MAY 2018 PINS STUCK IN A WORKLOAD CRISIS // p.4 • MANCHESTER AIMS FOR A GREEN REVOLUTION // p.6 • BUS RAPID TRANSIT SYSTEMS ARE PICKING UP SPEED // p.22 • IS THE UK’S INFRASTRUCTURE BUILT FOR BREXIT? // p.26
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
SMART MOVES VICTORIA HILLS ON OLD OAK COMMON, THE DIGITAL CITY AND BECOMING RTPI CEO
Cover may__The Planner 1
23/04/2018 09:42
border archaeology
p02_PLN.MAY18.indd 2
17/04/2018 09:48
PLANNER 08 18
CONTENTS
THE
MAY
20 18
“I THINK POLITICIANS ARE FALLING BACK IN LOVE WITH PLANNING – WE’RE HAVING SOME REAL INFLUENCE NOW”
NEWS
4 PINS faces a workload crisis
6 How Greater Manchester is aiming for a green revolution 7 Scottish Government extends Help to Buy
8 Sir Terry Farrell – Cities: Living organisms 9 Raab to review unauthorised caravan sites law 10 Illegal HMO uncovered as London council continues enforcement crackdown
15
OPINION
14 Chris Shepley: The Raynsford Review of Planning: Going back to our roots 16 Anna Vince: Why climate change should top the agenda when educating the next generation 16 Aedán Smith: Why Scotland’s planning review could dampen community voices 17 Emmanuel de la Masselière: Is the Olympic legacy all it’s cracked up to be? 17 Peter Stockton: We must do more to attract young families to the northern uplands
FEATURES 18 Victoria Hills, the RTPI’s new CEO, tells Martin Read why planning has never been as relevant as it is now 22 Bus rapid transit is a growing phenomenon where metro systems are prohibitively expensive, says Francesca Perry 26 Is the UK’s economic and physical infrastructure ready for Brexit? asks David Blackman 34 Nations & Regions: East of England
QUOTE UNQUOTE
“I WANT TO BE ABLE TO LOOK AT OUR INDUSTRY AND SEE SOMEONE FROM A BAME BACKGROUND IN THAT HIGHER POSITION AND THINK ‘YOU KNOW WHAT? IF THEY CAN DO IT, SO CAN I’ ” PRIYA SHAH, FOUNDER OF BAME IN PROPERTY C O V E R | A K I N FA L O P E
03_Contents__The Planner 3
INSIGHT
31
31 Tech landscape: Hobs Studio is putting virtual reality technology to work on the regeneration of Thamesmead in southeast London
14
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 50 Plan B: All shook up: Paragraph 55 of the National Planning Policy Framework
22 MAY 2 018 / THE PLA NNER
3
23/04/2018 11:28
NEWS
Report { DELAYED DECISIONS
PINS faces a workload crisis By Huw Morris
forms?” Planners are increasingly frustrated by Why is this delays at the Planning Inspectorate. happening? Rumours started a year ago. Then they PINS has to became gossip. Complaints about delays make £6 million escalated. In recent weeks, outrage has of cuts in the erupted in the Twittersphere. next four years. The Planning Inspectorate (PINS) has Inspectors handle a workload crisis, leaving professionals an increasingly and developers seething. PINS issued a complex workload tweet revealing the scale of the delays. of local plan As of March, appellants in written examinations, representations will wait 24 weeks, a rise The Planning national of 25 per cent within a year. Hearings will Inspectorate faces a infrastructure take 36 weeks while inquiries will take 49 £6 million budget cut over the next four years casework, weeks for a decision. Householders can enforcement and expect to wait 15 weeks. specialist appeals. Deirdre Wells, chair of the RTPI’s “These cases draw on our more independent consultants network, says experienced inspectors and inevitably members often report significant delays place a pressure on our remaining before an appeal officially starts. inspector resource to deliver other “This regularly adds three months and planning appeal casework,” says PINS. more delay, which is extremely difficult Home Builders Federation planning to explain to clients. Planning authorities director Andrew have to register and Whitaker sums up start work on a valid “THERE IS A SIGNIFICANT the consensus on the application within 14 days, but PINS has HIDDEN COST TO THE ECONOMY root causes of the AND TO OUR CLIENTS FROM delays. He points to invented a system DELAY. DELAY INCREASES a lack of inspectors which means an COST, CREATES UNCERTAINTY due to budget cuts, appeal start date is AND ULTIMATELY IT DETERS retirement of senior entirely up to when INVESTMENT.” officers and a steep they get around to – JIM FENNELL, increase in local it or have suitable CEO, LICHFIELDS plan examinations. resources. This is He traces the causes not a reasonable back six years. approach. “The situation “PINS senior has been getting officers tell us 25 worse since 2012 and the introduction of per cent of appeals are incomplete or the National Planning Policy Framework invalid. We find this incomprehensible, and the need for planning authorities as the online form does not allow the to maintain a five-year supply of land appeal to be submitted until all essential for housing. Many authorities are overdocuments are attached. Surely there are optimistic in their assumptions about not 25 per cent being submitted on paper
4
T H E P L AN N E R \ MA Y 2 0 1 8
04-05_News__The Planner 4
their supply, leading to an increase in appeals on this issue alone. As more reduce planning budgets, their decision times increase, leading to greater frustration for applicants who feel the only way to get a decision is to use the appeals process.”
Cost and uncertainties What are the wider consequences? “There is a significant hidden cost to the economy and to our clients from delay,” says Lichfields’ chief executive Jim Fennell. “Delay increases cost, creates uncertainty and ultimately it deters investment. There is a direct relationship – faster decision-making means buildings get built quicker.” Wells warns that clients frequently have to pay consultants to repeat or revise submissions as circumstances change during the appeal, citing housing land supply, case law, local plan progression and neighbouring developments. “On one appeal I dealt with last year, affected by postponement because of unavailability of inspectors, all housing
I M AG E S | S H U T T E RSTO C K
23/04/2018 09:42
PLAN UPFRONT
land supply evidence was redone three times, with extra barrister and consultant fees. It may be extra income for us, but it’s grindingly horrible to keep repeating and revising a case. Network members report that circumstances have changed so much that they never would have appealed.” National Association of Planning Enforcement (NAPE) chair Neil Whittaker says his members complain that it takes between three and six months to receive a start letter. “I am dealing with one case where a notice was issued at the end of July 2017 and I have still not received a start date letter. Add on top of that another six to nine months to get a decision depending on the route the appeal takes, and I think it is clear we have quite a problem.” This, he says, imposes a huge strain on enforcement officers. “In some cases they find themselves having to explain to concerned residents that they have taken enforcement action but that it will take at least a year for any decision on an appeal to be made. This is clearly undermining the planning system
HOW LONG WILL APPEALS TAKE?
PLANNING APPEALS n Written representations: 24 weeks n Hearings: 36 weeks n Inquiries: 49 weeks n Householder appeals: 15 weeks ENFORCEMENT APPEALS n Written representations: 40 weeks n Hearings: 37 weeks n Inquiries: 60 weeks SOURCE: PINS: BIT.LY/PLANNER0518PINS
and instils little confidence in the public that planning enforcement is effective at local level.” In December, PINS unveiled changes to appeal procedures for enforcement cases. “The changes indicate that simply validating an appeal will take up to three months and in cases where a public inquiry is necessary decisions will be made up to 16 months after the appeal is made,” he adds. PINS handles more than 22,000
appeals each year. While it anticipated and planned for a sharp increase in workload, local plans and national infrastructure proposals, during 2018/19 it was not able to recruit the number of inspectors needed from its mid-2017 advertising campaign. “We also have to take account of the lead-in time, typically around three to five years, for inspectors to gain the required skills and experience, enabling them to be available to examine more complex cases,” says PINS. “The demand on our resources has been compounded by the unexpected receipt of over 1,000 appeals for phone kiosks and that number is likely to increase. Currently they have been absorbed into our normal planning appeal work with consequent delays.” PINS has 250 inspectors and is planning to employ another 30 for which it has received 180 applications after “widening the way in which we recruit inspectors”, it says. “This large number of applications demonstrates clearly there is a continued appetite for planning and other professionals to work for the inspectorate as we aim to enhance our contribution to the planning system. “Effective workforce planning is vitally important to ensure that the inspectorate has the right number of inspectors to meet demand. We need to keep an eye on future supply of suitable inspector candidates. Our current workforce planning review demonstrates that we need to continue to attract and develop candidates who have the transferable skills to become an inspector. The changes we are making will not produce immediate results but we are already seeing improvement in the time it takes to validate appeals.” Fennell says while there are many very good inspectors many more are needed. “There is a shortage of good quality people in the planning profession and PINs, like the rest of us, must attract staff in a highly competitive market. It’s not just about the numbers of inspectors, it’s about matching the skills and expertise to the overall caseload to maintain quality standards when planning is becoming ever more complicated.”
MAY 2 01 8 / THE PLA NNER 04-05_News__The Planner 5
5
23/04/2018 09:42
NEWS
Analysis { PLANNING GREEN
How Greater Manchester is aiming for a green revolution By Catherine Early Andy Burnham has a bold vision for Greater Manchester – to make it the country’s first zero-carbon city region, with an ambitious target date of 2040. The UK as a whole has targeted an 80 per cent reduction by 2050. Burnham, elected Mayor of Manchester in May 2017, has devolved planning powers that include developing a spatial framework for the city region, which must be agreed by all 10 councils in the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA). It’s no mean feat, and in March he brought business, the public sector, campaign organisations and members of the public together to discuss the plans. GREENING MANCHESTER Ahead of the conference, an online survey asked, in the context of achieving a greener Manchester, “the one thing I would like the mayor to do is…” The most frequently mentioned topics were:
24% Waste
8% Air quality
5% Policy 5% Green infrastructure
Other 24%
S O U R C E : M AY O R A L S U RV E Y O F M A N C H E S T E R RESIDENTS AHEAD OF GREEN SUMMIT
6
TH E P L AN N E R \ M A Y 2 0 1 8
06-07_News__The Planner 6
The ‘Green Summit’ was preceded by 42 ‘listening events’ aimed at focusing discussions at the summit. The outcome will be a draft ‘green charter’ agreed by the GMCA’s 10 member councils. Burnham wants this to be a charter drawn up “by, not to, the people” – “Devolution,” he told the summit, “gives us the power to do things differently”. His green proposals span housing, energy and transport, and the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework is being revised to reflect the mayor’s goals. For example, where the original framework made no mention of zero-carbon homes, Burnham stressed that he now wants a firm date by which all new homes in the city region will be zero carbon. But there was a word of caution from Alex Ganotis, leader of Stockport Council and Green City Region portfolio lead. “We have battles with developers over viability. We have to be careful that what we ask for isn’t going to increase costs for new homes.”
Enhancing natural capital
20% Transport 14% Energy
Mayor Andy Burnham is calling for a charter drawn up “by, not to, the people” to cut emissions in Greater Manchester
Green infrastructure – such as parks, green roofs and sustainable urban drainage – is at the heart of the vision of a green city region. Manchester is already hosting one of four DEFRA ‘pioneer’ projects to test ways of enhancing natural capital – environmental assets on which humans depend. Planning has its role. Feedback from the pre-summit listening events had highlighted the need to use planning and development to enhance green spaces, said Burnham. On energy, he revealed that he wants to develop a plan for the whole city region that will include creating a company to invest in energy generation and storage. Local area energy planning would
involve planners actively choosing the best energy technology for each area, giving developers, businesses and residents a better idea of where to direct investment. The GMCA is working with the Energy Systems Catapult (ESC) to develop this idea and it is being piloted with Bury Council. Eric Brown, director of innovation at the ESC explained: “Local area energy planning would result in different ideas for different areas – there’s no one-size-fits-all.” In a public survey, 20 per cent flagged up transport as a serious environmental concern, so the city’s proposed improvements include an emissions-free bus fleet, doubling the size of the electric vehicle-charging network, and investing up to £50 million a year in walking and cycling for three years from 2019/20. The Environment Agency has identified an opportunity to combine more than 300km of flood protection assets with cycleways; meanwhile, Transport for Greater Manchester published its ‘Congestion Deal’ just two days after the summit. Its proposals, which include a high-occupancy vehicle lane, were approved by the GMCA’s authorities in March and will be taken forward. Burnham is aware of the scale of the challenge of implementing these policies, but believes that the city’s heritage as the “cradle of the industrial revolution” stands it in good stead for pioneering change. I M AG E S | I STO C K / G E T T Y / A L A M Y
23/04/2018 09:43
PLAN UPFRONT
Scottish Government extends Help to Buy Scotland’s housing minister Kevin Stewart has announced that Help to Buy (Scotland) is to be extended beyond 2019. The scheme allows people to purchase a new-build home with a small deposit. From April 2019, another £100 million will be invested over two years, which the Scottish Government says will help up to 4,000 households to buy a new home. Stewart said: “Since we introduced Help to Buy, the scheme has not only helped thousands of buyers into new A home of their own? Scotland is extending its Help to Buy initiative homes – it has supported around 9,000 jobs. “A third of the annual £50 million budget – £18 million – will be reserved for sales from SME builders, who were told The Planner that the institute is “pleased to see this renewed particularly affected by the drop in development finance after funding commitment from the Scottish Government to meeting the financial crisis.” the country’s urgent need for more homes”. Since 2013, Help to Buy (Scotland) has supported more than “Viability of development is a major challenge, and we therefore 12,000 households in buying a new home. hope that the extension of Help to Buy will ultimately support the Kate Houghton, policy and practice officer at RTPI Scotland, delivery of sustainable and well-planned places for people.”
RTPI Cymru: Combining consent processes would water down heritage protection
Tremadog Market Square comprises a number of listed buildings
Proposals by the Law Commission that would see approvals for changes to Listed Building Consents and general planning applications combined would put heritage sites at risk, says RTPI Cymru. The proposals were launched in December 2017 as part of a consultation that
aimed to get Wales building and to further protect the country’s heritage and the environment, according to England and Wales’s independent law reform agency. For RTPI Cymru, the suggestion to combine the two approval processes would
weaken the significance given to historic places, “inevitably” leading to a watering down of their protection. The imposition of a new consent fee could increase the risk of unauthorised changes, especially internal works, warned the institute. Detecting internal works is “difficult” and once historic building elements are altered or destroyed it is “almost impossible” to replace them. RTPI Cymru said it is concerned that combining the processes risks losing specialist skills as cashstrapped councils may no longer see the need to have conservation officers to assess Listed Building Consents, shifting the assessment on to the planning team. Roisin Willmott FRTPI, director of RTPI Cymru, said: “While we have welcomed this review’s aim to simplify
and consolidate planning law in Wales into one coherent code, we are concerned about a number of unintended consequences – protection of Welsh heritage chief among them. “In our response we’ve asked for further clarification and made recommendations to improve the commission’s proposals based on our members’ experience of how the planning system actually works in practice.” In its response, the institute also said that all local authorities should have a chief planning officer to provide a better, more planned approach to council services so that communities are better supported. n RTPI Cymru’s response to the consultation can be found on the institute’s website (pdf): bit.ly/planner0518-consult
MAY 2 01 8 / THE PLA NNER 06-07_News__The Planner 7
7
23/04/2018 09:43
NEWS
Analysis { The Gherkin, the Walkie Talkie, and the Leadenhall Building – AKA the Cheesegrater
cent of people go there not to take a train journey but to socialise. This has happened around all central stations in London.”
Making an impact
CITY PLANNING
Cities: Living organisms By Laura Edgar For Sir Terry Farrell MRTPI, a Gold Medal recipient, the work of many hands builds cities. Professionals, such as planners, architects and engineers, probably don’t contribute more than 10 per cent to the work that goes on to make the world’s cities. Leading the RTPI Commonwealth Summit Lecture, Farrell considered the way in which cities have grown, changed and adapted over time, looking at many of the projects he has undertaken across the world, from Hong Kong to Newcastle upon Tyne. He said London has become chaotic as it tries to make buildings stand out. Picture the Gherkin, the Walkie Talkie, and the Leadenhall Building – popularly known as the Cheesegrater – as you look
8
T H E P L AN N E R \ MA Y 2 0 1 8
08-09_News__The Planner 8
at them from outside City Hall on the Southbank. Each one went through a “tortuous” process of planning, each one was intended to stand out, but none of them does, Farrell observed. But then cities are not perfect. They are evolving every day. Take London’s train stations, for example – King’s Cross, Euston, Charing Cross – as well as others across the world, “they used to be places of steel or coal gas works, they were noisy and polluting”. “In an age of electrification I am told that at St Pancras station nearly 50 per
Dr Wei Yang MRTPI, sponsor and chair of the event, asked Farrell how planners could make a bigger impact on cities. Urban planners, he explained, have to act more like doctors and nurses – working with the body that has been millions of years in the making. “It is interconnected. We are discovering even today that what we call bad bacteria is being reclassified as good.” Urban planners have to work with what is there, “understand the evolution of the city and the history of that place, and understand with humility”. Questioned about the reports that London is the most corrupt city in the world, with young people moving away, how can this “sick patient be treated?” It’s not all “doom and disaster” for London. While it’s extraordinary and successful, “I do accept the problem inherent in residential planning”, he said. Farrell is in favour – like many in the profession – of planning policy that addresses land value (see page 13). In conclusion, said Farrell, planners, architects and engineers must be more flexible – “enablers rather than reactors”. Doctors and nurses have “huge respect” for the body. They cannot keep up with science, but they must try. We cannot keep up with cities, but we must try, said Farrell.
Sir Terry Farrell
“CITIES MUST BE UNDERSTOOD WITH HUMILITY” I M AG E S | I STO C K / S H U T T E RSTO C K / A L A M Y / R IC H A R D G L E E D / G E T T Y
23/04/2018 09:44
PLAN UPFRONT
Irish ministers pledge €285m spending on natural and built heritage
Raab to review unauthorised caravan sites law Housing minister Dominic Raab has announced a government review of the laws and powers that deal with unauthorised caravan sites and developments. Since 2010, the number of traveller caravans on authorised sites has increased, however, the government noted that the latest figures suggest that about 16 per cent of all caravans – around 3,700 – are on unauthorised sites. “We are particularly concerned about illegal traveller encampments, and some of the antisocial behaviour they can give rise to,” said Raab. “We must promote a tolerant society and make sure there are legal sites available for travellers, but equally the rule of law must be applied to everyone.” The government seek views on what more can be done to enable local authorities, the police and landowners to deal efficiently with unauthorised sites. The consultation document states that views are welcomed on “barriers that prevent some local authorities from utilising existing enforcement powers effectively, and whether there are ways in which government can assist in overcoming these barriers”. n The consultation, carried out by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), Home Office and Ministry of Justice, is here: bit.ly/planner0518-travellers
The Irish Government has vowed to invest €285 million in the country’s natural and built heritage as it unveiled a blueprint setting out capital investment of almost €1.2 billion in Ireland’s culture, language and heritage over the next decade. Also promised is a €200 million investment in the country’s media production and audiovisual industries, and a €40 million programme of investment in cultural infrastructure across all regions. This will support the maintenance and development of regional arts centres, theatres, regional museums, galleries, archives, multi-use facilities and artists’ studios. Under the €285 million heritage programme, ministers have committed to a €50 million programme of investment in Ireland’s national parks and nature reserves as well as spending €85 million on the historic environment. This will include initiatives to revitalise the historic cores of urban centres, restoration of the Ulster Canal and inland waterways,
the maintenance and protection of heritage assets like Valentia Island Cable Station and investments to bring historic buildings back into use. The government has allocated €60 million to protecting and conserving the built heritage, including National Monuments through both the Built Heritage Investment Scheme and the Historic Structures Fund. A total of €15 million will also go towards supporting Galway European Capital of Culture 2020.
