The Planner October 2015 by The Planner

OCTOBER 2015 YOUNG PLANNERS SURVEY: NOW IT’S OUR TURN // p.20 • HOMES FOR BABY BOOMERS AND BEYOND // p.28 • RTPI AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN PLANNING FOR BUILT HERITAGE: DUDLEY REBORN // p.32 • ASKING FOR A PAY RISE: DO’S & DON’TS // p.34

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

PLANNER

THE

VIRAL DESAI

ZOE GREEN

IT’S TIME TO STEP INTO THE SPOTLIGHT, SAY YOUNG PLANNERS

“WE NEED TO GO OUT THERE AND SAY THIS IS WHAT WE DO”

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CATEGORIES

OPEN FOR

ENTRIES NEW EXTRA CATEGORIES ADDED

PROJECTS 1. Excellence in Planning for Heritage 2. Excellence in Planning for the Natural Environment 3. Excellence in Planning for Community and Well-being 4. Excellence in Planning to Create Economically Successful Places 5. Excellence in Planning to Deliver Housing 6. Excellence in Planning to Deliver Infrastructure 7. Excellence in Plan Making Practice 8. **NEW** International Award for Excellence in Planning PEOPLE 9. Employer Award for Excellence 10. Local Authority Planning Team of the Year 11. Small Planning Consultancy of the Year 12. Planning Consultancy of the Year 13. Young Planner of the Year 14. **NEW** Planner Volunteer of the Year

ENTER NOW

#RTPIAwards rtpi.org.uk/excellence Highlighting exceptional examples of planning and celebrating the contribution that planners and planning make to society

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PLANNER 06 24

CONTENTS

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20 15

NEWS

“SIXTY PER CENT OF THE POPULATION OF THE COMMONWEALTH IS UNDER 30. YOUTH ISSUES ARE SOMETHING I WANT TO PICK UP ON”

6 What can we learn from new towns?

7 Increase in new homes in Scotland

8 Do office-to-residential rights harm our towns? 9 Housing pact made in Wales 10 Public spaces paper wins top RTPI research award

OPINION 12 Chris Shepley: Luck, chance and keeping common sense dancing

COV E R I M AG E | D U N C A N N IC HOL L S

18 Angela Moore: Young planners can lay the foundations for successful places 18 Rupy Sandhu: Balancing act at the heart of environmental protection

13 QUOTE UNQUOTE

“WE ARE CLEAR THAT THERE NEEDS TO BE A GARDEN CITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION TO ENABLE THEIR DELIVERY” KATY LOCK TCPA , GARDEN CITIES AND NEW TOWN ADVOCATE, SPEAKING AT THE TCPA ‘NEW TOWNS PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE’ CONFERENCE

19 Daniel Ramirez: Devolution – the rebirth of strategic planning? 19 Lucy SeymourBowdery: We can make planning more accessible to young people

FEATURES

INSIGHT

20 We invited young planners to take part in a ‘snap survey’ to give us a flavour of what they think about their profession

34 Career development: Negotiating a pay rise

24 University, mentoring and Minecraft – three topics that came up when the outgoing and incoming RTPI Young Planner of the Year met. Simon Wicks reports

40 Legal landscape: Opinion, blogs, and news from the legal side of planning

28 Young planners are vital in influencing the planning system to provide for the elderly, says Angela Moore 32 Case Study: RTPI Award for Excellence in Planning for Built Heritage – Dudley Town Centre

36 Decisions in focus: Development decisions, round-up and analysis

42 Plan Ahead – our pick of upcoming events for the planning profession and beyond 44 RTPI round-up: News and interviews from the institute 50 Plan B: Bexhill, the South Coast– and all our yesterdays

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BOOK NOW!

THE

NATHANIEL

LICHFIELD

ANNUAL LECTURE 2015

THURSDAY

The lecture will be delivered by Lord Kerslake, Chair of the King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. Tickets: £12 (£10 + VAT). Limited RTPI Student free tickets are available.

NOVEMBER

To book, please go to:

www.rtpi.org.uk/NLL For updates: #RTPILecture Lord Kerslake

The lecture is generously supported by Dalia Lichﬁeld.

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Registration: 6:30pm Lecture commences 7:00pm The lecture will be followed by a drinks reception. Darwin Theatre, University College London Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT

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PLAN UPFRONT

Leaderr Shaping the future of the planning profession – This month more than 200 young planning professionals will travel to the South Coast of England for the annual RTPI Young Planners’ Conference. Every year this event inspires and motivates young planners from all sectors to shape the future of the planning profession. To complement the event, this edition of The Planner focuses on issues facing young planners today and in the future. A group of dynamic young planning professionals have worked with the editorial team to inform the content and style of this special edition; some of them have become journalists and written articles themselves. You will hear from the South Coast young planners who have organised the conference on themes and topics that will be addressed at the event. This issue covers one of the

Lucy SeymourBowdery most increasingly pressing issues that young planners will have to tackle in their careers: how to plan for an ageing population. RTPI Young Planner of the Year and conference speaker Viral Desai is in the hot seat with his predecessor Zoe Green. The results of a young planners’ survey will provide a snapshot of what has inspired us to join the profession and will identify our aspirations. As young planners we often look up to those

who have been in their profession for longer, as they are able to point out where their actions have physically impacted on a place. For many planners starting out in their career, it can sometimes feel like the research or technical work they undertake is a few steps removed from the reality of a place. This is why the theme of this year’s conference, ‘Planning for Successful Places’, will allow us to consider how young planners can positively impact places throughout their careers. With the publication of the government’s Productivity Plan, the narrative of success is

"THE RESULTS OF A YOUNG PLANNERS’ SURVEY WILL PROVIDE A SNAPSHOT OF WHAT HAS INSPIRED US TO JOIN THE PROFESSION AND WILL IDENTIFY OUR ASPIRATIONS"

becoming increasingly synonymous with economic prosperity. But it is worth reﬂecting on what other factors make a place successful. Is it the level of social interaction that occurs in a place, its aesthetic quality, preservation or enhancement of its natural environment or how it impacts on people’s safety and wellbeing? As the RTPI prepares to announce the winner of its ‘England’s Great Places’ campaign, we can look to those nominated places for inspiration. As chair of the organising committee for this year’s conference, I have been overwhelmed by the dedication and commitment I have seen from peers who have given their time to prepare this event. Whether or not you are a young planner, I hope you enjoy this edition and embrace the opportunities the RTPI has to oﬀer. Lucy Seymour-Bowdery is Chair of the South Coast Young Planners’ Network and Planner, West Sussex County Council

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Average net circulation 20,646 (October-December 2013) © 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 partww 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 Southernprint.

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ISSN 2053-7581

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NEWS

Analysis { LESSONS FROM THE PAST

What can we learn from new towns? By Laura Edgar

Cycle parks in Eindhoven; Milton Keynes Council, which has poorly used integrated cycle lanes, wants to emulate the Netherlands’ example

Creating new towns is going to be a complex task and much will need to be considered during their planning. What can be learned from the 20th century new towns and what does their future hold? Facing a post-Second World War housing shortage, the thengovernment initiated a programme of ‘New Towns’, learning from the earlier garden city movement. New homes, jobs and communities were created as a result of 32 new towns across the UK. Since the 1946 New Towns Act introduced the New Towns programme, the UK still faces a housing crisis, affordable or otherwise. At the Town and Country Planning Association (TCPA) ‘New town – past, present and future’ conference in September, Professor Sir Malcolm Grant, NHS England chair, highlighted that planners also need to consider a series of health challenges, including the rise of diabetes, an ageing “IF YOU ARE GOING population and a lack of physTO DELIVER NEW ical activity. TOWN DEVELOPMENTS, New Towns and Garden DEVELOPMENT Cities: Lessons for Delivering a CORPORATIONS ARE A New Generation of Garden GOOD WAY TO DO IT” Cities by the TCPA, launched at JOHN GARDNER the conference, lays out eight lessons learned from the past. Speaking on the lessons at the conference, Katy Lock, garden cities and new towns advocate at the TCPA, said there needs to be a delivery team – “a new garden city development corporation”. Lock said the corporation would work alongside local people and offers a commitment to long-term stewardship – qualities missing from the post-war new towns programme. Others lessons the TCPA advises the government to take on board include: b The need to find the right sites; b Creating a dedicated planning consent mechanism to speed up delivery; b Setting up long-term land value capture models so the developments can pay for themselves; and b Updating new towns legislation to put in place the delivery mechanisms.

Several representatives spoke at the conference, listing the successes b Finish what is started and the weaknesses the new towns – don’t stop half way have had, and future plans for growth. through; Welwyn Garden City – founded in b Be flexible and adaptable, but stick to the vision; 1920 and designated as a new town b Choose the right location in 1948 – is facing both “national and to begin with – consider bespoke problems”, said Colin Haigh transport infrastructure; head of planning at Welwyn Hatfield b Be creative and Borough Council. experiment – a place must be able to evolve; He said that in addition to housing b Engage with people challenges, ageing infrastructure and because the outcome will the loss of employment land, the borbe improved; ough suffers from the lack of a b Integrate old and new; b Have the right people night-time economy and developwith the right skills to ment viability is raised by every deliver what you need to developer. deliver; and “How can we get around this?” b Know your future asked Haigh. “Should we accept the residents – where are they coming from? realities or stick to those garden city origins?” John Gardner, deputy leader of Stevenage Borough Council, explained the complexities of achieving a balanced community in a new town. “How are we going to make residential properties in the town centre viable? Are we going to say to the existing residents you won’t be able to afford to live in your own town centre? That’s not what we wish to do. “If you are going to deliver new town developments, development corporations are a good way to do it,” said Gardner. Andy Farrall, executive director for economic regeneration, growth, environment at Warrington Borough Council, said whoever located Warrington as a new town did a “great job”. He said the reason the new town does so well (it ranked as the best in growth in the UK in 2014) is because it is between the conurbations of Liverpool and Manchester. “It has incredible connectivity and in the future it will have better. HS2 and HS3 cross there. It still imports people and jobs. Businesses cluster in Warrington. It is built for business.”

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Lessons: The speakers listed several lessons for new towns in the future, including:

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PLAN UPFRONT

But, Farrall conceded, there wasn’t any consultation for the new town. A health gap has formed between the new town (formed in 1974) and old town; it was built for the car and the “sustainability of the place is questionable”. Likewise, Anna Rose, director for planning and transport at Milton Keynes Council, said that despite the town having integrated cycle lanes, few people use them. The council’s ambition is to have people cycling as they do in Eindhoven in the Netherlands. Additionally, Milton Keynes has a changing demographic – the town has a lot of under16s living there and an ageing population. Tim Gibbs, divisional manager, policy and development services at Halton District Council, said Runcorn faces a changing structure of local economics – from the chemical and manufacturing industries to science and logistics. Runcorn also needs to address environmental problems and ageing infrastructure.

Going forward Many new towns are addressing problems that are arising simultaneously because they were installed at the same time. In Stevenage, the council is working on regenerating the town centre, including enlarging it and building 2,000 homes. Gardner said one of the keys to the regeneration is getting people to live in the town centre, to drive up the economy. “It has to be an interesting place. People have to have things to do in the centre to bring people into it. We can’t stand still. Retail is not going to be the same in 20 years’ time and it is not the same as 20 years ago. There have to be museums, churches, and places to eat. The way to have that is to get people living in the centre.” Farrell said it is about ﬁnishing the new town, installing new infrastructure and taking Warrington from a new town to a new city – “that’s in scale and size, activity and place, not designated”. He added that Warrington’s recent devolution bid is about retaining business rates, building 26,000 homes and creating 55,000 new jobs. Milton Keynes Council is working towards a plan for the next 50 years, together with its residents. “If you don’t all work together to develop it, it won’t work. That’s a challenge for new towns,” said Rose. I M A G E S | A L A M Y / T R AV E L P I X

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Increase in new homes in Scotland The number of new homes built in Scotland has risen by 9 per cent in the past year, according to the Scottish Government. The administration’s latest housing statistics demonstrate that between April 2014 and March 2015, 16,281 homes were built, a rise of 9 per cent over the same period in 2013 to 2014. The supply of housing, which includes new builds, refurbishments and conversions, increased by 6 per cent to 17,149 between 2014 and 2105, compared with the previous year. Additionally, the Scottish Government said it believes it is on track to exceed its five-year target to deliver 30,000 affordable homes by March 2016, as part of the Affordable Housing Supply Programme. To the end of June 2015, figures reveal that 28,048 affordable homes have now been delivered – 19,205 of which are destined

for the social rent market. Scottish housing minister Margaret Burgess described this as “a significant achievement”. “In spite of around a quarter in real terms cuts to our capital budget and an uphill battle to beat the recession, this government has built more social and affordable houses in the past seven years than were delivered in the seven years prior to that.” She said that by targeting resources at making private sector homes more affordable through schemes like Help to Buy (Scotland), the number of private sector completions has “risen significantly”. “We have boosted housing supply budgets by investing £1.7 billion in affordable housing over the lifetime of this Parliament. “Our house building rates – per head – continue to outperform other parts of the United Kingdom,” she added.

Construction activity on the up in Ireland The recovery in Ireland’s once moribund construction sector is being felt across the Republic, says a report from the Building Information Index. This showed that nearly €3 billion worth of construction projects were started in the ﬁrst six months of this year. That is an increase of 41 per cent on the same period last year, when only €1.9billion worth of projects began. However, while the ﬁgures represent a sharp increase, they are coming from a very low base. Building Information Ireland managing director Danny O’Shea said the report “shows that the recovery in the construction sector is being felt across the whole of Ireland”.

“Munster recorded the largest increase with gains of 116 per cent while Dublin (34 per cent), Leinster (27 per cent) and Connacht/ Ulster (8 per cent) also performed strongly.” Building was spread across two sectors. About €1.4 billion of projects that were begun were related to the housing market, an increase of 44 per cent year on year. Commercial and retail projects worth just over €600 million were begun between January and June. That was up more than 140 per cent compared with this time in 2014. Planning applications for building work worth €7 billion were made in the ﬁrst half of the year. That compares to applications valued at €5.5 billion previously.

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NEWS

Analysis { QUANTITY DOES NOT GUARANTEE QUALITY

Do office-toresidential rights harm our towns? By Laura Edgar The conversion of offices to homes is harming London’s town centres and results in “sub-standard” housing. That was the warning cross-party organisation London Councils sounded following the publication of its report The Impact of Permitted Development Rights for Office to Residential Conversions: A London Councils briefing. Introduced in May 2013, legislation fast-tracking the conversion of offices to homes could also undermine new jobs and economic growth, said London Councils, which represents 32 borough councils and the city of London. The temporary measure was set to expire in May 2016, but the government has since said it could extend it – and remove the current exemptions in places such as Canary Wharf and East London’s ‘Silicon Roundabout’. Claire Kober, London Councils executive member for infrastructure and regeneration, urged the government to clarify its position on making these rights permanent and removing existing exemptions for central London and town centres. This “planning loophole” has streamlined procedure for applying STATISTICS The Impact of Permitted Development Rights for Office to Residential Conversions: A London Councils briefing, by London Councils

100,000 5.2 square metres of occupied oﬃce space has received planning approval between May 2013 and April 2015

834,000

per cent – the rate at which conversions of current oﬃce stock under the new rights in the non-exempt area are taking place in Islington. This equates to a loss of 21,181.65 square metres since May 2013

Oﬃce-to-residential conversion: Establishing the impact of the prior approval regime, by British Council Oﬃces

per cent – the conversion rate in exempt areas operating under normal planning conditions

square metres of oﬃce space in total granted for approval

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for change of use, John Bosworth, partner at Ashfords LLP, told The Planner. Local planning authorities are only entitled to refuse such planning applications on very limited grounds, such as traffic impact, flood risk and contamination. It has left councils “unhappy at their ability to seek affordable housing or to seek financial contributions towards mitigating the impact of development”. Although homes, affordable or otherwise, are needed “urgently”, Kober said “a planning free-for-all is not the answer”. The quantity of housing conversions has increased through permitted development but, Bosworth said, “quantity does not guarantee quality”. “Local planning authorities have been unable to consider or apply other planning policies in determining prior approval applications, which means that they have been unable to enforce minimum space standards and daylight thresholds”, in addition to being unable to seek affordable housing contributions. In outer London in particular, A London Councils briefing states that a “critical mass” of office space is being lost, which is “reducing the viability of economic centres”. It is very difficult, Kober added, to support growth without commercial loss while its loss affects community amenities such as GP surgeries and dentists. Richard Blyth, RTPI head of policy, said there two economic growth problems associated with permitted development rights. First, there will be an increasing shortage of office accommodation in certain markets, especially in Greater London, outside the central activities zone*. Simply assuming that the free market can cope with this is unwise if you are in a city where property prices are unduly influenced by global trends.” Second, some economic activities, such as the startups that came to characterise Tech City, need low-rent space if they are to grow – such creativity “won’t “simply move to Hastings if there is not cheap space in London; it will move to other countries”, he said. But it does seem that the policy has been useful in “certain overprovided markets” in other cities, such as Bristol. “What we really want is a way of confining it to ugly empty 60s office blocks in places outside London, while leaving low-rise startup space across the country untouched. In a devolution world, why is this not something which cities decide for n NB The central activities themselves?” he added. zone is the area where London Councils’ report came as planning policy recognises new analysis commissioned by the the importance of strategic finance, specialist retail, British Council for Offices shows tourist and cultural uses, as that 557,418 square metres of office well as residential and more space in England has been conlocal functions. verted to residential use. Richard Kauntze, CEO of the n The Impact of Permitted BCO, said it is time to consider the Development Rights impact of permitted development for Office to Residential Conversions: A London rights conversions. He advised a Councils briefing can be cautious approach, highlighting downloaded here: tinyurl. that when the rights were invoked com/planner1015-Londonin 2013, the BCO stressed the “vital Councils-br need” to avoid a free-for-all. “This n Office-to-residential is now more important than ever, conversion: Establishing as the increase in… conversions the impact of the prior since the introduction of the PDR approval regime can be represents a growing challenge in downloaded here: tinyurl. how to satisfy office demand.” com/planner1015-BCO

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PLAN UPFRONT Lesley Griﬃths, Welsh minister for communities and tackling poverty: “There is more to be done if supply is to meet demand”

