they’re missing out on building a sense of continuity, local knowledge and accountability,” he adds.

Public Practice aims to square the circle by organising year-long placements for ‘associates’ with planning and built environment expertise. The first cohort of 17 began in April 2018. Many came from private sector planning; half had never applied to the public sector before.

“The associates felt that in the private sector, things were set,” says Williams.

“Working in local government means they can work further upstream and have greater influence.”

Most of the expressions of interest for placements from local authorities were for brand new roles. Havering Council got its first in-house urban designer, and the authority is now restructuring to make the role permanent. “The work our associates are doing is building the case for this kind of local government capacity,” says Williams. Roughly twice the number of local authorities in the first round have come to Public Practice for placements in the second round, due to start this April.

“Innovation and ambition is absolutely there in local government,” says Williams. “We’re just trying to enable it, and connect it to the right people.” Part of the Public Practice programme includes bringing the participating councils together to share knowledge of common challenges and potential solutions – this will result in hands-on toolkits for local government.

A new perspective has also emerged from central government. In October 2018, Prime Minister Theresa May announced that her government was lifting the borrowing cap placed upon councils so that they could start building more housing.

“It’s the first time in 40 years that there has been a cross-party

consensus that councils need to take a more active role in delivering homes,” says Williams. “There’s been a noticeable shift in tone since May came into power, from seeing public planners as part of the problem, to seeing them as part of the solution.” Morphet echoes the sentiment. “I do think that attitudes are changing to the public sector again. Government isn’t calling us the enemies of enterprise anymore.”

Negrini, though, is more cautious.

“We’re moving into some tricky times,” she says, referencing Brexit and the pressures on public budgets.

“We can’t yet breathe a sigh of relief.”

A new approach One key step to support the revitalisation of the public sector is creating awareness of public planning as a dynamic and rewarding career. “There’s a lot more we could be doing to promote planning as a great profession, and improve the interface between marketing and recruitment,” says Negrini.

Profile matters. Leaders who are also planners can make a difference to the way they profession is perceived – by council colleagues, politicians and the wider public, including potential planners.

With the rise of the public sector planner comes the growth of opportunities within the role and within authority leadership structures. “I think more planners will become chief executives of councils,” she adds.

The RTPI is already pressing for this, with a campaign to increase the number of planners sitting on strategic leadership teams in local authorities.

There are already good role models around the UK, but many more are required – not least because of the strategically important function that planning can play in the shaping and delivery of public goods.

Planners have a key part in ushering in change.

“It’s our role, as planners who have worked in the public sector longer,” says Negrini, “to provide an environment with creativity and opportunity for the next generation.” n Francesca Perry is founder and editor of Thinking City

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THE PLANNER’S CAREERS SURVEY FOUND A STRONG AWARENESS OF THE CONTEMPORARY TRENDS THAT ARE SHAPING THE WORLD FOR WHICH PLANNERS PLAN. SIMON WICKS ASKS WHAT THIS MEANS FOR THE EDUCATION OF THE 21ST CENTURY PLANNER

21ST CENTURY PLAN There may well be some eternal verities at the heart of planning. But the profession, and those who practise it, must also be able to adapt to an ever changing social, political, economic, environmental and technological context.

Every time a policy framework is updated, planners must modify their practice to keep the profession relevant and useful. Each time a new technology is developed that can alter workplace practice or the environment for which planners plan, they must be willing to entertain change.

Given that the art – and science – of planning is arguably the art of managing change, this should be meat and drink to the average planner, no? In reality the inhibitors are many – not least time, resources and a performance measurement regime which can seem to treat planners as mere technicians delivering policy in an almost unthinking way. A robot can do that, and in some cases probably will before the decade is out.

Communities, empowered by social media and policy that gives their voices greater weight, demand that planners serve them, too, in more direct ways than hitherto. Planners are mediators,

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social workers, well-informed sounding boards, guardians of democracy. Developers often seem to want planners to tick boxes and oil the wheels of the important business of making profits through development. Planners must be economists, financiers. As technology makes a bigger impression on the work they do and the world they plan for, planners must also be data analysts, futurologists. The list goes on.

The 21st century planner must be all things to all people, it seems; an omniscient being who sees all, knows all, facilitates all, in an environment that is by its nature contested. They must do it with minimal resources, too. Who’d be a planner in 2019? .The responses to our Careers Survey 2018/19 did indeed register some discontent relating to som of the above, notably from planners working in the public sector. But there was no questioning of the function or the need for planning.

And at the heart of a planning career is a challenge – how do you develop the wherewithal to thrive in a context in which the work is becoming more complex and multi-faceted?

The old days of long-term security within a relatively well-resourced public sector are gone.

Uncertainty and flexibility are the order of the day. There are also more graduates going straight into private sector jobs rather than serving their traditional ‘apprenticeship’ in the public sector.

Developers are also employing more planners

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to help them negotiate the labyrinth of the planning system. Planners are even flocking to the burgeoning technology sector where their expertise is vital to the creation of potentially game-changing digital tools.

Amid all of this is the need to cling to those eternal verities, such as planning in the public interest and engagement with communities in ways that safeguard the democratic purpose at the heart of planning as a public activity.

The modern planning environment exerts new pressures, requires news skills and offers new opportunities. As our guest leader writer, England’s chief planner Steve Quartermain stresses on page 11 of this issue, planning can be “a wonderful career” precisely because of its challenges and the satisfaction to be drawn from demonstrating the ability required to meet them.

But what is this ability and how do you acquire it?

Professional development in changing times When we asked you in our careers survey which of six skills you considered to be the most important aspect of a 21st century planning education, you said ‘Training in urban design’, followed by ‘Understanding the impact of climate change and how to mitigate it’ and ‘Training in economics and finance’.

These results can be viewed in a broader context alongside another question from the survey, in which we invited you to think about the future: ‘Which of these seven ‘mega-trends’ will have the greatest effect on how you work?’.

Taken together, we can almost say that the biggest influences on planning as a practice are likely to be: urbanisation, climate change, money and technology. “Over the past 20 to 30 years we’ve found that planners are key to placemaking, to growth, to urban resilience, to climate change and all the big mega-trends,” says Andrew Close, the RTPI’s head of careers, education and professional development.

Each mega-trend is a specialist field in its own right. Given the limited span of a planning masters degree, there is little time to prepare the modern planner for the world they’re walking into. Continuing professional development (CPD), therefore, becomes ever more important – as Close asserts: “The point of being a chartered town planner is that you regularly review your personal development and CPD and keep your skills and capacity up to date.”

As it happens, the RTPI has responded to the contemporary context by revamping its core CPD framework which, Close explains, “is divided into five professional skills and five planning knowledge areas”. Each, he adds, is “broadly themed enough to retain a high degree of flexibility under the headings”.

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Which of these skills do you consider to be the most important element of a 21st century planning education?

2% 14% 28%

TRAINING IN URBAN DESIGN

15% 21%

21%

That is to say, the framework is able to accommodate change, while helping planners to identify and pursue the things they need to know in an organised way. Interestingly, however, Close finds that one of the biggest challenges facing planners is not the acquisition of planning skills per se, but the skills needed to negotiate the environment in which they operate. Specifically, contemporary planners are having to learn to work with limited resources, respond to extraordinary financial pressures and operate in a context in which the trust between communities and the ’agents of change’ has deteriorated.

The RTPI, Close stresses, is “campaigning” on resources. “We feel that planners do have the skills and can adapt. But they need time and support from management and colleagues.”

Rediscovering the social good For Anna Rose, head of the Planning Advisory Service, the need to reiterate planning’s public purpose is paramount. The most vital skill, at a time when “planning isn’t relating to its communities in quite the way it should”, is the ability to engage with people. You can have all the technology you like, but this doesn’t change.

Yet community engagement came just fourth as a skills priority in our survey. “I think the foundation of a good planner is your personal skills, and importantly the ability to see things from someone else’s perspective,” she says.

“How you bring that about is not by ‘forcing’

UNDERSTANDING THE IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE AND HOW TO MITIGATE IT

TRAINING IN ECONOMICS AND FINANCE

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

LEADERSHIP TRAINING AND AWARENESS

CODING AND APP DEVELOPMENT Source: The Planner Careers Survey 2018/19

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THE RTPI’S CORE CPD FRAMEWORK

it into the system […] It needs to be shown in education. When we are training planners we need to show how the involvement of different opinions can inform a better solution.”

She warms to her theme: “Communities are a big part of what we do and a part with which we haven’t got to grips with. So we spend a lot of our time in appeals and public meetings where conversation isn’t positive.