Green light for Derry transport hub project at listed rail station Derry City & Strabane District Council has approved full planning permission for the refurbishment and reuse of the city’s existing grade B1 listed former Waterside railway station as a new major public transport hub. The station is Northern Ireland’s only remaining Victorian-era railway station. The project from transport agency Translink involves a new station, changes
to track and signalling, new station platforms and canopies as well as an enhanced park-and-ride car park. The development also includes a public realm scheme with landscaping and street furniture, and a new greenway that will link into the riverside walk at Ebrington. The £27 million scheme faced considerable opposition from campaigners who claimed the redevelopment did not make best use of the old station. Planning committee chair Dan Kelly said: “The council recognises that there are some stakeholders that have some concerns about some aspects of the design of the station element of the project, and acknowledge these concerns. “The council strongly believes that the redevelopment and reuse of the Waterside Railway station is a very positive step forward and will be hugely significant in regenerating this area of the city.”
MAY 2 01 8 / THE PLA NNER 08-09_News__The Planner 9
9
23/04/2018 09:44
NEWS
News { Illegal HMO uncovered as London council continues enforcement crackdown
Hospital scheme could pose threat to Edinburgh Zoo’s giant pandas
Enforcement officers at Brent Council have raided a property off Preston Road to find an unlicensed House in Multiple Occupation (HMO). Ten men and women were found sleeping in the property in Carlton Avenue East, which was originally a three-bedroom semi-detached house. Brent Council said it is “ramping up” its enforcement activities before new legislation comes into force in October. The raided house would be classified as a mandatory HMO, with the new regulations meaning any privately rented property with five or more people living in it who are not related will need a mandatory licence. Officers uncovered a number of serious hazards at the property, including the lack of a fire detection system, no fire doors and unsafe electrics. Spencer Randolph, Brent’s head of private housing services, said: “We brought in licensing to deal with just these sorts of issues and to give us more powers to take a robust approach against rogue landlords.” The council said its officers are now working to track down the owner of the property and bring those responsible for managing the illegal HMO to justice.
The Scottish Government has warned the City of Edinburgh Council that construction work associated with the redevelopment of a former mental hospital could disturb the capital’s two giant pandas on loan from China. Proposals for the listed former Corstorphine Hospital, which dates to 1844, are sensitive because the site is at the southwest corner of Edinburgh Zoo, where the rare animals are living. The administration has issued a direction to the city council indicating that it may call in the scheme if the planning authority is minded to approve the project. This is designed to see the former hospital and grounds converted into 76 flats. The direction explained that there were “concerns which could raise issues of national importance, relating to the potential impact of the proposed development”. “These include possible negative health impacts for giant pandas at Edinburgh Zoo during construction, as advised in representations by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland.” A council spokesman said that plans for the redevelopment of the hospital site – submitted by Michael Laird Architects (MLA) on behalf of Sundial Dundas (Corstorphine) Ltd – had not yet been scheduled for determination by the planning authority. n The government’s direction can be read here: bit.ly/planner0518-zoo
Welsh marine plan is ‘too big and unwieldy’, says RTPI Cymru RTPI Cymru has applauded the Welsh National Marine Plan for its integrated approach to land use and marine planning, but the institute said it should be ‘slimmed down’. The Welsh Government’s draft plan, for which the consultation closed on 29 March, includes a framework to support sustainable decision-making. It sets out strategic objectives and presents both general and specific policies for sectors such as aquaculture, aggregates, defence and renewable energy. In its response to the consultation, RTPI Cymru said the plan is too long and unworkable. It states that overall, the plan is “too long and could be slimmed down considerably to make the policies clear and make it a more accessible document. Much of the text could be moved to technical annexes”.
10
T H E P L AN N E R \ MA Y 2 0 1 8
10-11_News_Leade__The Planner 10
RTPI Cymru has warned that unless the document is amended, it will be difficult for local authority officers to implement on the ground because of this lack of clarity on the policies, as well as the document being unmanageable. Roisin Willmott FRTPI, director of RTPI Cymru, said: “While we welcome this ambitious plan, we are concerned that it is too big and unwieldy. We know from our members’ feedback that it will make it harder to implement. Implementation is also likely to be hampered by the resource constraints already faced by local planning authorities.” The institute has recommended that there needs to be greater integration between the draft plan and existing land use plans to guarantee effective management of Wales’s coasts. n The RTPI’s response can be found here: bit.ly/planner0518-marine I M A G E S | G E T T Y / PA / I S T O C K
23/04/2018 11:28
LEADER COMMENT
Opinion onn Farrell’s fluid and flexible future – “We are only just starting to understand the enormous complexity of the city," claimed architect Sir Terry Farrell at the recent RTPI Commonwealth Lecture. The recent recipient of the RTPI Gold Medal chose an interesting theme: ‘city making: the work of many hands’. And it was the idea that cities are essentially their own developmental eco-systems – prone more to organic growth no matter the dictates of planners – that was very much to the fore. Among the many nuggets was the claim that greater urbanisation leads not to the destruction of the natural environment but, in fact, quite the opposite. According to Farrell, the combined green space of London’s back gardens contain more ecological richness than an equivalent size park space outside of the capital. “It’s just not true that urbanising automatically leads to a lack of ecological
Martin Read diversity.” he said. A good thing too, given the vast amount of urbanisation projected for the remainder of this century. The sheer scale of urbanisation, he suggested, meant that city building was sizing up to be the “biggest industry in the world” for the forseeable future. The striking thing was how often Farrell characterised planning, and planners, as enablers rather than prime actors; as a profession that would increasingly
require its practitioners to be ‘nimble’ and ‘flexible’, not to mention ‘humble’ in their acceptance that city growth is organic by nature, its continuing development “more an imprint of collective behaviour than the work of master planners”. Farrell also focused in on technology, and patternsearching in particular, and its likely effect on planning. In this regard he was joined last month by incoming RTPI CEO Victoria Hills (profiled on page 18) who believes that planners will benefit from smart city
“FARRELL WORRIES THAT WITH CITY MAKING NEEDING TO BECOME MORE “FLUID AND REACTIVE”, PLANNERS COULD BE LEFT BEHIND IF THEY DO NOT THEMSELVES BECOME EXPERTS IN THE TECHNOLOGIES THEY WILL BE USING”
tech to automate much of the process part of the job, thus reclaiming their rightful place as place shapers first and foremost. If there is a common thread between Farrell and Hills’ tech world view, it’s that both see the potential administrative and process benefits, and both see a ‘window of opportunity’ for planning to seize the initiative. Farrell worries that with city-making needing to become more “fluid and reactive”, planners could be left behind if they do not themselves become experts in the technologies they will be using. Planning is far from the only profession for which a lack of future digital nous is seen as existential threat. But it is one of few I can see for which the benefits of seizing said opportunity are so potentially significant. The challenges involved in sifting ‘big data’ to address the sheer scale of complexity in 21st century city-making are daunting indeed.
CONTACTS Redactive Publishing Ltd Level 5, 78 Chamber Street, London, E1 8BL, 020 7880 6200
Sub-editor Deborah Shrewsbury
SUBSCRIPTIONS Picture editor Claire Echavarry Designer Craig Bowyer
EDITORIAL
A D V E RT I S I N G & M A R K E T I N G
Tel: 020 7324 2736 editorial@theplanner.co.uk
Display sales Daniel Goodwin – 020 7880 6206 daniel.goodwin@redactive.co.uk
Editor Martin Read martin.read@theplanner.co.uk
Recruitment sales Gill Rock – 020 7880 6232 gill.rock@redactive.co.uk
Consultant editor Huw Morris
PRODUCT ION
Deputy editor Simon Wicks simon.wicks@theplanner.co.uk
Production director Jane Easterman
Senior news reporter Laura Edgar laura.edgar@theplanner.co.uk Content development executive Matt Moody
ISSN 2053-7581
Production manager Aysha Miah-Edwards PUBLISHING Publishing director Joanna Marsh
£120 – UK £175 – Overseas Average net circulation 18,373 (January-December 2016) (A further 5,700 members receive the magazine in digital form) © The Planner is published on behalf of the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) by Redactive Publishing Ltd (RPL), 17 Britton St, London EC1M 5TP. This magazine aims to include a broad range of opinion about planning issues and articles do not necessarily reflect the views of the RTPI nor should such opinions be relied upon as statements of fact. 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.
RT P I C O N TA C T S Membership membership@rtpi.org.uk 020 7929 9462 Education education@rtpi.org.uk 020 7929 9451 Planning Aid England advice@planningaid.rtpi.org.uk 41 Botolph Lane London EC3R 8DL Media enquiries Rebecca Hildreth rebecca.hildreth@rtpi.org.uk 020 7929 9477 The Planner is produced using paper that is elemental chlorine free and is sourced from sustainable managed forest.
MAY 2 0 18 / THE PLA NNER 10-11_News_Leade__The Planner 11
11
23/04/2018 11:29
ADVERTISEMENTS
Consultants { border
DUFKDHRORJ\ KHULWDJH SODQQLQJ UHVROXWLRQ
H LQIR#borderDUFKDHRORJ\ FRP
Planning our sustainable future
W
Contact:
Joanne Farrar +44(0) 0203 214 8889 Joanne.farrar@atkinsglobal.com
ERUGHUDUFKDHRORJ\ FRP ,62 _ ,62 _ 2+6$6
Birmingham Bristol Derby Exeter Glasgow London Warrington
http://www.atkinsglobal.com/urban-planning
THE BUSINESS MONTHLY FOR PLANNING PROFESSIONALS
ƒ Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment ƒ Townscape Assessment ƒ Expert Witness, Public Inquires & Appeals ƒ Strategic Land Promotion ƒ Local Plan Representations ƒ Green Belt Assessment ƒ Sensitivity and Capacity Appraisals ƒ Minerals and Waste Development ƒ Urban Design, Public Realm and Masterplanning ƒ Regeneration and Renewal ƒ Heritage Landscapes and Restoration ƒ Landscape Design and Implementation ƒ Ecological Consultancy and BREEAM
Mark Flatman - mark.flatman@lizlake.com Head of Landscape Planning
01279 647 044
www.lizlake.com
}
TO ADVERTISE IN T H I S S EC T I O N : SINGLE BOX: 55MM HIGH X 90MM WIDE DOUBLE BOX VERTICAL: 113.5MM HIGH X 90MM WIDE DOUBLE BOX HORIZONTAL: 55MM HIGH X 184.5MM WIDE
Contact Daniel Goodwin: Daniel Goodwin@redactive.co.uk 020 7880 6206
Stansted | Bristol | Nottingham
12
T H E PL AN N E R \ MA Y 2 0 1 8
p12_PLN.MAY18.indd 12
19/04/2018 14:32
NEWS
Opinionn RTPI Convention: Land Value Capture debate Land value capture is a key topic being addressed at this year’s RTPI convention. Here, Richard Blyth, head of policy, explains the institute’s emerging thinking
– Q: What is the institute’s current position on land value capture? ”Improving the land value capture mechanism is the single most useful instrument to channel value generated by development towards infrastructure and social housing without incurring more public debt. Infrastructure needs to be prioritised in locations where the largest area of land ready for development can be ‘unlocked’ rather than just in places where there is an existing need. “Free and transparent land ownership data is key to addressing the issue of land owners holding on to land and selling for high prices. Strategic planning, local and national policymaking, and development in general, would all benefit. We’d also like to see more explicit connections between the government’s housing and industrial strategies and the way infrastructure is connected to development.” What is the RTPI’s take on the current Letwin review? “The RTPI is pleased to be involved in the work on build out that Sir Oliver is undertaking. We have supplied the review with the findings of our work on large site delivery sponsored by RTPI South West. We are pleased the government is working to get to the bottom of this issue and we look forward to seeing the results.” Could the sheer volume of permissions have a positive effect on land value? “Issuing many more permissions might lead to more houses being built, but they would not necessarily be located and developed built in a strategic way, or be
Tickets are still available for the 2018 Planning Convention
affordable. Our report, Better Planning for Housing Affordability, discusses these problems. More should be done to explore ways that policy can force more efficient use of existing permissions. “A key part of our policy agenda is ensuring that the public benefits from development. This obviously includes the value of the development itself – new houses or improved infrastructure. But it also includes trying to see how we could see the community receiving more of the uplift in land values that comes from public investment and/or the granting of planning permission.” How can communities get their fair share from uplifts in land value? “There is a long history of attempts to ensure this. From our perspective, however, there seems to be a bit of a wind of change in the country at large regarding exploring once again an appropriate way of doing this that doesn’t lead to land being withheld from development.”
TAKE YOUR SEAT AT THE 2018 RTPI CONVENTION
The 2018 RTPI convention takes place on 21 June 2018 at etc Venues, 155 Bishopsgate, London. For tickets, go to www.rtpi.org.uk/events/planningconvention-2018/ The full programme can be found at: bit.ly/planner0518-landvalue
Land value capture masterclass, 11:30am How best to capture and share land value uplift is the subject of an interactive land value capture masterclass chaired by Shona Glenn, the Scottish Land Commission’s Head of Policy & Research – Land.
MAY 2 0 18 / THE PLA NNER 13_Correspondenc__The Planner 13
13
23/04/2018 11:30
CHRIS SHEPLEY
O Opinion The Raynsford Review of Planning: Going back to our roots Back in 2010 the Conservatives’ manifesto for planning (Open Source Planning) argued that we had “a broken system”. Well, it is now. I suspect that what the authors meant was that the system was broken not in the sense that it was not working properly (I think it was working pretty well) but in the sense that it was not producing the results they wanted. In order to try to achieve those results – essentially a deregulated free marketled approach and a private housebuilding bonanza – they have messed around with the system to the point where it now seems immeasurably more complex. Eight years of this and we’re still a distance away from producing the number – let alone the type or quality – of homes needed. Public affection for the planning system has been eroded, with a feeling that community voices are not being heard. Important policies – for example, on affordability, climate change or social inclusion – have been downgraded or lost. And despite another paper of the time called Control Shift – Returning Power to Local Communities, the system has become more centralised. It is in this context that the Raynsford Review of Planning was set up last year; I have the honour of being on the panel. An interim report will be published later this month, and I guarantee that it will be shorter and more entertaining than the NPPF revisions. There have been a number of reviews of the planning
14
system over the years, but this one differs in several respects. It is produced at a time when planning is probably at its lowest ebb since 1947. But Raynsford looks at planning as a whole. Previous reports, with the possible exception of the Nuffield Report in1986, have looked from a particular perspective (e.g. Kate Barker on housing). It goes back to first principles – asking whether we need such a system at all (you’ll have to guess). If so, it asks what its purpose might be. It considers what sort of planning we need some distance into the 21st century. How far should development be left to the market? How far should decisions be kept within democratic control? How do we regain public trust? How do we fill the big gaps that have emerged, for example, at
“I CAN GUARANTEE THAT IT WILL BE SHORTER AND MORE ENTERTAINING THAN THE NPPF REVISIONS” the strategic level? All these questions were raised during a successful consultation exercise involving nearly 1,000 people. Their thoughts and submissions, together with whatever skills and experience the panel members might have, have led us to examine a range of issues including, just for example (I mustn’t give away the whole caboodle) resources and the morale of planners, how to align the various players in the planning game more effectively, how to
simplify legislation, and what to do about land values. We consider the problems of organising planning efficiently and effectively in a resourcestarved local government system, and in one that bears little relationship to our functional geography. Insofar as this is a work of genius (and I would so argue), it is down to the chairmanship and commitment of former planning minister Nick Raynsford, who understands and believes in planning to an extent few ministers have managed over the years. And to the skills of TCPA staff who have organised the exercise and drafted the report. It would be an extremely good thing if you – yes, you – could repay their efforts by reading this (not very long) report and commenting on it (look therein for details). And also maybe look out for the regional events that will be held to debate these issues. It does not yet have firm conclusions or recommendations – those will come in the autumn. It’s quite hard, so we’d welcome your help.
Chris Shepley is the principal of Chris Shepley Planning and former Chief Planning Inspector
T H E PL AN N E R \ M A Y 2 0 1 8
14_Shepley__The Planner 14
23/04/2018 09:45
Quote unquote FROM THE RTPI AND THE WEB “Up to a third of millennials face the prospect of renting from cradle to grave” LINDSAY JUDGE, SENIOR POLICY ANALYST AT THE RESOLUTION FOUNDATION
“What we must not do is build our cities for the technology of today” SIR TERRY FARRELL, SPEAKING AT THE RTPI
“If you think you’re good at presenting, here’s my challenge: go and speak to schoolkids! It’s a challenging gig, and I mean that in a positive way.”
COMMONWEALTH SUMMIT LECTURE
NEW CEO VICTORIA HILLS LAYS DOWN THE GAUNTLET TO RTPI MEMBERS
“I want to be able to look at our industry and see someone from a BAME background in that higher position and think ‘You know what? If they can do it, so can I’ ” PRIYA SHAH, FOUNDER OF BAME IN PROPERTY, SPEAKING AT ITS LAUNCH
“We should advocate for the design of spaces and places that accommodate all generations; this diversity is a key ingredient in the development of a rich, vibrant and liveable city” SOWMYA PARTHASARATHY, ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR, ARUP
I M AG E S | I STO C K / G E T T Y / A L A M Y
p15 quote unquot__The Planner 15
“This technology is like skimming a stone and seeing where it ripples off to” EWAN MORRISON, HEAD OF VISUALISATION AT HOBS STUDIO, ON HOW 4D CONSTRUCTION SEQUENCING TECHNOLOGY WILL BE A "CATALYST FOR CHANGE" IN CONSTRUCTION
MAY 2 0 18 / THE PLA NNER
15
23/04/2018 09:45
B E S T O F T H E B LO G S
O Opinion
1
Anna Vince is sustainability project officer at Lincolnshire County Council
Why climate change should top the agenda when educating the next generation
Climate change is happening; the human race has pressed the selfdestruct button. In recent times we have seen more storms, terrible flooding and such droughts where now nothing will grow. Climate change does not discriminate. These threats are being felt across the world, affecting the young and the old, rich and poor. Since the Industrial Revolution, our impact on the environment and atmosphere has increased exponentially. Development and technological advancements have been crucial to our success, enabling us to grow and evolve in ways never seen before. It is true, however, that our increasing consumption of the world'’s resources and creation of waste is having a detrimental effect on our planet, and if we do not change our behaviour the world we will leave for future generations will be very different from the world we live in now. Rural and urban areas are experiencing different issues, resulting in the need for different and specific actions to cope. How climate change will affect us we can only speculate, but the time to act is now, and education can help us to mitigate the impact and adapt to change. Through education, we can help the next generation plan for the future, inspire them to make the changes required and make those
sustainable choices our Earth so desperately needs. Education will enable them to plan sustainable infrastructure, more efficient buildings and energy networks and give them skills to tackle the different challenges facing rural and urban areas. Currently, climate change is covered in the national curriculum, within geography and science. External companies also offer educational programmes that focus on climate change, sustainability issues and ‘being eco-friendly’. Nationwide schemes like Eco Schools and Forest Schools, and regional programmes such as Lincolnshire County Council’s Schools Collaboration on Resource Efficiency programme are thankfully in place. These educational programmes reflect those in the gove r n m e n t’ s 25-year environment strategy and the NPPF, embedding a sustainable mindset from a young age. The future of our planet is relatively unknown. Predictions range from extensive loss of land owing to rising sea levels, to increased extreme weather events and the threats they bring. But one thing is for certain; the more we can educate our children the better prepared they will be. We can give children the inspiration and tools they need to help plan the future and become sustainable in all walks of life.