Navitus Bay Wind Park refused

Housing pact made in Wales The Welsh Government has signed an agreement with the Home Builders Federation (HBF) to increase housing supply. The pact sees the Welsh Government commit to engage actively with the housing industry to help shape policy and identify the barriers to private housing supply in Wales. The HBF will provide detailed evidence to help innovate housing policy. Lesley Griffiths, minister for communities and tackling poverty in Wales, says she recognises the importance of private sector house building, “not only in providing much-needed homes, but also the wider economic benefits house building generates through job creation”. The minister explained that in recent years, the housing industry in Wales had seen a “sustained recovery”, with annual increases in both new developments and homes being started and built. This, Griffiths said, demonstrates the impact that Welsh Government schemes have had, including Help to Buy – Wales. But she emphasised that there is more to be done if supply is to meet demand. The concord between the Welsh Government and the HBF aims to increase housing supply as well as maximise the benefits from construction through local jobs and apprenticeships. The Welsh Government’s commitments include: extending Help to Buy – Wales; to work with local authorities to ensure that every planning authority in Wales adopts a local development plan; and to identify and release more public sector land for private housing investment. The HBF and its members have agreed to work in partnership with the Welsh Government, local authorities and other bodies to; maximise community benefits through local investment, including increasing the provision of apprenticeships; to help develop the construction skills agenda; and to work with housing associations on delivering affordable housing as part of private estates. I M AG E S | A L A M Y / I STO C K

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Energy minister Lord Bourne has announced development consent refusal for the proposed Navitus Bay offshore wind park. Following strong local opposition, the decision supports the recommendation made by the Planning Inspectorate on 11 June, 2015. The Department for Energy and Climate Change said the project, proposed for the area off the Dorset and Isle of Wight coasts, would have an “unacceptable” impact on the local landscape and tourism industry. The proposed site for the wind farm is near two designated Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and the Jurassic Coast in Dorset, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Accepted for examination on 8 May 2014, Navitus Bay Development Limited’s application was for an offshore wind farm comprising up to 194 turbines that was expected to have a maximum installed capacity of 970 megawatts. It also included related onshore and offshore works – three offshore substations, a meteorology mast and electrical connections between the turbines. RenewableUK has declared the refusal a missed opportunity. Expressing disappointment, chief executive Maria McCaffrey said the decisions means “we’re failing to capitalise on the UK’s superb offshore wind resource and the economic benefits it brings”. “Years of hard work and significant invest-

ment went into developing this project, which could have added £1.6 billion to the economy of the region and created up to 1,700 jobs – it’s most unfortunate that that has now been lost,” explained McCaﬀrey. n The decision letter can be read here: tinyurl.com/planner1015-Navitus-BayWind-P The scheme would have an “unacceptable” impact on the local landscape and tourism industry

Green light for Londonderry regeneration scheme The environment minister Mark H Durkan has approved the major regeneration of the former Ministry of Defence site at Fort George in Londonderry. The master plan for the 6.2-hectare site includes residential, oﬃce and education uses, as well as

retail, cafés, bars, restaurants and parking. The former army base was acquired by the Department for Social Development in 2004. Durkan said: “This is great news for Derry and the wider region. “This is a major regeneration site in the

city and the approval now provides certainty on the scale and type of development that will be acceptable,” added the minister. “It also allows work to be completed on the decontamination of the site and ensures that the site is ready for inward investment. “I believe that this approval will also serve to reinvigorate this part of the city both physically and functionally.” Social development minister Mervyn Storey welcomed the outline permission. “This is a major step towards the further redevelopment of a strategic site which, as the success of the Science Park shows, can host the type of employment that will create real social and economic beneﬁts for the city.”

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NEWS

RD A AW VERSITY COLLEGE LONDON

Title: Re-theorising Contemporary Public Space: A new narrative and a new normative

WIN N E R

Public spaces paper wins top RTPI research award

: PR OF E

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RTPI RESEARCH AWARD

AC AD SSO R M E

Analysis {

IC A, UNI M MON c c c c

Key quote: “Public space today is no longer (if it ever was) straightforwardly either open and public or closed and private, but is instead full of complexity and contradictions that defy any overly restrictive view of what public space should be.” The judges’ view: “A really important piece of work challenging some of the received wisdom about how spaces are becoming privatised… It was also a good read.” Read more: tinyurl.com/ResearchAwards1 Commended: Professor Matthew Carmona, UCL – ‘London’s Local High Streets: The Problems, Potential and Complexities of Mixed Street Corridors’ Commended: Prof Bo-sin Tang and Dr Winky KO Ho, University of Hong Kong – ‘Land-use planning and market adjustment under de-industrialization: Restructuring of industrial space in Hong Kong’

THIS YEAR’S RTPI AWARDS FOR RESEARCH EXCELLENCE CELEBRATE A RECORD NUMBER OF ENTRIES AND WIDERANGING CONTRIBUTIONS TO PLANNING KNOWLEDGE

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HITECTURE, PL F ARC A

Uses theatre to explore how communities interact with the planning process. Mirrors consultation process for a major planning application set in a ﬁctional town. Audiences of all ages have been so involved they have needed to be reminded that the play is ﬁctional Fairness and transparency critical for communities. Older age groups cynical about planning process; under-30s see arguing from within better than shouting from outside Highlights how role of the planner has changed from expert to facilitator Play to be used in Town Planning masters at Newcastle University

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Key quote: “Your town is teetering on the brink. Imminent destruction looms. Homes, livelihoods and an entire way of life are at stake. There’s only one thing for it: a Town Meeting.”

U PA

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The judges’ view: “By challenging communities to role play and to engage with local planning issues in a very different arena and style, [it] has the potential to move participants beyond self-interest to explore empathy and legitimacy of actions.” Read more: tinyurl.com/ResearchAwards2 Commended: Dr Lee Crookes, Dr Andy Inch, Marion Oveson, Jason Slade, Department of Town and Regional Planning, University of Sheffield, and Tracey HawleyKirkby, Westfield Big Local – 'The Westfield Action Research Project'

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Title: The Town Meeting

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A paper challenging perceptions about the privatisation of public space in the capital has won top prize at the RTPI Awards for Research Excellence. UCL professor Matthew Carmona’s paper argues that the complex ownership patterns of publicly accessible space “defy any overly restrictive view of what public space should be”. Other awards were given to planning student Emma Thorpe of Cardiﬀ University for her work looking at attitudes to active commuting among school students; and to Dr Paul Cowie of Newcastle University and collaborators for their use of theatre to understand how people engage with planning processes. The awards, sponsored by Idox Information Service and the Routledge, Taylor and Francis Group, highlight the best planning research coming out of RTPI-accredited planning schools. This year saw a record number of entries in four categories and, said judges, a very high standard of work.

Tests the claim that the privatisation of public spaces in London is increasing Challenges idealistic views of public space Recognises diversity of public space in modern cities, its roles and audiences Suggests we need to recognise that good public spaces can be ‘positively invaded’ by other uses

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Attitudes to active commuting and socio-economic data gathered from students and parents Distance, weather, pedestrian crossings, ease of car parking main influence transport choice Students prefer ‘convenience’ of cars but recognise benefits of active commuting Students more likely to walk/cycle over shorter distances with good connectivity and ‘active travel infrastructure’ Cycle networks considered poor, disappointment over lack of pedestrian crossings near schools Recommendations to Welsh Government and Cardiff Council for supporting active travel to school

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Key quote: “Well-connected local environments support the perception of walking and cycling being a rational choice, in terms of speed and convenience.”

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Read more: tinyurl.com/ResearchAwards3 Commended: Andrew Dowell, Urban Studies, University of Glasgow, ‘An Investigation of Public Realm Provision, in Particular Shared Public Space, within Urban Waterfront Regeneration and Analysis of Success with Reference to Two Clyde Riverside Areas’ R: E

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Key quote: “The environmental history of the UK planning system since the 1970s is characterised by restlessness about the appropriate methodological and procedural frameworks by which to connect environmental knowledge to planning processes.”

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Read more: tinyurl.com/ResearchAwards4 The judges’ view: “A very rounded paper indeed; this most clearly linked a planning policy issue to the tricky territory of the relationship between knowledge and action.” Commended: Dr Linda Fox-Rogers, School of Geography, Planning and Environmental Policy, University College Dublin – ‘Informal Strategies of Power in the Local Planning System’

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Ecosystems services is the latest attempt to ensure the ‘true value’ of the environment is considered in decision-making Takes examples from minerals planning, ecological footprinting and green infrastructure Concludes that impact on planning decisions is ‘uneven’ and depends on institutional setting and how problems are understood. Emphasises importance of “policy entrepreneurs” in promoting these forms of assessment, including planning oﬃcers

Title: The Utilization of Environmental Knowledge in Land Use Planning: Drawing Lessons for an Ecosystem Services Approach

D AR C HO OL OF PL A N N I N G AW AN L L, S D WE GE OG ER RD CO R A PH H R IC H A Y,

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Title: Getting Wales Active: Exploring Secondary School Students’ Attitudes Towards Active Commuting

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CHRIS SHEPLEY

O Opinion Luck, chance and keeping common sense dancing Assiduous readers will both remember that, in the Young Planners edition of The Planner in 2014, I wrote about the faltering start to my career, my hopeless performance at interview, and the good fortune that led to my gaining employment as a planner. The editor advised me of the recurrence of the Young Planners format, which is cool, and thought I might write a column that the whippersnappers (his word, but he meant it kindly) would enjoy. I protested that this was something I very much attempted to do every month, feeling that they were every bit as capable of making sense of my efforts as their older colleagues; but nonetheless I thought I’d try to explain how I got from that dreadful interview to where I am today, which is in front of a computer wondering how on earth I got to where I am today. Well, I was, like, Omigod (I understand that’s the kind of language you young people like), I was catapulted into the heady world of the Manchester City Planning Department. My advice is to work with good people, if you can find any, which I very much did – and I sought to absorb wisdom and deliver what, so far as I could discern, seemed to be required. This appeared to work, even without the aid of targets, appraisals and performance related pay, and somehow I moved on up. But as things progressed, two things happened which made a difference. The first was that John Millar, a

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“BROADENING YOUR HORIZONS SEEMS LIKE A LUXURY – BUT IT’S NOT. BOSSES – HELP YOUR PEOPLE TO FLY” great man who was the city planning oﬃcer (and RTPI president) at the time, put me forward, entirely without my knowledge, for an RTPI committee. I slowly got more involved, and developed a much wider interest in, and knowledge of, planning. I would recommend anyone to do that. But I know it’s tough in the modern, highspeed world of the local planning authority and in the dense jungle of the private sector, the cut-throat glades of academe, and the foggy frenzy of CLG. Broadening your horizons seems like a

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luxury – but it’s not. Bosses – help your people to ﬂy. Secondly I took a less orthodox route to success, which began when some of us put together a satirical review at the oﬃce Christmas party. Writing, as I did (to the tune of Bridge Over Troubled Water), a jolly number called ‘There’s No Towel In The Ladies’ Toilet’, might seem an unlikely route to becoming chief planning inspector. Another of my masterworks was the (grossly unfair) “I’ve got the Town and Country Planning Association Blues / It seems whatever you say to them you’re bound to lose/ Whatever the problem is that’s getting you down/All that they can think of is a bloody New Town”. All this led eventually to Grotton – articles, books and a roadshow that toured the nation and made

people laugh. So grateful were they for this that they voted for me at elections and like, Omigod again, I got to be President, Chief Planning Inspector and even a columnist for this great journal. The sense of the ridiculous that I developed and honed through Grotton has been particularly useful since this government started (to such minuscule beneficial effect) to muck about with the planning system. I don’t know if this strange story provides much help to the young whippersnapper embarking on his or her journey to success. Luck, chance and a sense of humour seem to have got me where I am today. It also helps that I really believe in the benefits of planning, and I really do care about the issues we tackle. Even if I make fun of it all in these pages, I do so with the aim of making a serious point congenially. I aspire, unworthily, to match Clive James’s brilliant description of humour as “common sense dancing”.

Chris Shepley is the principal of Chris Shepley Planning and former Chief Planning Inspector

I L L U S T R AT I O N | O I V I N D H O V L A N D

25/09/2015 15:45

Quote unquote FROM THE WEB AND THE RTPI “We are clear that there needs to be a garden city development corporation to enable their delivery, a legal commitment to implement the garden city principals” KATY LOCK, TOWN AND COUNTRY PLANNING ASSOCIATION TCPA , GARDEN CITIES AND NEW TOWN ADVOCATE, SPEAKING AT THE TCPA ‘NEW TOWNS PAST,, PRESENT AND FUTURE’ CONFERENCE FERENCE

“Instead ead of having a population n that’s decent enough to die at a young age, which was mostly down to smoking, we have a population that has burden of disease that grows with age” PROF SIR MALCOLM GRANT, CHAIR OF NHS ENGLAND ON DEMOGRAPHIC CHALLENGES FACING PLANNERS

“It is all too easy to blame the planning system, and planners, for the challenges facing the housing market in particular. All too easy and it would appear, wholly wrong”

“I am wary off anyone who says the answer to the housing crisis is new towns. They are not. They are part of the answer”

BRANDON LEWIS, SPEAKING AT THE RESI HOUSING CONFERENCE

LORD KERSLAKE, CHAIR OF PEABODY HOUSING ASSOCIATION, SPEAKING AT THE TCPA ‘NEW TOWNS PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE’ CONFERENCE

RESPONSES TO OUR YOUNG PLANNERS’ SNAP SURVEY

“The profession needs to be credited for what is achieves, rather than being blamed for mistakes and, currently, the housing shortage” “Where it should be about improving places, saving buildings and helping communities, [planning] is becoming about ticking boxes, writing huge documents and following unnecessary procedures” I M AG E S | I STO C K / R E X

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“(I’ve been surprised by ) the lack of understanding from the public that their political decisions determine the provision of services, including local planning authorities” “I don’t care about profit, I want to provide much-needed infrastructure and housing in a way that best suits both existing and new communities”

“We’re having a lot more trouble now inspiring young people to become planners, for the reason that it has become very much wrapped up in the process, in procedures” JANET ASKEW, SPEAKING AT 2015 UK IRELAND PLANNING RESEARCH CONFERENCE

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CORRESPONDENCE

I Inbox

YOUR NEWS, VIEWS AND QUESTIONS F E E D B ACK

Keith Smith — In September’s The Planner Polly Reynolds, discussing an appeal decision on a housing development and care home at St Albans, says: “The threshold of demonstrating and persuading decisionmakers that very special circumstances are such so as to be considered sufficient to justify development in the green belt is proving to be a very high one… with no guidance… it is difficult to know what combination of circumstances would be sufficient to give rise to the very special circumstances required to justify [such] development”. It would be a strange policy that provided guidance on how to create exceptions for the purpose of an application. Perhaps it would be best to leave both applicants and decisionmakers a wide degree of discretion. First, for the applicant to make the case for his proposal and second, for the decision-maker to consider if the strict test of the policy has been met. It may be messy, but it has worked well for many years. Separately, Dominick Veasey notes that “in 2014-15 councils granted permission for 261,000 new homes, a level that could meet the 232,000 new homes a year required to meet projected needs”. He adds: “Only 125,000 new homes were completed. For the gap to narrow, a sustained period of permissions above 230,000 homes a year is required”. We should ask why the completions rate is so low. Is it finance, skills or material

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shortages rather than the planning system? House builders say it would be hard for the industry to reach 200,000 completions a year because of such factors. They also say increasing permissions would reduce the scarcity value of new builds, impacting on both house prices and proﬁt levels for house builders and house owners. Odd that. Keith Smith FRTPI (Retd) chair, Macclesﬁeld Civic Society

Nicholas Hall — We knew 15 years ago that there were serious threats to global security. We didn’t know which states would fail. We didn’t know which populations would find their environment no longer viable. But we could have planned for it Europe-wide. Imagine that we’d been wise enough to lay the skeleton of a new generation of new towns. Think of the hope such places could offer: each new town a haven for the refugees, and each one a regenerative shot in the arm for ageing, de-industrialised, host populations. Seeing the hardships refugees have had to endure, how could we doubt their ability to build if we lay the foundations? We ought to know enough about Europe’s geography to identify which regions would benefit from such investment. It’s what planners are for. Not in my backyard? But Syria is our backyard. Despite following mainstream media, I’ve not heard a planner talking about what needs to be done – planning a large-scale response to humanity’s need to move away from danger Nicholas Hall, FRGS, MRTPI (Retd)

ON THEE WEB WEB @ThePlanner_RTPI ner_R ner_RTPI ne er_ _RT RT TP PI The Planner Think Tank group gro on LinkedIn is live – and we’re to invite you in. r keen k We’re always happy to receive your emails, or even physical letters (getting actual post is such an exciting novelty these days) – but The Planner’s Think Tank group is where we engage with you ahead of, during and after publication of news and features. We also use the

Reply to blog from Maura Fox in July 2015’s edition of The Planner — In July 2015’s edition of The Planner, Maura Fox provided an interesting insight into how Northern Ireland planners are adjusting to a new way of working after decision-making powers passed back to elected representatives for the ﬁrst time in over 40 years. Conﬂict which arises between planners and the decision-makers they serve has been widely studied by academics, drawing on a wealth of research carried out with planners working in regimes not dissimilar to that now operating in Northern Ireland, post April 2015. For example, as far back as 1994 Professor Elizabeth Howe’s book Acting On Ethics In City Planning documented a myriad of ethical dilemmas articulated by public sector planners.

group to conduct surveys, elicit response to topical questions and amplify debates. If you’re in the RTPI’s own group, you’ll probably see us asking the odd question there as well. So, please visit us and join the group at The Planner Think Tank. See you online.