“This leads to government thinking planning is getting in the way. That has been happening for a long time. I don’t think as a profession we have found the answer.”

In particular, Rose notes, planners need to find ways to reach more deeply into communities and to engage both with the traditionally hard to engage and with people who they know are not going to give them an easy time.

“The culture that I really value in planners is those that can see the benefit of engaging with people that they won’t necessarily normally wish to. Those people who go to meet upset communities and have real conversations about what this means and take risks with taking developers out to meet those people,” she says.

“We have to earn that trust in order to get the best out of planning. We need to involve everybody and be brave and be honest. We spent too much time explaining why we are asking for [a development] to happen and not enough time listening to why they don’t want that to happen.

“If we then try to build on that to create places that meet at least some of those ideas then we would probably start to move further forward.”

Professional Skills n Championing Planning n Business Development n Ethics & Professionalism n Digital Planning n Design Planning Knowledge n Infrastructure Planning & Economic Development n Health & Inclusive Planning n Housing n Environmental Planning n Planning Law & Process

Signs of a sea change

“THE CORE PURPOSE OF PLANNING HASN'T GOT MORE COMPLEX – IT'S ABOUT MANAGING LAND FOR THE SOCIAL GOOD”

Which of these mega-trends will have the greatest effect on how you work?

29% 29% 21% 9% 7% 7%

> URBANISM > DIGITAL TOOLS TO HELP PRODUCTIVITY AND DECISION MAKING > DEVOLUTION > VIRTUAL TEAMS > ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE > BIG DATA

The environment is, as ever, changing, however.

Both Close and Rose are alive to the nuances in how planning is perceived as a public activity – and in particular a sense that the public purpose of planning is becoming more appreciated again.

“With the level of interest in planning and development, and the changes that have happened to land use legislation over the past 10-20 years, there appear to be a lot more hurdles to go through,” explains Close. “But I would say the core purpose of planning hasn’t got more complex – it’s about managing land for the social good. We are working in the public interest for long-term needs.”

Rose argues that this public interest is becoming more apparent as the unintended consequences of national policy and spending decisions mount up. Without good public planning, the quality and usefulness of the built environment is bound to decay.

“I do feel optimistic as a result of talking to private sector friends and developers,” she says. “I think we have now got an appreciation of the role that everybody plays in the planning process.

“It’s taken a long time to get there, to an appreciation that public sector planners have a role, as do private sector planners, and without either the system breaks.”

Perhaps, then, the most radical aspect of a contemporary planning career might just be that it could be underpinned by a return to first principles in a more appreciative context. but this is contingent on planning building on change.

“If we talk to the ministry, the RTPI, Planning Officers’ Society, Local Government Association, everybody is looking at how we can encourage more people into the profession and how we can make planners lives a bit better. I cannot remember the last time we had that common ground. That’s a huge opportunity.” n Simon Wicks is deputy editor of The Planner

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LANDSCAPE

Tech { L A N D S C A P E

P31 TECH P34 REGIONAL P38 DECISIONS P42 LEGAL P51 ACTIVITY

READY TO ENGAGE PARTICIPATR IS ONE OF A NUMBER OF ONLINE N. PLATFORMS SHAKING UP PLANNING CONSULTATION. AND IT’S BUILT AND OPERATED BY ONE MAN ON A NG. MISSION TO BRING MORE DEMOCRACY TO PLANNING. SIMON WICKS MEETS PAUL ERSKINE­FOX “I studied architecture at Sheffield and set off on the architecture journey,” recalls Paul Erskine-Fox. “But I decided it wasn’t the right path quite early on. I was more interested in the wider social impact of the built environment.

He adds: “I’m quite a technical person.

I would say ‘I’ve come up with a solution’ and they would say ‘What does it mean?

What does it represent?’ and I would say ‘It just works. It’s designed to work’.

“Architecture needs to be more about creating places that work for people and built around the end user, not buildings that win the Stirling Prize.”

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Erskine Fox is not your typical tech entrepreneur. For a start he’s not interested in scaling up his enterprise.

He’s built the Participatr platform by himself incrementally over several years, and he’s happy to remain solo. He’s also more interested in social transformation than technology.

“There’s a danger that we see the tech as the end goal rather than the social and economic benefits or user experience we get from using it. I’m using technology as an enabler.”

Having abandoned architecture, Erskine Fox gravitated towards

regeneration. While working for a Gloucester-based regeneration company he learned two things: “buildings can transform the social and economic fortunes of places” and “the biggest thing [driving successful regeneration] is relationships with communities.”

From there it was a hop and a skip to public affairs and public relations, working in the zone between planning, politics and communities. The insights continued to come thick and fast.

In particular, Erskine Fox learned that the property and planning industries do not do public consultation especially

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LANDSCAPE

TTech { well. Too often it is opaque and slanted towards influencers and the most prominent voices in communities – those with the time to take part in traditional consultations.

Too many people – particularly the young, the “transient” (i.e. renters rather than homeowners) and people with busy lives and families, are excluded by process. As a consequence, mistrust has grown between communities and ‘agents of change’ such as developers, planners and politicans.

“My starting point was ‘How do I improve that process? How do I make planning decisions more democratically representative?’ I didn’t set out to create a tech product, but something to make life easier for people who are traditionally excluded from the planning system.”

However, as a self-taught coder, Erskine-Fox had been building websites for heritage groups as an “extracurricular” activity for some years. He already had the tools he needed.

Reach and flexibility Participatr, as the name implies, is an engagement platform. Built “iteratively” in response to real-world requirements, different stock features can be turned on or off, according to client need. It is particularly good at capturing sentiment, using maps to which consultees can pin comments. These can be instantly seen by everyone – ‘real-time’ feedback that lends the platform its strength.

“One thing I think is really important is the sense of transparency that this process can create,” says Erskine-Fox. “When I was standing in a village hall in a traditional consultation I would get told that ‘this is just going to sit on a dusty shelf’. I set out to achieve transparency and a sense of accountability.”

As he speaks it is clear that ErskineFox has a strong understanding of what will motivate people to engage and respond. It is no surprise that he writes much of the campaign content himself and even engineers clients’ consultation strategies. The essence is understanding the “human interest” at the heart of a project.

“The planning and development industry has a real problem communicating the positives and benefits

32

of developmentt to a younger demographic,” raphic,” he observes. “Th ey will They often use technical ical terms like ‘dwellings’ or ‘units’.

That hides the fact act that you are creating g a home for somebody, or a job,” he says.

“My aim is to make the user experience ence as quick and easy as possible – for example, establishing a bold headline that gets across quickly why something matters to somewhere.

“Part of it is recognising that people have short attention spans. If a young person is given a matter of seconds to engage in a planning application, they are proportionately more likely to have their say if we make it as easy as possible.”

There is also, he says, a clear financial motivation for developers to undertake “meaningful” engagement with communities.

“It’s becoming apparent that developers are starting to see tangible results [from attending to the “social value” of developments]. Developments that have a positive social relationship with communities are getting the biggest returns.

“If you engage early and meaningfully with the community there’s a good opportunity to be very good friends with the community and create something that really works.”

If there is continuity in his career progress so far, it can be embodied in the idea that Erskine-Fox is on a quest to make something that ‘works’ for people, preferably while retaining the capacity to move freely that is the hallmark of such a small enterprise.

Small is personal. Small is agile, adaptable. Small, for a recently married and mortgaged 32-year-old, is occasionally scary. “There are moments when I think ‘Should I have gone down that route?’ But, for me, part of the appeal of it is becoming something from nothing.” www.partipatr.co.uk

REACH OUT

Although platforms such as Participatr can be very effective once people have discovered the consultation, the bigger challenge is often reaching people in the first place. Unsurprisingly, Erskine-Fox has some strong ideas on this.

“The traditional thing to so is to send a window envelope addressed to the occupier. For me, it’s the first lesson of public consultation that you put yourself in the shoes of the person who received that. I’m 32. I get a lot of stuff through the door. If it hasn’t got my name on it I put it straight on the recycling. Straight away you’ve lost people you really want to get to.”

He continues: “I always suggest doing something overt – a postcard, for example, can get across why they should be interested in something very quickly. If I’m speaking to a housebuilder I say ‘Think like your marketing team thinks.

You are failing to get your customer involved in this process’.

“Social media is key and it can be done very effectively. But I don’t think it’s good enough just to set up a Twitter feed and ask for followers who are interested in new homes. It’s important to engage with people on issues that matter to them – for example, school places; the human interest matters that can be affected by development and the planning system.