“WE CAN GIVE CHILDREN THE INSPIRATION AND TOOLS THEY NEED TO HELP PLAN FOR THE FUTURE AND BECOME SUSTAINABLE IN ALL WALKS OF LIFE”
16
2 BLOG
BLOG
Aedán Smith MRTPI is convener of the Scottish Environment LINK Planning Group
Why Scotland’s planning review could dampen community voices
The planning plan bill being scrutinised in Holyrood Holy is the culmination of two years of work to review the Scottish planning system. Scottish ministers’ aim was to “achieve a quicker, more accessible and efficient planning process in order to build investor and community confidence in the system”. The review involved extensive consultation and stakeholder engagement, for which the ministers should be commended. But despite a promising start, the bill’s first draft has been criticised and will need significant changes if the original aim is to be achieved. It might make planning quicker – but only by removing vital consultation and e nv i ro n m e n t a l checks; e.g. the bill would stretch the National Planning Framework (NPF) and development plan cycles from five to 10 years, at a stroke cutting consultation opportunities in half. It would then merge national Scottish planning policy and regional strategic development plans into the NPF and make the NPF part of the development plan. This would remove two more distinct consultation stages, and increase ministers’ powers to set the development framework. It would also remove supplementary planning guidance, often used for local environmental policies, and introduce ‘simplified development
zones’, which would grant consent for specified developments up front (including in protected areas). Perhaps most worryingly, the bill would delete main issues reports (currently the most important development plan consultation stage, whereby communities get a chance to consider different options for how their area might develop) and replace them with an undefined but much lighter touch, technocratic ‘evidence report’. Each of these stages requires e nv i r o n m e n t a l assessment. Their loss would also mean a big reduction in scrutiny through strategic e nv i r o n m e n t a l assessment, an area where Scotland has so far led the rest of the UK. Nor does the bill seem to consider introducing even the most limited appeal rights for communities. If the bill’s aim is to build community confidence, modernisation of the unequal appeal process is urgently required. If the stated central purpose is “to focus government and public services on creating a more successful country, with opportunities for all of Scotland to flourish, through increasing sustainable economic growth”, then applicants for planning permission can’t continue to be given an automatic right to begin a review of a refusal while no other party has a right to instigate a review if a plan is granted.
“IF THE BILL’S AIM IS TO BUILD COMMUNITY CONFIDENCE, MODERNISATION OF THE UNEQUAL APPEAL PROCESS IS URGENTLY REQUIRED”
T H E P L AN N E R \ M A Y 2 0 1 8
16-17_Blogs__The Planner 16
23/04/2018 09:49
Have your say Would you like to see yourself in these pages? Get in touch by email – editorial@theplanner.co.uk Topical, inspirational, angry or amusing – we consider all relevant comment
3
Emmanuel de la Masselière is founder of Paris-based urban development consultancy e.Co
Is the Olympic legacy all it’s cracked up to be?
Since the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, mega events have Barcelo often been presented by their organisers and hosts as opportunities for development. But 30 years of analysis of their urban impacts presents a complex picture. It’s a truism, but mega events are whatever the host cities make of them. The events themselves are not the cause of urban development. But they can contribute to it. London 2012 left the wealthy neighbourhood of Stratford; Barcelona 1992 had the waterfront; and Paris 2024 will create two new neighbourhoods. But Athens 2004 left no memorable space, and Rio 2016 is a clear failure in this regard. You can also see the legacy at a metropolitan scale in the modification of a city’s urban organisation. For example, Paris will transform the Seine into a major axis of its urban planning. And mega events can also have an impact on key city themes: 1. Architectural and urban innovation. But innovative cities like Boston or Mumbai have never hosted them! 2. Social cohesion. There are big mobilisations of volunteers; perceptions of people with disabilities or strangers may change. 3. Rising property prices and neighbourhood gentrification. 4. The economy benefits: On the other hand, the cost of major events is always underestimated.
4 BLOG
BLOG
Peter Stockton MRTPI is head of sustainable development at the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority
We must do more to attract young families to the northern uplands
5. The environmental impact is high: But Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 have made ambitious environmental commitments. 6. Improved governance: although this benefit is not systematic. 7. The appeal of the city increases. But do Lyon, Vienna, Amsterdam, Venice, Brussels, who have not hosted a mega event, shine less than Barcelona and Athens? Mega events reflect the assets and culture of the cities and nations that host them. Corruption is said to be a cause of the poor legacy of Rio 2016, for example. They are seen now as a support to the marketing of a nation or, with countries and cities promoting their expertise in areas far removed from the event itself: London in engineering and construction, Tokyo in technology, and Paris in urban planning. Olympic Games therefore represent a political choice to devote limited resources to the benefit of certain neighbourhoods and populations to the detriment of others. The questions they pose are: do we want an Olympic pool for athletes or pools accessible to schoolchildren and locals? Do we want to invest in a priority neighbourhood or spread this investment across the city? Emmanuel will speak about planning for key sporting events at the RTPI Planning Convention 2018 in London on 21 June: bit.ly/planner0518-convention
“MEGA EVENTS REFLECT THE ASSETS AND CULTURE OF THE CITIES AND COUNTRIES THAT HOST THEM”
It is som sometimes forgotten by an urbanised society that there are urbanise still large la parts of the countryside that need more people living in them and which still have capacity to accommodate growth without having to build new infrastructure. The northern uplands cover 8 per cent of England by area and are characterised by some of our best landscapes in the Yorkshire Dales, Lake District, North York Moors and Northumberland. Despite the protected status of the four national parks, their populations grew in the first 50 years after designation. Wo r k i n g - a g e households moved in to replace the young that left for work elsewhere. But around 2005, however, that trend went into reverse. The slowdown has been so abrupt that today there are extensive areas of the north that have fewer people living in them than at the Census in 1951. The population projections are also now rather bleak. In the Yorkshire Dales, the age structure in many communities is becoming grossly unbalanced. The risk is that these communities will become unable to sustain themselves. Public spending cuts have led to volunteers (mainly the retired) running local services such as the bus or Post Office while fighting rearguard actions to keep schools open and maintain access to hospital services. Ultimately if there are not
enough people to manage the land, then the special qualities that the nation is trying to conserve for future generations will be eroded. A recent House of Lords select committee report suggested that there was no longer any effective rural advocacy in government. Defra had been cut too far and was consumed by the single issue of post-Brexit farming, while the Rural Communities Commission and the regional assemblies had been scrapped. It is clear that many people feel that the rural north is absent from government agendas. The Northern Powerhouse and Transport for the North are focused almost exclusively on improving links between northern cities so that they can compete more effectively with the capital. There needs to be recognition that the upland north is an underused asset that has capacity and a need for growth. It can accommodate more people immediately without having to build schools or roads. But support is needed to get more development sites into public or community ownership to ensure their delivery. Taxation carrots and sticks should be explored to make better use of assets such as underused housing stock. Partnerships should be supported to market the area’s special qualities to encourage younger families to consider moving in.
“IT IS CLEAR THAT MANY PEOPLE FEEL THAT THE RURAL NORTH IS ABSENT FROM GOVERNMENT AGENDAS”
MAY 2 0 18 / THE PLA NNER 16-17_Blogs__The Planner 17
17
23/04/2018 09:49
“WHERE HAVE ALL THE CHIEF PLANNING OFFICERS GONE? WE NEED THEM BACK AT THE TOP TABLE.”
P H O T O G R A P H Y | A K I N FA L O P E
18
T H E PL AN N E R \ M JUA YN E2 02 1081 6
18-21_Profile Vi__The Planner 18
23/04/2018 09:50
I N T E R V I E W : V I C T O R I A H I L LS
ALL THE RIGHT MOVES VICTORIA HILLS BRINGS TO THE ROLE OF RTPI CEO THE EXPERIENCE OF RUNNING THE LARGEST REGENERATION AND TRANSPORT PROJECT IN THE UK. HERE SHE TELLS MARTIN READ HOW TECHNOLOGY AND FRESH GOVERNMENT UNDERSTANDING MEANS PLANNING HAS NEVER BEEN AS RELEVANT AS IT IS NOW
As she prepares for our photoshoot, the new chief executive of the RTPI is asked a series of friendly questions by the photographer. Her favourite city? “Difficult, but it would have to be Barcelona – it has a bit of everything.” The city she’d like to work on? “New York, although I went to Nairobi on honeymoon and that’s got some challenges too…” Then she looks out of The Planner’s London office windows and immediately begins critiquing the view from a planning perspective, calculating the change in landscape that developments still on the books, or already literally on the horizon, will bring to the area. Victoria Hills, it seems, has planning in her blood. Hills grew up in Horsham, West Sussex, and left at 18 for three years at university in Wolverhampton and another two in Newcastle. “I knew I wanted to do planning,” says Hills of her Newcastle days, “but there was something particularly about transport that caught my eye. I was partly influenced by (past RTPI board member) Dave Marshall, who at the time was a visiting lecturer on transport planning. I opted for some transport and traffic engineering models, then realised I was the only person interested.” Hills’ decision to focus on transport planning has underpinned her career at all points. She is a fellow of the Chartered Institution of Civil Engineers and a former chair of the Transport Planning Society. Her first job was in local government for Wycombe District Council in 1998 – “a brilliant apprenticeship in local planning and transport issues, and a great grounding in how decisions are made and policy works in practice”.
Back then, New Labour was prescribing its ‘renaissance’ in transport planning, reallocating money from the old shire counties to the district level. So next for Hills was a greater focus on transport planning through a move into private consultancy with Steer Davies Gleave. “A dream job,” she recalls. “It was great time working for a variety of clients and I went all over the country for some really great projects.” But in this era of opportunity by way of devolution, Hills was soon attracted to the recently created Greater London Authority, which together with the office of Mayor of London and Transport for London offered what Hills thought was “surely the most interesting place in the country to work in transport”. Fifteen years and eight jobs later, Hills has work for all three of London’s mayors on her CV, including the position of Head of Transport. “It’s been a privilege to play a part in London’s devolution journey,” she says. A journey that, for Hills, led to the position of chief executive at the Old Oak & Park Royal Development Corporation (see box). Smart choices Working on the country’s foremost transport and regeneration project has given Hills plenty of food for thought as she acclimatises to her new position with the RTPI. And she is particularly optimistic about the possibilities surrounding smart cities and the ‘disruption’ it brings. “There’s a window of opportunity for planning and the RTPI to work out what planning’s role should be with smart cities. There is such an opportunity for planning to be leading this digital conversation, otherwise futurologists will run away with their ideas of what’s required. Planners are particularly good at the human aspect; we understand the broader placemaking and community aspects.” Hills hopes that some of the more basic technical activity that takes all too much of planners’ time will become automated, “freeing planners to do the big strategic visionary work”. And there’s a benefit at local level too. “Some of the most interesting planning work is going on at the local
J UMAY NE 2 0 18 1 6 / THE PLA NNER 18-21_Profile Vi__The Planner 19
19
23/04/2018 09:50
I N T E R V I E W : V I C T O R I A H I L LS
VICTORIA HILLS ON…
The recent NPPF revision launch “It marks the start of a positive relationship with government, and it suggests government recognising planning’s critical role in solving the country’s main challenges, housing in particular.” What she brings to the RTPI CEO role; ”If there’s a single thing, it’s leadership. At OPDC I was privileged to start a new company with taxpayers’ money, constructing a pop-up functional body in just three years. So all the skill and experience I’ve built up in all my previous roles, and that which I most recently developed with the OPDC, is what I will bring.”
and neighbourhood planning level in terms of communities taking control and expressing their passion for planning in their area. Whether it’s at a local, town or city regional level, we need to consider what opportunities this digital disruption allows.” Giving back There’s a role, too, for digitally adept RTPI members to help others plug any skills gaps. Hills is keen to see planners doing more to mentor others, suggesting a “real responsibility for people who have chosen this profession to give something back. Planners should be advocates and ambassadors, going out and humanising the planning profession for the next generation. “A core skill of planning is the ability to engage, and the hardest audience to engage is schoolchildren. So, if you think you’re good at presenting, here’s my challenge – speak to schoolkids! It’s a brilliant way to get basic concepts across. They ask the obvious and most difficult questions.” Hill is also enthused by the RTPI members’ survey finding that the institute should campaign more. “That says to me that not only are planners proud of what they do, they want others to be proud of what they do too. It’s about celebrating planning and having a real influence with politicians, to which end I think the RTPI has been amazing recently. To be sat in the audience at the C A R EER
HIG HL IG HTS
V I C TOR I A HI LLS Born: Horsham, West Sussex Education: The University of Wolverhampton (BA Hons, Geography with Business Studies), Newcastle University (Master of Town Planning) Recent timeline:
1998 Transport policy officer for Wycombe District Council
2000 Goes client-side as senior consultant for Steer Davies Gleave
2002 Joins the nascent Greater London
20
Authority (GLA) as transport relationships & governance manager
2009
2012 City Operations at the GLA
2018
2012
Senior management advisory panel member for Transitions London CIC, an employment agency for refugee professionals seeking jobs in the UK
Head of Transport at the GLA
Appointed chair of the Transport Planning Society
2014
2010
Joins Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation as director – appointed CEO the next year
Senior programme manager (public services) for London
2018 Appointed CEO of the RTPI
launch of the planning framework with the prime minister stood there – that’s a great achievement.” Setting the agenda For someone who once considered a career in advertising, Hills is excited about promoting the profession as part of her new role. She’s particularly keen for both government and the wider public to appreciate British planning’s international status. She has travelled to places as far as Russia, New York, Hong Kong, Singapore and Australia, “and what I’ve learned is that the UK is a world leader in planning. It’s a brilliant UK export in a way I don’t think I’d fully appreciated before. China may be leading on climate change and environmental technology, but quality place-making? We’re still the leaders. And it makes me really proud to think we do it better than anybody else.” “Planning is a fantastic British triumph and is recognised as such on the international stage. I think politicians are falling back in love with planning – we’re having some real influence now. It’s now about how you turn that into a real renaissance in planning.” Hills also believes it is time to focus on the founding principles behind the profession, and specifically the creation of healthy places. It’s a theme close to her heart. Before having children, Hills would run most days and has posted good times in both 5,000 and 10,000 metres events. She’ll run another 10k event this summer, and maintains a rigorous exercise regime. “It’s a lifestyle choice for me,” says Hills, whose husband runs triathlons.
T H E PL AN N E R \ MA Y 2 0 1 8
18-21_Profile Vi__The Planner 20
23/04/2018 09:50
VICTORIA HILLS AND THE OPDC
“I THINK IT’S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR PLANNING TO BE PART OF THE DIGITAL CONVERSATION, BECAUSE IF WE’RE NOT THEN SOMEONE ELSE WILL EAT OUR LUNCH”
First steps Hills, whose first task is to evaluate the institute’s current activities. is optimistic about the future. “Government loves what we’ve done at Old Oak, and I’ll be taking them the message that if you want the housing numbers through, or other positive outcomes, you can do it when you resource it. “Planning needs to be at the top table in local government,” she adds, “and my sense is that government realises this, both centrally and through its agencies. One of my real passions is the role of the chief planning officer. We need chief planning officers back at the top table in local government.” “There’s a new energy created by city regions, while planning in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland is unrecognisable to what it was ten years ago. With all of of the country’s challenges, I don’t think planning has been so relevant as it is now.” It’s the right time to take over as RTPI CEO, Hills suggests. “Having built Old Oak up as its own planning authority, with 11,000 homes in the system and 2,000 being built, it’s the right time to hand it over. The call to become RTPI chief executive at this moment is an aligning of the stars.”
Setting up a Mayoral Development Corporation ”I was on maternity leave when it was suggested I put my name forward for the mayoral development corporation (MDC) that would become the Old Oak & Park Royal Development Corporation (OPDC). The prospect of working on the largest and most connected transport network in the UK, with a significant regeneration component, really appealed. “You can hope for variety, but you never really know how any job is going to turn out – and nothing could have prepared me for working with this new form of administrative body. “The GLA is a fast-paced environment; nobody hands you a manual toolkit. The experience I had of working for very demanding politicians prepared me well. If I had been parachuted in from an organisation other than the GLA it would have been more challenging. ”There are so many planning issues. It’s the largest regeneration project in the UK, and it will remain very exciting and close to my heart.”
GETTING THE BAND BACK TOGETHER
Victoria Hills started her RTPI life as a volunteer while at Newcastle University, joining what was then RTPI’s full council (now General Assembly) having chaired the Young Planners Network from 2000 to 2002. And now she wants to bring that network’s committee back together again. “We had some really bright young planners who I loved working with. I want to put the band back together – to invite that committee, 20 years on, for a reunion to take stock of all we were working on in 2000 to 2002; what we said we’d do, and what has actually happened.” Hills is also delighted with the enthusiasm of the current generation of young planners. “It’s an amazing energy and it makes me very happy. Today’s social media is a golden gift to a network like the Young Planners, whereas our networking was done solely through the conferences or email. It’s communications on steroids.”
Working with Brent, Ealing and Hammersmith & Fulham councils “It’s fair to say that OPDC wasn’t initially welcomed with open arms, but over three years working closely with the leaders and their teams, we developed a good relationships. If you’re persistent, consistent and authentic you can get there.” “The leaders all sat on my interview panel, actually. Fast-forward three years on, and they were all endorsing the local plan and are happy with the masterplan, supporting OPDC’s Housing Infrastructure Fund bid.”
PLANNING HEROES
Dr Clara Greed, emerita professor of inclusive urban planning at the University of Western England, UWE “I wanted to use my geography qualification but didn’t want to be a teacher. Then I picked up a book by Professor Clara Greed entitled Women and Planning and it really spoke to me. Her thesis – that it was strange for women to comprise half the population yet be so poorly represented in planning – inspired me to consider this an interesting area to dedicate time to.” Patsy Healey, Emeritus Professor of Town & Country Planning at Newcastle University’s school of architecture, planning and landscape “I did my dissertation under Professor Patsy Healey at Newcastle University. She had a real influence on my career. When I had an initial knock-back (Hills was unsuccessful applying for a planning role with Newcastle City Airport), she encouraged me not to be disheartened but instead to focus and move forward.”
Key learning “Developer feedback has been phenomenal. They concede that we’ve been demanding, but also that we were completely focused on getting the job done, getting decisions made and getting s106s signed. So great things can happen when planning is well supported and well championed. I was fortunate to have the resources to establish the planning team OPDC needed to write the local plan and start determining applications. I came away with a very positive experience of setting up one of the newest planning authorities in the country.”