First among them is the conﬂict between serving the public interest and loyalty to one’s employer. As recently as 5 August 2015 this very issue was addressed in no uncertain terms by the Ontario Municipal Board, when the tribunal felt it necessary to make clear that a planner’s duty is to the “… profession, and to the broader community…” and not their employer. Therefore it seems naïve that the head of planning for the new Derry City and Strabane District Council would think that with the transfer of decisionmaking responsibilities to elected representatives that “the potential conﬂict of being a civil servant and a professional planner no longer exists”. Dean Blackwood MRTPI

n Link to Ontario Municipal Board tribunal report. See paragraphs 34, 35 and 79. tinyurl.com/planner-Ontario

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Carter Jonas – Our values Carter Jonas is steeped in history, but is not a traditional property consultant. The firm is partner-led, yet not hierarchical. For Carter Jonas it’s all about their clients. Carter Jonas was founded as an auctioneer in 1855, built from managing the estates of the future Marquess of Lincolnshire. Today it is a modern partnership business. The people managing the firm and working with clients are some of the industry’s most respected practitioners. In fact, throughout the UK in all of their 36 offices and at every level, Carter Jonas is a community of proven property expertise.

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CORRESPONDENCE

Inboxx

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

those who object to new housing on traﬃc grounds don’t seem to grasp it.

man Andrew S Newman — d Your piece headed “Developing green n belt will increase congestion” raises an issue that has long interested me. e. Why do we assume me that building new houses will increase traffic? A personal example may illustrate what I am m trying to say. My wife and I moved oved recently from a village in Kent to a high-density development near Bristol. As a result, the use of our car (we have only ever had one) has reduced drastically. Sometimes it sits unused for so long that I take it on a run just to keep it in trim! In other words, building our new home has caused an overall reduction in traffic. I have reason to believe that this experience is not atypical. What new housing does change, of course, is the distribution of traffic from one place to another. Nonetheless, an increase in one place will ultimately be balanced, more or less, by a reduction elsewhere – or, in the case of children, by a potential future increase in one place rather than another. That is why building in sustainable locations is indeed desirable, and this needs to be weighed against the green belt objection. Even if the residents do drive, their propensity to do so will be reduced by moving to a sustainable place, compared with the traffic they would generate elsewhere.

Andrew S Newman MRTPI (Ret’d)

John Acton —

In conclusion, we need to remember that the people who move into new houses already exist and will generate traﬃc anyway, whether the houses are built or not. Houses do not themselves generate traﬃc (except during construction). This may seem a small or indeed obvious point, yet

Surely Chris Shepley is too pessimistic in thinking that the tug of war between “Build at random” and “Build in the right place” is continuing indefinitely (The Planner September 2015, page 12). Here’s a different perspective. I live in a rural village of about 1,000 houses. The unitary authority has a recently approved Core Strategy (CS) with a clear policy of directing housing development to sustainable locations adjacent to the main built-up areas. The CS inspector accepted that there was an identified five-year supply of land for housing. Sites for the

A LL OF A TWITTER Simon@Plannersimon “So local plan not relevant to decision? RT @ ThePlanner_RTPI: Housing shd be infrastructure sayBond Dickinson+Quod: bit.ly/1FrpEFP”

Lucy Seymour-Bowdrey @LuceSeymour When Vogue arrives in the post and you’re disappointed it’s not @ThePlanner_RTPI #planningnerd #proudofplanning #YPConf2015

Owain Curtis @OLGCurtis “@ThePlanner_RTPI ‘going all out for shale’ ﬂies in the face of climate science though. The bridge argument doesn’t stack up.” — In response to new report by the Task Force on Shale Gas saying ‘Shale should be bridge to low-carbon future

relatively small amount of housing required in rural areas are being identified in a Policies, Sites and Places Development Plan Document (PSP DPD), which is at a late stage before submission. In my village we have a village plan and a compatible housing needs survey indicating that a few affordable houses for local people are needed. The parish and unitary councils agree that these should be on a rural exception site. Meanwhile, 25 dwellings have been completed on three sites within the village development boundary, which is unchanged in the CS. Some of those dwellings are affordable, including five owned by a housing association. In the district there is currently a minor shortfall in the five-year supply of land for housing because developers are biding their time on large sites with planning permission or identified for development. Nevertheless, taking into account the positive involvement of the parish council, village plan group and residents in this localism era, we are in an immensely strong position to resist housing development in the open countryside near our village. Shepley has got to be wrong. Oh, hang on! We’ve just lost against two appeals! On agricultural fields we are going to get 137 houses and a 60-bedroom dementia care home. Maybe he isn’t wrong. Or maybe he is too optimistic in thinking that the tug of war continues. “Build at random” has won again. John Acton retired assistant chief planning inspector

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

O Opinion

Angela Moore is a senior planning oﬃcer at Horsham District Council and a joint organiser of the 2015 Young Planners’ Conference

Young planners can lay the foundations for successful places

The plac places we live and work in form a an important part of the way we live our lives and how we perceive our surroundings. The enjoyment of our environment is highly influenced by the way it looks, smells, feels and functions – and this is something that planners and the planning system can and should seek to influence. New technology and an increasingly globalised market have changed many things about our built environment, including the way the high street functions and the way houses are built. It is argued that this has contributed to making our towns and cities look and feel increasingly similar, with a gradual loss of the identity that once made these places so distinctive. To create successful and functional places in which people want to live, work and spend time, we must look to develop a much better understanding of what makes that place tick. We need to use this understanding to ensure the changes we seek to make can enhance the quality and functionality of a place by encouraging more attractive, adaptable and resilient features, whilst looking to eliminate changes that stifle the positive growth and of a place. To help address the UK’s well-documented housing shortage, we are seeing a revival of Sir Ebenezer Howard’s garden

city movement of 1898, with the recent approval of two new garden cities (one for 15,000 homes at Ebbsﬂeet in Kent and another for 13,000 homes at Bicester in Oxfordshire). The creation of large-scale settlements such as these highlights the importance of implementing carefully thought out urban design principles from the outset. How these new settlements develop remains to be seen, but if they are to succeed as places that people will want to live and work in, the potential needs and desires of the future inhabitants must be well researched to create functional, adaptable, resilient and attractive places that will be valued long into the future. It is particularly important for today’s young planners to take seriously the importance of design when creating and adapting our built surroundings. After all, we are the future of the profession, and if we can embed this into our priorities now we can teach the next generation of planners to do the same. By focusing on the topic ‘Planning for Successful Places’, this year’s Young Planners Conference will look to explore how we can create successful places that are designed well and are valued by those living in them. I for one look forward to learning more about this important part of planning.

“WE MUST LOOK TO DEVELOP A MUCH BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT MAKES THAT PLACE TICK”

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Rupy Sandhu is a minerals and waste policy planner at West Sussex County Council, and vicechair of the South Coast Young Planners Network

Balancing act at the heart of environmental protection

Prioritie change as time passes. Priorities In rece recent years we’ve seen the protection of the natural environment become a top priority. Gone are the days of laying waste to our lands in the hunt for resources to exploit and money to make without a care in the world about the longterm future of our environment. In the UK things started changing in legal terms in the 19th century with the introduction of the Alkali Acts, to control the polluting effects of industrial activities. Joining Europe in 1972 also had a great impact, and a number of environmental EU directives now shape our domestic planning law. There is now a great push for growth by the government, which has pledged to deliver the Infrastructure Delivery Plan that identifies projects to the cost of £143 billion, and continues to push for more housing. These commitments for development require planners to weigh up and balance the impact of development on the natural environment against the impact on the economy. This balancing act is pertinent for me as I am working on the preparation of a new minerals local plan that covers part of the South Downs National Park, where specific minerals

are found that are in short supply in the South-East. National policy requires us to plan for a steady and adequate supply of minerals to support growth and development. The national park has the highest level of protection, yet it is still required to plan for a steady and adequate supply of minerals – our balancing act. Major development in a national park is subject to the exceptional circumstances test set out in the NPPF. It stipulates that an exceptional circumstance is where it can be shown that development is in the public interest. So does the need for minerals to help deliver growth and development outweigh the need for the protection of the national park? A simple yes or no answer doesn’t cut it. In the case of minerals, considerations include alternative sources, mitigation measures, chances to enhance the natural environment, and the cost and environmental impact of longdistance transport of materials. This highlights the challenges we face. I don’t feel this is a bad thing. It should be embraced as an opportunity for place shaping which takes advantage of the ever-growing technologies and ideas to hand that help reduce the impact we have on our natural environment.

“DOES THE NEED FOR MINERALS TO HELP DELIVER GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OUTWEIGH THE NEED FOR THE PROTECTION OF THE NATIONAL PARK?”

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Have your say Would you like to see yourself in these pages? Get in touch by email – editorial@theplanner.co.uk Topical, inspirational, angry or amusing – we consider all relevant comment

Daniel Ramirez is an assistant planner at Turley and a past chair of the South Coast Young Planners Network

Lucy SeymourBowdery is a planner at West Sussex County Council and chair of the South Coast Young Planners’ Network

We can make planning more accessible to young people

Devolution – the rebirth of strategic planning?

When iit comes to delivering growth growth, the beneﬁts of the planning system are often overlooked and seen as barriers to economic prosperity. I, however, believe the planning system can be a positive driver for economic growth and indeed recognise that economic considerations form one of the three pillars of sustainable development. Following the demise of regional planning a policy vacuum has been created that the Duty to Cooperate has simply failed to ﬁll. Despite this negative context and the lack of coordinated plan-making, we could be about to witness a resurgence of planning at the strategic level. The general election has created interest in devolution with the Manchester Combined Authority (CA) blazing a trail. On the South Coast devolution is also the order of the day. Hampshire Local Authorities recently submitted its own ‘Devolution Prospectus’ to government. Building on the City Deal for Southampton and Portsmouth, the prospectus sets out four key themes that aim to increase productivity in the ‘Greater Hampshire’ area – boosting enterprise, increasing housing delivery, investing in infrastructure and transforming public services. But what does this mean for

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planning in the area? While the prospectus does not explicitly reference a Hampshire-wide strategic plan, there are hints within the document – for example, powers to define a Hampshire Green Belt – to suggest that strategic planning powers may form part of the negotiations between the Hampshire authorities and the government. As set out in his statement to the Communities and Local Government Select Committee, Brandon Lewis even seems to see a “logic” to new devolution deals involving strategic planning powers. Greater joint working on strategic matters across a Greater Hampshire CA could provide a means of strengthening existing cooperation on key issues such as housing, transport i n f r a s t r u c t u r e, while also creating a new mechanism to coordinate and secure untapped funding particularly from the EU, which LEPs have had difficulty in accessing. The imperative for a strategic plan for Greater Hampshire will be to ensure that it positively responds to the key issues affecting the area, in particular housing and transport. It will also be important to ensure that a plan is produced in a timely fashion to create a stable planning framework that can attract the investment needed and sought through the prospectus.

“WE COULD BE ABOUT TO WITNESS A RESURGENCE OF PLANNING AT THE STRATEGIC LEVEL”

Planning is inseparable from politics politics. Decisions in planning and politics have a significant impact on the success of the places in which we live, work and socialise. Most importantly, they affect our future. But in the general election, 18-24s were almost half as likely to vote as those aged 65+ (43 per cent vs 78 per cent). This is echoed in the lack of younger people involved in planning decisions at a national and local level. Go to your local village hall or council planning committee and you will see the demographic profile is not always representative of its community. Is there a problem with how we identify with the places around us? I will often be asked by an older family member if I have seen a particular issue reported in the local paper. But unless an issue outside of my working life is trending on Twitter or reported on The Guardian homepage, I’m rarely aware of it. For the young, traditional conversations among neighbours about local issues have been replaced by online campaigns on international issues. I’m sure there are many examples of local developers that have used social media to good effect, but there does seem to be a lack of local engagement with those who may have the most to

gain from new development. It’s not that the young are unable to engage in politics in general – you only have to see how articulate Mhairi Black, the UK’s youngest MP, is among her peers to see that young people can command respect in the political world. I think it is because the issues themselves, particularly those planning-related, do not speak to most younger people in the right way. In a recent survey of young planners, it has become apparent that even those in the profession can view politics as a frustration to the planning process. So how can we encourage the younger generation to become involved and engaged in politics and planning? The answer can’t simply be to make planning issues trend on Twitter, though this did happen recently in a high-proﬁle fracking case. As young planners, we should consider how we would identify with the issues relating to a particular aspect of planning ourselves and what we would do to get our own attention. These may be issues of housing, job creation or the night-time economy. This may involve the use of social media and innovative use of new technology, but it may also involve encouraging and supporting (or even becoming) the Mhairis of this world.

THE ISSUES THEMSELVES, PARTICULARLY THOSE PLANNING RELATED, DO NOT SPEAK TO MOST YOUNGER PEOPLE IN THE RIGHT WAY”

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YOUNG PLANNER SURVEY

What do you young planners think? IN THE BUILDUP TO THIS ISSUE, WE INVITED YOUNG PLANNERS TO TAKE PART IN A ‘SNAP SURVEY’ INTENDED TO GIVE US A FLAVOUR OF WHAT THEY THINK ABOUT THEIR PROFESSION. WE GOT 140 RESPONSES AND HERE’S WHAT WE FOUND OUT

Q1: WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO BECOME A PLANNER?

Place – the chance to positively influence my environment

INSPIRING WORDS

People – shaping the relationship between people and place

Education, skills and experiences – 22% of respondents mentioned geography Sim City

Jan Gehl

Ebenezer Howard INSPIRING PEOPLE

Euan Kellie 0 2 0

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Richard Eastham

I M AG E S | A S H L E Y B R I STOW E /

25/09/2015 16:09

Q2: WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO ACHIEVE AS A PLANNER? “Something more realistic than Utopia”

Encourage social, environmental and economic wellbeing

“Create a more egalitarian, sustainable and well-designed society”

Create a more sustainable world Raise the profile of planning

Q4: IS THERE ANYTHING YOU’D CHANGE ABOUT PLANNING AS A PROFESSION? IF SO, WHAT?

Q3: HAVE YOU DISCOVERED ANYTHING ABOUT PLANNING THAT HAS COME AS A SURPRISE?

Public perception The influence of politics in planning (for good and bad) Constraints of the system

Reduce bureaucracy, increase flexibility Lessen political influence

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Lack of awareness of planning

“Planning is more politically sensitive than I thought during my further education” “Land use and environmental considerations remain critical, but so now are market dynamics, social policy inﬂuences and collaboration”

“Planning is almost becoming diluted – where it should be about improving places, saving buildings and helping communities, it is becoming about ticking boxes, writing huge documents and following unnecessary procedures”

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YOUNG PLANNER SURVEY

A N A LY S I S

Planning is political – it’s unavoidable of planners, which they believe to be one of apathy, negativity and ignorance. This strength of feeling prompted many respondents to suggest what needs to be done to change this, including “reaching out to the public so that they know who makes what decision, when and why” and, “letting go of certain ‘technical studies know best’ attitudes to encourage a more positive relationship between the profession and the public”.

JOSIE TURNER

So, what w do the young planners who responded to our survey have to say? resp What is the general feeling when reﬂecting on their chosen profession? Does it live up to expectation, delivering what inspired them to become planners in the ﬁrst place? Or have they been surprised by what they’ve found?

A positive influence Like many of us, our respondents were inspired to enter the profession to positively influence the places in which we live. Around 40 per cent of respondents cited planning’s ability to shape people’s relationship with the environment as the inspiration for their career choice. As one young planner put it, planning “is a career that provides real opportunity to make a positive difference to places – to shape change”.

Supporting communities There is a clear link between our young planners’ inspirations and what they hope to achieve in planning, with most seeking to positively support the way

“The general lack of understanding about the process of planning both within the general public, but also within related professions, the wider public sector and elected representatives”

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What does it tell us? Two themes come out of this survey as top of the agenda for young planners.

“As the use of land is always going to be highly political, perhaps, if they don’t already, planning courses should include modules on politics” people live to deliver a more equal and inclusive society. Responses varied from the bold ambition to achieve, “something more realistic than Utopia”, to quite straightforwardly, “leaving the area where I live in a better state than it was when I started my career”.

The body politic Of those who responded to our question, “Have you discovered anything about planning that has come as a surprise?”, 40 per cent mentioned the inﬂuence and role politics has in the planning system, for good and bad, as well as the lack of public understanding of planning. One respondent replied: “The lack of understanding from the public that their political decisions determine the provision of services, including local planning authorities.”

Changing public perception So many of the young planners who responded to our snap survey want to change the public perception of planning and the role

Firstly, the surprise at the influence and role of politics in planning. As the use of land is always going to be highly political, perhaps, if they don’t already, planning courses should include modules on politics. We all know that practical skills and understanding are needed do our job well. And secondly, the big one, that seemed to resonate so strongly with young planners – the desire to change public perception of planning. It is, after all, why many of our respondents entered the profession – to work with the public to shape the places they live with the aspiration to make things ‘better’. If the public doesn’t see planners or planning as having this role or influence then we need to change, and fast. So how about starting with this plea from one young planner, for us, “not to be so pessimistic or downtrodden, being a planner is an important job. It affects everything and everyone, we should be more confident with our worth”? Josie Turner is a senior development planner at Birmingham City Council

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GEORGE WEEKS A N A LY S I S

A difficult line to tread Read Reading the hundreds of comments provided by 140 responses to the pro survey, the diversity of experiences is remarkable, if not surprising. Among these, there were a few that caught our eye for their ability to sum up a multitude of comments succinctly. Among the people who chose to pursue a planning career (as opposed to “falling into it”) there is a recurring theme of altruism. One planner was attracted to the profession by “the ability to inﬂuence positively how people interact with the places they live and work in [and] shape one’s environment in a positive fashion”. This is very encouraging because it suggests that people are going into planning for reasons of genuine interest and commitment. For the many respondents who’d approached planning from a social sciences background, this was clearly a continuation of empirical interest, as summed up thus: “An interest in how cities have changed over time, a fascination with how people live their lives.”

Place is for people Urban planning is ultimately about creating places for people; successful towns and cities are able to address all aspects of the human experience. This relates to a desire for “less emphasis on growth, ‘no matter what’”. People become planners because they want to improve the quality of the built environment, not to add an extra theoretical 0.0001 per cent to annual GDP. The desire to remove “councillors with no idea about the planning system being politically motivated to make decisions that are not for the good of planning” sums up the immense frustration that many planners have with the intrusion of non-technical specialists into the planning process. The most barbed comments are reserved for politicians. This applies as much to councillors on planning committees who play golf with

“Constant planner-bashing has a predictable effect on people’s self-esteem. Planners should be more prepared to hold their heads high” a local NIMBY as they do to Treasury ministers bashing the planners in the media. An interesting counterpoint to this was raised by a planner who berated the profession for a “very limited understanding of or interest in human, social and physical geography and global issues of relevance to planning”. This commentor felt that the profession could be dismissive and arrogant, with a dogmatic adherence to process and with consultations being tokenistic. In their opinion, there would be a lot to gain from more engagement with the public. Similarly, a greater willingness to look overseas to other nations’ planning systems could be useful, as well as engagement with other bodies such as the TCPA and RICS. This wish for a more empirical approach to planning (and planning education) was echoed by the commentator who felt that “a more social science-based approach and a less technical approach” would be conducive to creating better places. Another person said, as Josie (opposite) points out, that this would also improve relations between the profession and the public.