Engage with groups and organisations who have an interest in these ‘secondary’ issues. Get these people involved.

“Development has a huge impact on local economies, so join in that discussion with the business community.”

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15/01/2019 16:51

ADVERTISER CONTENT

Shared transport: the way forward Planners can avail themselves of a new training course focused specifically on such schemes Shared transport is a hot topic at the moment, with many emerging and exciting ways in which these environmentally attractive forms of travelling can be integrated into our cities, towns and housing developments. Such schemes let individuals share either their journey or their mode of transport, with ride sharing, bike sharing and car clubs particularly popular examples of the form.

CoMoUK knows that planners have many different expectations to balance, so in order to support you in your understanding of how shared transport can work, we are delighted to announce the development of a training course specifically tailored to the subect.

feedback from professionals as to the objectives of the course, which will provide an understanding of car clubs in terms of the benefits to local authorities, developers and members of the public, as well as the benefits of car clubs in new developments and what planners can do to support them. The course will also cover the various different forms of bike share scheme.

Understanding best practice Participants will come away with an understanding of which shared transport schemes work best in different locations, and the best practice for incorporating shared transport into planning guidance.

The overarching aim of the course is to share our experience and knowledge, supporting planners in their journey into shared transport.

The format of the course will be four short modules and throughout the modules we will let you know the benefits to councils, and how councils can help to realise and maximise the benefits of shared transport through relevant guidance and section 75 agreements. These four topics are: n Introduction to car clubs and their benefits n Where car clubs work, how to set them up and how to expand them n Planning guidance to support car clubs

PARTICIPANTS WILL GAIN AN UNDERSTANDING OF WHICH SCHEMES WORK BEST

Environmental benefit The benefits of shared transport are vast, with car clubs and bike share schemes both playing their part in helping to lower emissions and improve air quality.

Car clubs reduce the number of cars on the road, while the cars involved tend to be more environmentally friendly. Bike share schemes are known to encourage people to consider leaving their cars at home, again reducing the number of cars on the road. In addition, bike share schemes encourage people to take part in active travel, which is a huge benefit to physical health.

Both car clubs and bike share schemes encourage inclusivity. Those unable to afford a car can join a car club instead, while bike share schemes give access to bikes for those unable to afford, or unable to store, a bike. By reducing the need for privately owned cars, shared transport also helps to reduce pressure on parking.

CoMoUK's new course will be the first of its kind. The company has taken on board

33 Advertorial_February 2019_The Planner 33

n Bike share schemes

How to register CoMoUK's shared transport course is launching early this year. You can register your interest at www.como.org. uk/cpdcourse. Any questions about the course or its content can be directed to CoMoUK at scotland@como.org.uk

15/01/2019 16:52

LANDSCAPE

Nations & Regions focus { Ancient and modern The South West is the largest English region and diverse in terms of its economy, the well-being of its population, its infrastructure and its natural environment, the latter being renowned for its spectacular coastline and mild climate.

Much of its reputation as a popular British holiday destination dates from before mass foreign travel, but tourism remains a key element of the economy, with more than 25 million visitors arriving each year.

But the region has experienced significant social and structural economic change; its population has nearly doubled over the past 100 years and is projected to grow by 7.3 per cent between 2016 and 2024, largely because of inward migration.

Its population age structure is older than the England average, with the proportion of older residents expected to grow faster than average over the next 20 years.

Economic change has seen declines in agricultural, fishing, mining and manufacturing, in favour of jobs in defence-associated activities, banking, insurance and higher education. More recently there has been a growth in scientific employment such as the move to Exeter in 2003 by the Met Office and

the establishment of science parks in Plymouth, Exeter, and at Emersons Green near Bristol and Bath.

The region’s GVA totals £113 billion, comprising 69.9 per cent services, 28.1 per cent production and 2 per cent agriculture.

The South West is often externally perceived as peripheral but prosperous and its overall GVA per capita ranks it fourth among English regions. This is a perception that many maintain has consistently put it at the end of the queue for central government investment.

In fact, incomes are lower than the UK average and there are great geographical variations in the quality of life. Alongside areas of relative affluence, places with high levels of multiple deprivation exist in Bristol, Plymouth, Bournemouth, Torbay, and Cheltenham, as well as more isolated rural areas, especially Cornwall, where average incomes are among the lowest in northern Europe.

Housing affordability levels are among the UK’s worst, while historically low levels of transport investment have left the region with a poor strategic road network. There is a limited rail network, especially in the far south-western area, which only serves the main urban areas.

FACTFILE 2018 2018 2018

Region: The South West of England covers Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Somerset, Wiltshire, the former County of Avon and the Isles of Scilly. The RTPI SW region covers this area, but also serves members in the Channel Islands.

Area: 23,800 sq km Population: 5.5m Main population centres: Greater Bristol 551,000, Bournemouth/ Poole/ Christchurch 400,000, Plymouth 264,000, Swindon 218,000, Exeter 130,000.

Parliamentary constituencies: 55 (47 Conservative, 7 Labour, 1 Liberal Democrat).

Planning authorities: Following a reorganisation of some councils from 1 April 2019, the South West will have the following planning authorities: three county councils (with a traditional two-tier structure) – Devon, Gloucestershire and Somerset; 11 unitary authorities –Bristol, Bath & North East Somerset, North Somerset, South Gloucestershire (now known collectively as the West of England), Plymouth, Torbay, Wiltshire, Dorset, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, and Isles of Scilly; 19 district/borough councils (within the remaining counties); and two national parks (Dartmoor and Exmoor). The states of Jersey and Guernsey/Alderney respectively, operate a planning system similar to the UK model.

Between them and variously, they are responsible for preparing planning, minerals and waste core strategies and local plans, an increasing number of the latter jointly.

IN THE PIPELINE

There is strong housing demand in much of the region, which has fuelled projects to provide substantial numbers of new homes. Those anticipated include: • Cranbrook, a free-standing development of some 8,000 homes in East Devon; • Monkton Heathfield, a 4,500-home urban extension for Taunton; • Sherford a 5,500 homes free-standing project in South Hams; and • Charlton Hayes, which will provide 2,200 homes adjacent to Filton airfield in South Gloucestershire.

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South West COMING UP

ROOM@RTPI Interactive Workshop 1: Living By Numbers – The Unintended Consequences of Housing Delivery 20 March, Swindon All-day event exploring the obstacles to delivering housing and some of the unintended consequences of recent policy approaches, including the housing delivery test. bit.ly/planner0219-housing

Development Management / Law Update 25 April, Plymouth Seminar and workshops focusing on the legal aspects of development management in the light of recent planning case law and revisions to the NPPF. bit.ly/planner0219-law

CPD Day – multi-choice workshops 21 May, Exeter Choose up to four interactive sessions covering topics requested by RTPI planners under the headings of: specialist and technical planning knowledge; key skills; and issues in professional practice tailored to specific interests and needs. bit.ly/planner0219-cpdday These and other events will be available to book online shortly at: bit.ly/planner0119-yorkshire

RECENT SUCCESSES

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1. Planning for the legacy of Hinkley Point C

the EDF Energy Low Carbon Leadership Training Campus.

Partnership succeeded where previous attempts had failed.

The RTPI’s Excellence during the Planning Decision Process award went to Sedgemoor District Council, working with West Somerset District Council and Somerset County Council on an innovative approach to delivering legacy benefits from the Hinkley Point C nuclear power station project. This has already seen the establishment of the National College for Nuclear, the Somerset Energy Innovation Centre, and

bit.ly/planner0219-hinkleyc

bit.ly/planner0219-mcarthurs

2. McArthur’s Yard

3. Plymouth and SW Devon Joint Local Plan

The redevelopment of McArthur’s Yard, Bristol, by the Nash Partnership was highly commended in the 2018 RTPI Awards. This mixed-use scheme is for one of the last-remaining undeveloped sites on Bristol’s Harbourside. Integrated planning, urban design and architectural services for the Guinness

I M A G E S | A L A M Y / G E T T Y / S H U T T E R S T O C K / N A S H PA R T N E R S H I P / H I G H L E V E L P H O T O G R A P H Y

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Highly commended in the regional RTPI awards 2018, this is one of the few joint plans in the country so far. It is an example of effective collaboration between three local planning authorities: Plymouth, South Hams and West Devon. bit.ly/planner0219-plymouth

F EB R U AR Y 2 0 19 / THE PLA NNER

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LANDSCAPE

South West INSIGHT: DAWLISH COUNTRYSIDE PARK

Dawlish Countryside Park

This £2.9 million project has seen three agricultural fields transformed within 18 months by Teignbridge District Council into a public countryside park that plays a crucial role in mitigating the impact of development on nearby protected sites.