MAY 2 0 1 8 / THE PLA NNER 18-21_Profile Vi__The Planner 21
21
23/04/2018 09:50
“THE UK BOASTS SEVEN BRT NETWORKS – IN CAMBRIDGE, MANCHESTER, LUTON, GOSPORT, RUNCORN, SWANSEA AND MAIDSTONE”
22
T H E PL AN N E R \ MA Y 2 0 1 8
22-25_BRT__The Planner 22
23/04/2018 11:34
URBAN TRANSPORT
AS EASY AS
BRT
BUS RAPID TRANSIT IS A GROWING PHENOMENON IN MUCH OF THE DEVELOPING WORLD WHERE METRO SYSTEMS ARE PROHIBITIVELY EXPENSIVE. FRANCESCA PERRY RUNS THE RULE OVER WHAT COULD BE AN INTEGRAL ELEMENT OF FUTURE URBAN TRANSPORT How do you solve a problem like city traffic? Restrictions on private car use are growing, but there is still a long way to go, especially in cities where cars remain king. There is a pressing need for better public transport, but for cities with no comprehensive subway system, the prospect of trying to create one can be financially prohibitive. Simply adding more buses does little to tackle gridlock if the vehicles use the same congested roads as cars. Enter the BRT (Bus Rapid Transit), a network of high-capacity buses using segregated bus-only lanes to make the humble city bus into more of an overground subway car. The Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) has developed a global BRT standard to clarify what qualifies as a BRT network. This includes dedicated right-ofway lanes, priority at intersections, off-board fare purchase, and platform-level boarding. Many projects that call themselves BRT amount only to premium buses in mixed traffic.
The rise and rise of BRT Bus Rapid Transit originated in the Brazilian city of Curitiba in the 1970s. The city’s mayor was a young architect called Jaime Lerner, who chose to tackle increasing congestion not by expanding car infrastructure – as his peers were doing – but by integrating bus-only lanes along main roads so that buses could run at speeds similar to light rail. The first lanes opened in 1974. After tweaking I M AG E | I STO C K
22-25_BRT__The Planner 23
and management improvements, the system grew in popularity and became a core part of the city’s transport network. In the early 1990s, Lerner streamlined the system by transforming BRT stations to enable rapid boarding through multiple doors and pre-boarding payment. City leaders elsewhere began to take note. Bogotá mayor Enrique Peñalosa introduced the Transmilenio BRT network in 2000, which continues to be recognised as one of the most successful BRT systems in the world. Other cities in Latin America and around the world followed suit. Indonesia’s capital Jakarta opened the TransJakarta BRT network in 2004, and this remains the longest BRT route in the world, with 231 kilometres of lanes. Also in 2004, China’s government recommended that BRT be made a priority for urban mass transit development in order to tackle traffic congestion problems resulting from rapid urbanisation. The country’s first BRT network opened in Beijing in 2005; there are now 20 in China. After opening the country’s first BRT in Delhi in 2008, India built seven more, with another four currently under construction. Back in Latin America, 19 more cities in Brazil built BRT networks, most of them constructed in the past decade, and many for the 2014 World Cup.. Colombia built six more. Mexico has 10. In Africa things are gaining momentum. South Africa boasts two networks, built for the 2010 MAY 2 0 18 / THE PLA NNER
23
23/04/2018 11:35
Manchester runs one of the UK’s seven BRT networks
World Cup. Tanzania’s Dar es Salaam “OUR welcomed its BRT, called DART, in 2016, CONSULTANTS which went on to win the ITDP’s 2018 PRODUCED A Sustainable Transit Award. Its first phase STRATEGIC spans 21km and serves 160,000 passengers OUTLINE CASE a day. More buses are being added to the FOR RAPID network this year. BRT projects have been TRANSIT IN proposed for Nairobi and Kampala, while BELFAST WHICH many more cities across the continent are FOUND THAT taking an interest. A BUSBASED Although the ITDP identifies that BRT RAPID TRANSIT networks are most popular in ‘fastSYSTEM WAS developing middle-wealth countries’ that VIABLE FOR cannot afford to build extensive subway THE CITY AND systems, cities in Northern America, Europe WOULD PRODUCE and Oceania have also turned to BRT. POSITIVE Though many hubs in these places have ECONOMIC long had forms of ‘busways’ or bus lanes, RESULTS” most of them are not classified as true BRT systems. Thirteen US cities have dedicated BRT lane networks, most recently in Albuquerque, where the all-electric BRT launched in November 2017. Canada has five, Australia three and New Zealand one. In Europe, 44 cities in Europe have BRT networks, France THE ABC leading the way with 21.
Life in the fast lane A touted advantage of BRT networks is that they are a cheaper way to deliver improved public transport. The 2014 ITDP report noted BRT capital costs are generally less than 10 per cent of subway networks, and 30-60 per cent of the cost of light rail. BRT can also be implemented much more quickly that rail-based transport, allowing systems to be created and expanded fast. When implemented fully, BRT networks reduce travel time in congested cities. Dar es Salaam’s DART has reportedly reduced commute 24
T H E PL AN N E R \ MA Y 2 0 1 8
22-25_BRT__The Planner 24
times by more than half for some residents, who once faced four hours stuck in traffic every day. On average, round trip travel times along the main BRT route have been reduced by about 90 minutes, saving some commuters 16 days a year in traffic. Less time spent in traffic boosts the economy as well as the environment. Dar es Salaam is hoping that productivity gains resulting from more efficient travel will boost its competitiveness as a business hub – and the network’s next phase is projected to create 3,000 local jobs and reduce pollution by about 60 per cent. Between 2010 and 2015, Johannesburg’s Rea Vaya reportedly saved South Africa about £630 million. According to the World Resources Institute, 40 per cent of this was a result of reducing travel time, and other savings were largely down to improvements in road safety and reduced emissions. Its report also suggested that efficient transport systems such as BRTs could save the world’s cities as much as £12 trillion between 2015 and 2050, not to mention reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 3.7 gigatonnes of CO2 equivalent a year by 2030.
OF BRT
Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) is a bus-based transit system that delivers fast, cost-effective services at metro-level capacities along BRT corridors (sections of road or contiguous roads with a minimum length of 3km). Five essential features define BRT: n dedicated right-of-way n busway alignment – usually a centre of roadway or busonly corridor that keeps buses away from kerbside
n off-board fare collection n intersection treatments that
prohibit turns for traffic across the bus lane n platform-level boarding.
I M AG E S | A L A M Y
23/04/2018 11:35
URBAN TRANSPORT
Roadside breakdown BRT does not, however, solve every city’s traffic woes. Because many so-called BRT systems lack dedicated bus-only lanes, these buses can sometimes take longer to reach their destination than ‘normal’ city buses, as in Ghana’s capital Accra. Poor design of stations and surrounding public realm can also make systems less efficient. Some BRT networks have failed. Delhi’s was dismantled in 2016, following criticism of inaccessible bus platforms and a lack of enforcement – meaning preventing cars from using the BRT lanes. Even so, citizens keen to see better public transport and reduced congestion and pollution protested against the closure. The same government that dismantled the BRT is now planning an improved version – the Express Bus Service – with better-situated bus stops and traffic marshals to enforce lane use. Even when bus-only lanes are used and enforced, benefits can often only be seen along those corridors. Despite having the largest BRT system in the world, Jakarta still suffers from acute congestion across the rest of the city. Then there are the loyal car drivers. Albuquerque’s BRT faced big opposition from motorists worried about losing road and parking space, including a lawsuit. Its lack of popularity is exacerbated by mechanical and maintenance issues with the buses, platform functionality issues, and route specifications errors. Another reason for limited success is context. The UK boasts seven BRT networks – in Cambridge, Manchester, Luton, Gosport, Runcorn, Swansea and Maidstone – but together these only transport 78,226 people a day – fewer than the number of people who use the BRT system in the small Colombian city of Pereira each day. This may be because the networks are fairly small and rarely in busy urban areas, where BRT works best.
Revving up in the UK? But this may change. Belfast will launch its BRT system, called Glider, in September 2018. The first phase of the network will run east to west across the city for 25km. Articulated buses with three sets of double doors and a capacity of 105 people will operate every 7-8 minutes on weekdays. The government knew Belfast’s public transport had to improve, but wasn’t sure about BRT, says Lindsay Rainey of Northern Ireland’s Department for Infrastructure. “Our consultants produced a strategic outline case for rapid transit in Belfast which found a bus-based system was viable for the city and would produce positive economic results, but a light rail system would not.” The lanes these Glider buses will use, however, consist of mixed traffic lanes, as well as sections of peak-hour bus lanes. Even the bus lanes will be used by other bus services and permitted taxis. Rainey says the timetables of various bus
services will be coordinated to minimise impact on one another. “On the short sections of the route where it has not been possible to provide bus-only lanes, the services will operate in general traffic,” she admits. “While this is not ideal, the sections are so relatively short that we do not anticipate significant impact on journey times or service reliability.’ For BRT networks to continue their global growth there are critical measures that need to be taken: user-friendly design and accessibility, extensive routes that respond to need, dedicated bus-only lane enforcement, and stakeholder engagement to ensure political and public buy-in. n ‘Francesca Perry is founding editor of Thinking City and writes about cities and urban life WHERE, HOW LONG AND HOW MANY?
According to a 2014 ITDP report, of the then-active BRT systems, 75 per cent had been built in the previous decade, mostly in middle-income countries. China led the way, having added 538km of BRT in 10 years. Updated calculations by international project BRT Data, suggest a worldwide total of 4,906km of BRT corridors across 166 cities, transporting more than 32 million passengers each day. BRT’s global leaders are Brazil, China and Mexico. As a region, Latin America remains at the forefront, with Asia not far behind. REGIONS
PASSENGERS PER DAY
NUMBER OF CITIES
LENGTH (KM)
AFRICA
468,178
4
117
ASIA
9,301,372
43
1593
EUROPE
1,613,580
44
875
LATIN AMERICA
19,643,856
54
1757
NORTHERN AMERICA
827,288
17
466
OCEANIA
436,200
4
96
China is a global leader in BRT
MAY 2 0 18 / THE PLA NNER 22-25_BRT__The Planner 25
25
23/04/2018 11:35
PLANNING FOR BREXIT
IS THE UK READY FOR BREXIT? DAVID BLACKMAN CONSIDERS WHETHER WE HAVE THE ECONOMIC AND PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE TO PROVIDE A FOUNDATION FOR A THRIVING POSTEU ECONOMY
BREXIT?
One year from now, the UK will have left the European Union. It’s still far from clear, though, what the nature of the UK’s future trading relationships will be with the rest of the EU, which still accounts for more than half of the country’s imports and exports. The government’s own report into the impact of Brexit – published under duress in late March following a battle with MPs – suggests that the UK will be worse off under any of the exiting models for a future relationship with the EU. It finds that the hardest-hit areas won’t be London and the South East, but the poorer regions that voted most emphatically to leave the EU. Much of the concern in planning circles surrounding Brexit has focused on the future of the EU environmental regulations, which have become deeply embedded in the UK planning system. The RTPI is just about to launch an investigation into this area. It may pain any diehard Europhiles
26
among planners to even consider the UK’s looming departure from the EU. However, the profession needs to start thinking hard about how planning can help the economy to survive and thrive post-Brexit. “As well as making sure we get a good deal on Brexit, we need to focus on the domestic environment,” says Jane Gratton, head of business environment and skills policy at the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC). She says that a 2017 survey of the BCC’s membership shows that the National Planning Policy Framework hasn’t helped businesses much since it was introduced in 2012. The survey was published as the Planning for Business report in late 2017. “We were hoping that the NPPF would ease development but have not found that to be the case. We have to make it quicker, smoother and less costly to get things done,” she says. For some on the free-market right-wing the answer is easy; slash back the regulations that they believe stifle the UK economy.
T H E PL AN N E R \ MA Y 2 0 1 8
26-29_Brexit__The Planner 26
23/04/2018 11:36
“WE NEED BIG PLANNING AS OPPOSED TO EVERYTHING GOING TO THE FREE MARKET”
MAY 2 0 1 8 / THE PLA NNER 26-29_Brexit__The Planner 27
27
23/04/2018 11:36
PLANNING FOR BREXIT
So far the political appetite appears to be limited for such a radical policy prescription, however. While this stance has its fans in the Conservative parliamentary party, Theresa May has signalled that she will not be seeking to negotiate this brand of Brexit. In her March Mansion House speech, the prime minister pledged to uphold environmental regulation standards, which she “fully expects” will remain “at least as high” as the EU’s. Meanwhile, opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn has said that Labour will push to maintain the high environmental standards that have evolved during the UK’s membership of the EU. So, if the UK isn’t going to undercut its erstwhile European partners, how will it find a competitive edge?
EMPLOYMENT 28% OF BUSINESSES TOLD THE BRITISH CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE THEY COULD NOT ACCESS ENOUGH LAND AND PREMISES
Regional investment
A national plan? Investing in Britain: Cities Built for the Future – a report recently published by built environment consultancy Arcadis – sets out the challenge for the UK, stating that Brexit has “accelerated the need for the UK to adopt a more globally focused trading model”. In order to harness its full economic potential, the UK will need to ensure that all regions are firing on all cylinders. The report’s author, Arcadis partner Peter Hogg, says: “We are very clear that a positive Brexit requires the UK and all of its constituent parts to take a very, very focused and structured approach to attract inward investment. “There is very little to be gained from a fragmented, sub-regional approach where you get unproductive competition between different elements of the UK without an overall plan.” The government’s recently published industrial strategy recognises the importance of a place-based approach to economic development. Some go further and call for a national plan for England, which would give a stronger spatial steer to economic development decisions. Wales is showing the way on this score with the forthcoming publication of its first spatial plan since the early Noughties. Neil McInroy, director of the Centre for Local Economic Strategies (CLES), argues that planning should play a greater role in guiding the spatial direction of economic activity
28
around England than has been the case over the past four decades. He says: “We don’t have a national economic plan. We need big planning as opposed to everything going to the free market. “Brexit demands that level of intervention: for too long, planning has been the thing that sits alongside the market and facilitates what the market wants but doesn’t go upstream to fundamentally say where we want the economy to go.” Hogg, though, is wary about what sounds like an additional layer of planning. He says: “We would be reluctant to see the country groaning under further planning bureaucracy.”
INFRASTRUCTURE THE UK NATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE DELIVERY PLAN PLEDGED £297.3BN BETWEEN 2016 AND 2021
GARDEN VILLAGES SOME 17 GARDEN TOWNS AND VILLAGES ARE IN THE PLANNING IN ENGLAND
Gratton agrees, adding that a national plan will add a fresh layer to a complex system that firms find hard enough to navigate already. More robust strategic planning could, though, help the economy respond to the changing economic geography that shifts in the UK’s trading relationships are likely to trigger. For example, west coast ports like Liverpool and Bristol will be expected to regain market share that they lost to their counterparts on the east side of the country, such as Felixstowe, when links with the Commonwealth and the US were downgraded in importance. In addition, the UK will no longer be bound into the EU’s transnational transport TEN T programme, which has promoted the development of arterial connections with Ireland in the north-west. There was already a crying need for better infrastructure investment before 2016’s fateful vote, says Richard Laudy, head of infrastructure at solicitors Pinsent Masons. He points to a recent World Economic Forum report showing that Britain ranked a lowly 27th in an international league table comparing the quality of different countries’ infrastructure. Improved transport links are high on the agenda for the firms that make up the BCC’s membership, says Gratton. As well as international gateways like Heathrow Airport, she also bangs the drum for the regional airports and east-west rail links in the north of England. Hogg agrees: “There’s no point saying ‘build it and they will come’ if they can’t get there.”
T H E PL AN N E R \ MA Y 2 0 1 8
26-29_Brexit__The Planner 28
23/04/2018 11:36
PLANNING FOR BREXIT
Planning isn’t the key factor holding back the delivery of UK infrastructure, though, argues Laudy. “It’s very fashionable to blame the planners for the delays in the delivery of infrastructure but that misses the point. The challenge doesn’t lie at the door of the planners; there are more fundamental challenges. “There has been huge underinvestment in the UK infrastructure by successive governments over many years,” he says, adding that the National Infrastructure Commission is able to set out the kind of long-term vision that governments have struggled to articulate because of electoral considerations. Although overseas investors get frustrated with the UK’s planning system, they also appreciate the certainty when it finally delivers, he says. “The Chinese struggle to understand why it takes so long to get planning, but they know that once a decision is made it tends to be stuck with. They can invest in other parts of the world and in a trice the opportunity they thought they had is gone. While it may take longer, once you get there it’s a more certain investment.” However, CLES’s McInroy argues that putting all eggs in the infrastructure basket risks ignoring the lessons of the 2016’s Brexit vote. The strength of the Leave vote in towns and smaller cities was fuelled by discontent about how the economy was working, he says: “People who voted Brexit will be demanding that Brexit works for them.” While the city centre economies of major regional hubs like Leeds and Manchester are booming, the benefits often fail to spill out even into surrounding neighbourhoods, adds McInroy. “If you look at Leeds and Manchester you are seeing a significant effervescence and developers coming in but we are still seeing the same levels of poverty. We are seeing economic vitality, but we are not seeing commensurate social vitality. That will be clearly need to be addressed post-Brexit.” He argues that places will need to pay greater attention to their homegrown economic resources, such as Preston City Council’s efforts to get the city’s public sector to procure more from local suppliers rather than big national companies. In line
with this, he argues that the onus will be on planners to pay redoubled attention to creating successful places that work in the round and from the ground up rather than as aggregations of different uses.
Loss of employment land
PORTS XAN ESTIMATED £1.7BN OF PORT INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT IS IN THE DEVELOPMENT PIPELINE
RAIL XRAIL SCHEMES IN THE PIPELINE INCLUDE HS2 AND IMPROVED LINKS BETWEEN SCOTTISH CITIES
REGENERATION XDUNDEE AND LIVERPOOL SHOW THE BENEFITS OF REGENERATING FORMER DOCKLANDS
However, Gratton at the BCC expresses concern that the government’s reforms to the planning system have been focused too much on housing at the expense of employment. The past five years have seen a succession of changes to planning rules that have eased the conversion of commercial and employment premises to residential uses. These have included the extension of permitted development rights to allow the conversion of underused office blocks to housing. At last autumn’s Budget, ministers said they were considering extending this to the wholesale redevelopment of employment spaces without the need for full-blown planning consent. Gratton said that in some respects, these moves were welcome to employers because they increased access to housing for their workforce as well as stimulating demand for building products like bricks. “The difficulty is that policy imperative is forcing out other uses. Businesses are finding it more difficult to get employment land and the cost is increasing with premises being converted to residential. Probably there is not the right balance at the moment. If we don’t have an eye to that we will soon be storing up problems,” she says. The encroachment of housing onto sites hitherto safeguarded for employment is also stoking tensions with existing users as new residents get upset about issues like lorries delivering supplies. “It’s not good for business if they are starting to get complaints about things they have been doing quite legitimately for the past 150 years,” says Gratton. And the recent update to the NPPF, published last month, doesn’t help much. Barely more than a page of the framework is devoted to the planning of business space, half of which is taken up by the relatively niche subject of the rural economy. Gratton says: “We support the strong focus on housing but there has to be equal focus on economic growth.”