Balancing act The planning profession has a diﬃcult line to tread. Professionally, there is a desire for high technical standards, underpinned by robust data. While informing the decision-making process, it also appears that a detailed technical and procurement-

“A greater focus on engaging the public to properly explain the diﬃcult choices that planners and politicians make”

driven approach is disengaging to the general public. Maybe this is what drives people to seek engagement with the planning process through political means? (i.e. it is more straightforward than going through the oﬃcial channels). The constant planner-bashing in some sections of the media has a predictable eﬀect on people’s self-esteem. Planners should be more prepared to hold their heads high and “not be so pessimistic or downtrodden”. More initiatives such as Dr Peter Geraghty’s ‘Proud of Planning’ campaign are needed. It appears that the public (and, by association, its political representatives) could be more receptive to the necessity of the planning profession. Can this be achieved while retaining high professional standards? This is not an easy question to answer in any detail; it is also an important matter for the next generation of planners to address. George Weeks is an urban designer with Transport for London

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Y O U N G P L A N N E R S O F T H E Y E A R I N C O N V E R S AT I O N

WHEN Z O E M ET VIRAL 02 04

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-> On becoming Young Planner of the Year

UNIVERSITY, MENTORING AND MINECRAFT – THREE OF THE DIVERSE TOPICS TO COME UP WHEN WE PUT THE OUTGOING AND INCOMING RTPI YOUNG PLANNER OF THE YEAR IN A ROOM TOGETHER. SIMON WICKS LIT THE BLUE TOUCH PAPER AND STOOD BACK

PHOTOGRAPHY DUNCAN NICHOLLS

VIRAL DESAI (Young Planner of the Year 2015-16): “You need to be nominated. I was told by Clive Harridge (head of planning at Amec Foster Wheeler) in December that they were going to nominate me. You’ve got to write your own submission. There are five criteria to address, and it’s a page or so about your career. “I didn’t hear anything for a couple of months, then it came back – ‘You’ve been shortlisted’. They took a terrible picture. I look about 40. Then there’s an interview with chief planner Steve Quartermain and directors from companies like CBRE and Atkins. “It was very job-focused – one of the questions was ‘If you were planning minister for the day, what would you change?’. It was quite relaxed. I like to give my opinion and it was the perfect forum to do that, with Mr Quartermain sitting there and I was thinking ‘Just go for it’. He’s a very nice guy, he’s very chilled out.” ZOE GREEN (Young Planner of the Year 2014-15): “Mine was different. I had a panel of five people, each with a different specialism. So one was urban design, one was on viability, one on planning, one on the RTPI… The questions were very technical, but looking to gauge how I’d approach that issue in my day-to-day work. It does make you think – we do cover a lot of angles as a planner. “I think I was chosen because I’ve been involved in the RTPI London branch. I’ve done a lot of work in building up the international profile of our branch and I curated World Town Planning Day. So wanting to get people engaged in the debate around planning was, I think, an important aspect of it. I think as well, because I’ve done a lot of work overseas, it was important to show that not all planners are UK-based.” VIRAL : “For me, I think it’s because a year ago I was asked to start developing the Commonwealth Association of Planners (CAP) Young Planners Network. I was keen to get involved in international planning, and I set up a whole social media network around the CAP. There are 51 Commonwealth nations and 24 of them are involved in this organisation. I wanted to develop a forum where we could share ideas across the Commonwealth nations.”

-> On being Young Planner of the Year ZOE: “I’ve had a big focus on bridging with other societies. So I’ve been quite involved with the London Society, who can range from artists to creatives or just people who are generally interested in the built environment. “I took a campaign which we did speciﬁcally for World Town Planning Day called ‘Who has the Right to the City?’, which was on the Long Live South Bank campaign to save the skatepark on the South Bank from redevelopment. Taking this to another organisation and showing the importance of protecting these public spaces and the history behind them has been quite useful. “I’ve also had more of a focus on community level groups – I think engaging with another audience can have a much bigger

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Y O U N G P L A N N E R S O F T H E Y E A R I N C O N V E R S AT I O N

ote m o r p is to n s m i a my professio of ne O our impact in how we’re perceived as a profession. It’s been a key role I’ve been pushing this year.” VIRAL : “We’re seeing negativity around planners and we’re seen as stoppers almost. You must have seen the benefits of that where you see people thinking ‘Actually these planners, they are those wider generalists who know about other areas of art or culture’, and that will start to bring about more of that community spirit.” ZOE: “Definitely. I think that in London and other big cities where there’s a lot of pressure on smaller creatives who given the rising rents, are slowly being pushed out planners play an important role in safeguarding space, open space, affordable workspace, making sure that you’re having balanced communities in terms of people being able to live and work in the same area.” VIRAL : “Sometimes I feel we don’t promote ourselves very well. One of my aims is to promote our profession a little bit more to a wider audience, not just in the UK but internationally through CAP. We need to go out there and say ‘This is what we do’.

-> Attracting more young people into planning ZOE: “Another key role for the Young Planner of the Year is inspiring people into the profession. During my year I’ve been a mentor for students at the University of Sheﬃeld,

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supporting them on the programme, fine-tuning what career path they want to go into. Often when you’re studying planning you’re not sure where you want to go – whether into urban design or masterplanning, or something completely different. “We’ve also got the Ambassador Schools programme to promote planning at an earlier age. When I was growing up I didn’t know planning existed – it’s not something your careers adviser sells to you. It’s really important to make people aware. They’re doing that with the STEM programme, which is very successful, and I definitely think we can be doing more to encourage young people into the profession. Going into schools and talking about planning, but in a fun way – engaging activities where people can learn about how they can shape the built environment through games and play, and making it a bit more fun. I think fun is the answer!” VIRAL : “I did human geography at university and even in that first year I knew I wanted to be a planner, to the point I thought maybe I should just drop out and do a planning course.”

ZOE: “At what point did you understand that planning existed?” VIRAL: “Not until that first year at university. I’d known someone who had done it, a friend of my dad who was quite high up in the profession.” ZOE: “That’s terrible really – the first time you hear about it is when you’re studying at university. And you’re like ‘Oh there’s someone who’s studying town planning. What’s that?’” VIRAL: “Once you do a geography degree, people say ‘Oh you should be a teacher’. It’s like that, isn’t it? What do you do with these degrees? For me, this was the perfect profession to become a bit of a decision-maker, a person who can develop places that people want to call home.” ZOE: “I did a politics degree, so a lot on the policy side of things. That’s what I was really interested in, the different debates. But I really wanted to get involved in changing a physical place rather than going into the civil service and ending up a paper-pusher. I wanted to become somebody who thought about place in a strategic sense and actually delivered it on the ground.” “Often, when you finish a planning course it’s such a broad course that you don’t know quite where to go. Talking to someone who is doing it is very important. And also, having interns in your company; It’s important to get people to realise how broad planning is, that it is quite a fun profession to work in.”

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VIRAL : “If you have an interest in a wide range of things, go for planning – it’s something that will deﬁnitely keep you interested.”

-> What young planners oﬀer the profession ZOE: “We have a desire to learn. We want to learn more and experience new things and ﬁnd out what people think. It’s that curiosity and I think that’s why we have such strong young planners’ groups across the UK.” VIRAL : “It’s the enthusiasm as well, within the (RTPI) groups. People want to make a change. You’re in an environment, a group, that wants to make a change within your region.”

-> Engaging young people with planning VIRAL : “Sixty per cent of the population of the Commonwealth is under 30. Youth issues are something I want to pick up on – engaging young people in the planning process. We need to be thinking about the future population and they’re not getting involved in the planning process. “I’ve been involved in some of those activities where you go into schools and you do your local plan consultation –

we just need to be a bit more innovative around that.” ZOE: “It’s through play isn’t it? Get young people at an earlier age and they’re doing things without realising it. When I was building my own city through SIM City, you’re really interacting, shaping a place and managing it. “That was really inspiring for me. I know it’s a platform game, but getting people thinking about place and space, and having this technology, really helps with that level of interaction.” VIRAL: “It’s trying to get that 12-18 age group to engage more. The problem is at consultation events you just don’t get the people. How do you get people to come along to have their say on the schemes that we’re designing? That’s the bit I want to get at.”

-> Future challenges for today’s young planners VIRAL: “For me, the big issue is energy policy. There’s been a big change in renewable energy and it seems we’re lacking a clear focus of where our energy policy is going. We seem to be doing nuclear and going a bit down the fracking route, but how do we bridge the gap between now and 2050, when hopefully we are all renewable?” ZOE: “Cities are my big thing, particularly London. The rising population, the fact that there’s not enough housing, rents are going up, which is pushing people out of the city, we’re getting gentriﬁcation and not having a balanced economy – this could potentially inﬂuence London’s future. “But also thinking about the other cities across the country – the fact that there’s this overbalancing of resources in London, that we could perhaps rebalance some of the growth around the country to make it a more sustainable place; we need to think about connectivity and improving infrastructure in other parts of the country.”

I really wanted to get involved in changing a physical place

VIRAL: “The politics of the ‘Northern Powerhouse’. These things are so important to the growth of the North and the North-West and into Yorkshire. For the people of Liverpool, where I’m from, this is needed. Manchester is expanding so much, if we want the city to develop as a great city, we need to keep moving. “The best policy to come out of the new government is devolution. It’s something I said at my young planner interview. I graduated just as regionalism was about to ﬁnish. If we go back to city regions it will help those local authorities develop eﬀective economic policies, but also social sustainability.” Zoe Green is a senior planning consultant at Atkins and Viral Desai is a planning consultant at Amec Foster Wheeler

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P L A N N I N G FO R R ET I R E M E N T

he UK’s seaside towns, with their promise of sunshine, fresh sea air and a relaxed atmosphere, have traditionally been a hotspot for the retired, particularly on the South Coast of England, which for many years has been a magnet for the elderly. In the 1970s and 1980s, when retired Britons began to gather and settle in seaside towns, they did so because they associated them with family holidays there in the post-war period. As the population has aged, many of those retirees from 20 or so years ago (now well into their eighties and nineties) are still living in the same homes. Places such as Christchurch in Dorset, Lymington in Hampshire, Worthing and Bognor Regis in West Sussex, and Eastbourne and Bexhill in East Sussex have particularly high proportions of retired residents (over 25 per cent) compared with other areas of the UK (London, for example) where retirees account for less than 10 per cent. As many of our ‘baby-boomer’ colleagues start to undergo an inevitable exodus into retirement, it will be the role of today’s younger professionals (including young planners, politicians, sociologists and economists) to develop an understanding of the challenges and opportunities this presents.

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YOUNG PLANNERS ARE VITAL IN INFLUENCING THE PLANNING SYSTEM TO PROVIDE FOR THE ELDERLY, AND MAYBE THEY SHOULD SEE IT AS A CASE OF ENLIGHTENED SELFINTEREST AS UNLESS IT IS BEGUN SOON THE OPPORTUNITY COULD BE LOST, SAYS ANGELA MOORE

AN AGEOLD 0 2 8 0

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“WHEN A YOUNG PLANNER REACHES 30 THEY WILL HAVE TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE COST OF PENSIONS, CARE AND MEDICAL SERVICES FOR 35 YEARS”

Q U ES T IO N I M AG E S | G E T T Y / M AGN U M

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P L A N N I N G FO R R ET I R E M E N T

CARE PLANNING

Confronting future demands – West Sussex County Council Karen Wells, head of contracts and performance in the Directorate of Care, Well-being and Education at West Sussex County Council, is leading on an older persons ‘Life Agenda’ for the county. One of the biggest issues in West Sussex with its progressively ageing population is isolation. The challenges Karen and her team face to address this (and other) issues can be wide-ranging and complicated. Because of the high cost of land and housing in the SouthEast and the low earnings of care staff, it can be difficult to attract qualified staff to run care facilities – resulting in a huge workforce gap. The planning system can be a main influencing factor in addressing care workforce issues by seeking to provide betterlocated and truly affordable housing for lower-earning care staff. Karen’s team is also exploring ways to help older people live more independent and healthy lives by encouraging their continued involvement with their communities to help ameliorate the sense of isolation and poor wellbeing from which so many suffer. Making improvements to existing homes to aid mobility or relocating people to places with better access to services (shops, GP surgery) are some ways these issues are being addressed. Karen is working specifically

with the ‘younger older’ 55-plus age group, encouraging them to think about future living options early, rather than continuing the trend whereby people stay in unsuitably large family homes until they really can’t manage, then being presented with little choice but to move to a care home or similar, which may not even be in the same community. Of course, many of these social challenges are complex and cannot be addressed by planning alone. But the system can certainly help in some aspects, and ultimately can have a huge influence on the quality of a person’s life by planning for an appropriate mix, type and supply of accommodation to reflect projected population growth and demographic change – such as supported living and communal care – to give people real and affordable choice about where to live as they grow older. The planning system can also influence where these homes will go, and this is just as important if the issue of isolation is to be tackled. Physically isolating people by failing to plan for a range of lifestyle and care choices, choosing poor locations for residential care facilities and failing to include the requirements of older people in traditional housing plans is, says Karen, a contributing factor to the wider issues of ageing.

Why should young planners care? Enjoying a long retirement and progressing to a ripe old age is an aspiration that more people are realising; but the challenges of addressing the issues that an older population brings are set to intensify. It’s a challenge that we younger folk have to deal with now if we want our parents’ generation to beneﬁt from well-planned places that will meet their changing needs as they age. Planning for the future of our parents’ generation now will ultimately beneﬁt us too, and our children.

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“If we postulate that people retire at 65, then there is a period of 35 years of retirement,” says Bryan Jezeph, organiser of September’s ‘Planning for an Ageing Population’ conference in Brighton. “When a young planner reaches 30 they will have to contribute to the cost of pensions, care and medical services for 35 years. It is in their interest from an economic, social and even selfinterested point of view to minimise the costs of care and the costs on the NHS.” One way to achieve this, says Jezeph, is to “maximise the provision” of housing

for the elderly and to create new places and refurbish existing places to provide a safe environment for older people. “Young planners are well placed to influence the planning system to provide for the elderly,” he adds. “However, it is essential that this is commenced as soon as possible, as the latest local plan period runs to 2036. Unless policies are put in place now the opportunity will be lost. “A change of attitude of the elderly and encouragement from their children to move to more suitable housing at an early stage is required,” says Jezeph. But that assumes such housing is available. Ageing Alliance research suggests that 90 per cent of older people live in mainstream housing, not necessarily from a wish to remain in the ‘family home’ but for want of an alternative. “Planners can make a difference,” says Jezeph. “There is a need to identify appropriate housing forms and allocate land specifically, because providers of such housing can’t compete with mainstream house builders.”

Meeting the challenge Across many South Coast communities, the population is predicted to continue ageing over the next two decades. As the number of working-age people declines, this will create a large dependant population. This increases the pressure on South Coast councils to provide more suitable facilities for an increasingly elderly population – a particularly challenging feat in times of budget cuts. Planners and politicians must understand that the decisions and actions we take (or don’t take) now will have a huge inﬂuence on the function of places we will inhabit in future. And it is the job of young planners to ensure that these issues are understood, and to ﬁnd (perhaps radical) solutions to ensure that suitable housing, infrastructure and services are delivered in time and in the right places. Paragraph 50 of the NPPF acknowledges this to some extent, by making reference to planning for a “mix of housing based on current and future demographic changes”. But pressure on the government could mount to amend national policy to highlight the importance of planning properly for ageing populations – and to make this policy much more explicit. Embedding in national planning policy

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CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES

THE HOTSPOTS

The potential challenges of an ageing population:

The potential opportunities of an ageing population:

There are many reasons why South Coast settlements attract so many over-65 residents and visitors. ‘Pull factors’ include:

(1)

The average age of the area’s population will start to increase, resulting in a larger population of dependants

(1)

(1) (2) (3)

(2)

Local councils may need more money to pay for the cost of housing, services and healthcare for the elderly so may need to raise taxes

(2)

(3)

Young people may begin to leave the area as they feel that it no longer caters for them

(3)

Shops and services for young people may start to close down if younger, working-age people leave the area

(4)

(5)

The area may get stuck in a ‘time warp’ as older people may be more resistant to change

The grey pound. Shoppers aged 65 to 74 years old splashed out an average of £4,379 each in 2007 and this is predicted to rise to £6,055 by 2017. Much of the money was spent on beauty, fashion and electrical goods Levels of crime and vandalism may decrease in areas with an older population People over the age of retirement may have more time to make a contribution to the local community – and usually for free! As life expectancy increases and the health of the nation improves, being 65 is not what it used to be. Look at the long list of still-working celebrities who are over 65: Samuel L Jackson, Mick Jagger, the Queen, and Dame Helen Mirren to name but a few! Older people can help beneﬁt the young! Downsizing of older people to smaller homes frees up larger family homes for younger families to grow into, and retired grandparents are often able to oﬀer free childcare – allowing parents to work, earn and save more!

JAPAN HAS THE OLDEST POPULTAION

PEOPLE OF WORKING AGE SUPPORTING EACH PENSIONER IN BRITAIN BY 2050 THAT FIGURE WILL FALL TO

Worldwide trends The elderly are now the fastestgrowing age group in Britain. The over-65s now far outnumber people under the age of 16. The ratio of dependency in Britain is such that there are currently four people of working age supporting each pensioner; and by 2035 this number is expected to fall to 2.5 and by 2050 to just two. Population ageing is widespread across the world, but is most advanced in more developed countries such as the UK, Italy and Germany. Japan has the oldest population in the world, with 32 per cent aged over 60 in 2013.