The 27-hectare park provides countryside adjacent to what will be Dawlish’s 1,700-home urban extension.

It is part of the joint habitat mitigation strategy adopted with East Devon District Council and Exeter City Council and has allowed Teignbridge to grant planning permissions for around 4,000 homes near the protected Exe Estuary and Dawlish Warren – both sites of international importance for nature conservation.

This has been integral to ensuring that Teignbridge exceeds local plan targets of 620 new homes a year.

Without the park almost 60 per cent of Greater Exeter’s housing supply would have been put at risk because of an absence of appropriate habitat mitigation.

Teignbridge worked with Natural England to identify a suitable site, and the council’s spatial planning and delivery team was project sponsor and project manager.

Fergus Pate, principal delivery officer for planning, explains: “Building plans would impinge on the protected sites as there will be 30,000 more homes within 10km of them on the Greater Exeter area.

“Having a countryside park in Dawlish also helps to mitigate the impact of visitor numbers on the protected sites by diverting visitors who would otherwise go there.”

Estelle Skinner, the council’s green infrastructure officer, says the park site was chosen because it was “on enough of a gradient to make it interesting”

while still allowing most of the site to be fully accessible.

During its development, planners built links with other authorities facing similar issues.

As its entry for the RTPI South West Awards for Planning Excellence 2018 describes it: “We [were] able to share the benefits and efficiencies of a local authority-led approach to suitable alternative natural green space (SANGS) delivery, promoting the advantages of our approach to areas where the market is sometimes delivering privately, banking SANGS capacity and selling at a considerable profit, at the potential expense of other infrastructure priorities.”

The park’s popularity is demonstrated by some 200 daily visits by pedestrians and a routinely full car park.

SIGNPOSTS n Regional chair Chris Balch, Emeritus Professor of Planning at Plymouth University n Regional Web Address bit.ly/planner0219-SW n Events bit.ly/planner0219-SWevents n Annual Review bit.ly/planner0219-review n South West Young Planners bit.ly/planner0219-swyp n Email: southwest@rtpi.org.uk n Twitter: @RTPISouthWest

NEXT MONTH:

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I M AG E | ST I L L I M AG I N G

15/01/2019 16:53

ADVERTISER CONTENT

Aylesbury Vale District Council – a great place to grow your career Innovative and exciting work Aylesbury Vale District Council is one of the busiest planning authorities in the country, processing almost 4,000 applications each year, with 27,000 new homes planned by 2033. n The District is also at the heart of multiple national infrastructure projects, including HS2, East-West Rail and the OxfordCambridge Expressway. n Aylesbury was awarded Garden Town status in January 2017, offering a unique chance to ensure that as the town grows, Aylesbury and the surrounding area continues to thrive and be an attractive place to live, work and visit. n AVDC is keen to reward excellent planning and celebrate the contribution of our planning officers. 2018 saw the 25th Anniversary of AVDC’s Design Awards, which celebrate the excellent designs seen across the district. Recent winners include Grand Designs' Dinton Castle.

Customer service – at the heart of what we do AVDC is developing innovative solutions and new roles to ensure consistently high levels of customer service and to guarantee a highquality built environment across the district. n We have recently introduced account managers who work closely with major developers to act as dedicated points of contact, building long-lasting relationships and supporting future growth in the Vale. n Regular forums are held for developers

Come and work for us You can apply via our website https://jobs.aylesburyvaledc.gov.uk/.

If you want to find out more about the exciting opportunities available at AVDC please call Hannah Peacock on 01296 585271 (MonFri 9.00am to 5.30pm) or email hpeacock@aylesburyvalesdc.gov.uk

Aylesbury_February 2019_The Planner 37

and agents to attend, where account managers provide an update on council services and plans for the future. n The post of parish liaison officer was introduced in 2018. With 112 parish and town councils in the district, the liaison officer acts as a single point of contact between planners and parishes and allows local communities to easily communicate with one of the busiest planning authorities in the country. n The parish liaison officer also sends regular updates to parishes and local members to inform them of changes and progress within the planning department, and carries out weekly drop-in sessions for local members to bring their queries to.

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A supportive and flexible working environment We have a growing and enthusiastic team comprising highly experienced planners and those at the very beginning of their careers. n Our Grow Our Own scheme has successfully employed returners to the workforce as well as school-leavers. n We are proud to offer a fantastic, family-

n

friendly place to work, with real opportunities to grow, whether you are returning to work or looking for a direction after leaving full-time education.

In 2017, we introduced a graduate scheme for the first time, focusing on developing the next generation of planners.

We operate a flexible working scheme, which includes the ability to work from home, work flexible hours and a range of other flexible and part-time working patterns.

We have provided all officers with a structured path they can follow towards achieving higher levels of delegated authority, as well professional development and progression.

The team has a buddy system which sees each officer have a named colleague as a first point of contact for any technical questions, allowing knowledge and expertise to filter through the team, as well as providing opportunities for officers to mentor others.

The buddy system is supplemented by regular planned drop-in sessions with senior and principal officers, meaning all staff can continually develop their technical knowledge.

15/01/2019 16:55

LANDSCAPE

C&D { C

CASES &DECISIONS

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

Sutton Estate regeneration scheme fails ‘no net loss’ policy test EXPERT ANALYSIS

The housing secretary has refused plans to replace part of a social housing estate in Chelsea with market homes, rejecting the appellant’s argument that vacated homes there should not be counted as existing social housing.

The Sutton Estate, which dates to 1913, is owned and managed by Clarion Housing Group, the UK’s largest housing association. In 2015, Clarion applied to demolish 383 flats on the estate to make way for 343 new homes, of which 106 would be for private sale.

After the council rejected the application, it was recovered by the housing secretary. A nine-day inquiry led by inspector Philip J G Ware sat in May 2018.

159 of the flats on the estate have been vacant since 2016, when residents were evicted.

Clarion said the flats were vacated “as a preliminary step towards estate renewal” because they failed to meet the government’s ‘decent homes standard’, adding that workers were told to remove sinks and toilets and board up the flats “to prevent squatting” while the redevelopment plan was processed.

Brokenshire agreed, along with Ware, the council and the Mayor of London, that redevelopment of the estate was “the only feasible option” to bring it up to modern standards. He did not object to the loss of the existing buildings on heritage grounds.

The appeal turned on the

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Michael Stephen planning committee chairman, The Chelsea Society ( “The Chelsea Society said at the appeal that it would be unrealistic for the minister to ignore the revised scheme, which provides more social housing than the original scheme, but if he takes it into account he must be satisfied that local people have had a proper opportunity to consider it. ( “If he is not so satisfied this could mean a new application, which would be very costly and would lead to more years of uncertainty for the residents.

We would prefer to see the money spent on providing better housing for the residents than on professional fees.

LOCATION: Chelsea AUTHORITY: Kensington & Chelsea Borough Council

INSPECTOR: Philip J G Ware PROCEDURE: Recovered appeal DECISION: Dismissed REFERENCE: APP/ K5600/W/17/3177810

quantum of social housing included in the proposals.

The council objected to the proposed 14 per cent reduction in floor space for

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social housing, contrary to its policy aim to achieve “no net loss and the maximum reasonable provision” of affordable housing.

The appellant contended that as the vacated units on the estate were empty they should not be considered “existing social housing”.

But Brokenshire ruled that “the vacation of a property as a preliminary step towards estate renewal cannot reasonably be a basis for disregarding that floor space for the purposes of affordable housing policy”. He agreed that to do so would provide “an incentive for social housing providers to run down their estates”.

The appellant had also

( “He was not so satisfied, and the current situation is not satisfactory for anyone. The owners cannot be compelled to refurbish, but improvement is urgently necessary. In deciding what to do now the owners must respect the purposes for which the land was given by William Sutton.”

submitted a revised scheme that sought to address the council’s concerns about the provision of social housing.

However, Brokenshire ruled, this application was submitted after the appeal process for the current scheme had begun, and not all parties had had a chance to properly address it.

In line with the Wheatcroft principle, he indicated that the revised scheme would have no bearing on his decision.

Brokenshire gave decisive weight to the scheme’s failure to comply with the council’s “no net loss” housing policy, and dismissed the appeal.

I M AG E S | A L A M Y / I STO C K

15/01/2019 16:56

These are just a few of the 40 or so appeal reports that we post each month on our website: www.theplanner.co.uk/decisions

Land purchase uncertainty halts urban extension A 1,200-home urban extension north of Warrington has been blocked after the housing secretary cited deliverability concerns relating to the appellant’s incomplete ownership of the site.