MAY 2 0 1 8 / THE PLA NNER 26-29_Brexit__The Planner 29
29
23/04/2018 11:36
ANNUAL
VENUE: CLIFFORD CHANCE 1O UPPER BANK STREET LONDON E14 5JJ
CONFERENCE
WEDNESDAY
27 JUNE 2018
JOIN THE UK’S LEADING INFRASTRUCTURE PLANNING STAKEHOLDERS to debate the issues & opportunities for national infrastructure planning SPEAKERS WILL INCLUDE representatives of MHCLG, the Planning Inspectorate, the National Infrastructure Commission, DCO promoters and local government CONFERENCE FEES: NIPA Members: £220 + VAT/Non-Members: £325 + VAT Local Government, Non Governmental Organisations and Local Authorities: £250* + VAT (*including free membership of NIPA for the year 18/19)
For further information and the full programme please email events@nipa-uk.org or telephone 020 7489 7628
30
T H E PL AN N E R \ M A Y 2 0 1 8
p30_PLN.MAY18.indd 30
19/04/2018 14:34
LANDSCAPE
Tech { L A N D S C A P E
P31 TECH P34 REGIONAL P38 DECISIONS P42 LEGAL P50 PLAN B P51 ACTIVITY
A FRESH LOOK AT THAMESMEAD THE REGENERATION OF THAMESMEAD IN SOUTHEAST LONDON IS A HUGE UNDERTAKING. EMERGING VIRTUAL REALITY TECHNOLOGY COULD HAVE A VITAL ROLE TO PLAY, FINDS MATT MOODY “Lots of people imagine Thamesmead as a kind of small estate somewhere in south-east London, but this is a whole town we’re talking about. It’s hard to visualise the scale until you go,” says Ellen Halstead, head of strategy for Thamesmead at Peabody, the historic London housing association. For a £1 billion project aiming to deliver up to 20,000 new homes to a masterplan that extends 30 years into the future, visualisation is the key to success. Built on marshland in the late 1960s as a ‘new town’, Thamesmead was originally conceived as a solution to London’s post-war housing crisis. Its futuristic architecture won
I M AG E S | HOB S ST U DIO
31-32_Tech Lands__The Planner 31
awards at the time, but costs spiralled, a new Thames crossing was cancelled and social problems began to set in. In 2014, the site was acquired by Peabody. Often associated with Victorian mansion blocks, the group now owns more than 55,000 properties across London, providing affordable housing for 80,000 people. Despite the housing association’s long history, the regeneration of Thamesmead will be Peabody’s most ambitious project to date. As well as “traditional physical regeneration”, the 30-year development plan will consider how Peabody can look after Thamesmead in the longer term.
Halstead says that a “long-term stewardship model”, is likely to include support for culture and community, and further investment in existing homes. Connectivity is a consideration, too – the settlement will be connected to central London by a new Crossrail station at nearby Abbey Wood, and an extension to the Docklands Light Railway (DLR). And, of course, technology and its uses: “Are we using technology in the right ways now to anticipate years to come rather than just building for today? asks Halstead. Life in VR One of Peabody’s main challenges to date has been to build an inclusive consultation process that effectively visualises both the scale of Thamesmead as a place right now, and the scale of change planned over the next 30 years. Conventional maps and plans can struggle to illustrate an undertaking of this size – “They can be difficult to read because they presuppose that you’re familiar with how they work, and they don’t bring a place to life,” says Halstead. As a result, the
MAY 2 0 18 / THE PLA NNER
31
23/04/2018 09:51
LANDSCAPE
Tech { L A N D S C A P E Left: The plan view for mark-up Below: Thamesmead
for 40 years discovering it for the first time on our model,” she adds.
consultation process can become selfselecting – i.e. only those who are already engaged or who have expertise get involved. For a more tangible representation of Thamesmead, the team approached Hobs Studio, which last year produced a 3D-printed model of the Barking Riverside regeneration project (bit.ly/planner0518-barking). Hobs proposed modelling Thamesmead in virtual reality (VR). Using technology originally created for video games, a “realistic artificial environment” would be created, allowing anyone to “walk through” a project as if it had already been built. The virtual world would be accessible through a variety of hardware, from 3D glasses and VR headsets to a single iPad. It is still relatively early days in the Thamesmead regeneration, but Peabody has already begun to integrate the technology into its processes – and the results are eyeopening. “We’ve opened a drop-in space and information hub in Thamesmead which uses a VR model of the existing town,” says
Halstead. “It’s been really helpful in bringing people into the conversation about the place they live in. Even just viewing the town from above, you notice patterns in the streets you wouldn’t see otherwise.” “People always want to find their house first, but once they start exploring they say ‘I didn’t know that was there!’ We’ve recently added a feature that highlights local landmarks – there’s a Victorian pumping station in the area, and we’ve had people who’ve lived in the area
VR FOR CONSTRUCTION
As well as being used in planning and architecture, VR is set to transform the construction industry. The software is able to show a construction project at different stages of completion, adding a “fourth dimension” to the modelling process, with big implications for construction safety and training.
“The construction industry in particular needs a catalyst for change, so this technology is like skimming a stone and seeing where it ripples off to,” says Ewan Morrison. “Once the content has been generated, you’re able to produce resources for print, digital, CGI fly-through, and 3D printing.”
Going interactive Matthew Foulis, head of estate regeneration in Thamesmead for Peabody stresses that interactivity is the primary benefit of VR, and an advantage it holds over CGI ‘flythroughs’. “It’s completely adaptable for what you want to use it for, being able to look across the entire site or focus on a particular area,” he says. “Flythroughs are great, but they take you where they [the creator] want to go. We want people to go where they want to go.” Eventually, the Peabody team hopes that prospective residents will be able to walk through the front door of a proposed flat and get a sense of what it would be like to live there. Before the VR model can be used as part of a planning consultation in this way, more detail must be added – but this is not a technological limitation, says Ewan Morrison, head of visualisation at Hobs. “In terms of visual output, you can achieve a near photo-real output using Unreal Engine (the software that powers the model) already. Using architectural and design data, you can replicate anything from the brick textures of a building to the landscaping.” The challenge, he says, is accessing and collating that information, and the manhours it takes to process it. “We need people who are into gaming, coding and the arts, who also have the skills in engineering and mathematics,” Morrison points out. Foulis sees a bright future for VR in planning consultations. “Planners are trained professionals, so they will be able to glean more information from traditional twodimensional plans than members of the public might be able to – but there are still limitations to that medium, and insights that only VR can provide,” he says. "There’s huge potential, but as with any new technology, the key will be planners being given the time to properly use, test and try out whatever it is they’re presented with.” n Read more about the development at: bit.ly/planner0518-thamesmead
32
T H E PL AN N E R \ MA Y 2 0 1 8
31-32_Tech Lands__The Planner 32
23/04/2018 09:51
Aylesbury Vale District Council is a forward thinking and commercially minded organisation. Our planning teams are busy working on a wide variety of projects including large scale developments that will stimulate the regeneration of the town centre, new retail and leisure developments, HS2 (with the largest length of track spanning Aylesbury Vale), East-West Rail, and the Oxford to Cambridge Expressway. Aylesbury has also recently been awarded Garden Town status. This offers a unique chance to ensure that as the town grows, Aylesbury and the surrounding area continues to be the best possible place to live, work and visit. The ambition is simple – to create a truly desirable community in a well-planned, sustainable environment that makes us proud. Garden Town status allows us to better plan for the future, and helps us to access funding to build and improve our transport links and infrastructure. Our planning teams have been shortlisted for various awards at the 2018 Planning Awards including Planning for the Natural Environment and Best Housing scheme (500 homes or more) for Kingsbrook, a new development of 2,450 homes, as well as Local Authority Planning Team of the Year. If you are a talented and ambitious individual who is keen to enhance their careers while helping to shape the future of Aylesbury Vale, then please get in touch.
Principal Planner
Senior Planner
Planner
Bene¿ts to you Free staff car parking on site, smart modern of¿ces located close to bus and train stations, one relevant professional fee paid per year, Àexible working, 28 days annual leave (plus bank holidays), access to a pool car system and a generous pension scheme. Well connected Trains - London Marylebone (67 mins) or Birmingham (90 mins) Bus - Links to Oxford and Milton Keynes. Air Travel Luton Airport (50 mins) Heathrow (60 mins) Gatwick (90 mins)
Grade TE6 £44,424 to £47,592 We are looking for a talented Principal Planner to join our busy Major Development Team, which provides plenty of enhanced career opportunities for ambitious planners. Our aim is to become a top quartile performer, delivering high standards of customer service and developments of a quality that we can be proud of. To assist us in achieving this, we are growing our Major Development team so we are ready to take on the new opportunities with Aylesbury Vale’s ambitious growth agenda. You will provide leadership and direction to our planning of¿cers to ensure the delivery of the Council’s objectives, including the planned growth proposed in our emerging Local Plan. Grade TE4 £33,336 to £36,036 We are looking to recruit an enthusiastic and committed Planner to join our Development Management Team. You will get involved in all aspects of the planning service, including responding to general planning enquiries, providing pre-application advice, determining planning applications and assisting with planning appeal work. You will have relevant planning experience, and be eligible for or working towards membership of the RTPI. You will have experience of delegated and committee planning applications, be IT pro¿cient, highly organised, and an effective team worker. You will have strong communication skills and a thorough knowledge of planning processes and legislation.
Grade TE5 £37,860 to £40,968 We are currently recruiting for a Senior Planner to work in our high performing Major Development team. You will be an ambitious town planner with broad experience, a proven track record and looking to progress your career. You will be able to draw on your planning experience, knowledge of local and national legislation, and planning policy. You will have an excellent command of planning systems, be IT pro¿cient and possess excellent communication skills. We need planning of¿cers who will ¿t within our growing team, and who have experience dealing with both complex minor and major applications.
How to apply
If you are looking for a fresh challenge or maybe to re-locate to one of the most beautiful areas of the country, then this is for you! You can apply via our website - jobs.aylesburyvaledc.gov.uk If you want to ¿nd out more about these exciting opportunities please call Hannah Bayliss on 01296 585271 (Mon-Fri 9.00am to 5.30pm) or email - hbayliss@aylesburyvaledc.gov.uk
p33_PLN.MAY18.indd 2
20/04/2018 10:07
LANDSCAPE
Nations & Regions focus { Building resilience Physically, geographically and economically diverse, the East of England stretches from the north Norfolk coast to the fringe of London, and from Lowestoft in the east to the Chilterns in the west. It’s an area characterised by market towns, productive agriculture, a long coastline and a rich built heritage. Presently, the region is experiencing considerable growth in employment and housing. Despite its large rural populations, the East is peppered with high-tech growth clusters, and adapting well to renewable energy techologies. In the south, it has longstanding socioeconomic links with London and the South East, and most is readily accessible to surrounding regions.
Development pressure is strong. Several local plans have been held up by issues relating to housing supply and green belt. Garden communities are proposed for Essex; Cambridge is expanding, and the Oxford-Cambridge corridor is expected to accommodate up to a million new people. Brexit may be a concern. The East’s relationships with Europe are strong, particularly through the Haven Gateway and Thames Gateway. But there are also, however, pockets where the decline of traditional industries is being experienced. The future is uncertain, but the East of England seems to be building the resilience it may need to see it through Brexit and beyond.
Counties: Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire
St Albans prepares to resubmit its plan. In Cambridgeshire, both City of Cambridge and South Cambridgeshire local plans have been delayed by debate over housing and green belt. The recent Cambridge Peterborough city deal further complicates the picture. More than a dozen authiorities across the region have recently published or submitted plans that are yet to be found sound or adopted. The Planning Inspectorate publishes the status of England's local plans (PDF): bit.ly/planner0518-strategic
Key economic sectors: Norfolk and Suffolk energy coast (19,000 employees, £50bn investment planned); technology, (more than 150,000 jobs); ports and logistics (60,000 employees, £5bn revenue); life sciences (home to The Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, UK Stem Cell Bank, Precision Medicine Catapult); agriculture (26% of England’s farming income).
PLANWATCH
Essex is home to three of 15 authorities threatened with government intervention for their failure to produce a local plan. Basildon and Brentwood are now off the list, but Castle Point remains. But delays may also be due to joint plans in both north and south Essex being drawn up to accommodate new garden communities (see Insight, opposite). In Hertfordshire, the rejection of the St Albans local plan in July 2017 for its failure to fulfil its duty to cooperate has had ramifications. Numerous other Hertfordshire plans are being held up as
FACTFILE 2018 2018 2018
Area: 7,380 sq miles (8% of UK) Population: 6.13 million (9% of UK) Major population centres: Luton, Beds (240,000); Norwich, Norfolk (213,000); Peterborough, Cambs (183,000); Southend, Essex (174,000); St Albans, Herts (140,000); Ipswich, Suffolk (133,000) Parliamentary constituencies: 58 (50 Conservative, 7 Labour, 1 Liberal Democrat) Governance: 5 non-metropolitan county councils, 43 districts, 5 unitary authorities, 1 combined authority (Cambridge and Peterborough)
Key infrastructure: Ports (Felixstowe, Tilbury); East Anglia Arrays, Sizewell B nuclear power station, Stansted airport
IN THE PIPELINE
1. Sizewell C Although it is still subject to debate, a new 3.2GW nuclear power station on the Suffolk coast may well be operational by 2031. Its two reactors would provide enough energy to power five million homes. n bit.ly/planner0518-sizewell
2. Northstowe Cambridgeshire’s new town is already under construction and the first residents have moved in. Eventually, it will provide 10,000
34
homes in a sustainable development with a focus on health and well-being. n bit.ly/planner0518-northstowe
3. Lower Thames Crossing A £4-6 billion project to create a 13-mile road route connecting the M25, the A2 and the A13. Due to open in 2027, it will feature twin-bored tunnels beneath the Thames from Dartford in Kent to Gravesend in Essex. n bit.ly/planner0518-thames
T H E PL AN N E R \ MA Y 2 0 1 8
34-37_Nations__The Planner 34
23/04/2018 14:08
The East of England INSIGHT: ESSEX GARDEN COMMUNITIES
Graham Thomas (GT) is head of planning for Essex County Council Up to seven garden communities are in the pipeline for Essex in coming years: three are already incorporated into the North Essex Authorities Joint (Part 1) Local Plan; one in West Essex (Harlow and Gilston garden town); one in South Essex and the Joint Strategic Plan will address this, and two more have been embedded in the Uttlesford local plan. Collectively, they will provide around 78,000 new homes over the next 30 years. Why new communities? GT:Just trying to add strategic lumps to the edge of existing settlements does not give us the answers to creating a great place. If you do lots of small sites you are left with an infrastructure deficit. By scaling up you know the s.106 is going to generate the funding to pay for the required infrastructure. These are being incorporated into plans, but what’s the main delivery mechanism? GT: The north Essex local authorities have set up North Essex Garden Communities Ltd with a view to introducing a local development corporation. With an LDC you can acquire land at a set price taking into account infrastructure requirements.
Are you learning anything from previous waves of new towns? GT: Some of these communities might be 30 to 40 years in the making. There can be social isolation for some of the early residents, so we need to be aware of the need to put in some of that social fabric. These are infrastructure-led plans. Do you have the skills to do this? GT: We have some skills – for example, I was working on the new town programme in Cambridgeshire before coming here. As collective local authorities we are having to scale up. We’re also having to look at some different skills – development viability is critical; and what do we need to bring together health and town planning? the county council has created a new post in public health but place-making focused, and some of the district councils have strengthened their urban design capability. We are picking up the pace pretty quickly. Are you already seeing impacts? GT: There are stronger partnerships and relationships as groups of authorities. We’re all sharing and working much more collaboratively now than I can remember.
RECENT SUCCESSES
1. Carrowbreck Meadow The winner of the 2017 RTPI Award for Planning Excellence in Delivering Housing is a small development of 14 Passivhaus homes in Hellesdon, Norfolk. Its environmental awareness, sensitivity to its woodland setting and high proportion of affordable homes make this a landmark scheme. n bit.ly/planner-0518-greenroute
2. CB1 Masterplan Lord Rogers’ original vision for a 1.6 million square foot new quarter
1
around Cambridge’s historic station has been described as an ‘exemplar’ development by English Heritage. It has already delivered 1,000 student bedrooms, 300 apartments, new parks, a new headquarters for Microsoft Research, a cycle park, offices, retail space – and there’s more to come. n bit.ly/planner0518-brookgate
I M A G E S | H I G H WAY S E N G L A N D / A L A M Y / H A M S O N B A R R O N S M I T H
34-37_Nations__The Planner 35
2
3 3. Design Charrette for St Albans Civic Centre Run by Look! St Albans and Imagine Places, the charrette was used to find a community solution to replanning St Albans centre for the 21st century. 166 people produced detailed recommendations for the local authority. n bit.ly/planner0518-charrette
MAY 2 0 18 / THE PLA NNER
35 23/04/2018 14:08
LANDSCAPE
The East of England COMING UP
1. Conference: Good practice in delivering Passivhaus 10 May 2018, Norwich Following the success of the Carrowbreck Meadow scheme (see previous page), this conference will use case studies of successful schemes to help planners and architects better understand Passivhaus design principles and their application. n bit.ly/planner0518-passivhaus 2. Masterclass: Planning and design:
Making better places
Carrowbreck Meadow
13 June 2018, Cambridge How can local authorities manage effective design? Delivered by Rob Cowan, this masterclass will use tuition, discussion, group work and a site visit to help planners understand national policy and write write their own design policy and guidance. n bit.ly/planner0518-cambridge
3. The importance of collaboration 10 July 2018 A joint event being held with RIBA and Anglia Ruskin University. Details to be conďŹ rmed.
For more events in the East of England, visit: bit.ly/planner0518-east
Cambridge city centre
East Anglia oshore windfarms
SIGNPOSTS n Regional chair: Adam Banham n Web address: www.rtpi.org.uk/eastofengland n Annual report and business plan: www.rtpi.org. uk/the-rtpi-near-you/rtpi-east-of-england/annualreport-and-business-plan/ n Awards: www.rtpi.org.uk/the-rtpi-near-you/rtpieast-of-england/rtpi-east-of-england-awards-forplanning-excellence/ n Young planners: www.rtpi.org.uk/the-rtpi-nearyou/rtpi-east-of-england/young-planners-in-theeast-of-england/ n Email: eastofengland@rtpi.org.uk n Twitter: @RTPIEastofEng n Find your RTPI region: www.rtpi.org.uk/the-rtpinear-you
NEXT MONTH:
Scotland 36 36
THE P PLL AN N E R \ MAY MAY 2018
34-37_Nations__The Planner 36
I M AG E S | G E T T Y / H A M S ON B A R RON S M I T H
23/04/2018 14:09
Working in... 5 REASONS TO LIVE AND WORK HERE
1
2
3
4
5
Norwich, in Norfolk, is the happiest UK city to work in, according to research by Deloitte. More than three-quarters of respondents in Norwich said they loved their job.
The East of England is noted for its stunning coastline and its pretty market towns. If you need the city, London is within two hours of Norwich and Ipswich, less from Cambridge. The East is also a great launchpad for trips to Europe, by sea or air (from Stansted Airport).
Essex is about to see a wave of garden communities, presenting an excellent opportunity for planners to really get to grips with creating new settlements from scratch that are fit for the 21st-century.
East Anglia’s ‘energy coast’ is hi-tech and high-impact. It’s leading the way in clean energy provision and it’s getting bigger, with more offshore wind and nuclear in the offing. If you’re into energy planning and green infrastructure, there are few better places to work.