People are living longer and want to retire to somewhere pleasant Flat land close to the sea is often accessible for older people Coastal towns and cities can be more peaceful to live in than large cities

the objective to plan for an elderly population will be vital to ensure that the issues are addressed by local authorities and their delivery partners.

What about the young? If a change to planning policy is to be the main driver in addressing the needs of an ageing population, it must be written to be effective and deliver what is actually needed in locations that require it. Policy must be carefully developed so that it does not allow areas to transform into ‘retirement towns’ where the needs of older people are prioritised above the needs of the working-age population. After all, for a place to function successfully the economy of that area must be buoyant; and that needs people to run it. We cannot afford to continue seeing a decline of younger people in areas that have traditionally been attractive to older people. Allowing settlements to develop to primarily suit the needs of an older population – with a lack of services, jobs or affordable housing for younger people – risks creating communities that lack diversity, and economies that will ultimately decline. No matter which sector we work in as planners, we should help to create places that can accommodate people of all ages, where everyone can make a positive contribution to society. Places willing and able to appropriately adapt existing housing, infrastructure, services, public transport and community facilities are more likely to succeed as this will enable a diverse range of people to enjoy the same high-quality facilities and services that should be available to all. Angela Moore is a senior planning officer at Horsham District Council and a joint organiser of the 2015 Young Planners’ Conference

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DUDLEY

CASE ST UDY

AWARD: RTPI AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN PLANNING FOR BUILT HERITAGE

T H E PROJ ECT

PROJECT NAME: DELIVERING THE VISION FOR DUDLEY TOWN CENTRE

Back in 2005, Dudley town centre was experiencing a long period of economic decline, with low employment and a declining retail sector. Among the reasons for the problems, explains Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council’s principal planner Helen Yorke, was the popularity of the nearby Merry Hill Shopping Centre, which was drawing shoppers away from the town centre. With online shopping also on the rise, retailer conﬁdence was falling. “All in all,” says Yorke, a young planner, “there was a decrease in the image of the town.” By the mid-2000s Dudley was ranked in the top 10 per cent of deprived areas in England. It had lost its way. But the council had ambitions to create a town that people would want to visit and work in.

THE PROBLEM

By Laura Edgar

KEY PLAYERS/PARTNERS: DUDLEY METROPOLITAN BOROUGH COUNCIL AND PARTNERS

THE SOLUTION

‘LOST’ DUDLEY RESTORED 03 20

Delivering the vision for Dudley Town Centre is a wide-ranging regeneration programme that brings the borough and a variety of partners together to: b Secure private sector support for regeneration; b Increase the supply of housing; b Improve public realm ‘lost over time’; and b Encourage greater use of leisure and tourism sites. “We have Dudley Zoo and Castle, the Canal Trust and the Black Country Living Museum,” says Yorke. “We wanted to create a tourist hub around these.” The council acknowledged that regenerating the town centre would be a “huge piece of work” and an ongoing project – and that it would require a fresh approach to planning and regeneration. “To achieve what we wanted, with a strong emphasis on heritage, we knew it was going to take a cross-discipline team approach,” says Yorke. It would also require plans to be embedded in policy. In 2005, the council agreed the Dudley Town Centre Area Development Framework. In 2011, a new Core Strategy redesignated Dudley centre from strategic to district centre, “with a primary role based on heritage and tourism”. Through these, the council had made a commitment to:

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JUDGES COMMENTS The judges were impressed by a genuinely plan-led submission that has delivered positive outcomes against considerable odds. The cross-discipline team took pains to emphasise the area’s heritage

“The scheme uses heritage as the central tenet of town centre regeneration with impressive energy and commitment to ensure the plan is implemented, including through attracting a range of funding. “The project is planning and heritageled, but there is clear participation and involvement across a range of disciplines.”

K E Y P L AY E R S : Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council, New Heritage Regeneration Ltd, Homes and Communities Agency, Dudley Town Team, Dudley College, Dudley Zoological Gardens, Black Country Living Museum, Dudley Canal Trust, English Heritage, HLF, DCLG/ERDF, Black Country LEP, Fitzgerald Contractors Ltd

b Create economically sustainable communities; b Create safe and attractive environments; b Improve access to training and jobs; b Address the below-regional-average GDP per head; b Increase access to quality housing; and b Repair and restore the historic features of the town.

What do the locals think? The Arcade Toyshop is among the shops that have undergone restoration. Co-owner Dave Carter says his customers appreciate the work that has gone into improving the town. “[The town] does look lovely,” he says. “The council has done

a quality job.” However, parking charges in the town – compared with the free parking at the Merry Hill retail centre– continue to be an issue for his customers. “Our shop sells some niche items and so people come

The council consulted closely with Dudley’s communities and a variety of external parties to ensure that their vision was “shared by people who live in, work in and use the area”. These included disability awareness organisation Access in Dudley, faith groups, ethnic minority communities, primary schoolchildren, the Theatres Trust and Friends of Dudley. It wasn’t all smooth sailing, however.

The Townscape Heritage Initiative had secured funding to repair historic properties, but the money ran out after recession hit the town. Private landowners and business owners were initially sceptical about the disruption the programme could cause. The council had to work hard to ensure that it was “sensitive towards the work, rather than radical”, says Yorke.

“TO ACHIEVE WHAT WE WANTED, WITH A STRONG EMPHASIS ON HERITAGE, WE KNEW IT WAS GOING TO TAKE A CROSS DISCIPLINE TEAM APPROACH”

Public realm improvements in Dudley town centre have included new paving and lighting – for example, listed buildings are now lit up during the evening, imparting what Yorke calls “a real sense of place”. A second campus for Dudley College has been built and The Crown pub in the High Street refurbished. Some shops have had windows replaced and their original

THE OUTCOME

into town to our shop, but are not encouraged to shop around, come back or stay longer because they don’t want to pay. “We want people to do more than nip in and out of the town.”

1920s facades restored (see box). Footfall has increased and Dudley Zoo is reporting higher visitor numbers. The Townscape Heritage Initiative is now looking for funding for phase two of the developments. Much has been done, but Arcade Toyshop co-owner Dave Carter says the council needs to maintain momentum so the town and its residents feel the beneﬁts long term. “The High Street now needs doing from top to bottom to bring high street retailers and investors into the town, encouraging people to use the town and increase footfall,” he says. In keeping with our young professionals theme, this case study was written by our news reporter – and young journalist – Laura Edgar

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INSIGHT

Career { D E V E L O P M E N T C ASKING FOR A PAY RISE

Most of us would rather avoid negotiating a pay rise if possible. But if you are planning to ask for an increase, it’s worth calculating your approach beforehand CJ Obi is a senior recruitment consultant in planning and surveying at Judd Farris

l Plot your reward The idea of a ‘perfect’ work/life balance is one that we all seek but something that can be diﬃcult to achieve, writes CJ Obi, a planning graduate and recruitment consultant with Judd Farris.

Employees will typically look for pay rises when there are good market conditions. Even so, having the guts to ask for a pay rise can be daunting. Timing is everything n The key is to assess several factors:

(1) What has changed in your role/ levels of achievement to justify a pay rise? (2) How is your company currently performing in the market? (3) Are there recent examples of people within your team/company/ competitors who have received a pay rise? Granted, the third factor can be diﬃcult to gauge, but you should easily be able to monitor the ﬁrst two. However, even if both you and the company are performing well, there’s no guarantee that your request will be met favourably – because nothing has been pre-agreed. From my experiences of working with planners, I have found that the best way to seek a pay rise is to set out a goal with your line manager with a clear target for you to reach to get a pay increase. This way, the approach to hitting the target is collaborative; it also ensures that getting a pay rise is an attainable goal.

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Where to start I advise clients to approach their manager in a calm manner and explain their circumstances honestly, then propose a plan to increase their value to the business, which in turn can reward them with an improved salary package. By demonstrating your value to the business, rather than making the issue solely about you, your manager is much more likely to listen sympathetically. That’s because you’ve made it clear that increased reward goes hand in hand with increased responsibility. Targets to agree with your managers could include: c Generating fees for the business; c Cross-selling relationships with

other departments; c New business generation; and

c Positive feedback received on the

quality of service you provide. As an example, an agreed target and outcome could be “If you introduce three new clients to the business this year, we will increase your salary by X.” If you are professional and set out a plan of action with targets and rewards that both you and your manager agree on, there can be no ambiguity about the outcome of your pay request.

+ The negotiation It can sometimes be uncomfortable to raise the subject of money, but put simply ‘if you don’t ask, you don’t get’.

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+ What do planners get paid? You just need to approach and ask in a positive constructive manner. The key is to be calm and measured. Take your time and don’t enter into any discussions in a negative state of mind. And never, ever negotiate aggressively. If you are ever in a position where you give your boss an ultimatum – such as “Give me a pay rise of I’ll quit” – you will ﬁnd yourself without the pay rise you’re asking for and you will have created an unpleasant working environment. Negotiation should be methodical and collaborative. Bring in evidence – if you feel you are being underpaid, research current market rates for your role and refer to them. If you feel you are doing more than you are being paid for, show the evidence of what you have achieved. In any case, if you work with your boss to create a scenario where you add value to your team and as a result are rewarded you’ll ﬁnd this works best for everyone involved. Asking for advancement – and demonstrating to your line manager that you are taking a long-term view of your career with the company – is a positive thing and most managers will be delighted to know their employees are taking their career development seriously. CJ Obi is a planning graduate and recruitment consultant with specialist property recruitment agency Judd Farris

l Five steps to a successful negotiation Should you name a figure and hold out for it? Or wait for the employer to propose a sum? Should you be accommodating or competitive? Different sources cite different negotiating tactics when asking for a pay rise. Here are five of the most commonly cited approaches to pay negotiation. (1) Know what you’re asking for. Have your goal in mind and present your case with evidence. Be ready to explain why you deserve what you’re asking for.

What sort of salary can you expect as a planner? The government’s National Careers Service website suggests a starting salary of around £18,000, rising to £34,000 for a senior planner and £55 to £80,000 for a chief planner. It also maintains that chartered status could improve earning potential. The RTPI’s own member survey conducted in late 2013, with responses from more than 5,000 planners, conﬁrms this – but adds a lot more detail. Download a PDF summary of the survey at: http://tinyurl.com/Planner1015-33 n Here are the headline ﬁgures: c The biggest proportion of

planners earns between £25,000 and £40,000 (around 42 per cent, with the highest concentration in the £30-35,000 bracket); c One in seven planners (14 per cent) earns less than £25,000; c Nine per cent earn above £70,000; c Chartered members of the RTPI are more likely to earn £35-55k plus compared with the rest of the RTPI’s membership. mbership. More than half (54 per er cent) of chartered members bers earning £4555k say it has aﬀ ﬀected their salary; and c Salaries are more re likely to be higher in the South, outh, and London has a markedly higher proportion of planners lanners on higher (£55,000+) 000+) salaries. Planners rs in Ireland and overseas rseas are also more likely kely to be in higher income come brackets.

figures show that 38 per cent of Licentiate members work in the private sector, 54 per cent in the public sector and 3 per cent in the third sector. Public and third-sector employment often includes greater holiday entitlement and a more generous pension scheme than the private sector. Other benefits may include more flexible working hours and home-based working. On the other hand, the private sector has greater flexibility to offer performance-related pay and profit-sharing. When asking for a pay rise, it’s worth thinking about your overall package, such as holiday entitlements and employer support for further training/qualifications. Even if you don’t get offered the rise you’d like, your employer may well give you a better overall package that serves you just as well in the long run.

But it’s not all about ou ut the the salary sal alar ary y The latest RTPI membership emb mber mb ersh ship sh ip p

(2) Rank your priorities. What really matters to you? Go for the best overall package you can get and know what you’re willing to compromise on or trade. (3) Be precise with a salary ﬁgure. Don’t make it sound like something you’ve plucked out of the air – be accurate and be ready to justify the ﬁgure. (4) Don’t burn your bridges. If things

aren’t going your way, don’t make threats to leave or behave truculently. Close the discussion and know what your next step will be – whether it’s to start looking for another job or to ﬁx a date for further discussion later on. Leave the door open. (5) Whatever you agree, put it in writing immediately. Send it to your boss and to your HR department, restating the conversation.

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INSIGHT

DiF { D

DECISIONS IN FOCUS

Decisions in Focus is where we put the spotlight on some of the more signiﬁcant planning appeals and court cases of the last month – alongside your comments. If you’d like to contribute your insights and analyses to future issues of The Planner, email DiF at editorial@theplanner.co.uk HOUSING

Ninety-five homes approved for West Sussex town (1 SUMMARY Gladman Developments Ltd has been granted permission for the development of 95 dwellings and associated landscaping in Ifield, West Sussex, against the decision of Horsham District Council. Inspector Jonathan Manning gave outline planning permission after setting out a number of financial contributions to be met by the appellant, including donations towards education, fire and safety, libraries and highways. (2 CASE DETAILS A signed planning obligation provided at the hearing agreed terms for affordable housing to take up 40 per cent of the site. The inspector decided to enforce a contribution towards Heron Way Primary School in Horsham on the grounds that the development could place added pressure on the already limited capacity of the school. Contributions towards secondary education were deemed unnecessary because suitable provision is available in the area.

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The emerging Horsham District Planning Framework aims to see 800 new dwellings a year created up to 2021

Appeal Ref: APP/ Z3825/W/15/3019480

HOUSING

113 dwellings approved in Cheshire town

Contributions towards Horsham Library, Community Fire Link smoke detectors, and local bus stops and highways were also deemed reasonable. Further consideration was given to the appeal after the council acknowledged that it was unable to demonstrate a ﬁve-year supply of deliverable housing sites. The council urged that weight should be given to the emerging Horsham District Planning Framework (HDPF), which states the ability to meet housing requirements of 800 dwellings a year up to 2021. However, Manning noted that

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he had been provided with few details of how this would be achieved, limiting the degree to which the HDPF could be considered. (3 CONCLUSION REACHED While Manning loosely agreed with the council’s concerns over the visual impact of the settlement, he ultimately concluded that the “relatively contained nature” of the site would limit harm to the wider landscape, and that these issues were outweighed by the “clear social and associated economic beneﬁts” that would result from the development.

(1 SUMMARY Planning permission has been granted for a new housing development in Northwich, following an appeal by the developer. Cheshire West and Chester Council originally rejected proposals for 113 houses on land south of Northwich town chieﬂy because of concerns over the visual impact of the development. (2 CASE DETAILS Inspector Philip Major considered the main issues of the appeal to be the council’s ability to demonstrate a ﬁveyear supply of deliverable housing sites. Evidence provided by the developers, Russell Homes Limited, suggested that the council could provide 7,086 suitable homes (equivalent to 4.77-year supply), while the council, based on the Housing Land Monitor, believes it can deliver about 10,151 dwellings (a 6.83-year supply).

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into account the buﬀer, and including a review of the council’s land supply projections, the appellant put the council’s housing supply at 2.68 years. Phillimore said this represented a “very large shortfall” which weighed in favour of the development.

The inspector disagreed with the council that proposals for 113 houses on land south of Northwich would amount to the coalescence of two towns

After assessing appropriate housing sites within the council area, Major decided that the council could demonstrate a five-year supply of deliverable sites. (3 CONCLUSION REACHED The inspector assessed the impact on the character and appearance of the area, which he cited as the “root of the council’s objection” to the plans. Concerns that the development would lead to the appearance that the neighbouring towns of Davenham and Kingsmead had been joined were deemed unfounded. He found the site to be “well visually selfcontained”, thus having “a minor effect on the character and appearance of the locality”. Concerns voiced by local residents about the pressure on school places resulting from the development have also been addressed by the appellant, who has offered a contribution to enable school places.

affordable units, have been approved for a site in Crewe. Developer WCE Properties Ltd (now Tesni Properties Ltd), has been granted permission to develop the housing site by inspector Terry Phillimore after the council was found to have overestimated its ability to deliver a five-year housing supply. (2 CASE DETAILS The council originally claimed to have a five-year supply based on calculations from the Objectively Assessed Housing Need section of the Cheshire East Local Plan Submission Draft. However, in November 2014 an examining inspector found this to be too low and ruled that a 20 per cent buffer should be applied based on six years of not meeting housing need. A final assessment found Cheshire East housing need to be 36,000 dwellings over the period 2010-2030, with an average of roughly 1,800 homes a year. Taking

(3 CONCLUSION REACHED The 6.41-hectare site is comprised of greenﬁeld agricultural land; however, the inspector determined that the land was poor quality and did not carry a valued land status, thus holding little weight against the argument for development. Phillimore also asserted that any visual impact the site might have on the surrounding countryside would be essentially local, as the site is relatively visually conﬁned. The presence of an already approved 650home housing site nearby at Coppenhall East led the inspector to conclude that the area will generally become more urban in the future. Contributions towards education, biodiversity and a provision of open space have been agreed.

Appeal Ref: APP/ R0660/A/14/2229034

Appeal Ref: APP/ A0665/W/14/3000528

180 new homes approved for Suffolk village (1 SUMMARY An inspector has approved the development of up to 180 dwellings in the village of Melton, against the decision of Suffolk Coastal District Council. The proposal, submitted by Christchurch Land & Estates Limited, was ruled by inspector Clive Sproule to be in keeping with the aims of the National Planning Policy Framework, which in part seeks to boost housing. (2 CASE DETAILS The site was deemed to comply with LP Development Management Policy DM2 – Affordable Housing on Residential Sites, with 60 of the 180 dwellings provided to be affordable homes. The appeal was afforded more weight because the council was unable to show a five-year supply of deliverable sites for housing. Its current provision for affordable housing was assessed to be wanting, with 47, 25 and 74 affordable home completions between 2010 and 2013 respectively. This level of completions, said Sproule, “contrasts with the much higher annual net affordable housing need of 355 units”. (3 CONCLUSION REACHED Sproule determined that the benefits of the new settlement, including market value and affordable housing, outweighed the council’s view that the development would lessen the “intrinsic character and beauty of the countryside”.