319-unit towers allowed with 19% affordable housing An inspector has approved two towers of 24 and 30 storeys with only 19 per cent affordable housing provision on the Isle of Dogs despite the developer’s original offer of 40 per cent, as well as dismissing the council’s calls for a late-stage review mechanism.

The towers were to comprise 319 flats and 1,700 square metres of flexible floor space. At the inquiry, the appellant’s position was to offer 16 per cent affordable housing provision. The council’s specialist consultants accepted this figure as the maximum it could viably support.

But the council sought the inclusion of a late-stage review mechanism, which would allow it to review the appellant’s affordable housing contribution at different stages of construction based on market conditions.

It did so on the basis that the appellant had initially offered 40 per cent affordable housing at application stage, believing that it would lead to a quicker approval, before lowering its offer when the scheme went to appeal.

Although he agreed that the earlier offers of varying percentages of affordable housing provision had “muddied the waters”, inspector Paul Jackson also accepted that developers might place a premium on avoiding the appeals process and starting construction quickly for commercial reasons.

He found no requirement to include a review mechanism “in straightforward LOCATION: Millwall policy terms”, despite acknowledging that the AUTHORITY: Tower Hamlets Borough draft local plan seeks Council to make them part of the planning process in INSPECTOR: Paul Jackson London.

In his conclusion, PROCEDURE: Inquiry Jackson ruled that scheme would make a DECISION: Allowed “significant contribution” to the need for housing in REFERENCE: APP/ Tower Hamlets, as well as E5900/W/18/3194952 achieving a high quality of architectural design.

On this basis he allowed the appeal.

The scheme was to include 1,200 homes, a supermarket and primary school, sports pitches, a pub, and 600 square metres of community floor space.

It was recovered for determination by housing secretary James Brokenshire because of its scale.

The council had adopted a new local plan in 2014, but its policies relating to housing – including the area’s housing requirement – were removed a year later following a successful High Court challenge.

Without a housing requirement, the council could not calculate or demonstrate its housing land supply. On this basis, Brokenshire applied the NPPF’s ‘tilted balance’ in favour of sustainable development.

However, he noted, the site was not owned by the appellant in its entirety, and the playing fields not under its control would not necessarily become available for sale.

Furthermore, the

LOCATION: Warrington AUTHORITY: Warrington Borough Council

INSPECTOR: Richard Schofield PROCEDURE: Recovered appeal DECISION: Dismissed REFERENCE: APP/ M0655/W/17/3178530

appellant had not secured the support of a bus operator to run services at the site.

In the planning balance, Brokenshire noted that if the scheme had been considered deliverable, its provision of 1,200 homes – of which 30 per cent would be affordable – would attract significant weight.

However, he concluded, these merits must be “left for further consideration” until the issue of control over all parts of the site is resolved.

The appeal was therefore dismissed.

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LANDSCAPE

C&D { C Final section of Denmark electricity interconnector is approved

LOCATION: Lincolnshire Wolds AUTHORITY: East Lindsey District Council

INSPECTOR: John Felgate PROCEDURE: Inquiry DECISION: Allowed REFERENCE: APP/ D2510/W/18/3208088

The scheme covered 30 miles of a larger project known as the Viking Link – a 473-mile electrical interconnector cable between the UK and Denmark. The project would allow 12.3 terawatts of energy to pass through cables running under the North Sea each year, between southern Jutland in Denmark and Boston, Lincolnshire.

On the UK side, the cable route would pass through four local authority districts.

Of these, only East Lindsey

Elderly care does not outweigh affordable housing in Henley An inspector has blocked plans for a 56-bed care home on land in Henley allocated for housing, ruling that accommodation for elderly people must not come at the expense of affordable housing delivery in the area.

The site was allocated in the local plan for 23 homes, of which 40 per cent would be affordable. Instead, the appellant planned to build a 56-bedroom care home.

Inspector Robert Parker did not dispute the “growing need” to cater for the area’s ageing population. He acknowledged the appellant’s analysis showing a significant unmet need for care bed spaces in the area, and agreed that the scheme would contribute to meeting this need, as well as providing

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specialist dementia care.

However, he noted, the proposal would fall under use class C2 (residential

District Council refused to grant permission for its portion of the project, citing harm to the Lincolnshire Wolds AONB. By the time of the inquiry, however, it had decided not to contest the appeal and presented no evidence during proceedings.

Inspector John Felgate acknowledged that the laying of the cables would require vegetation to be removed along a 30 metre-wide corridor 30 miles in length, of which five-and-a-half

miles would be in the AONB. But Felgate noted that the project would meet an “essential need for additional energy supply in the UK”, and its benefits would come forward “unaffected by the country’s decision to leave the EU in 2019”.

Harm to the character of the AONB would, said Felgate, be “temporary and limited”, and potential alternative routes had been “rigorously examined”. Consequently, he allowed the appeal.

institution), and would not be required to provide affordable housing. For this reason, it would prevent the delivery of eight affordable homes on the site.

Considering the housing supply context in Henley, Parker noted that the area is the single least affordable in the district, and that delivery of affordable housing has been “substantially below the level of need” in recent years.

In his conclusion, Parker ruled that although providing

accommodation for older people is an essential part of achieving a balanced community, “it should not be at the expense of other sections of the community”.

Concluding that the scheme would undermine the core objectives of the development plan, he dismissed the appeal.

I M AG E S | G E T T Y / i STO C K

A 473-mile undersea electrical cable link between the UK and Denmark can go ahead after an inspector ruled that the scheme’s international energy and climate benefits would outweigh temporary harm to the Lincolnshire Wolds AONB.

LOCATION: Henley­on­Thames AUTHORITY: South Oxfordshire District Council

INSPECTOR: Robert Parker PROCEDURE: Written submissions DECISION: Dismissed REFERENCE: APP/ Q3115/W/18/3203476

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DECISIONS DIGEST{

SUBSCRIBE to our appeals digest:

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

Mountaineering club can reach new heights Plans for a two-storey roof extension to the grade-II listed premises of the world’s oldest mountaineering club can go ahead in East London, an inspector has ruled, after finding no harm to the south Shoreditch conservation area. bit.ly/planner0219-mountaineer

New housing to fund scheduledd monument restoration St Albans heritage improvements constitute very special circumstances

An ‘at risk’ 14th century scheduled ed monument in the Wirral green belt elt can be converted into four homes, s, an inspector has ruled, approving 277 more homes on the site to fund the scheme heme as ‘enabling development’. bit.ly/planner0219-wirral

An inspector has cited very special circumstances in approving plans for a new home on the border between the St Albans conservation area and its surrounding green belt. bit.ly/planner0219-stalbans

Brokenshire overrules inspector to block South London tower

Health problems do not justify a bungalow in place of lawful caravan

In a called-in decision, the housing secretary has rejected plans for a 17-storey residential tower in Purley, citing ‘serious concerns’ about its height and calling its design ‘unsympathetic’. bit.ly/planner0219-purley

A gypsy couple who replaced their council-approved green belt caravan with a bungalow because of their health-related low tolerance to cold weather have been refused retrospective permission by an inspector. bit.ly/planner0219-caravan yp

Housing scheme incompatible with village’s ‘sense of place’ The housing secretary has refused plans for 40 homes on the edge of a village in Gloucestershire despite finding a housing supply shortfall, after taking into account the new definition of ‘deliverable’ in the revised NPPF. bit.ly/planner0219-gloucestershire y/planner0219-gloucestershire

‘No pets’ policy for Hoo Peninsula nsula retirement village In approving a 50-home retirement ment village on the Hoo Peninsula, an n inspector has upheld a unilateral al undertaking banning residents from keeping pets to protect a nearby y site of special scientific interest. bit.ly/planner0219-hoo

Golf netting refused for green belt harm despite safety concerns

Smaller building would have greater ‘spatial presence’

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A plan to replace a garden workshop building in Dorset with a holiday home has been blocked for harm to green belt openness, after an inspector found that the new building would have a greater ‘spatial presence’, despite being smaller in size. bit.ly/planner0219-dorset

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An inspector has blocked plans for a safety net intended to protect a home close to a golf course in Harrow from stray balls, ruling that it would constitute a building and would therefore be inappropriate green belt development. bit.ly/ planner0219-golf

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LANDSCAPE

LLegal landscape OPINION

Isolated homes can be sustainable We’re told that housing in isolated rural locations is not sustainable. But NPPF2 has no definition of ‘isolated’ and courts advise a pragmatic approach to rural housing consent, says Bernadette Hillman The question of sustainability of housing proposals in rural settlements and villages in terms of distance to services and facilities continues to be a difficult and uncertain issue for developers, as well as for existing and future residents.