Cambridge. It’s the home of hi-tech science and industry; it’s rising to the challenge of providing homes and industry for a 21st century population, within the context of one of Britain’s most historic cities. It’s also at one end of the Oxford-Cambridge corridor, which could see a series of new settlements It’s great for culture, too.
East of England OPPORTUNITIES
1
Planning officer (Development management) Three Rivers District Council, Hertfordshire Salary: £21,501 to £28,508 inclusive of London weighting Closing date: 17 May 2018 n bit.ly/planner0518-development
Spatial planning officer (Planning and building control) St Albans City & District Council Salary: £31,370 up to £35,123 per annum Closing date: 08 May 2018 n bit.ly/planner0518-spatial
Graduate planning officer (Planning and building control) St Albans City & District Council Salary: Up to £27k per annum (inc. car allowance) Closing date: 08 May 2018 n bit.ly/planner0518-graduate
Senior and associate planners Three Rivers Bedford, Bedfordshire Salary: £30000 - £45000 per annum Closing date: 07 May 2018 n bit.ly/planner0518-senior
Planner Jobs has an average of jobs posted every month!
280 The PERFECT PLACE to find the latest town planning vacancies Planner Jobs is the official jobs board for the Royal Town Planning Institute
theplanner.co.uk/jobs MAY 2 0 18 / THE PLA NNER
34-37_Nations__The Planner 37
37
23/04/2018 14:09
LANDSCAPE
C&D { C
CASES &DECISIONS
Javid allows 683-home Sainsbury’s scheme with 4% affordable housing Sajid Javid has approved plans submitted by Sainsbury’s to build 683 homes as part of its Ilford superstore redevelopment with just 4 per cent affordable housing provision.
The appeal concerned plans submitted by Sainsbury’s for a mixed-use redevelopment of its Ilford superstore in East London. The scheme sought permission for 683 homes within nine blocks, retail space and parking, an energy plant, and a new supermarket with 4,745 square metres of retail space. Redbridge Borough Council refused the scheme primarily for its offer of just 4 per cent affordable housing provision (equivalent to 27 units) which falls well short of the borough-wide target for 50 per cent of all new residential development to be affordable. Sainsbury’s provoked anger by responding that its affordable housing offer was the maximum it could viably contribute because of the project’s “financially
38
T H E PL AN N E R \ MA Y 2 0 1 8
38-41_Appeals__The Planner 38
LOCATION: Ilford, East London AUTHORITY: Redbridge Borough Council
INSPECTOR: David Wildsmith PROCEDURE: Recovered appeal DECISION: Allowed REFERENCE: APP/W5780/W/16/3164036
challenging” nature, blamed partly on revenue losses from having to close its existing store during construction. The appeal was recovered by the housing secretary in December 2016. Before the inquiry, the council withdrew its opposition
to the scheme, having reached “common ground” with the applicant based on its financial viability evidence. A local group called ‘Neighbourhoods of Ilford South Engage’ (NOISE) appeared at the inquiry to oppose the plans in the council’s place after being granted Rule 6 status. Javid accepted that the appellant’s offer of 4 per cent “appeared low at first sight”, falling considerably short of local and national targets. However, having considered the detailed financial evidence presented at the inquiry, he found “no good reason to dispute the conclusions of financial experts” who agreed that the appellant’s offer was the maximum that could viably be provided. In the planning balance, Javid noted that the scheme
EXPERT OPINION ( Bernadette Hillman, head of planning, London, at law firm, Shakespeare Martineau. ( “Every project has to be considered on its own merits and this was a complicated site with many constraints, offering to meet 60 per cent of the borough’s annual housing target in a single scheme. The developer and Redbridge Borough Council assessed the viability of the scheme based primarily on the enormous nonnegotiable Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) of £11.4 million.” ( Hillman continued: “The case illustrates that aspirations for the delivery of substantial social housing on the back of major development schemes which are subject to a significant CIL may often be unrealistic. The ability of any scheme to yield a mammoth CIL contribution as well as a large affordable housing contribution is limited. “The answer is to build more council houses and for greater CPO powers to be given to councils to allow them to more easily acquire land for development.”
would deliver 60 per cent of the borough’s annual housing target in a single development, as well as providing an economic boost for the area. He agreed with Wildsmith that the scheme’s design would be “stylish and well proportioned”. He was also satisfied that the agreed community infrastructure levy (CIL) of £11.4 million would cover any impact on local infrastructure. Concluding that the scheme’s public benefits significantly outweighed its conflict with the local development plan, he allowed the appeal. I M AG E S | A L A M Y
23/04/2018 11:43
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
New-build home allowed on proposed Crossrail 2 route An inspector has permitted a home on land that will be required for Crossrail 2 according to TfL’s latest plans, as funding and delivery of the project remains uncertain.
Refusing windows would not ‘amputate’ Media Wales building An inspector has refused a plan to add windows to the blank eastern wall of the Media Wales building in Cardiff, because it could ‘severely limit construction’ envisaged in the council’s Central Square masterplan. The appeal concerned the Media Wales building in central Cardiff, which was home to Wales’s biggest newspaper company, Media Wales, until it was sold for £7.8million in 2016. The building, a seven-storey office block, stands adjacent to the south-east corner of the Millennium Stadium. Its eastern wall is on the shared boundary of an adjacent vacant “strategic site” that is envisaged for development as part of the Central Square masterplan. The wall was designed to be blank in the expectation that it would be adjoined to another building, which received outline permission at the same time but was never built. The appellant is now seeking permission to add windows to the wall. If he allowed the appeal, inspector Thickett considered, the need to ensure that adequate light levels would reach the windows would “severely limit if not preclude construction” in the space envisaged for development by the council. Although he acknowledged that the offices would be more attractive with more windows, he noted that the building would not be rendered unusable should the appeal fail. He rejected the appellant’s suggestion that the site would be “amputated” from the Central Square redevelopment, noting that LOCATION: Cardiff it was never designed to be open on all four sides. AUTHORITY: Cardiff County Council Ruling that the “best use” of the strategic site would INSPECTOR: A Thickett be at risk if he allowed permission, Thickett PROCEDURE: Hearing dismissed the appeal. Noting that the appellant DECISION: Dismissed had sought to “frame the case” as the council using REFERENCE: the planning system to APP/Z6815/A/17/3190684 protect its commercial interests, he said his decision was based solely on planning considerations.
The appeal concerned the end plot of a residential street in Wimbledon that abuts the South West Main Line, a major railway corridor running from London Waterloo to Dorset. The site is currently occupied by a large garage belonging to the last house on the street before the railway line. The appellant sought to replace the garage with a new-build home. The line was subject to a safeguarding direction issued by the government in 2015 to reserve the land for Crossrail 2, a proposed railway line that would run through London from Surrey to Hertfordshire. Merton Borough Council referred the decision to Transport for London (TfL) because of the site’s proximity to the safeguarded area. TfL initially advised that the scheme was not within the safeguarded area. At the hearing, however, it indicated that more recent design work has shown the site would be required for Crossrail 2. Inspector Hatfield noted that the new plans held no formal status as they would not be published until 2019. Given that construction would not begin
LOCATION: Wimbledon AUTHORITY: Merton Borough Council
INSPECTOR: Thomas Hatfield PROCEDURE: Hearing DECISION: Allowed REFERENCE: APP/T5720/W/17/3180585
until 2023, he added, the plans were still subject to change. TfL said it would need to compulsorily purchase the site for the project, and this would cost more if the appeal was allowed as the value of the land would rise. Hatfield was not convinced, noting that Crossrail 2 is a “regionally significant infrastructure project” that already has significant costs attached to it and has not yet had funding allocated to it so, he ruled, the additional cost that could be caused by the appeal scheme carried limited weight. The appeal was allowed.
MAY 2018 / THE PLANNER 38-41_Appeals__The Planner 39
39
23/04/2018 11:43
LANDSCAPE
C&D { C ‘Urgent requirement’ justifies student halls on Scottish island
LOCATION: Stornoway AUTHORITY: Western Isles Council INSPECTOR: Timothy Brian PROCEDURE: Written submissions DECISION: Allowed REFERENCE: PPA4102011
The appeal concerned a small quadrant of brownfield land south-east of Stornoway town centre. With a population of 8,000, Stornoway is the largest town in the Outer Hebrides, a chain of islands off Scotland’s west coast. In 2011, Lews Castle College, the town’s higher education college, was one of 13 Scottish colleges that joined together to form the University of Highlands and Islands. Developer Cityheart sought permission to build 60 bedrooms of student
accommodation, arranged into “cluster flats” of six bedrooms each. The site, around 2km south-east of the college campus, is used for car parking. Various neighbouring businesses objected to the scheme because its position could disrupt the operation of the industrial estate. Reporter Timothy Brian noted that “because of the proximity to the existing builder’s and haulage yards, there would be potential for residents of the appeal scheme to be
1,800 homes for Surrey aerodrome branded ‘unsustainable location’ in 2009 Following a number of delays, the housing secretary has announced his decision to allow 1,800 at Dunsfold Park in Surrey, ruling that the scheme would accord with the newly adopted Waverley Local Plan.
40
The appeal related to Dunsfold Park, the largest brownfield site in the Waverley borough council area in Surrey. It is home to Dunsfold Aerodrome, the site of the test track used in the BBC TV show Top Gear. The proposals comprised 1,800 homes, 7,500 square metres of care accommodation,
commercial, business and recreation uses, and a health and community centre. More than 8,000sq m of existing buildings would be demolished to make way for the scheme. After the inquiry, inspector Philip Major said Javid should allow the scheme, finding that its “very substantial benefits” should attract further weight from the tilted balance of NPPF paragraph 14, which was engaged because of the council’s then out-of-date development plan. Javid noted that the council had since adopted a new local plan, and could prove a fiveyear supply of housing land. He added that its development plan’s policies are no longer out of date for the purposes
disturbed”, which could have “serious legal implications”. Cityheart said seven other sites in the town had been considered, but none was suitable or available. Student residences are “urgently required”, the developer argued, as part of the university’s expansion programme. Brian ruled that noise issues could be addressed through mitigating conditions. Noting the lack of alternative sites “lent support” to the scheme, he allowed the appeal.
I M AG E S | A L A M Y / I STO C K / S H U T T E RSTO C K
Plans for 60 rooms of purpose-built student accommodation have been approved on the Isle of Lewis, off the west coast of Scotland, despite the site’s proximity to an industrial estate.
of paragraph 14. Since 2009, the area’s housing need had become “massively greater”, said Javid, and the site had been allocated for development in the new local plan with “strong support” from the examining inspector. As the scheme now accorded with the local plan, he allowed the appeal.
LOCATION: Dunsfold, Surrey AUTHORITY: Waverley Borough Council
INSPECTOR: Philip Major PROCEDURE: Recovered appeal DECISION: Allowed REFERENCE: APP/R3650/V/17/3171287
T H E P L AN N E R \ M A Y 2 0 1 8
38-41_Appeals__The Planner 40
23/04/2018 11:44
DECISIONS DIGEST{
SUBSCRIBE to our appeals digest:
https://subs.theplanner. co.uk/register
Awardwinning gym fails sequential test Retrospective permission for a gym on a business park near Liverpool has been refused despite its “considerable benefits”, after the appellant failed to prove that “sequentially preferable” alternative sites were unsuitable. bit.ly/planner0518-gym
Gasfired power plant would be ‘renewableassociated infrastructure’
‘Hotchpotch’ housing scheme in active business park deemed unacceptable
An inspector approved an 8MW gas-fired ‘peaking’ power plant in Cumbria, finding that its role in balancing the intermittent power supply from renewable energy sources meant it could be considered “renewable-associated infrastructure”. bit.ly/planner0518-power
A 117-home scheme in Leatherhead that sought “merely to fill in plots of land scattered across an active business park” has been refused for ‘severe design failings’. bit.ly/planner0518-hotchpotch
Javid blocks coal mine on environmental grounds
Green belt homes decision turns on definition of ‘village’
Sajid Javid has overruled his inspector’s recommendation to block the extraction of 3 million tonnes of coal in Northumberland on environmental grounds, after receiving a petition against the scheme signed by 20,000 people. bit.ly/planner0518-mine
An inspector rejected Three Rivers District Council’s argument that Abbots Langley is too large to be a ‘village’ and and so unsuitable for green belt infilling, after an appellant cited descriptions of it as a village on the council’s website. bit.ly/planner0518-abbots
Gypsy pitch refusal ‘proportionate response’ to flood risk An inspector has refused permission for six gypsy pitches on a floodplain in Kent despite acknowledging that the appellant’s family would be homeless, ruling that it was not a safe place to live. bit.ly/planner0518-flood
Javid approves 297 homes and new school in Surrey green belt Sajid Javid has approved divisive plans to build a replacement secondary school and 297 new homes on green belt land east of Guildford, after ruling that “very special circumstances” had been demonstrated. bit.ly/planner0518-surrey
Wind turbines could disrupt RAF radar Glazed extension to 16th century manor house refused
E UR IS LE
NE SI BU
UN MM CO
SS
Y IT
L GA LE
L RO VI
EN
GR MO DE
NM
AP
EN
HI
TA
CS
E NC NA FI
DE PE VE RM LO IT PM TE EN D T
E SC ND LA
WE HEA LL LT BE H & IN G
IN
FA S
TR
HO
UC
US
TU
AP
G IN
RE
An inspector has refused permission for a glass-and-stone extension to a grade II* listed Oxfordshire manor house, calling the design “uncompromisingly contemporary”. http://bit.ly/planner0518-glazed
GE HE
RI
TA
GN SI DE
GR
EE
N
BE
LT
Plans for two 18m tall wind turbines in ‘the heart of the Fens’ have been blocked for potential disruption to a surveillance radar at RAF Wittering, an air force base 35km away. bit.ly/planner0518-radar
MAY 2018 / THE PLANNER 38-41_Appeals__The Planner 41
41
23/04/2018 11:44
INSIGHT
LLegal landscape DON’T STOP THE MUSIC A little less conversation and a little more legislative action may be needed if the agent of change principle is to have any practical bite, argues Sarah Clover ‘Agent of change’ is a fashionable phrase, which seems to be more extensively used than it is understood. It does not denote one single concept, but describes a variety of strategies to control relationships between new development, and extant noise sources – typically music venues. The agent of change principle already appears throughout planning policy and guidance, but does not have any statutory definition. It conveys the idea that the agent encroaching on a planning status quo, changing it to have impacts on existing noise sources, should take responsibility for mitigating it. The principle achieved notoriety in January 2018, when music stars gave prominent support to an ‘Agent of Change Bill’; sponsored by John Spellar MP through the ten-minute rule in Parliament. It seemed that an agent of change principle could become law. The draft bill imposed duties upon decision-makers and developers to pay attention to any juxtaposition of new development and existing noisy venues, with a view to preventing trouble. The typical problem is that of residents moving in, only to realise that they are living near an unacceptable noise source.
42
Sarah Clover A tthat At hatt po ha point oint their theiir options th come mostly from the regulatory enforcement regimes. Too often this calls time on the music venue, which may be long-standing. This seems unfair, and it was this that prompted the Spellar bill and its celebrity support. The contents of the bill were by no means a novel idea, however. In 2013, the agent of change principle was reflected to some degree in the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) (Amendment) Order 2016 – in the provisions for the conversion of office buildings to residential units. The amendments gave power
“IT SEEMS THAT THE AGENT OF CHANGE PRINCIPLE WILL CONTINUE TO BE APPLIED THROUGH POLICY RATHER THAN LAW, WHICH INEVITABLY RESTRICTS ITS POWER”
to the planners to consider the noise impacts of such conversions and apply any necessary conditions. In November 2016, the Mayor of London announced that he would be introducing an ‘Agent of Change’ rule into the next London Plan. This is now reflected as Policy D12, which stipulates that “noisegenerating cultural venues such as theatres, concert halls, pubs and live music venues should be protected”, and sets out how that might be achieved. Versions of the agent of change principle were already apparent in the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and the National Planning Practice Guidance (NPPG), since 2012. NPPF paragraph 123 already directed attention to the impacts of new development upon existing businesses. The NPPG provided further information on how to mitigate the adverse impacts of noise. On 5 March 2018, a consultation was opened on a draft revised NPPF. In it, the agent of change principle
makes another appearance at paragraph 180, which requires that: “planning policies and decisions should ensure that new development can be integrated effectively with existing businesses and community facilities (including places of worship, pubs, music venues and sports clubs)”, and that such venues should not have “unreasonable restrictions” placed on them as a result of development permitted after they were established. The challenges of defining “unreasonable” are obvious. The status of the Spellar bill is now uncertain, and the consultation on the NPPF amendments has yet to conclude. It seems that the agent of change principle will continue to be applied through policy rather than law, which inevitably restricts its power, and places it at the discretion of decision-makers who will often have competing policies to apply. The new prominence of the principle is welcome, however, to encourage the prevention of careless planning that brings incompatible noise sources and receptors together in relationships that are obviously unsustainable. It seems likely, however, that the terms of the draft NPPF will not be enough to curtail the problems that arise when residential development encroaches ever further into night-time economies. Planning authorities need to pay more attention to this significant issue in their own development plans. Ultimately, Parliament may well find that legislating for this important principle is the most appropriate way forward after all. Sarah Clover is a barrister with Kings Chambers in Birmingham specialising in licensing and planning. She is also a trustee of the Music Venues Trust
T H E P L AN N E R \ M A Y 2 0 1 8
42__The Planner 42
23/04/2018 09:52
ADVERTISER CONTENT
MARK IVESON is a Senior Associate with Gately Plc.
Overriding third-party rights Third-party rights can be fatal to a scheme’s progression, says Mark Iveson of Gately Plc – fortunately, planners and developers have a legal tool at their disposal
O
n 6th April, changes came into effect for IR35, the ‘intermediaries’ legislation affecting those working through their own personal service company in the public sector. Town planning already suffers from significant skill shortages and excessive workloads following ten years of mandatory redundancies, predominantly in the public sector. Planning and development departments are now really feeling the brunt of constant spending cuts, with increased pressure on authorities to produce more with less. So how will these changes affect the contract market within local authorities? Contract town planners in local authorities are already paid 20 per cent above those in permanent positions. With demand so high, authorities have
to pay uplifted rates to attract staff. The majority of contractors set up to work via a personal service company now face the prospect of working ‘inside IR35‘ through traditional PAYE methods – and thus paying more tax. In some cases, councils have had to further increase rates in order to ‘balance out’ contractors' earnings and stop contractors moving on. This price hike, however, has been too much for some organisations and contractors have simply moved on or are ‘sitting it out’ until the right role comes about. Not many have simply ‘accepted’ the loss in earnings. Others will move back to the private sector, either to permanent positions or to contracts that are exempt from the IR35 legislation. However, the private sector does not come out of these changes unscathed, feeling
Gateley – Straight-talking advice with a commercial edge Gateley is a law-led professional services group, promoting the commercial and strategic interests of companies, individuals and organisations across the UK and beyond. We provide collaborative, straighttalking legal advice with a cutthrough commercial edge, based on a pragmatic and partner-led service. Our national planning team advises on all aspects of planning, highways, compulsory purchase and compensation. We also advise on
43 advertisement__The Planner 43
local government law, practice and procedure, and on environmental and climate change issues. We have earned an enviable reputation in this field, both for the skilful way we manage and navigate these complex areas and the quality of the strategic advice and guidance we provide. You can pick up advice and insight from our team via the Gateley blog at: bit.ly/planner0518gateleyblogs and our YouTube channel: bit.ly/planner0518-gateleyyoutube
the effects during submission stage when applications are slowed down significantly due to a lack of public sector resource. Despite all of this, public planning services continue to generate significant levels of income with increasing numbers of authorities identifying opportunities for planning performance agreements (PPAs). Income generated by PPAs is significant, so there is a pressure to deliver on them which in turn creates a need for additional staff who don't currently sit under the organisation’s ‘team structure’. In most cases they are prepared to pay for consultants to deliver them and work ‘outside’ of IR35. This new legislation will not help an already strained public sector. But only time will tell how it will really affect the planning profession.