HOUSING

124 homes approved for Crewe (1 SUMMARY Against the decision of Cheshire East Council, 124 homes, including 38

The 124 homes were allowed on the Crewe site at appeal because the agricultural land was of poor quality I M AG E | A L A M Y

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HOUSING

Appeal Ref: APP/J3530/A/14/2225141

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INSIGHT

DiF { D RENEWABLE ENERGY

Extension to solar farm approved at Somerset site (1 SUMMARY Development of part of an existing solar farm in Wedmore, Somerset, has been given the go-ahead, against the decision of Mendip District Council. (2 CASE DETAILS The proposal, submitted by an individual, was for the extension of a larger solar farm within the Sedgemoor district for which planning permission was granted in October 2014 and developed by Greenfields (A) Ltd. Mendip Council originally rejected this additional development owing to concerns about the effect on the visual character of the area and whether the proposal represented effective use of land. (3 CONCLUSION REACHED Inspector Andrew Hammond

DECISIONS IN FOCUS decided that the negative visual impact was negligible, given the presence of the existing solar farm, and the developer’s suggestion of softening the impact with a “biodiversity buffer”. The loss to local agricultural capacity was not seen as significant, as the intention was to graze sheep on the site for the 25-year duration. Hammond noted that “council policy is generally supportive of farm diversification schemes and the proposed development would assist in ensuring the viability of the smallholding”. The inspector went on to assert that although the power contribution of the development might be relatively small (2.93 MW), the National Planning Policy Framework is clear in recognising that “even small-scale projects provide a valuable contribution to reducing greenhouse emissions”.

Appeal Ref: APP/ Q3305/W/14/3000543

Proposals to extend the exisitng solar farm at Wedmore would not cause a negative visual impact, said the inspector

HOUSING

Large mixed housing development approved in North Yorkshire (1 SUMMARY Permission has been granted for the development of 266 homes in Stokesley, North Yorkshire, against the decision of Hambleton District Council. (2 CASE DETAILS The council said the district’s housing need was estimated to be 413 houses a year while the appellant said 458 to 565, accounting for market signals uplift. But the parties have agreed that with the council’s backlog of housing supply currently standing at 772, and a 5 per cent buffer, the fiveyear requirement amounts to 635 dwellings a year. Rose assessed house prices in Hambleton to have risen by over 200 per cent since 1997, remaining above the England and North Yorkshire average throughout. Rental prices for the area have also increased at a faster rate than the national average for one to three-bed properties. Rose also cited issues with the proportion of overcrowded households and concealed families (29 per cent of adults aged 20-34 live with their parents in Hambleton). (3 CONCLUSION REACHED Inspector David M H Rose chose to allow the appeal, made by planning consultant Johnson Brook, after deeming the council’s fiveyear housing supply to be wanting. On the grounds that a “pressing need for additional

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housing” had been identiﬁed, the inspector decided that the development, which comprises at least 50 per cent aﬀordable housing, should be allowed. The site will also deliver a mix of housing including bungalows to cater for a high level of residents aged 65 and over. Issues taken with the sustainability of the development were also rejected, as the inspector found the proposal to “have particular regard to the council’s strategy for scale and distribution of new housing”.

Appeal Ref: APP/ G2713/A/14/2223624

HOUSING

Residential development approved at Pencaitland, East Lothian (1 SUMMARY A residential development of up to 120 homes has been approved for a site in Pencaitland, East Lothian, against the decision of East Lothian Council. The council originally refused the proposal, submitted by Gladman Development Ltd, because it was contrary to part of the council’s Housing Land Supply: Interim Planning Guidance in that it did not contain a “robust defensible boundary” on its southern side. (2 CASE DETAILS The reporter, Richard Hickman, noted that concerns were raised that this would “set a precedent for subsequent future

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DiF { expansion to the south”. The 6.7-hectare site, which is to include play facilities and a sustainable urban drainage attenuation pond, is in designated countryside, so the plan is therefore contrary to the council’s local plan policy (DC1). (3 CONCLUSION REACHED The reporter ruled that the appeal should be afforded consideration owing to the council’s shortfall in five-year housing land supply. Hickman noted particular concern over short-term housing delivery up to 2019 because of “slippage on some major existing sites” resulting in an expected shortfall of “around 1,150 homes”. He also notes that “it is likely to be 2017 before any house completions can be anticipated from sites allocated in an approved new local development plan”. Council representatives and local residents raised the issue of the development’s impact on the landscape. (Pencaitland has just under 600 residential properties, so the development would represent an increase of just under 20 per cent, causing significant visual integration concerns.) But Hickman said that the “generous landscape corridor” to be included on two sides of the development would mean it was “sufficiently absorbed into its landscape setting”. Concerns about pressure on school capacity were assuaged by the addition of financial contributions. The developer also agreed to a 25 per cent allocation of affordable housing units.

Appeal Ref: East Lothian Council (14/00732/PPM)

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RENEWABLE ENERGY

Romsey to receive significant solar panel development (1 SUMMARY Developer Solarcentury has been granted permission for the erection of ‘solar photovoltaic panels’ on land west of the A3057, against the decision of Test Valley Borough Council. Inspector Sukie Tamplin decided to approve the plans owing to the high potential power output, which would “roughly equate to the energy needs of the market town of Romsey”. (2 CASE DETAILS The report gave the estimated output of the panels as 16 MW – equivalent to the energy use of 3,750 homes. Development would include supporting works such as inverter housings and access tracks. The council’s main concerns were issues surrounding loss of visual amenity and the use of best and most versatile (BMV) agricultural land. Tamplin asserted that while the Written Ministerial Statement (WMS) of the 25 March 2015 “reaffirmed the government’s support for solar energy”, use of BMV land would need to be justified by “the most compelling evidence”. (3 CONCLUSION REACHED The inspector agreed that the proposed site, despite currently being intensely cultivated, remained the only suitable site for the proposed solar development for grid capacity and access reasons. She noted that the council

A solar farm in Romsey has been allowed because of its high power output potential

agreed that the soil structure of the land would beneﬁt from a long-term fallow period, with the proposed term of use for the land being up to 25 years. The impact on the visual landscape was also deemed to be “very limited”, and outweighed by the potential beneﬁts of the development.

Appeal Ref: APP/ C1760/W/15/3010697

RENEWABLE ENERGY

Solar farm approved for Walpole St Andrew, Norfolk (1 SUMMARY Developer Elgin Energy Esco Ltd has been granted permission for a 30 megawatt solar photovoltaic facility in Norfolk, against the decision of King’s Lynn and West Norfolk Borough Council. (2 CASE DETAILS The development will produce up to 27,750,000 kilowatt hours – the equivalent of the electricity supply of 7,000 homes.

The 66-hectare site is made up of Grade 2 agricultural land, thus designating it ‘best and most versatile’ (BMV) land. (3 CONCLUSION REACHED Inspector Paul Jackson noted that suitable evidence was provided for development of BMV land; the appellant provided a sequential analysis showing severe grid restrictions in the wider area, demonstrating the suitability of the Walpole site. Jackson also noted the improvement to the level of biodiversity that the development would bring to the site, with plans including the planting of a wildﬂower mix among the panels and the addition of screening hedgerows, which would house local species. This appeal follows the approval of a spate of renewable-energy related proposals, with solar farms being approved in Cornwall, Somerset, Northamptonshire, Hampshire and Sussex this September (see separate stories).

Appeal Ref: APP/ V2635/W/14/3001281

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INSIGHT

LLegal landscape THE END OF A LONG SAGA Europa Oil & Gas finally has consent to explore for hydrocarbons in the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Beauty. It has been an arduous road for the company. It began with an application for an exploratory borehole made to Surrey County Council in 2008 and ended on 7 August 2015 with the grant of planning permission following two inquiries, a High Court case and a Court of Appeal hearing. The council refused permission for the single bore hole, contrary to an officers’ recommendation in 2011. The site is in an AONB in green belt. Refusal reasons didn’t include that the development was inappropriate. It was accepted that there was no alternative site. Europa appealed, but an inspector dismissed this in September 2012, concluding that the development was inappropriate in green belt and lacking very special circumstances, in part because although the prospect had a high chance of success by industry standards it was more likely that the well would be dry. Europa challenged this in the High Court in July 2013 on the issue of whether mineral extraction, which in accordance with paragraph 90 of the NPPF is capable of being appropriate development, includes exploration for minerals or was confined to their physical extraction. The court found in favour of Europa, and held

04 0

Mark Westmoreland Smith

that the antecedent step of exploration was inherent in the phrase ‘mineral extraction’. Local residents took the issue to the Court of Appeal in June 2014. Europa won. A further inquiry was held by a new inspector, who concluded in August that the development was not inappropriate and its beneﬁts convincingly outweighed short-term harm. He said even if he were wrong in concluding that the scheme was not major

“THE COURT FOUND IN FAVOUR OF EUROPA, AND HELD THAT THE ANTECEDENT STEP OF EXPLORATION WAS INHERENT IN THE PHRASE ‘MINERAL EXTRACTION’ ”

development, he would have concluded that the exceptional circumstances required by paragraph 116 of the NPPF would have been met – namely, national benefits arising from mineral extraction, the lack of alternatives, the limited effects on public recreation and the environment owing to the temporary nature of the scheme. Three points of interest for planners arise. Firstly, paragraph 90 of the NPPF sets out general forms of development that are not inappropriate in green belt provided they preserve its openness and do not conflict with its purposes. Mr Justice Ouseley’s judgment, endorsed by the Court of Appeal, made it clear that paragraph 90 envisages that some form of development of the

types listed (e.g. mineral extraction sufficient to require planning permission) has to be appropriate and necessarily within the green belt without compromising its openness and purposes. When one judges the effects on openness for the purposes of paragraph 90, account must be taken of the fact that in policy terms the form of development is acceptable. Secondly, the inspector in the re-determined appeal heard legal arguments as to what the phrase ‘major development’ should mean in paragraph 116 of the Framework dealing with designated landscape areas. The term is not defined in the NPPF, but it is in the Town and Country Planning Act 2010. Further, the inspector had a legal opinion that suggested a list of criteria by which to determine if something was major development. In my view, the inspector rightly rejected this and simply assessed whether the scheme was major development on the basis of his planning judgment “having regard to local circumstances and the particular facts of the case”. Lastly, it is worth noting how the inspector on the re-determined appeal dealt with the previous appeal decision. Submissions were made as to what his approach should be. In the end, he only mentioned the previous decision in his conclusions where he explained the material differences between the two. It is a good example of a sound approach in the circumstances. Mark Westmoreland Smith acted for Europa alongside Andrew Newcombe QC

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LATEST POSTS FROM THEPLANNER.CO.UK/BLOGS

B LO G S It seems that when it comes to s.106 agreements to mitigate adverse impacts every little doesn’t help; and in recent guidance on dealing with travellers central government is abnegating any responsibilities

L E G I S L AT I O N S H O R T S Approaching the test in Reg 122 Peter Seaborn

The case arose from a challenge to a decision by Forest of Dean District Council to grant planning permission for a development that included an out-oftown retail store. It was accepted that the development would have a negative impact on the town centre and a s.106 agreement was entered into to secure mitigation measures. The measures included a shuttle bus service between the town centre and the store, and contributions towards town centre improvements. But it was accepted that the adverse impact on the town centre would only be partly mitigated by the s.106 package of measures and, in the committee report, members of the council were advised that due to a lack of detail within the s.106 package, it was not possible to make an informed judgment on how far it would mitigate the impacts of the proposal. The claimant argued that the obligations in the s.106 agreement failed to comply with Regulation 122 of the Community Infrastructure Levy Regulations 2010 and by attaching weight to those obligations, the council had acted unlawfully. In the Court of Appeal the challenge focused on

the extent to which the obligations fairly and reasonably related in scale and kind to the development (limb 3 of the Regulation 122 test), with the appellant arguing it was not possible for the committee members to reach an informed view as to whether this test was met. The court considered whether the prospect of mitigation was too speculative to amount to a material consideration and determined that this was a matter of planning judgment. It held that while a planning decisionmaker must approach the assessment of the three requirements of the test in Regulation 122 with appropriate rigour, what is appropriate will vary depending on each case. In some cases, quantiﬁcation will be necessary because the decision-maker concluded that an adverse impact has to be reduced by a certain amount or in a certain way if it is to be acceptable, but this quantiﬁcation will not be necessary in every case. It was held not to be necessary here given the basis upon which the members decided that the application should be approved. The council’s decision was therefore upheld. R (on the application of Tesco Store Ltd) v Forest of Dean District Council and others (2015) Peter Seaborn is a partner at Mills & Reeve

Unauthorised encampments Kevin Leigh

The updated advice on what action can be taken by councils and the police (Planning Practice Guidance) when coupled with recent DCLG guidance on travellers, ‘Planning Policy for Traveller Sites’, appears to be part of a government drive to place the location of gypsies and travellers entirely in hands of councils. Given that gypsy and traveller status by itself, plus the familiar health and other issues connected with their lifestyles are to be considered irrelevant to whether an exception should apply to greenfield and green belt development, and given also the new definition of their status that means ceasing to travel may now take them outside the definition of gypsy/ traveller in the first place, this amended guidance will ensure councils are well placed to chase any problem as they see it, from their doorsteps. As the provision of settlements is wholly in the hands of planning authorities it seems likely that, without any national political will to address the topic, there will continue to be battles fought at appeals when facing injunctions. Kevin Leigh is a barrister with No5 Planning and Environment Group

Camden nightclub wins court battle Camden nightclub Koko appealed to the High Court after plans to turn the Hope and Anchor pub into eight flats were approved. Owners Obar Camden Ltd won the appeal after the judge ruled that councillors had been “significantly misled” by planning officers. Plans for the pub, owned by Vidacraft Ltd, also planned to build a three-storey extension and either shops or estate agent’s offices on the ground floor. Camden Council initially granted permission for the project on 6 January, but the club’s lawyers argued that the plan had no place in Camden centre as it would be at odds with the area’s character. They said those who moved into the flats would be likely to complain about the noise from Koko. Following the appeal, judge Mr Justice Stewart said councillors’ attention had not been drawn to the impact of the development on Koko. And the approach by councillors to planning conditions designed to mitigate the impact of noise on residents of the new flats was also irrational, he concluded.

TfL defends judicial review on cycle way Transport for London is to defend a judicial review challenge from black cab drivers over the construction of a cycle superhighway on the Embankment in London. A report in the Evening Standard said the Licensed Taxi Drivers Association has applied for the review on the grounds that TfL should have sought planning permission before starting construction, rather than have the highway come under permitted development rules. LTDA chairman Richard Massett told the paper his members’ grievance was the disruption caused by the building of the highway. Howard Carter, general counsel of TfL, said: “We have received the LTDA’s judicial review claim and, despite having addressed their points previously, will respond formally in due course. Construction of the East-West Cycle Superhighway is progressing well and although we are having to work hard to manage areas of temporary congestion.”

Market traders appeal CPO ruling Shepherd’s Bush Market traders have applied for permission to appeal against a High Court decision upholding a compulsory purchase order to enable a proposed regeneration of the West London market. Former communities secretary Eric Pickles conﬁrmed the CPO in October 2014, despite a planning inspector recommending it for refusal. Pickles concluded that suﬃcient safeguards had been put in place to protect traders and shopkeepers. The CPO allows Hammersmith & Fulham Council to buy all the property interests for Orion Shepherds Bush Ltd’s plans to expand and redevelop the market. Shepherd’s Bush Market Tenants launched a judicial review, but the High Court upheld the CPO in July. The traders are now bidding to take the case to the Court of Appeal, calling Pickles’ decision “unfair” and “unlawful”. Originally granted planning permission in 2012, the plans include 207 new homes and 65,000 square feet of new market space.

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INSIGHT

Plan ahead P Events for young planners From debates and CPD events to brewery tours and quizzes, young planners promote and attend events all over the UK. Here’s a small selection of forthcoming events by and for young planners. Tour of Northern Monk Brewery 8 October Northern Monk Brewery, Holbeck, Leeds 6-7.30pm

Samples, a drink in the bar and a look behind the scenes of a traditional brewery are the draw for this limited places tour of the Northern Monk Brewery organised by Yorkshire Young Planners and YORnet.

Send feedback to editorial@theplanner.co.uk Tweet us @The Planner_RTPI

RTPI London InterUniversity Quiz 2015 19 November Arup, London 6pm start

route to chartership and the work of the Planning and Architecture Division. What can young planners bring to the table this time around?

RTPI London is inviting London’s planning students (undergraduate and postgraduate) to pitch their wits head to head in the 2015 Inter-University Quiz. The focus is on the built environment, but questions will cover an array of topics – and there are some “seriously good” prizes, too.

Details: sypn@rtpi.org.uk Or keep an eye on the RTPI Scottish Young Planners Network pages: tinyurl.com/ Planner1015-SC-1510

Details: Lucy Barton lucy.barton@rtpi.org.uk Or keep an eye on the RTPI London Calling website: tinyurl.com/planner1015LO-1911

World Town Planning Day 2015: A roof over our heads 4 November Battersea Power Station, London 6.30-9.30pm

Development economics/ viability for young planners 26 November University of Dundee, 5.307.30pm

Organised by RTPI London, the New Zealand Planning Institute and Planning Institute Australia, this discussion at Battersea Power Station will see expert speakers from

With recently updated APC guidance and a fresh obligation to understand the economic context of planning, this event will give Scottish young planners the opportunity to develop their knowledge of this area. Planning consultant Andrew McCaﬀerty will speak on the commercial realities of development; Lucy Sumner of Halliday Fraser Munro will oﬀer a private sector

Details and booking: tinyurl. com/Planner1015-YO-0810

An audience with Scotland’s chief planner 15 October Victoria Quay, Edinburgh 2-4pm The Scottish Young Planners Network is oﬀering another opportunity for young planners to meet the nation’s chief planner John McNairney. Previously, the discussion turned to career building, the

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Details: sypn@rtpi.org.uk Or keep an eye on the RTPI Scottish Young Planners

Network pages: tinyurl.com/ planner1015-SC-2611

North West Young Planners APC Club 9 December Manchester, 6pm The APC Club helps young planners prepare for their APC submissions through regular workshops to discuss experiences and ideas, share tips and get expert feedback from assessors. Details: tom.hiles@bpud.co.uk Find out what your local RTPI young planners group is up to: tinyurl.com/rtpi-youngplanners

YOUNG PLANNERS' CONFERENCE 2016 Shelter and the British Housing Federation present on the challenges of housing London’s expanding population, followed by an audience Q&A. Details: zoe.green@ atkinsglobal.com Or keep an eye on the RTPI London Calling website: tinyurl. com/planner1015-LO-0411

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perspective; and Ronnie Hair of Fife Council will be answering questions from Andrew Sim.