While these projects are challenging, the fact that a site falls outside or even partly outside of the defined settlement boundary need not be fatal.

National planning policy identifies broad principles and indicates a broad approach to this issue. Local planning authorities are advised what ‘should’ be done but there are no specific tests to judge the acceptability of particular proposals.

In our experience, planning authorities have, in the past, generally taken the view that settlement areas are sacrosanct, depending on: • the local development plan as the starting point • its status • whether the authority can demonstrate a five-year housing land supply.

Subject to overcoming those constraints, local planning authorities would tend to cite national guidance and to avoid development of homes in the countryside,

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unless one or more of the prescribed circumstances applied, even if they were not truly ‘isolated’.

NPPF2 expressly recognises that development in a small village may enhance and maintain services in a neighbouring village, as people travel to use them.

There is no national planning policy against development in settlements without facilities and services. On the contrary, paragraph 78 says: “where there are groups of similar settlements, development in one village may support services in a village nearby”.

In practice, particularly in rural villages where development in one village is very likely to support services in another, the courts advise a flexible, clear and logical approach, as in: Dartford Borough Council v SSCLG & ors [2017] EWCA Civ 141 and Braintree DC v SSCLG & ors [2018] EWCA Civ 610.

The Court of Appeal has stated specifically that ‘functional isolation’ does not fall within the previous paragraph 55 (now paragraph 79). A prescriptive and restrictive interpretation is inappropriate. The decisionmaker’s task is simply to discern the objective meaning of the policy as it is written, having regard to the context in

which the policy sits.

Once they have understood the policy, they may then exercise their planning judgement in what should be a fairly straightforward exercise. Planning policies, whether in the local development plan or in the NPPF, should not be overinterpreted for fear that this could distort their true meaning.

The section on rural housing in NPPF2 deals specifically with the location of new housing development.

The first sentence of paragraph 78 tells local planning authorities that housing should be located “where it will enhance or maintain the vitality of rural communities”.

The concept of the “vitality” of a rural community is wide and undefined. The example given that it “may support services in a village nearby” does not limit the notion of ‘vitality’ to a consideration of ‘services’ alone. It shows that the policy sees a possible benefit of developing housing in a rural settlement with no, or relatively few, services of its own.

NPPF2 contains no definitions of ‘isolated’, ‘community’, ‘settlement’, or a ‘village’. There is no specified minimum number of dwellings, or population.

Development in one village may “support services” in another. There is no requirement for a ‘village’, to have any ‘services’ of its own, let alone ‘services’ of any

specified kind.

In rural areas, where public transport is limited, it is recognised that people may have to travel by car to a village or town to access services. Sustainable transport needs to be sufficiently flexible to take account of the differences between urban and rural areas.

Housing proposals in rural settlements can and should be supported where they will enhance or maintain the vitality of rural communities, providing the supply of housing required to meet the needs of present and future generations. Homes in very small villages that are not truly ‘isolated’ can do just that, contributing to sustainability because of their proximity to other homes.

Bernadette Hillman is senior planning counsel at Asserson and honorary solicitor to the RTPI

In brief Local authorities tend to cite national policy to resist housing in ‘isolated’ rural locations.

But NPPF2 is not prescriptive and many terms, such as ‘isolated’, are undefined.

The courts advise a flexible, clear and logical approach – development may support services in neighbouring villages, for example.

Therefore, homes in small villages that are not truly ‘isolated’ can contribute to sustainable housing.

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EVENTS

CASES

LEGISLATION

NEWS

ANALYSIS

NEWS Landlords must repay illegal gains or face jail Harrow Crown Court has ordered a Neasden couple to pay back more than £300,000 in illegal income after failing to comply with enforcement notices. If they do not pay the money back, they face prison.

Mohammad Ishaq, 68, and Shamim Akhtar, 66, of Clifford Way, Neasden, converted two terraced houses, one on Glynfield Road and the other in Belton Road, into 18 tiny flats without planning permission. They subsequently lost appeals against Brent’s enforcement notices, which ordered them to undo the works. They failed to comply for several years.

The couple pleaded guilty to the offences in May at Willesden Magistrates’ Court. The case was referred to Harrow Crown Court for confiscation and sentencing. Judge Dean ordered them to pay back £322,282. They were also each fined £10,000 for failing to comply with enforcement notices on properties they own in Willesden and Harlesden, and ordered to pay costs.

The judge said the breaches had caused harm to both the surrounding community and to the occupants of the properties. She told the defendants.

“As you’ll continue to be landlords, I hope you now understand the importance of providing good quality properties.”

She said that unless they convinced the court to allow for extra time, failure to pay within 12 weeks could lead to a term of two years in prison.

Trail riders win Stonehenge byways battle A group of trail riders have a won a High Court battle over Wiltshire County Council’s decision to temporarily ban the use of seven byways and footpath all near the Stonehenge World Heritage site.

The order in question was the County of Wiltshire (Various Byways and Footpath, Amesbury, Berwick St James, Durrington, Wilsford cum Lake and Woodford) (Prohibition of Driving) Experimental Order 2018. It was made in exercise of the power at section 9 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, a power to make orders “for the purposes of carrying out an experimental scheme of traffic control”. Such orders can last 18 months.

It prohibited the use of “any motor vehicle” on any byway, with the exception of those used by landowners or tenants for access. The Trail Riders Fellowship (TRF), a group that seeks to preserve the Green Roads network, believed the decision to make the order – taken by the council’s director for highways and transport, was unlawful on three grounds.

The TRF was concerned about failure to comply with consultation requirements; the order was made without regard to relevant considerations; and it was not made for any experimental purpose.

Mr Justice Swift upheld the challenge on the consultation ground.

Coventry secures fine for outlawed marquee The owner of The Farmhouse Restaurant on Beechwood Avenue has been fined for failing to comply with a planning enforcement notice to remove a marquee that has been in use for the past two years.

In 2016, the planning enforcement team at Coventry City Council received complaints from members of the public about a large, untidy marquee attached to the restaurant in a prominent position.

Enforcement officers found that the owner had not sought planning permission for the marquee and that there were no permitted development rights that would allow the marquee to be erected without planning approval, even temporarily. Owner Mohammed Basharat was given 28 days to remove it. A subsequent planning application and appeal were refused, but despite several repeated warnings, the marquee remained in place.

Basharat appeared at Coventry Magistrates Court in December, where he pleaded guilty to failing to comply with an enforcement notice. He was fined £12,000 and ordered to pay £1,545 in costs, plus a £170 victim surcharge. He agreed to remove the marquee by 18 January. The fine is the largest imposed following action by Coventry City Council.

LEGAL BRIEFS Life and times of a Planning Inspector 30th January, Leeds bit.ly/planner0219-inspector

Climate Change (Emissions Reduction Targets) (Scotland) Bill Scotland’s bill setting out emissions reduction targets will move to the amendment stage on 8 February bit.ly/planner0219-bills

Debate: Tackling London's Illegal Air Pollution 6th February, London bit.ly/planner0219-pollution

Court hears Aberdeen FC stadium case A three-day hearing for Aberdeen Football Club’s proposed £50 million, 20,000-seater stadium begins this week. bit.ly/planner0219-aberdeen

Planning Question Time 2019 19th February, Reading bit.ly/planner0219-questiontime

New sustainable drainage regulations in Wales Regulations for Sustainable Drainage Systems, or SuDs, for new property developments in Wales came into force on 7 January. bit.ly/planner0219-drainage

A legitimate expectation to what, exactly?

Dentons’ planning and law associate Ralph Kellas discusses the Court of Appeal ruling on whether or not the secretary of state must justify his decision not to ‘call in’ a planning application. bit.ly/planner0219-dentons

Planning (Appeals) Bill second reading The second reading of the Planning (Appeals) Bill is due on 25 January in the House of Commons. bit.ly/planner0219-appeals

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NEWS

RTPI {

RTPI news pages are edited

by Will Finch at the RTPI, 41 Botolph Lane, London EC3R 8DL

RTPI joins forces with Woodland Trust SARAH LEWIS MRTPI, PLANNING PRACTICE OFFICER The RTPI is pleased to announce that it has worked with the Woodland Trust to produce a new RTPI Learn training module on ancient woodlands and trees.

The module outlines how town planners have a key role in the protection and enhancement of this irreplaceable resource.