Talk to us Email: Mark Iveson, Senior Associate mark.iveson@gatelyeplc.com Call Mark on 0161 836 7751 Twitter: @GateleyPlc LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/gateley-plc Adress: Gateley Plc, One Eleven, Edmund Street Birmingham, B3 2HJ
www.gateleyplc.com
23/04/2018 11:37
NEWS
RTPI {
RTPI news pages are edited by Josh Rule at the RTPI, 41 Botolph Lane, London EC3R 8DL
What does a resilient city look like? WHAT IS URBAN RESILIENCE, AND HOW DO YOU PLAN FOR IT? AHEAD OF THIS YEAR’S PLANNING CONVENTION, ‘RESILIENT PLANNING FOR OUR FUTURE’, WE CAUGHT UP WITH THREE OF THE SPEAKERS TO HEAR THEIR PERSPECTIVE ON HOW THE PLANNING PROFESSION CAN HELP CITIES ADAPT AND TRANSFORM IN THE FACE OF FUTURE CHALLENGES. MediaCity in Manchester
and promote the use of sustainable modes of travel; n Mitigate potential adverse environmental impacts of air quality, noise and pollution; and n Promote high-quality buildings and publically accessible open spaces which respond to the need to increase the density of development within the city’s urban limits.
Helen Gordon, chief executive, Grainger plc
Nick Walkley, chief executive, Homes England
One definition of a resilient city is one
that has the ability to absorb, recover and prepare for future shocks (economic, environmental, social and institutional). At the heart of a resilient city are the principles of sustainable development, well-being and inclusive growth. Throughout my career in planning it has become evident that a key contributor to resilient cities is the inhabitant; those who live, work and play in it and how they adapt to complexities of city living. With population growth, the housing crisis, climate change and economic uncertainty, it is more compelling than ever to invest in the concept of a resilient city. Planning can play a key role in delivering developments that meets these objectives. A resilient city needs to respond to the challenges of population growth by: n Recycling and reusing existing buildings for other economic and social uses when the original use is no longer viable; n Plan for socially inclusive communities
T H E P L AN N E R \ MA Y 2 0 1 8
I M AG E | G OR D ON B E L L / S H U T T E RSTO C K. COM
I studied in Liverpool, spent my twenties in Manchester and have lived in London ever since. So, as the chief executive of Homes England, I naturally think a lot about urban living and how we need to plan for growth in our cities in the years ahead. The UN predicts that 6.3 billion people across the globe will be living in cities by 2050. So, how do we make our cities more resilient? Transport and technology are significant drivers of urbanisation. What really interests me is the people and, therefore, the housing offer and quality of place. The revolution in urban living over the past 20 years is that the depopulation of cities is ending and the debate is now about densities. We only have to look at the transformation of Manchester.
Abraham Laker MRTPI, associate director, RPS Planning & Development
44
44-47_RTPI News__The Planner 44
In a post-Brexit world, the need to be globally competitive is ever more important. Every city across the UK must consider how it will build resilience – economically, socially and environmentally – and how it will retain and grow employment and support local services. The ability of cities to attract investment, business and talent will be key ingredients to future success. Cities that can offer a wide range of goodquality homes for rent will be more resilient and attractive. Labour market mobility is something that all city leaders should be thinking about. Make it easier for people to move to a city for their dream job, and productivity levels will increase and economic output will improve. We can achieve this by focusing on the local housing market, in particular by ensuring that there is the right mix of housing on offer, not just social affordable housing and homes to buy. Academic studies show that home ownership can actually hinder economic growth and productivity by making it more difficult for the workforce to follow investment and business activity. n Resilient planning will be discussed at this year’s Planning Convention in London on 21 June: bit.ly/planner0518-convention These comments from Nick, Abraham and Helen are excerpts from a longer piece that will be available online.
23/04/2018 09:52
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 change the Scottish planning system
Chiquita Elvin, Licentiate Member PROJECT COORDINATOR, COMMUNITY LINKS PLUS SUSTRANS SCOTLAND Changes to Scotland’s planning system must focus on creating quality places and liveable neighbourhoods – places that would score highly using tools such as the Place Standard. We should assess the success of planners and planning departments on the quality of developments in their region, not simply the volume of houses built or applications processed on time. This takes skill, resources and engagement. In order to address issues surrounding health and the natural environment, we need to invest in planners to ensure that they have the appropriate skills and support. In recognition, RTPI Scotland has suggested a range of measures to address this complex subject. Sustrans Scotland is also able to support local authorities with resourcing through its Street Design, Community Links and Community Links PLUS programmes. Part of any quality, sustainable development is green infrastructure. This is missing in the draft bill’s infrastructure levy definition. If we are to make more liveable places that are in harmony with local environments, green infrastructure must be prioritised in all new developments.
COMMITTEE PRIORITIES: RTPI YORKSHIRE Richard Wood MRTPI, chair of RTPI Yorkshire, gives an update on the region’s current priorities: RTPI Yorkshire, with more than 1,600 members, provides a range of services.. As well as offering affordable events, it delivers the Yorkshire Conference Series and Yorkshire Practice Seminars, social events, keeps members up to date through e-bulletins and social media, provides local information and networking, and runs an annual Award for Planning Excellence.
To explain the role and value of planning, encouraging young people to become planners To champion the strategic role of planning in providing a joined-up vision for future growth To encourage inter-professional development across sectors to support a multi-disciplinary approach to placemaking Explaining what planners do is important. We need to get clearer messages across about the value of planning to society and to inspire the next generation of planners. Reasserting the role of planning is vital. Planners have the tools and skills to provide a much-needed integrated and long-term approach to managing the economic, social and environmental challenges and opportunities facing our cities, towns, countryside and coasts. Planners leading and working within wider teams remains fundamental to creating successful places.
2
1 Assess planners and planning departments on the quality of developments in their region
Invest in planners and their professional development throughout their careers
3 Green infrastructure must be part of the proposed Infrastructure Levy
POSITION POINTS
NATIONAL MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING ON HEALTH & HOUSING A National Memorandum of Understanding – signed by 25 government, health and built environment organisations, including the RTPI – says cross-sector partnerships are key to providing healthy homes, communities and neighbourhoods. It says the right home environment is essential to health and well-being throughout a person’s life. The RTPI believes that homes are the foundation for healthy, independent, successful lives and should play a greater role in joined-up action on improving health and health and social care services. The Institute’s involvement in this is to promote a wider understanding of how better strategic planning can help ensure that homes, of various types and tenures, are built in the right places supported by infrastructure so that we are not just building homes but vibrant, healthy communities.
n More information: bit.ly/planner0418-health
LAW COMMISSION’S REVIEW OF WELSH PLANNING LAW Heritage sites are at risk if proposals to combine the approvals for changes to listed buildings (known as Listed Building Consents) and general planning applications go ahead, says the Royal Town Planning Institute Cymru. In its response to the Law Commission’s review of Welsh planning law, the Institute opposes the commission’s suggestion to combine the processes. It says the move weakens the significance given to historic places and this would inevitably lead to a watering down of their protection.
n More information: bit.ly/planner0518-heritage
MAY 2 0 18 / THE PLA NNER 44-47_RTPI News__The Planner 45
45
23/04/2018 09:52
NEWS
RTPI { RT PINNI IN NAC TI ON : PY L&ANPNRIAC N GTIC E PLA G TH EOR REFORM A N D LEG I S L ATI ON
FINAL SCOTTISH CLIMATE CHANGE PLAN REFLECTS RTPI CONCERNS KATE HOUGHTON MRTPI, POLICY AND PRACTICE OFFICER
Unpacking the political and normative ideas behind planning Planning Theory and Practice Journal in Focus DR AUDE BICQUELET LOCK, DEPUTY HEAD OF POLICY AND RESEARCH Unlike perhaps any other social barriers holding back the use of science disciplines, planning is automated vehicles (see Guerra inherently both a normative and and Morris). an empirical exercise. Most importantly, perhaps, In fact, the activity of planning both Hatuka et al.’s article is premised on the notion that on the Political Premises of a future can be cultivated that Urban Concepts and Bates et will be better than the one al.’s Interface – What Shakes that would have arisen in the Loose When We Imagine absence of planning – otherwise, Otherwise – remind us that all to plan would be pointless. planning frameworks, ideas and The latest edition of Planning policies are based on different Theory & Practice reminds us assumptions and distinct sets of that this dual aspect of planning values and visions. raises important challenges at Hence the need to unpack both conceptual and practical the premises and driving levels. forces of planning concepts For instance, how to transform that we take for granted and knowledge claims about major to consider the possibility of renewable energy planning in ways that infrastructure into counter, elide and/or recommendations dismantle dominant “THE ACTIVITY and regulatory perspectives if we OF PLANNING IS decisions (see want to call the status PREMISED ON Prof Yvonne quo into question and THE NOTION THAT create new ‘spatial Rydin); how A FUTURE CAN to translate imaginaries’. BE CULTIVATED normative n Planning Theory THAT WILL BE ideas about BETTER THAN THE & Practice is an healthy, liveable ONE THAT WOULD internationally regarded communities into research journal. HAVE ARISEN IN actual integrated RTPI members can THE ABSENCE OF planning policies receive a significant PLANNING” (see Lowe et al.); subscription discount. how to go beyond Planning Theory prescriptive and Practice 19.2 is psychological available now.
46
Scotland has a new climate change plan, and the RTPI Scotland is pleased to report that it incorporates more of a cross-sectoral and behaviour-driven approach than the draft laid before the Scottish Parliament in January 2017. The RTPI Scotland submitted written evidence to the four Scottish Parliament Committees charged with scrutiny of the draft Third Report on Policies and Proposals, following which the Local Government and Communities (CLG) Committee invited Craig McLaren FRTPI, director of RTPI Scotland, to give oral evidence. The major concern he highlighted was the draft’s overdependence on using advancing low or no-emissions technology in buildings and vehicles to deliver Scotland’s emissions targets. In its report on the draft the CLG Committee agreed with the assessment made by RTPI Scotland that the plan should be more ambitious in joining up strategic policy aims to meet the climate change challenge. This includes enabling behavioural shift to active travel, joining up community empowerment initiatives (including those linked to spatial planning) to support a bottom-up response, and resourcing local authority planning to ensure that it can see through the delivery of places and buildings that prioritise emissions reductions and sustainable behaviour. Following parliamentary scrutiny, Craig McLaren was invited to sit on the Scottish Government Climate Change advisory panel – set up to be a critical friend to the government as the plan was finalised in the second half of 2017. The Scottish Government published its new Climate Change Plan, which covers the period 2018-2032, on 28 February. n Climate change is not a choice but sustainable development is, writes Graham Marchbank MRTPI in the spring 2018 edition of the Scottish Planner. He says silo mentalities frustrate transformation and with ever-increasing layering, whether it’s the Climate Change Plan, development, local place or locality plans or city deals; matching them is ultracomplex. Sustainable development through spatial planning can bring that together.”
Further reading: n Read RTPI Scotland’s evidence: bit.ly/ planner0518-policy n Read the Climate Change Plan: bit.ly/ planner0518-climate
T H E PL AN N E R \ M A Y 2 0 1 8
44-47_RTPI News__The Planner 46
23/04/2018 09:53
RTPI Y ACTIVIT E PIPELIN
Current RTPI work – what the Institute is doing and how you can help us LAST CHANCE TO HAVE YOUR RESEARCH RECOGNISED NATIONALLY The 2018 RTPI Awards for Research Excellence are open for entries of exemplary planning research from all RTPI-accredited planning schools and planning consultancies in the UK, the Republic of Ireland and internationally. These prestigious awards recognise and promote highquality, impactful spatial planning research across five categories. Enter by midnight on 18 May 2018. More information: bit.ly/planner0518-research
BOOK NOW FOR RTPI TRAINING IN SCOTLAND 6 JUNE RTPI’s guide to current issues in the planning system, scheduled for 30 May in Edinburgh, will explore a range of policy issues affecting planning practice, including land reform and the National Transport Strategy. Akash Paun of the Institute for Government is confirmed to lead a session on Brexit, looking in particular at implications for the devolution settlements. ‘Introduction to the Scottish Planning System’, on 6 June in Edinburgh, will be aimed at non-planners, including elected members, and will explain the roles of development planning and development management. Both sessions will be in ‘masterclass’ format, with a maximum of 25 delegates to allow an interactive approach to CPD.
RTPI SHORTS TELL US WHAT YOU THINK IS THE BEST PLACE IN IRELAND Are you proud of the place where you were born, live, work or love to visit? Do you think it has the potential to win to be in the top 10 best places in Ireland and perhaps even be crowned the overall winner? Ireland’s Best Places is a competition designed to celebrate some of our most inspiring places. The celebration of Best Places was established by RTPI during its centenary year in 2014 and similar competitions have been subsequently run in each nation of the UK. Your best place in Ireland could be a natural landscape, a historic town or village, a civic square or shopping area. It might be a community you are especially proud of, a special place within a city, a stunning cultural quarter or neighbourhood. You could nominate an area that has undergone significant regeneration and has been transformed to meet the needs of its communities. There is no single definition of a ‘best place’. We are leaving that up to you. A windswept headland, a secret view, a business district, a high street – all could qualify. We want your suggestions. Nominate your best place in Ireland before 8 June: Visit: bit.ly/planner0518-ireland Email: contact@rtpiireland.org Tweet: at @RTPIIreland using #RTPIIrelandsBestPlaces
Details and booking here: bit.ly/planner0518-edinburgh
LEARN HOW TO MEASURE THE VALUE OF PLANNING IN CARDIFF As planners we recognise the value that planning brings to society, but can we explain it? This year’s Wales Planning Conference will explore the value that planning brings and we will be launching a new toolkit to help measure the value of planning of Wales. If you were to put a pound sign on the value of planning in a given year, what would it be for Wales? Find out at Wales’s premier planning conference to be held on 7 June at Holland House Hotel, Cardiff. Hear from Lesley Griffiths AM, Welsh Cabinet Secretary for Energy, Planning and Rural Affairs, and leading industry speakers across a packed one-day programme. Book here: bit.ly/planner0518-wales
WHO WILL WIN THE UK’S MOST PRESTIGIOUS PLANNING AWARDS? The countdown is on! On 24 May we will be announcing the winners of this year’s RTPI Awards for Planning Excellence and celebrating the contribution that planners and planning make to society. Don’t miss out on this key opportunity to grab one of the last remaining tickets and be at the ceremony to find out who amongst all the project category winners will be awarded our coveted Silver Jubilee Cup. It is also an exceptional opportunity to network with the best of the best in the planning profession. Tickets for the ceremony at Milton Court Hall in central London are £65 plus VAT and include networking drinks and bowl food.
MEMBER DEATHS It is with great regret that we announced the deaths of the following members. We offer our condolences to their families and colleagues. Lesley Downing Ian Ward David Potter Margaret Whewell Michael Francis David Baker Margaret Young Anthony Moscardini Rupert Havard David Egerton David Noakes Noel Dant Colin Barnard Christopher Green
South East North West South West Yorkshire South East South East East England North West Wales Scotland South East Overseas East England East England
More information and bookings: bit.ly/planner0518-excellence
MAY 2 0 18 / THE PLA NNER 44-47_RTPI News__The Planner 47
47
23/04/2018 09:53
ADVERTISEMENTS
Recruitment { Bovis Homes is seeking a
Principal Planning Officer
Strategic Planning Manager / Senior Planning Manager
£38,784 - £41,427 per annum Contract Type - 12 month fixed-term contract Location - Bishops Cleeve, Cheltenham Salary - up to £55,000, car allowance and additional benefits
37 hours per week The Planning and Growth team deals with a range of development proposals and there is continued interest from developers in schemes for major development within the Borough. We are seeking an exceptional candidate to meet these challenges, with a focus on delivering economic growth and excellent customer service.
You will be responsible for identifying unconsented sites suitable for residential development across Bovis’ operating area, and promoting these through the planning system to achieve planning permission. Candidates should have strong communication skills, and be confident in working with landowners, agents, local authorities and other stakeholders. Previous employment in strategic land is not essential but is considered an advantage. We can offer the opportunity to develop significant expertise in strategic land promotion and management at one of the country’s leading housebuilders. For an informal discussion please contact Fiona Milden on 01242 662600 or email fiona.milden@bovishomes.co.uk
The role covers all aspects of the Development Management process, including managing a team of officers dealing with enforcement investigations, conservation matters and the validation of planning applications, as well as a direct involvement in dealing with applications. We are committed to equality of opportunity and diversity in employment. Applications are welcome from all sectors of the community and we aim to recruit a diverse work force that reflects the people that we serve.
Closing date for applications:
Friday 11th May 2018
Candidates will be expected to demonstrate a significant level of experience and knowledge of development management as well as excellent leadership qualities. For further details and to apply online visit our web site at www.rushcliffe.gov.uk/jobs Please note CV’s will not be accepted. Closing date: 8 May 2018.
Bovis Homes is an equal opportunities employer
EMPLOYER
Interviews: 18 May 2018.