In 2016, the RTPI Young Planners' Conference will be organised by the RTPI Northern Ireland Young Planners Network and take place in October in Belfast. The exact date and location were yet to be announced as The Planner went to press, but details will be available from in due course on the RTPI website young planners pages: http://rtpi.org.uk/ypc Alternatively, you can email events@rtpi.org.uk, or check out the RTPI events calendar: www.rtpi.org.uk/events/events-calendar/

I M AG E S |

M AT T B A X T E R / V I C K I C O U C H M A N / I S T O C K

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DIARY

LISTINGS Talks, conferences, training, master classes – everything you need to keep on top of the latest thinking and developments in the planning world.

LONDON 6 October – Effective communication skills: How planners can speak so people will listen This skills masterclass addresses your need to be listened to in conversations, in meetings and when speaking in public. Venue: The Hatton (etc Venues), 51-53 Hatton Garden, London Details: tinyurl.com/ Planner1015-LO-0610 7 October – Planning issues for the housing agenda This workshop considers the tools that are required to boost the supply of housing in England. Venue: The Hatton Details: tinyurl.com/ Planner1015-LO-0710 8 October – What is the future for the UK’s town centres and retail planning? Competition from the internet and existing and new out-of-centre retail and mixed-use schemes is growing. This event will review the impact of the NPPF and revised National Planning Practice Guidance on town centre planning. Presentations will be illustrated, with case study examples of how to regenerate, fund, manage and promote town centres. Venue: The Hatton Details: tinyurl.com/ Planner1015-LO-0810 13 October – Introduction to sustainability appraisal (Strategic Environmental Assessment) This masterclass explains how to fulfil the legal requirements of SEA and SA, and how to use the SEA/SA processes to help improve plans. A linked masterclass on issues in SEA/SA provides more understanding of how recent planning changes affect SEA/SA practice. Venue: The Hatton Details: tinyurl.com/ Planner1015-LO-1310

SOUTH EAST 5 October – autumn legal update Barristers present on topical planning issues at this annual event hosted by Landmark Barristers Chambers. Speakers and topics include: permitted development by Neil Cameron QC; neighbourhood planning by Stephen Morgan; and local plans by Robert Walton. Venue: Landmark Chambers, 180 Fleet Street, London EC4A 2HG Details: tinyurl.com/ Planner1015-SE-0510 8 October – RTPI South East Awards for Planning Excellence This year attendees will hear about winning projects, as well as having the opportunity to pose questions to those involved. Venue: Victoria Hall, Reading Town Hall and Museum, Blagrave Street, Reading RG1 1QH Details: tinyurl.com/ Planner1015-SE-0810

EAST OF ENGLAND 22 October – LEPs and devolution This joint conference, with RTPI East of England and RTPI South East, will look at the critical role LEPs could play in devolution to cities and regions and in promoting economic growth. Venue: Royal Pavilion, Southend-on-Sea Pier, Western Esplanade, Southend-on-Sea SS1 1EE Details: tinyurl.com/ Planner1015-EE-2210

SOUTH WEST 16 October – Tackling poverty and health inequalities Planning can play a vital role in addressing poverty and health inequalities that exist in urban and rural areas. Sessions will explore

DON’T MISS RTPI Nathaniel Lichfield Lecture The annual lecture, given in memory of Nat Lichfield and kindly sponsored by his wife Dalia Lichfield, is again hosted by University College London and draws an audience of around 200 students and professionals from across the planning and related professions. This year’s lecture will be given by Lord Kerslake, a former head of the Civil Service. He led the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) from November 2010, stepping down in February 2015. Previous prestigious speakers have included Professor Tony Travers from the London School of Economics, Lord Heseltine, Patsy Healey and Mitchell Silver – who was then chief planning and economic development officer in the city of Raleigh, North Carolina. Date: Thursday 26 November 2015 Venue: University College London Details: tinyurl.com/Planner1015-LO-2611

the role of planning and draw upon speciﬁc projects and initiatives. Venue: The Rougemont by Thistle, Queen Street, Exeter, EX4 3SP Details: tinyurl.com/ Planner1015-SW-1610

Venue: Newcastle University, 3rd Floor, Claremont Tower, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne & Wear NE1 7RU Details: tinyurl.com/ Planner1015-NE-0710

NORTH WEST

NORTH WEST 2 October – RTPI NW annual dinner Guest speaker is Christopher Katkowski QC (known as Kitkat). Chris is recognised in UK legal directories as one of the foremost leaders in planning and environment. Venue: The Hilton, 303 Deansgate, Manchester Details: tinyurl.com/ Planner1015-NW-0210

NORTH EAST 12 October – Planning law update In association with Eversheds LLP, this seminar analyses developments in planning law in 2015-16 and examine issues arising. Venue: Newcastle upon Tyne, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear NE1 4EP Details: tinyurl.com/ Planner1015-NE-1210 7 October – NE Young Planners APC brieﬁng The RTPI APC team will be giving a presentation on the new APC guidance to help those who are thinking about or working towards their APC submission. An assessor will provide general tips during a Q&A.

15 October – public inquiries The event considers inquiry procedure and process with speciﬁc emphasis on the role and approach to giving witness evidence. Venue: Pinsent Masons, 3 Hardman Street, Manchester Details: tinyurl.com/ planner1015-NE-1510 22 October – media debate Motion: This house believes that planning can’t survive without the media. Venue: Salford M50 2ST Details: tinyurl.com/ planner1015-NW-2210

WEST MIDLANDS 7 October – 2015 autumn reception RTPI West Midlands members and their guests are invited to the event. Venue: Mercure Madeley Court Hotel, Telford, Telford & Wrekin TF7 5DW Details: tinyurl.com/ Planner1015-WM-0710 22 October – Retail assessments: guidance, good practice and key considerations The session will provide an

overview of the national planning policy guidance relating to assessment of planning applications for retail and town centre uses, and will share lessons and good practice taken from recent relevant case law and appeal decisions. Venue: Oﬃces of Shakespeare Martineau, No1 Colmore Square, Birmingham, West Midlands B4 6AA Details: tinyurl.com/ Planner1015-WM-2210

EAST MIDLANDS 15 October – Planning for non-planners An introduction to the planning system for those who work alongside planners in support roles, councillors, business managers and others who require an overview. Venue: New Walk Museum, Leicester, Leicester LE1 7EA Details: tinyurl.com/ Planner1015-EM-1510

SCOTLAND 8 October – Collaborative participation: masterplanning/ charrette training for young planners Kevin Murray and Husam AlWaer will deliver an intensive workshop combining a site visit. Venue: A+DS Oﬃce, Bakehouse Close, Edinburgh EH8 8DD Details: tinyurl.com/ Planner1015-SC-0810

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NEWS

RTPI {

RTPI news pages are edited by Josh Rule at the RTPI, 41 Botolph Lane, London EC3R 8DL

A Young Planner’s perspective CHARLOTTE MORPHET IS THE CURRENT TRUSTEE WHO REPRESENTS YOUNG PLANNERS ON THE RTPI BOARD. AS HER TWOYEAR TERM FINISHES AT THE END OF 2015, SHE TELLS US WHAT IT IS LIKE TO BE IN THE ROLE

I stood for Young Planners Trustee to make a positive contribution to the board and the RTPI. I believe the views of young planners are essential; we make up a large part of the profession and contribute through young planner regional networks. Besides, we are the future of the profession. The board spends much of its time planning ahead for the institute, sometimes up to ﬁve years – those decisions will directly impact young planners. Also it is a great opportunity – where else are you going to get board-level experience this early in your career? I brought some important skills and experience to the role. First and foremost, I brought a young planner’s perspective to the role, but just as importantly a regional one too. I have been very active in the London region for about ﬁve years now and am currently concluding as chair of RTPI London. Through this work I’ve gained experience in sponsorships and event management and have a real understanding of how the regions

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C h Charlotte Morphet: Being active in social me media helps to reach a large number of other young planners

work and the huge beneﬁt they bring members and Institute. There aren’t many other trustees with this dual role on the board, although there are others with past experience. I also brought private sector perspective to the board, which is important since a large proportion of our membership works in this sector. The biggest contribution I made as the Young Planners Trustee was to increase the awareness of the work and value of young planners; the LinkedIn Young Planners Group has been particularly successful for connecting with the members I represent. As an active social media user, I have used these platforms to reach a large number of other young planners to promote the Young Planners Trustee’s and institute’s work. This role has helped me to build skills that have been invaluable in the

workplace. It has allowed me to build my confidence in talking about planning issues, negotiating between polarised views and sharing best practice. It has also helped to develop my business skills. The role involves making many decisions about the direction of the institute including corporate strategy, budgets, business plans, policy and publications. The biggest decision I was involved with was agreeing the corporate strategy and associated business plans. It’s a lot of responsibility to be making strategic decisions on behalf of 23,000 members. The best piece of advice I’ve learnt is to be confident with your own judgement and abilities. That said, sometimes you’ve just got to “fake it till you make it”. The biggest perk of being the Young Planners Trustee is the access you have to eminent planners. I’ve learnt so much from being surrounded by other experienced planners who’ve had very different professional experience to me. It is also great to get an understanding of the breath and depth of the Institute’s work, and the Chief Executive reports make you feel proud to be a planner. The M&S sandwiches at board meetings aren’t bad either! The most annoying thing I get asked is what town I’ve most recently planned. I think we need a public service announcement on telly telling people what we do! I would put myself forward for Board in the future, however, after finishing this role and being Chair of RTPI London I am taking a step back. It is always good to allow fresh talent to come through. I am excited to see who will take over from me. It is important to have a Young Planners Trustee on the board because we are the future of the profession. We are the future presidents, vicepresidents, chairs and award winners. Outside of the institute we are future chief executives, directors and policymakers. While we have a lot to learn, we also have a lot to contribute with unique insight on many issues.

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Editorial E: rtpinews@rtpi.org.uk

RTPI (switchboard) T: 020 7929 9494 F: 020 7929 9490

Registered charity no. 262865 Registered charity in Scotland SCO37841

3 POINT PLAN Planners explain how they would change the planning system

Simon Brooksbank Graduate Planner

BOYER A major cause of frustration among planning professionals has been the constant state of ﬂux of the planning system. The introduction of the National Planning Policy Framework rendering local plans out of date, the abolition of Regional Spatial Strategies and the introduction of Duty to Cooperate have all introduced greater complexity and uncertainty. Furthermore, the introduction of Neighbourhood Planning has introduced a new layer of planning in localities. This theme of constant change with arguably over-rigorous public consultation has had the eﬀect of overburdening the planning system with multiple layers of often competing considerations. Confusion over the status of Neighbourhood Plans and lack of clarity of Five-Year Housing Land Supply has inadvertently introduced a ‘planning by appeal’ system and frequent legal challenges, which is not only a very expensive way of doing planning, but also very confusing and time-consuming. A more streamlined, clear-cut planning system with greater clarity from statutory authorities would be a welcome development going forward.

YOUR INSTITUTE, YOUR QUESTIONS

TOO CONFUSING – planning in a constant ‘state of flux’ with outof date local plans, 5YHLS and changes to objectively assessed housing needs

TOO SLOW – understaffed LPAs struggle to meet competing demands with the backlog of planning applications and updating development plans

TOO EXPENSIVE – developers forced to navigate the planning system with overrigorous procedures incurring additional delays and costs

POSITION POINTS

CHARLOTTE JAMISON, PLANNING CONSULTANT, SIX WEST

OVER QUALIFICATION & SKILLS MISMATCH IN THE GRADUATE LABOUR MARKET

What is the RTPI doing for Young Planners in Northern Ireland?

ROISIN WILLMOTT, DIRECTOR OF RTPI NORTHERN IRELAND We are currently working with a group of Young Planners (YP) to reinvigorate activity in Northern Ireland (NI), to reﬂect that we have new councils and the landscape of where and how planners operate has changed. We want to ensure that young planners have the support they need to develop their career, whether they are a student right through to Chartered Members. In June we held an Assessment of Professional Competence (APC) brieﬁng and a number of members signed up to organise events; the group is meeting this month to plan a programme, so keep an eye on our website for details. It is also very exciting that the YPs in NI will be hosting the next Young Planners Conference in Belfast in early October 2016. If you’d like to learn more about Young Planners in Northern Ireland or get involved, e-mail me: roisin.willmott@rtpi.org.uk

Hayley Boyes, Higher Education Officer A report from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development concluded that 58.8 per cent of graduates work in non-graduate roles where they are over-skilled and over-qualified. About 75 per cent of chartered planners come through the accredited degree route and they are highly employable with planning being the fourth most successful degree subject for finding work after graduation. The report reinforced calls to investigate alternate routes into work for young people, which the RTPI has done by launching the planning apprenticeships. Read more on www.rtpi.org.uk/education-and-careers.

n www.cipd.co.uk/publicpolicy/policy-reports/ overqualiﬁcation-skills-mismatch-graduate-labourmarket.aspx

A 10 POINT PLAN FOR BOOSTING RURAL PRODUCTIVITY Joseph Kilroy, Policy Officer The RTPI supports place-making, not isolated house building, so the first time buyers’ initiative where the 20 per cent discount is paid for by a relaxation of planning obligations is of concern. Developments, whether for firsttime buyers or not, still place burdens on infrastructure. (Not everyone works from home or in their village, so this could cause more car traffic on rural roads.) In terms of office space in rural areas, in the current context simply making more room for business in rural premises might be fruitless if the landowners simply then convert them to housing under Permitted Development measures.

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NEWS

RTPI { WHY THE BEST IN PLANNING RESEARCH DESERVES MORE RECOGNITION

Michael Harris, Deputy Head of Policy and Research In this issue of The Planner we feature the winners of this year’s RTPI Awards for Research Excellence. You can ﬁnd more information about the winners and commended entries on the RTPI website. Why are the Awards important to the institute – and why should they be important to planners? We know there’s good research out there with critical lessons for practice. The challenge is how to get it to practitioners. The RTPI Awards for Research Excellence is just one of the ways in which that the institute is trying to promote the importance of planning research to wider audiences. Most planners don’t have enough time to go looking for the evidence that might help to improve their practice. Even if they did, much research is buried away in journals, and is often expressed in academic language meant for academic audiences. This isn’t to criticise the research community. Career progression in academia nowadays is primarily determined by getting published in the most prestigious journals, as well as who can generate research income for their universities. But this does mean that many practitioners might never hear about research that could help them to do their jobs and serve their communities better. Certainly some planning practitioners can and do get on with their work without ever reading research, but we can’t be happy with this. All professions need to be evidence-based as well as drawing on personal experience. The two should complement and challenge each other. This is why a commitment to continuing professional development is at the core of being a chartered planner. It’s also critical that planners and policymakers beneﬁt from independent research about the major economic, social and environmental challenges we face and how planning can respond to these challenges. Securing sustainable development, managing the impact of demographic and climate change, and promoting social cohesion all require new

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thinking and an understanding of what works where. While we shouldn’t judge academic research only on the basis of how it serves to inform professional practice, evidence is critical to improving and developing what planners do. When we relaunched the Awards this year we had three main aims: to recognise the best spatial planning research from RTPI accredited planning schools in the UK, the Republic of Ireland and internationally; to highlight the implications of academic research for policy and practice; and to promote planning research more generally. This is why we’ve increased the number of award categories, including introducing a new category to recognise what we called ‘wider engagement’, where researchers have done something diﬀerent to communicate their research beyond academia, and even involve communities in the research process. We named this award after Sir Peter Hall, who in so many ways exempliﬁed how academics could combine excellence in research with impact on policy and practice. We’ve also been kindly supported by our sponsors for the Awards – the Idox Information Service and Routledge,

RTPI R T Chief Executive Trudi Elliott with Professor P r Matthew Carmona from The Bartlett at UCL, who took the winning and highly commended prizes in the Academic Award category at the RTPI Awards for Research Excellence

part of the Taylor & Francis group, both of whom have a commitment to disseminating research more widely to a range of audiences. Our experience of the Awards this year tells us that there’s a desire among academics to get their work out to a wider audience – we’ve received three times the number of entries from last year. It also shows the incredible diversity of issues that researchers are examining, from the future of London’s high streets and the impact of waterfront regeneration schemes, to how to promote active travel among schoolchildren and even how theatre can be used to engage the public in planning issues. Given this, and the importance of research to both policy and practice, we want to continue to build on this year’s Research Awards to generate more entries and ﬁnd new ways to recognise and promote the work being done in accredited planning schools. Read more about this year’s winners and commended entries at: www.rtpi.org.uk/researchawards

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RTPI Y ACTIVIT E PIPELIN

RTPI SHORTS

PLANNING AID ENGLAND IS HERE TO HELP

Current RTPI work – what the Institute is doing and how you can help us

Planning Aid England (PAE) oﬀers independent advice and support to empower individuals and communities to engage in the planning system. They can only provide support to those who know about PAE and they need your help to spread the word and direct people to their services. There are various ways you can act as an ambassador including:

RTPI NATHANIEL LICHFIELD ANNUAL LECTURE

Lord Bob Kerslake will give the RTPI Nathaniel Lichfield Annual Lecture, given in memory of Nat Lichfield and once again generously supported by Dalia Lichfield. Lord Kerslake, is a long-serving influential senior civil servant, including service as Permanent Secretary at the Department of Communities and Local Government. He was introduced as a Life Peer earlier this year and currently serves as the chair of the King’s College Hospital Foundation Trust and chair of the IPPR’s London Housing Commission. This lecture will be held on Thursday 26 November at 7pm at University College London. n For more information: http://www.rtpi.org.uk/nll

b b

PAE is in the process of exploring opportunities to expand its outreach and capacity building services. This can take various forms including: b

HELP TO CHOOSE ENGLAND’S GREAT PLACES b

From Colchester to Castleacre to Cambridge, England’s Great Places received a signiﬁcant number of nominations from across England. In early September the Eminent Panel selected the Top 10 greatest places. Voting is now open for you to decide England’s Greatest Place.

n http://www.rtpi.org.uk/events/rtpis-englands-great-places/

RTPI AWARDS FOR PLANNING EXCELLENCE OPEN FOR ENTRIES Entries for the projects, plans and people categories for the RTPI Awards for Planning Excellence are now open. The premier awards for planning in the UK and Ireland highlight exceptional examples of planning and celebrate the contribution that planners and planning make to society. The deadline to submit entries is 1 December 2015. Entering is a low-cost, high-impact way to highlight your achievements to potential clients, peers and stakeholders. To view the categories and for more information on how to enter, plus sponsorship opportunities, please contact awards@rtpi.org.uk n For the latest information visit: http://www.rtpi.org.uk/events/awards/rtpiawards-for-planning-excellence/

ASSESSMENT OF PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCE APC The new 2015 Assessment of Professional Competence (APC) Guidance will be applicable from the submission deadline 5 November. The guidance was updated to reﬂect changes to the APC following extensive member consultation. While Licentiates have been familiarising themselves with it since earlier this year, new resources were launched in September to assist applicants. There is a series of new podcasts available that provide further guidance on the process: http://www.rtpi.org.uk/resources-for-apc-candidates n Please contact the Membership Team by phone or email for further information on the new resources: membership@rtpi.org.uk or 020 7929 9462

Directing those who require planning advice to contact the advice line (advice@planningaid.rtpi. org.uk or on 0330 123 9244); Raising the proﬁle of PAE with your network of personal and professional contacts; and Becoming a PAE volunteer or encouraging others to do so (http://www.rtpi.org.uk/planning-aid/ volunteering/).