Our advice highlights how the cultural and historical value of ancient woodlands and trees for society is equally as high as our built heritage; having developed over hundreds of years, they have an unmatched landscape and conservation value. However, only 2 per cent of land in the UK is covered by ancient woodland, and it continues to be under threat from the direct and indirect effects of development.

The training module outlines the value of ancient woodland and trees and why they are irreplaceable. It demonstrates that it is possible to use existing planning legislation and tools to undertake high-quality development that respects and protects ancient woodlands and trees. Good practice examples from around the UK show how timely and thoughtful solutions can protect our natural environment.

In the UK (with the exception of Scotland) ancient woodlands are sites that have been continuously wooded since at least 1600 (see also below, right)

n The free, interactive, training module is introductory and takes an hour to complete.

Our improved RTPI Learn package is now mobile-enabled, which means that you can carry out your training on the go. Find out more by visiting https://rtpilearn.org.uk/

Big Belly Oak, the greatgrandfather of the historic Savernake trees in Wiltshire

“For centuries this country’s history has been shaped by our trees. We have built our homes from them, gone to sea in them, lined our streets, and marked our fields, made furniture and firewood from them. We have hidden and hunted in forests, walked in the woods and delighted in individual specimens in town and country.

“Trees are a link to our past, yet they are critical to our future. Ancient woodlands are the most biodiverse in the UK, a critical carbon store and a haven for humans and wildlife.

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“I am pleased and proud that the Woodland Trust and the RTPI have come together to work on this important module. Planners work on the front line, shaping the places we live in now and in the future. By understanding the value of ancient woods and trees, I do hope planners will give full weight to the benefit trees in general and ancient woodlands in particular are to all of us.”

Barrister and broadcaster Clive Anderson, President of the Woodland Trust

I M A G E S | W T M L / D O M I N I C N I C H O L L S / J I M S M I T H W R I G H T W T P L / I S O B E L C A M E R O N W T P L / L A U R A E A S T

15/01/2019 16:58

Editorial E: rtpinews@rtpi.org.uk

RTPI (switchboard) T: 020 7929 9494

Registered charity no.

262865 Registered charity in Scotland SCO37841

3 POINT PLAN A planner explains how they would improve the English planning system

Reece Lemon

1

PLANNER, SAVILLS

Although politics is an important part of the planning process, too often political grandstanding slows or altogether precludes delivery. The planning system should seek to better manage this relationship – to protect the integrity of our profession, planning decisions should be based on sound planning judgement.

As planners, we all have similar goals whether working for the public or private sector: to see well-designed, quality development coming forward to meet needs. Open, honest dialogue focused on reasonable solutions – inevitably with some give and take on both sides – could go some way in delivering high-quality development, without defaulting to what sometimes results in stalemate or a cycle of applications, refusals and appeals which could be otherwise avoided.

It is difficult for planners to plan for all, when represented only by the few. We each have a responsibility, at a corporate and individual level, to contribute in promoting our industry far and wide. Improving diversity is not just a tick-box exercise, but essential in enhancing our skills offer as built-environment professionals.

M E M B E R S H I P S TAT S O F 2 0 1 8

55%

The year­on­year increase in the number of applications for our new non­accredited routes to membership. The new routes were introduced at the beginning of 2017.

Better manage the relationship between decision­ making and politics

2 Better promote open, ‘solution­ focused’ dialogue between decision­ makers and agents

3 Identify opportunities to broaden the reach and diversity of the profession

POSITION POINTS

CONSULTATION LAUNCHED ON BIODIVERSITY NET GAIN JAMES HARRIS, POLICY AND NETWORKS MANAGER, RTPI The government is considering introducing a mandatory requirement into the English planning system that requires developments to make improvements to biodiversity in a more consistent way. The proposed approach would first seek to avoid and mitigate against environmental damage, then to compensate for any biodiversity loss with habitat creation or enhancement within or near the development. Where this is not possible, developers would pay a tariff to fund biodiversity improvements elsewhere.

To contribute to the RTPI’s response, please email james. harris@rtpi.org.uk. The consultation document is available at: bit.ly/planner0219-bio

‘BUILDING A ZERO CARBON ECONOMY’

The year­on­year increase in conversion from Student membership to Licentiate membership. 366 members converted directly, a 45.75% conversion rate.

19.26%

DR DANIEL SLADE, RESEARCH OFFICER, RTPI The RTPI recently responded to the Committee on Climate Change’s call for evidence ‘Building a Zero Carbon Economy’.

In it, the committee asked for advice on the UK’s long-term targets for greenhouse gas emissions and the UK’s transition to a net zero-carbon economy.

We already have the technology to respond to climate change.

The critical challenges we face relate to governance, regulation, and implementation; how to do we encourage behaviour change? How do we coordinate investment across different sectors/places? How do we engage the public effectively?

We need to get governance structures right first if we are to stand any chance of bringing about the unprecedented societal changes required by climate change. An effective and wellresourced planning system will be central to this.

F EB R U AR Y 2 0 1 9 / THE PLA NNER 44-47 RTPI News_February 2019_The Planner 45

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NEWS

RTPI { R T P I F E LLO W S H I P S

‘Going above and beyond’ – RTPI welcomes new Fellows The RTPI is delighted to announce that it has awarded Fellowships to nine of the UK’s leading planners, whose work showcases all that is best about the profession.

The prestigious award recognises those who have made a significant “above and beyond” contribution to planning. This may be through leadership, innovation, and positive impact on the community or the development of others.

RTPI president Ian Tant MRTPI said: “I am immensely proud to see so many of my colleagues achieve the status of Fellow of the Institute, demonstrating enormous

contribution and commitment to the profession and impact on the wider community.

“The letters FRTPI after your name signify not only the highest professional attainment but also a personal contribution to the art and science of town planning. I encourage more members to go for Fellow status.”

Among the new Fellows is urban designer and town planner Dr Wei Yang, chairman of Wei Yang & Partners. Wei is recognised for her innovation in researching, promoting and implementing the ‘21st Century Garden City’ approach, and for promoting best practice and new techniques in

a Chinese context.

Jonathan Manns, board director and head of planning at Rockwell Property, is one of the youngest candidates to achieve Fellow status. Described as the pre-eminent British planner of his generation, Jonathan’s work to tackle London’s housing crisis has included founding the APPG for London’s Planning and Built Environment.

Another new Fellow is Diana Fitzsimons – after a long and varied career as a leading planner in the public, private and academic sectors, Diana is now a Belfast Harbour commissioner and chair of the largest housing association in Northern Ireland. She is

currently implementing some of the masterplans she obtained approval for when a planning consultant, including Titanic Quarter and City Quays. n To find out more about becoming a Fellow of the Institute, visit: www.rtpi.org.uk/fellow

Fellows elected in 2018 Susan Bridge FRTPI Diana Fitzsimons FRTPI Gary Halman FRTPI Colin Haylock FRTPI Kieron Hyams FRTPI Jonathan Manns FRTPI Craig McLaren FRTPI Lindsey Richards FRTPI Wei Yang FRTPI

RTPI launches ambitious research programme The RTPI has launched a comprehensive research programme covering the period 2019-2022, following an extensive engagement consultation with members and stakeholders.

It focuses on a range of key research topics that will address perennial and new planning issues, including the regeneration of high streets, green belts, public health and refugee camps.

There will also be a focus on the planning profession itself, reflecting the Institute’s commitment to ensuring a

46

diverse pipeline of planners. New research to be commissioned in early 2019 will seek to understand issues including the make-up of the planning profession and the ways in which people enter it.

Professor Aude BicqueletLock, RTPI Deputy Head of Research and Policy, said: “Planning has never been more crucial to society and this is reflected in the ambitious scope

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of our programme.

“The RTPI is playing a vital role in advancing understanding of many critical problems we face and how planning can help to mitigate and solve them.”

The research programme also reflects the results of the 2017 membership survey from which it became clear that issues including Brexit, housing affordability, climate change, rapid global urbanisation, ageing

populations and transport infrastructure were all of concern.

Resourcing of public sector planning was another issue raised by members in the survey. The RTPI will continue to build a case for the value of planning and for why planning should be present at the top of the corporate hierarchy of local authorities.