AssoĐŝĂƚĞ WůĂŶŶĞƌ ĂƐĞĚ ŝŶ >ŝƐŬĞĂƌĚ͕ ŽƌŶǁĂůů
άϯϳ͕ϱϬϬ ƚŽ άϰϭ͕ϱϬϬ ƉĂ ĚĞƉĞŶĚŝŶŐ ŽŶ ƋƵĂůŝĮĐĂƟŽŶƐ ĂŶĚ ĞdžƉĞƌŝĞŶĐĞ >ĂƵƌĞŶĐĞ ƐƐŽĐŝĂƚĞƐ ŝƐ ĂŶ ĂǁĂƌĚͲǁŝŶŶŝŶŐ ĐŚĂƌƚĞƌĞĚ ƉůĂŶŶŝŶŐͲůĞĚ ĂƌĐŚŝƚĞĐƚƵƌĂů ƉƌĂĐƟĐĞ Salary: Role: &Ƶůů ƟŵĞ͕ ϯϳ͘ϱ ŚŽƵƌƐ ƉĞƌ ǁĞĞŬ ŝŶ ŽƌŶǁĂůů͕ ĐĞůĞďƌĂƟŶŐ ŝƚƐ ϮϱƚŚ ďŝƌƚŚĚĂLJ ƚŚŝƐ LJĞĂƌ͘ Based: ĞŶƚƌĂů >ŝƐŬĞĂƌĚ͕ ŽƌŶǁĂůů tŝƚŚ ŽĸĐĞƐ ŝŶ dƌƵƌŽ ĂŶĚ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ĐĞŶƚƌĞ ŽĨ >ŝƐŬĞĂƌĚ͕ ƚŚŝƐ ƌĂƉŝĚůLJ ŐƌŽǁŝŶŐ ĐŽŶƐƵůƚĂŶĐLJ ŽīĞƌƐ ĐŚĂƌƚĞƌĞĚ ƚŽǁŶ ƉůĂŶŶŝŶŐ͕ ĂƌĐŚŝƚĞĐƚƵƌĞ͕ ŝŶƚĞƌŝŽƌ ĂƌĐŚŝƚĞĐƚƵƌĞ͕ ĂŶĚ ĐŚĂƌƚĞƌĞĚ >ĂƵƌĞŶĐĞ ƐƐŽĐŝĂƚĞƐ ŝƐ ƐĞĞŬŝŶŐ ƚŽ ĂƉƉŽŝŶƚ ĂŶ ƐƐŽĐŝĂƚĞ WůĂŶŶĞƌ ƚŽ ũŽŝŶ ŝƚƐ ŐƌŽǁŝŶŐ >ŝƐŬĞĂƌĚ ŽĸĐĞ͘ ĂŶĚŝĚĂƚĞƐ ŵƵƐƚ ďĞ ƉƌŽĂĐƟǀĞ͕ ĞŶƚŚƵƐŝĂƐƟĐ ĂŶĚ ĐƵƐƚŽŵĞƌ ĨŽĐƵƐĞĚ͘ dŚĞ ůĂŶĚƐĐĂƉĞ ĂƌĐŚŝƚĞĐƚƵƌĞ ĞdžƉĞƌƟƐĞ͘ ƐƵĐĐĞƐƐĨƵů ĐĂŶĚŝĚĂƚĞ ǁŝůů ŚĂǀĞ Ă ƌĞůĞŶƚůĞƐƐ ĚƌŝǀĞ ĨŽƌ ĞdžĐĞůůĞŶĐĞ ĂŶĚ ŚĂǀĞ ĞdžƉĞƌŝĞŶĐĞ KƵƌ ĞdžƉĞƌŝĞŶĐĞĚ ƚĞĂŵ ŽĨ ŝŶͲŚŽƵƐĞ ƉůĂŶŶĞƌƐ͕ ĂƌĐŚŝƚĞĐƚƐ ĂŶĚ ůĂŶĚƐĐĂƉĞ ĂƌĐŚŝƚĞĐƚƐ ǁŽƌŬ ŽĨ ŚĂŶĚůŝŶŐ Ă ďƌŽĂĚ ƌĂŶŐĞ ŽĨ ĚĞǀĞůŽƉŵĞŶƚ ƉƌŽƉŽƐĂůƐ ŝŶĐůƵĚŝŶŐ ŵĂũŽƌ ŚŽƵƐŝŶŐ ĂŶĚ ĐŽůůĂďŽƌĂƟǀĞůLJ͕ ŽīĞƌŝŶŐ Ă ĨƵůůLJ ŝŶƚĞŐƌĂƚĞĚ ĂƉƉƌŽĂĐŚ ƚŽ ĚĞǀĞůŽƉŵĞŶƚ͕ ĨƌŽŵ ĐŽŶĐĞƉƚ ƚŽ ĐŽŵŵĞƌĐŝĂů ƉƌŽƉŽƐĂůƐ͕ ƚŚƌŽƵŐŚ ůŽĐĂů ƉůĂŶ͕ ĂƉƉůŝĐĂƟŽŶ ĂŶĚ ĂƉƉĞĂů ƉƌŽĐĞƐƐĞƐ͘ ĐŽŵƉůĞƟŽŶ͘ ĂŶĚŝĚĂƚĞƐ ƐŚŽƵůĚ ŚĂǀĞ ϱ LJĞĂƌƐ͛ ĞdžƉĞƌŝĞŶĐĞ ŝŶ Ă ƉůĂŶŶŝŶŐ ƌŽůĞ ĂŶĚ Ă ƉůĂŶŶŝŶŐ ĚĞŐƌĞĞ KƵƌ ŚŽůŝƐƟĐ ĂƉƉƌŽĂĐŚ ĚĞůŝǀĞƌƐ ŝŶƐƉŝƌŝŶŐ͕ ĂŵďŝƟŽƵƐ͕ ĂŶĚ ĂĐŚŝĞǀĂďůĞ ĚĞƐŝŐŶƐ͕ ŵĂdžŝŵŝƐŝŶŐ Žƌ ƋƵĂůŝĮĐĂƟŽŶ ŝƐ ĚĞƐŝƌĂďůĞ͘ ĚĞǀĞůŽƉŵĞŶƚ ƉŽƚĞŶƟĂů ǁŚŝůƐƚ ĂĚŚĞƌŝŶŐ ƚŽ ĐůŝĞŶƚƐ͛ ďƌŝĞĨƐ ĂŶĚ ďƵĚŐĞƚƐ͘ ZdW/ ŵĞŵďĞƌƐŚŝƉ ŝƐ ĚĞƐŝƌĂďůĞ͕ ďƵƚ ŶŽƚ ĞƐƐĞŶƟĂů͘ ǁĞůůͲĞƐƚĂďůŝƐŚĞĚ͕ ƉƌŽĨĞƐƐŝŽŶĂů ĂŶĚ ĨƌŝĞŶĚůLJ ƉƌĂĐƟĐĞ͕ ǁĞ ŚĂǀĞ Ă ƚŚŽƌŽƵŐŚ ƵŶĚĞƌƐƚĂŶĚŝŶŐ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ĐŽŵƉůĞdž ƉůĂŶŶŝŶŐ ƉƌŽĐĞƐƐ ĂŶĚ Ă ƉƌŽǀĞŶ ƚƌĂĐŬ ƌĞĐŽƌĚ ĨŽƌ ƐĞĐƵƌŝŶŐ ƉůĂŶŶŝŶŐ ƉƉůŝĐĂƟŽŶƐ͗ WůĞĂƐĞ ƐĞŶĚ LJŽƵƌ s ĂŶĚ Ă ĐŽǀĞƌŝŶŐ ůĞƩĞƌ ƚŽ <ĂƚŚĞƌŝŶĞ ^ŚĂŶŶŽŶ͕ ƉĞƌŵŝƐƐŝŽŶ ĨŽƌ ĐŚĂůůĞŶŐŝŶŐ ƐŝƚĞƐ͕ ĂƩƌĂĐƟŶŐ ŶĂƟŽŶǁŝĚĞ ĐŽŵŵŝƐƐŝŽŶƐ ŽŶ Ă ƌĂŶŐĞ ŽĨ Business Manager at kath@laurenceassociates.co.uk ƉƌŽũĞĐƚƐ͕ ĨƌŽŵ ŚŝŐŚ ĞŶĚ ƌĞƐŝĚĞŶƟĂů ĚĞǀĞůŽƉŵĞŶƚƐ ĂŶĚ ĐŽŵŵĞƌĐŝĂů ƐĐŚĞŵĞƐ ƚŽ ůƵdžƵƌLJ ůŽƐŝŶŐ ĂƚĞ ĨŽƌ ƉƉůŝĐĂƟŽŶƐ͗ ϯϭ DĂLJ ϮϬϭϴ ĐŽĂƐƚĂů ƉƌŽƉĞƌƟĞƐ ĂŶĚ ŝŶĚŝǀŝĚƵĂůůLJͲĚĞƐŝŐŶĞĚ ŚŽŵĞƐ͘
Laurence Associates
www.laurenceassociates.co.uk
Truro: >ĂŶĚĞƌ ,ŽƵƐĞ͕ DĂLJ ŽƵƌƚ͕ dŚƌĞĞŵŝůĞƐƚŽŶĞ ƵƐŝŶĞƐƐ WĂƌŬ͕ dƌƵƌŽ͕ dZϰ ϵ> Liskeard: dŚĞ WĞŶƚŚŽƵƐĞ ^ƵŝƚĞ͕ WĂƌĂĚĞ ,ŽƵƐĞ͕ dŚĞ WĂƌĂĚĞ͕ >ŝƐŬĞĂƌĚ͕ W>ϭϰ ϲ &
48
T H E P L AN N E R \ M A Y 2 0 1 8
PLN RECR MAY18.indd 48
ƚ͗ ϬϭϴϳϮ ϮϮϱ Ϯϱϵ ƚ͗ Ϭϭϱϳϵ ϯϰϬ ϵϬϬ
S e ar ch t h e p l a nne r.co .uk/ jo bs for the best vacancies
20/04/2018 10:39
ADVERTISEMENTS To advertise please email: recruitment@theplanner.co.uk or call 020 7880 7665
Housing & Regeneration
Project Manager – Strategic Planning Strategic Planning and REF: P320 Regeneration Team Leader & Regeneration Of½cer (Infrastructure & Project Delivery)
£30,006 to £35,067 (Inclusive of London Fringe Weighting) + Car allowance - dependent upon grade An excellent opportunity has arisen for an individual to be part of a proactive team leading on growth and the future shape of Dacorum. We are looking for a self-motivated individual to lead on and manage a range of high pro½le regeneration, town planning and infrastructure projects.You will be responsible for the planning and delivery of the projects to ensure that they are delivered to a high quality within budget and time. You will need to be an excellent Project Manager ideally with experience working in construction, planning or a related area, and a Local Authority background would be an added bene½t. You will be highly motivated and committed to providing great customer service with excellent communication and interpersonal skills. Ideally, you will have experience working effectively with Council Members and senior of½cers. A team player is needed, who can deliver to targets, and wants to make a difference, with a “can do” attitude, and an aptitude for problem solving.You will need a developed initiative, and be skilled at balancing a number of competing priorities.
REF: P310
£45,532 to £47,545 (Inclusive of London Fringe Weighting) Permanent position
An excellent opportunity has arisen for a Team Leader in our Strategic Planning and Regeneration service to help shape and deliver our exciting programme for development within this diverse and vibrant Borough. The role requires a suitably quali½ed and motivated planner with great management and leadership skills to lead on development and delivery of our strategic planning policies. This will include management of a high pro½le team, at a time you have a real chance to in¾uence the future shape of Dacorum and leave a legacy for the future. Working closely with corporate colleagues and external bodies you will play a leading role in shaping the new Joint Strategic Plan for South West Hertfordshire, lead the production of our new Local Plan and play a key role in delivering strategic sites to ensure that growth meets our high quality aspirations. You will have experience of policy development and delivery, preferably with a Local Authority background. Highly motivated and committed and with excellent communication and interpersonal skills, you will be used to working effectively with Council Members, senior of½cers and a range of external partners. If you are a team player, with a positive attitude who can deliver to targets whilst keeping an eye on the big picture, we would love to hear from you. Closing Date: Midnight Tuesday 15 May 2018 Interviews: Wednesday 30 May 2018
Closing Date: Midnight Sunday 20 May 2018
For further details of the above posts and to apply please visit our website at www.dacorum.gov.uk
With its stunning heritage coastline, outstanding and culturally significant landscape including the western Lake District World Heritage site, the best preserved Georgian town in the country and a picturesque historic harbour, Copeland is a popular place to live and visit. It is home to the famous “Wainwright’s Coast to Coast” and C2C cycle route, and a short distance to some of the most beautiful mountains and lakes in England. The borough is also one of the most affordable housing locations in England. The Council is very much open for business and is committed to an ambitious growth agenda. Already acknowledged as a Centre of Nuclear Excellence and with one of the fastest growing economies in the UK the Council is working hard to deliver new development and secure a sustainable legacy for its communities. There is significant developer interest in a number of high profile schemes within the main towns of the borough and these will provide excellent opportunities for career advancement over the next few years. . We are looking to recruit talented and ambitious individuals who are keen to build their careers while at the same time make a significant contribution to shaping the future of Copeland. You will work in a modern office environment in a Town Centre location and in return we can offer you flexible working hours, a generous pension scheme, Life Assurance, Child Care Voucher, Relocation Assistance, a strong commitment to Education and Training Support and a wide range of family friendly working arrangements that will allow you to balance your work and home life.
Principal Development Management Officer £37,107 - £39,961 We are looking for an experienced planning professional to take a lead role within the Development Management Team with a key responsibility for dealing with a caseload of complex and larger proposals.
£30,756 – £33,136 We are looking for a motivated, organised planning officer to support the production of the Local Plan and its examination and adoption.
Principal Planning Policy Officer £37,107 - £39,961 We are looking for an experienced and creative planning professional to help lead the production, examination and adoption of the Copeland Local Plan together with supplementary planning documents and masterplanning of key sites.
Conservation/Design Officer (Fixed Term Contract – 3 years) – 3 days per week £30,756 – £33,136 (pro-rata) We are looking for a qualified and experienced built heritage professional to be the Council’s Conservation and Design Specialist.
Closing Date: Friday 18th May 2018 Interviews will be held week commencing 28th May 2018. For an informal discussion please contact Nick Hayhurst (01946 598331) or Chris Hoban (01946 598439). To request an application pack please e-mail info@copeland.gov.uk or you can complete an application form online at https://copeland.gov.uk/content/ job-vacancies. Alternatively telephone 01946 598300 and contact our Customer Services Centre.
S ea rc h t h ep l a nn e r.co .u k / j o b s fo r t h e b e s t v a canci e s
PLN RECR MAY18.indd 49
Planning Policy Officer (Career Grade Available) Planning Policy Officer (Fixed Term Contract – 3 years)
MAY 2 0 18 / THE PLA NNER
49
20/04/2018 10:39
INSIGHT
Plan B
A little less conversation a little more planning application please
The law of unintended consequences stalks us everywhere. Take, for example, the draft revised National Planning Policy Framework. Aside from some alterations and clarifications, it’s been tidily reorganised into themed chapters. This makes sense, and enables planners, lawyers and members of the public to find the policies they’re looking for fairly quickly. It’s probably what the NPPF’s writers should have done in the first place. The document has, however, retained its system of paragraph numbering. This is another helpful means of finding and referring to individual policies and has created an entirely new language among planning cognoscenti who speak blithely of paragraph 14’s “golden thread” and the “tilted balance” of paragraph 49. These phrases are redundant in the new world of the refurbished NPPF, but learning new ones is no great hardship (besides, the intrinsic ambiguities can be a tidy little earner
50
T H E PL AN N E R \ M A Y 2 0 1 8
Page 50__The Planner 50
for some planning lawyers). Ho hum. Whither unintended consequences? Well, no one has really turned paragraphs 14 and 49 into a business model. Paragraph 55, however… You know the one – it’s the paragraph that says you can build in unsustainable rural locations provided your proposed home meets poorly defined and subjective criteria related to innovation in design. Loosely, the paragraph says you can’t build “isolated homes in the countryside” unless it’s for a rural worker, secures the future of a heritage asset, reuses redundant buildings or because of the “exceptional quality or innovative nature of the design of the dwelling”. “Such a design should: • be truly outstanding or innovative, helping to raise standards of design more generally in rural areas • reflect the highest standards in architecture • significantly enhance its immediate setting
I M AG E S |
THE RISE AND FALL OF PARAGRAPH 55
Because few would-be country dwellers can meet the first three criteria, innovative ‘paragraph 55 homes’ have become a thing. And enterprising planning and design consultancies have garnered good business on the back of this thing. To attract customers, they integrate the phrase ‘paragraph 55’ into their marketing material, whether in print or online. They vie for prominence in web searches and host articles ‘paragraph 55 homes’ with ‘paragraph 55 homes’ in the title and the page URL. One firm has even bought the domain ‘www.paragraph55.com’ to drive prospective customers to their website. Alas, paragraph 55 in the refurbished NPPF is a rather mundane affair about the use of planning conditions to make unacceptable development acceptable. It’s pretty dull. No, it’s *very* dull. “Outstanding or innovative” homes are now the purview of paragraph 81, part E, in Chapter 5: Delivering a sufficient supply of homes. Paragraph 81. It’s not exactly rolling off the tongue. Paragraph 55 is kind of cool, like Route 66 or 99 Flake. 55 is Rock Around the Clock, a young Elvis about to break through and the apotheosis of James Dean. 55 is hip homes for the young at heart. But 81? Plan B thinks only of Toxteth riots and the wedding of Charles and Diana – and we all know where that ended up. But, short of a radical rethink between now and the summer, Paragraph 81 it is. Which means that all those firms with paragraph 55 in articles, page titles and URLs are going to have to get their heads down and ring the changes. All that work (and expense) on the back of what amounts to little more than a bureaucratic whim. What a palaver. Of course, some will be quicker off the mark than others. Whatever you do, don’t type www.paragraph81. co.uk into your search bar.
GETTY / ISTOCK
• be sensitive to the defining characteristics of the local area”
n Clause for thought: Tweet us - @ThePlanner_RTPI 23/04/2018 14:10
LANDSCAPE
THE MONTH IN PLANNING The best and most interesting reads, websites, films and events that we’ve encountered this month
WHAT WE'RE PRODUCING EVERY WEEK This month you’ll have noticed the redesign of our Cases & Decisions section on pages 38 to 41. It follows the successful relaunch of our Decisions Digest newsletter – one of four regular weekly newsletters. Here’s what they are:
The Decisions Digest Every day we download, assess, write up and publish the most import planning appeal decision stories across all UK countries. And every week we put the best of them in an email that arrives at 7:30am every Monday morning. All our stories include direct links to the actual appeal decision letters involved.
The Tuesday Newsletter The biggest stories of the planning week, explained in detail and sent to your desk at lunchtime on Tuesdays.
The Friday Digest Every Friday lunchtime we distribute this guide to the planning stories making waves in England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. A useful way to stay up to date on all the planning systems of the UK.
Planner Jobs Every Monday we send this newsletter with the top planning jobs to anyone with an interest in the latest career opportunities. You can also go to job.theplanner.co.uk or our Twitter service @ThePlannerJobs to keep up to date. To subscribe to any or all of our newsletters, visit: https://subs.theplanner.co.uk/register
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/planner0518-calendar The Work of the Planning & Environmental Appeals Division 15 May 2018, Edinburgh Dan Jackman, assistant chief reporter at the Planning and Environmental Appeals Division, will discuss the appeals process and the work of the DPEA from a reporter’s perspective. He will offer reflections on previous debates about the role and function of the appeal system in the light of the current Planning Bill. bit.ly/planner0518-appeals
WHAT WE'RE PLANNING... June’s magazine sees deputy editor Simon Wicks visit Liverpool to find out all about regeneration of the Liverpool Docks. The the reg nation under the spotlight will be Scotland. Let us know what you want us to report on emailing: editorial@theplanner.co.uk by em
Wales Planning Conference 8 June 2018, Cardiff This annual conference will explore the value that planning brings, while RTPI Cymru will also be launching a new toolkit to help measure the value of planning in Wales. Speakers include Lesley Griffiths AM, Cabinet Secretary for Energy, Planning and Rural Affairs. bit.ly/planner0518-wales
Planning Convention 2018 21 June 2018, London Speakers from around the world will come together at the Planning Convention to address 'Resilient planning for our future'. Delegates will be able to hear from key industry influencers as well as network and debate. bit.ly/planner0518-convention
MAY 2 0 18 / THE PLA NNER 51_activities__The Planner 51
51
23/04/2018 12:00
p52_PLN.MAY18.indd 2
17/04/2018 09:49