The RTPI would like to thank everyone who participated in the survey and consultation. n To find out more, please email aude.bicquelet@rtpi.org.uk

I M AG E | ST U T T E RSTO C K

15/01/2019 16:59

RTPI Y ACTIVIT E PIPELIN

Key dates for 2019

NEW CHARTERED MEMBERS

England

Lewis Marshall MRTPI

Joshua Ambrus MRTPI

Rebecca Marshall MRTPI

Oluwatito Arowobusoye MRTPI

James McCabe MRTPI

Michael Atkins MRTPI

Kelly McCann MRTPI

Alice Attwood MRTPI

Hannah McLaughlin MRTPI

Matthew Aveyard MRTPI

Rachael Morey MRTPI

Roseanna Barnes-Brett MRTPI

Nicola Morrison MRTPI

Emma Kate Barral MRTPI

Adam Murray MRTPI

Lucy Battersby MRTPI

Oliver Neagle MRTPI

David Baume MRTPI

Andrew Norton MRTPI

Harry Bennett MRTPI

Thomas O’Connor MRTPI

Victoria Bennion MRTPI

Michael Parker MRTPI

Aine Bourke MRTPI

Patrycja Pikniczka MRTPI

Zoe Brown MRTPI

Louise Plant MRTPI

Niamh Burke MRTPI

Emma Raine MRTPI

Matthew Burrow MRTPI

Jonathon Rankin MRTPI

Victoria Button MRTPI

Claire Richards MRTPI

Andrew Byrne MRTPI

Gareth Roberts MRTPI

Anthony Carter MRTPI

Debra Roberts MRTPI

Michael Conroy MRTPI

Richard Robeson MRTPI

Emma Conwell MRTPI

Rajinder Rooprai MRTPI

James Cook MRTPI

Ayesha Saleem MRTPI

Andrew Cotton MRTPI

Tasmin Sealy MRTPI

Matthew Coyne MRTPI

Charlotte Seward MRTPI

Andrew Cross MRTPI

Nissa Shahid MRTPI

Elizabeth Dewsbury MRTPI

Elizabeth Shannon MRTPI

Come and hear how RTPI Northern Regions are helping to shape the Great North Plan to facilitate the Northern Powerhouse.

Aimee Dobb MRTPI

Jason Singleton MRTPI

Elizabeth Donnelly MRTPI

Louisa Smith MRTPI

For further details visit: bit.ly/planner0219-greatnorthplan

Samuel Elliott MRTPI

Rebecca Smith MRTPI

Tom Evans MRTPI

Marnie Sommariva MRTPI

Mohan Everett MRTPI

Lucy Stephenson MRTPI

Nuno Fernandes MRTPI

Peter Tanner MRTPI

Jamie Field MRTPI

Jonathon Turner MRTPI

Heather Flack MRTPI

Jessica Vaughan MRTPI

Rochelle Fleming MRTPI

Jenna Wilks MRTPI

Sarah Fraser MRTPI

James Willey MRTPI

Daniel Gender-Sherry MRTPI

Robbie Wilson MRTPI

Robert Gilmore MRTPI

Philip Wright MRTPI

Emma Gladwin MRTPI

Yik Chung Renzo Yau MRTPI

Katherine Green MRTPI

Yordanka Yordanova MRTPI

RTPI AWARDS FOR PLANNING EXCELLENCE 2019: WEDNESDAY 24 APRIL, MILTON COURT, LONDON The finalists for the prestigious RTPI National Awards for Planning Excellence will be announced on 4 February. This year we received a record 160 entries. Tickets will be available for the ceremony. On Twitter, use the hashtag #RTPIAwards.

Please visit: bit.ly/planning0219-excellence

MINERALS PLANNING CONFERENCE: MANCHESTER, THURSDAY 16 MAY In partnership with the Minerals Products Association, this is the key national conference for all those involved with planning for all aspects of minerals extraction and will cover current topics.

For more information please see: bit.ly/planner0219-minerals

GREAT NORTH PLAN: AMBITIONS FOR PEOPLE AND PLACES, LAUNCH EVENT MAY 2019 DATE/ VENUE TBC

THE RTPI PLANNING CONVENTION 2019: WEDNESDAY 19 JUNE, ETC. VENUES, COUNTY HALL, LONDON The national planning conference; get involved in the debate with the sector’s most influential national and international names on a wide range of topics – from technology to town centres. Expect a packed day of special interest sessions and inspirational plenary discussions, followed by a drinks reception. Full programme to be announced soon. On Twitter, use the hashtag #PlanCon19.

For more information see: bit.ly/planner0219-convention

RTPI YOUNG PLANNERS’ CONFERENCE 2019: 1 2 NOVEMBER, HILTON HOTEL, NEWCASTLE Young Planners from across the UK come together at this special event for those in the early stages of their career in planning. This event is always sold out, so make a note to get your ticket when earlybird tickets are announced in July.

On Twitter, use the hashtag #YPConf2019.

See highlights of 2018’s conference at: bit.ly/planner0219-ypc2018

THE NATHANIEL LICHFIELD ANNUAL LECTURE 2019 NOVEMBER 2019 EXACT DATE TBC

Ross Hallam MRTPI Frances Hampson MRTPI

Scotland

Jane Harrison MRTPI

Alexander Forsyth MRTPI

Jadine Havill MRTPI

Declan Semple MRTPI

Daniel Hay MRTPI

Shona Strachan MRTPI

Olivia Hewitt MRTPI

Leah Watton MRTPI

Cerys Hulbert MRTPI Thomas Hyde MRTPI

Wales

Joseph Hyman MRTPI

Kylie-Ann Davies MRTPI

Emily Johnson MRTPI Jill Lomax MRTPI

Northern Ireland

Kate Lowe MRTPI

Emma Visser MRTPI

Andrew Lubman MRTPI

Make a note to watch out for tickets to this lecture from a luminary of the planning world – booking opens in September.

Laura Mackey MRTPI

Overseas

Gemma Manthorpe MRTPI

Chun Chi Cecil Chow MRTPI

William Marr-Heenan MRTPI

Andrew Gill MRTPI

bit.ly/planner0219-events

F EB R U AR Y 2 0 19 / THE PLA NNER 44-47 RTPI News_February 2019_The Planner 47

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FE B R U AR Y 2 0 19 / THE PLA NNER

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TH E P L A NNER

CREATING THE 21S T CENTURY PLA NNER / P U B LIC SEC TO R P L AN N ING / HE LE N HAY E S

FE B R U AR Y 2 0 1 9

LANDSCAPE

THE MONTH IN PLANNING The best and most interesting reads, websites, films and events that we’ve encountered this month WHAT WE'RE READING...

Concretopia: A Journey Around the Rebuilding of Postwar Britain This book comes recommended by new RTPI president Ian Tant.

Author John Grindrod is much admired by Tant, and indeed at its 2013 launch this book was described as “a new way of looking at modern Britain”. It is “a story of design trumps and planning disasters, thwarted schemes, widespread corruption and Utopian deals”. bit.ly/planner0219-concretopia

WHAT WE'RE BROWSING...

Houses Fit for People Another gem from BBC’s iPlayer service. First transmitted in 1986, Houses Fit for People looks at housing and where the modern movement went wrong with its high-rises and modern concrete estates. It identifies an increasing demand for a humane approach to the places people live in, and seeks out examples in the work of some innovative European architects. bit.ly/planning0219-highrise

WHERE WE'RE GOING...

Each month the RTPI runs a range of free or low-cost events up and down the UK. Here’s our pick for the next few weeks. See the full calendar here: bit.ly/planner0119-calendar Planning Question Time 2019 19 February, Henley Business School Building, University of Reading

Future Citiess Catapult We have highlighted Future Cities Catapult before, but now’s as good a time as any to o take another look at the fast-moving and astonishing variety of technological change influencing every aspect of the planning function.

A powerfully educational website. bit.ly/planner0219-catapult bit tapult

WHAT WE'RE WATCHING...

Marking 50 years since the publication of the Skeffington Report on people and planning, this event focuses on the issue of public participation in planning. The round table will respond to questions about efforts to engage, considering how these have worked out and why it is important.

Panellists will include

WHAT WE'RE PLANNING...

Our March Ma edition will see us focusing on diversity within the profession in all its forms, diversit while iin April we look at the way planning in Wales Wale is coming under the microscope.

Please email editorial@theplanner.co.uk if you h have your own ideas about what we should be adding to our to-do lists.

Professor Gavin Parker of the University of Reading and coauthor of Enabling Participatory Planning and Neighbourhood Planning in Practice. bit.ly/planner0219-skeff

Understanding developers and development finance Nottingham 20 February, Nottingham Conference Centre, Nottingham This event offers a rare perspective on the life of a developer, how the development industry works and in particular how to value development land.

It uses a mix of techniques and exercises to help you think like a land buyer. It’s a varied day designed to allow attendees to discover the practical application of development economics and gain valuable insight on how to negotiate successful outcomes. bit.ly/planner0219-finance

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