Providing training on the planning system for parish and town councillors, community groups and voluntary organisations (http://www.rtpi.org.uk/planning-aid/ volunteering/volunteer-case-studies/councillortraining/); Providing bespoke support to those who cannot aﬀord professional fees. For example, volunteers led a workshop with residents of Lofthouse near Wakeﬁeld to help them to understand the local plan proposals; and Assisting local planning authorities to engage with residents on development proposals and policy documents.

n If you would like to discuss the support PAE can oﬀer please contact John Romanski, Senior Planning Aid Adviser, on 0203 206 1885 or john.romanski@ planningaid.rtpi.org.uk. Further information is available on the PAE website. (http://www.rtpi.org.uk/planning-aid/)

SPENDING REVIEW 2015: CHANCELLOR URGED TO INVEST IN PLANNING The government’s spending review will take place on 25 November. The RTPI has urged the Chancellor of the Exchequer to invest in planning to deliver good planning for economic growth and housing delivery. Read what the RTPI wrote here: n http://www.rtpi.org.uk/brieﬁng-room/newsreleases/2015/september/spending-review-2015chancellor-urged-to-invest-in-planning/ MEMBER DEATHS It is with great regret that we note the deaths of the following members. We offer our condolences to their families and colleagues.

c John Buckler West Midlands c Donald Foster West Midlands

c Jennifer Niven Scotland

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Recruitment { ISLE OF MAN GOVERNMENT

APPOINTMENT OF MEMBERS OF THE ISLE OF MAN PLANNING APPEALS INSPECTORS PANEL Planning appeals in the Isle of Man are dealt with under the provision of the Town & Country Planning Development (Development Procedure) (No2) Order 2013. The Council of Ministers is seeking to recruit a number of persons to join the panel of Isle of Man Planning Appeals Inspectors to deal with the following: (1) Planning applications where persons aggrieved at decisions of the Planning Committee submit an appeal to the Minister for the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture under the provisions of the Town & Country Planning (Development Procedure) (No2) Order 2013. (2) Applications for development by the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture, or for the development of land in which the Department has a vested interest, or on land which is occupied or controlled by the Department which are for determination by the Council of Ministers. (3) Applications called in by the Council of Ministers which raise considerations of general importance to the Island or for some other reason ought not to be determined by Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture. Inspectors prepare reports setting out their conclusions and recommendations on each case, following a site visit and, in appropriate cases, an inquiry. They are supported by the Planning Appeals Secretariat based in the Cabinet Office, Government Offices, Douglas, Isle of Man. Members of the panel are appointed for a three year period. Inspectors are typically offered a minimum of three weeks work conducting appeal hearings per year subject to availability of cases, plus preparation and reporting time. Applications are sought from persons who can meet the following criteria: • Achieved a senior position as an Inspector in the Planning Inspectorate in the UK or other jurisdictions. • Experience in holding many public Inquiries of significant scale and complexity. • Drive and flexibility to carry out 15 or more site visits in a single day • Ability to produce high-quality reports and take the helm at diverse public inquiries, whilst adhering closely to the three fundamental principles of openness, fairness and impartiality. • The highest standard of integrity and honesty Persons who wish to be considered for appointment to the panel of Inspectors are invited to download an information pack at https://www.gov.im/co/ Alternatively hard copies can be obtained from Mr A Johnstone, Planning Appeals Administrator, Cabinet Office, Bucks Road, Douglas, Isle of Man IM13PN. Applications, including a current CV, should be sent to Mr Johnstone by 5.00pm on Friday 23 October 2015. Further information regarding the planning appeal system can be found on the website https://www.gov. im/categories/planning-and-building-control/planning-applications/planning-appeals/ or you can ring Mr Johnstone on 01624 685204.

DP026 - Senior Planner

(Urban Design/Landscape Planning) £26,293 – £28,746 (A Skills Specialist Allowance of £2,500 p.a. will apply on meeting speci¿ed criteria) South Staffordshire is a District of 27 rural villages, a ‘community of communities’. We are seeking a quali¿ed planner with an additional quali¿cation in Urban Design or Landscape Planning and post quali¿cation experience to become a champion for good quality urban design/ landscape planning – providing advice to colleagues, customers and Members. Successful candidates will have proven track-record in dealing with the planning issues that arise with the successful integration of new housing sites into existing communities. If you are a quali¿ed planner with an enthusiasm for urban design/ landscape planning but do not possess the additional quali¿cation, we will support you to obtain it. For further information and to download an application form please visit our website at www.sstaffs.gov.uk/jobs. Closing date: 30th October 2015 Interview date: 12th November 2015

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^ĞŶŝŽƌ WůĂŶŶĞƌ Ͳ WŽůŝĐǇ άϯϰ͕ ϳϯϳ Ͳ άϯϴ͕ ϱϭϭ ʹ ZĞĨĞƌĞŶĐĞ ^ ^W

ŚŝůƚĞƌŶ ĂŶĚ ^ŽƵƚŚ ƵĐŬƐ ŝƐƚƌŝĐƚ ŽƵŶĐŝůƐ ĐĂƌĞ ƉĂƐƐŝŽŶĂƚĞůǇ ĂďŽƵƚ ƉƌŽƚĞĐƚŝŶŐ ƚŚĞŝƌ ĞŶǀŝƌŽŶŵĞŶƚ ;Ğ͘Ő͘ KE ͕ 'ƌĞĞŶ Ğůƚ͕ ƚŽǁŶ ĂŶĚ ǀŝůůĂŐĞƐ ĐŚĂƌĂĐƚĞƌͿ ǁŚŝůƐƚ ĂůƐŽ ƉůĂŶŶŝŶŐ ƉŽƐŝƚŝǀĞůǇ ;ŐŝǀĞŶ ƚŚĞ ƉƌŽǆŝŵŝƚǇ ƚŽ >ŽŶĚŽŶͿ ƚŽ ŵĞĞƚ ůŽĐĂů ĚĞǀĞůŽƉŵĞŶƚ ŶĞĞĚƐ ĂŶĚ ĚĞůŝǀĞƌŝŶŐ ŚŝŐŚ ƋƵĂůŝƚǇ ƐƵƐƚĂŝŶĂďůĞ ĚĞǀĞůŽƉŵĞŶƚ͘

The councils currently have a number of vacancies within the Planning Policy ƐĞĐƟŽŶ ŽĨ ŚŝůƚĞƌŶ ĂŶĚ ^ŽƵƚŚ ƵĐŬƐ ŝƐƚƌŝĐƚ ŽƵŶĐŝůƐ ĂŶĚ ƚŚĞ ĞǀĞůŽƉŵĞŶƚ ŽŶƚƌŽů ƐĞĐƟŽŶ ŽĨ ŚŝůƚĞƌŶ ŝƐƚƌŝĐƚ ŽƵŶĐŝů͘ WŽƐƚƐ ĂƌĞ ĐĂƌĞĞƌ ŐƌĂĚĞĚ ǁŝƚŚ ŽƉƉŽƌƚƵŶŝƟĞƐ ƚŽ ƉƌŽŐƌĞƐƐ ƚŽ Ă ƐĞŶŝŽƌ ůĞǀĞů͘ zŽƵ ǁŽƵůĚ ũŽŝŶ ƚŚĞ ĐŽƵŶĐŝůƐ Ăƚ Ă ƉƌŽĨĞƐƐŝŽŶĂůůǇ ĞǆĐŝƟŶŐ ĂŶĚ ĐŚĂůůĞŶŐŝŶŐ ƟŵĞ͘ /Ŷ >ŽĐĂů WůĂŶƐ ŬĞǇ ĞǀŝĚĞŶĐĞ ďĂƐĞ ƐƚƵĚŝĞƐ ŝŶĐůƵĚŝŶŐ Ă 'ƌĞĞŶ Ğůƚ ƐƐĞƐƐŵĞŶƚ͕ ƐƵƉƉŽƌƟŶŐ ŶĞŝŐŚďŽƵƌŚŽŽĚ ƉůĂŶƐ ĂŶĚ ƉƌŽũĞĐƚƐ ůŝŬĞ ,^Ϯ ĂŶĚ ƉŽƚĞŶƟĂů ,ĞĂƚŚƌŽǁ ĞǆƉĂŶƐŝŽŶ͘ /Ŷ ĞǀĞůŽƉŵĞŶƚ ŽŶƚƌŽů ǇŽƵ ǁŝůů ƚĂŬĞ ŽŶ ƉĞƌƐŽŶĂů ĐĂƐĞůŽĂĚƐ͕ ƉƌĞƉĂƌĞ ĂƉƉĞĂů ƐƚĂƚĞŵĞŶƚƐ ĂŶĚ ĚĞĂů ǁŝƚŚ ƌĞůĂƚĞĚ ĐŽƌƌĞƐƉŽŶĚĞŶĐĞ͘ zŽƵ ƐŚŽƵůĚ ďĞ ĐŽŵŵŝƩĞĚ ƚŽ ƉƌŽǀŝĚŝŶŐ ĂŶ ĞǆĐĞůůĞŶƚ ƐĞƌǀŝĐĞ͕ ŵĂŬĞ Ă ƉŽƐŝƟǀĞ ĂŶĚ ƉƌŽĂĐƟǀĞ ĐŽŶƚƌŝďƵƟŽŶ ƚŽ ŽƵƌ ƚĞĂŵƐ͕ ďĞ /d ůŝƚĞƌĂƚĞ ĂŶĚ ŚŝŐŚůǇ ŽƌŐĂŶŝƐĞĚ͘ WŽƐƚƐ ŽīĞƌ Ă ƌĂŶŐĞ ŽĨ ĞǆĐĞůůĞŶƚ ďĞŶĞĮƚƐ͗ Ͳ &ůĞǆŝďůĞ ǁŽƌŬŝŶŐ ŚŽƵƌƐ Ͳ 'ĞŶĞƌŽƵƐ ŚŽůŝĚĂǇƐ Ͳ ŝƐĐŽƵŶƚĞĚ ƌĂƚĞƐ Ăƚ ůĞŝƐƵƌĞ ĐĞŶƚƌĞƐ ĂŶĚ ƐǁŝŵŵŝŶŐ ƉŽŽůƐ Ͳ &ƌĞĞ ŽĸĐĞ ƉĂƌŬŝŶŐ ĂŶĚ Ͳ Ŷ ĂǀĞƌĂŐĞ ƐĂůĂƌǇ ƉĞŶƐŝŽŶ ƐĐŚĞŵĞ How to apply &Žƌ ĂŶ ĂƉƉůŝĐĂƟŽŶ ĨŽƌŵ ĂŶĚ ĨƵƌƚŚĞƌ ĚĞƚĂŝůƐ ǀŝƐŝƚ ŽƵƌ ǁĞďƐŝƚĞƐ Ăƚ ǁǁǁ͘ĐŚŝůƚĞƌŶ͘ŐŽǀ͘ƵŬ ͬ ǁǁǁ͘ƐŽƵƚŚďƵĐŬƐ͘ŐŽǀ͘ƵŬ Žƌ ƚĞůĞƉŚŽŶĞ Ϭϭϰϵϰ ϳϯϮϭϱϱ ;Ϯϰ ŚŽƵƌƐͿ Ͳ ƉůĞĂƐĞ ƋƵŽƚĞ ƚŚĞ ĂƉƉƌŽƉƌŝĂƚĞ ƌĞĨĞƌĞŶĐĞ Closing date: Ϯϯ KĐƚŽďĞƌ ϮϬϭϱ Interviews expected: ǁͬĐ Ϯ EŽǀĞŵďĞƌ ϮϬϭϱ

Something special for everyone Planning Adviser x2 £33,467 per annum pro rata, permanent, full-time Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk | IRC24323 York or Newcastle | IRC27378 Leading on planning matters across much of the region’s portfolio of properties, you’ll provide expert advice on everything from local planning to development management and major infrastructure, with a strong focus on heritage. Like everyone here, you’ll relish in the challenge of helping more and more people to enjoy our magical places and spaces, and to safeguard them for ever, for everyone. A full UK driving licence will be required for this role as extensive travel will be required. To find out more and to apply visit our website and search using the relevant IRC number. Closing date: 26 October 2015.

www.nationaltrustjobs.org.uk Committed to equal opportunities. Registered charity number 205846.

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INSIGHT

n How can we improve our seaside towns? Tweet us - @ThePlanner_RTPI

Plan B

IMAGES | GETTY / ISTO CK / SHUTTERSTOCK

OF HYDRANGEAS AND HEDGEHOGS IN A BRITISH SEASIDE TOWN Plan B sympathises with the challenges facing young planners catering to ageing populations in South Coast seaside towns such as Lymington and Bexhill (see feature, page 28 ). In the 1970s and 80s we spent more weekends than we can remember trudging along the windy Bexhill seafront, before retiring to the hushed living room of an elderly relative and trying not to scream. Bexhill then was not a good place to be as a young person. These were the lost years of the British seaside experience. Cheap travel had opened up the sunny beaches of Spain and as a nation we abandoned our traditional holiday haunts. Their kiss-me-quick glamour never compensated for the fact that our seaside resorts were wet, windy, stony and miserable most of the time. Stripped of a reason to doll up once a year, towns like Bexhill became the saddest places imaginable in our adolescent brain. The De La Warr Pavilion, an art deco icon, hosted forgotten entertainers and a Sunday carvery. Bungalowed streets had an unnerving quiet, and the plastic hullabaloo of the one amusement arcade could never drown the terminal thrum of boredom and decline. There was little to celebrate. A dinosaur footprint was discovered on a beach (hurrah!) and a plastercast mounted in the small museum in Egerton Road, which was also home to the oddest artefact Plan B has ever seen – a hedgehog, stuﬀed as it had died, its tiny, delicate face jammed into a discarded can of beans. What did it all mean? Hydrangeas were everywhere, as if their pink blousiness could mask the basic truth that there was nothing much to stay for here. In the past 15 years or so, we’ve begun to rediscover our seaside towns and smarten them up a bit. The De la Warr has been refurbished, as has the Bexhill Museum; and in 2007, according to the Discover Bexhill website, the town was voted the ‘third-best seaside town to live’. We can’t help feeling that this statement raises more questions than it answers. Good luck, young planners. Bexhill needs you.

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ALL HAIL, AIL THE ROBOT PLANNER

YOU’RE NEVER TOO YOUNG TO START PLANNING The automation calculator doesn’t tell you how likely it is that you will be replaced in your job by a baby. The answer is ‘Quite’, if a tweet we received from Planning Claire (@planning Claire) is anything to go by. Claire sent us a photo of her wee one delving into a copy of everyone’s favourite magazine, accompanied by the message: “Small person enjoying a post dinner peruse of @ThePlanner_RTPI. What age does student membership start @RTPIScotland?” More pertinently, what was for dinner? Was it carvery?

It’s not just an ageing population that young planners will have to consider as their careers progress, but an idle one, in which many jobs have been replaced by computers and robots. Plan B is of the opinion that technology actually creates more work than it saves; nevertheless, as the BBC pointed out this month, those in low-paid, low-skilled jobs (such as telesales, apparently) will very likely be replaced by automation in the next 20 years. The Beeb has a probability calculator (OK, it’s just a drop-down list) to reveal your chances of being sacked in favour of a robot in the next two decades. Young town planning oﬃcers are in the clear, with just a 13 per cent chance that you’ll be automated. Hoteliers are the most futureproofed, with a minuscule 0.4 per cent chance of being automated (good news for seaside towns?). Oddly, politicians don’t appear on the list at all, while journalists are safe as (cheaply built) houses, with just an 8.4 per cent probability of being callously swept aside in favour of writing robots. Not that any of this really matters to Plan B, who in 20 years’ time will be settling into a comfy retirement by the seaside. In Bexhill. n Find out whether a robot will take your job: http://bbc.in/1Q5Vecw

THE YOUNG PLANNERS ISSUE \ O CTO BE R 2 0 15 28/09/2015 10:03

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} Recruitment Enforcement and Appeals Manager £42,291- £45,690

Ref: PL001479

Planning Policy Manager £42,291-£45,690

Ref: PL001481

Urban Design and Conservation Planner £32,784-£34,590

Closing Date: 25th October 2015. Interviews will be scheduled for week commencing: 9th November 2015. To apply, please visit our website at www.redbridge.gov.uk/jobs

Ref: PL001482

The Council is shaping and delivering services to meet residents’ needs during these challenging times. Ambitious for Redbridge is our vision. To help achieve our vision we have undertaken a restructuring of Planning and Regeneration Services and are recruiting to a number of high level posts, including these three senior roles. Redbridge is at the heart of regeneration and change in east London- located a few minutes from Stratford, with cross rail expected to make a huge impact, with excellent connections across London. The area already boasts vibrant town centres, excellent educational, sports and leisure facilities and cultural attractions, as well as numerous parks and green spaces; but there is more to be done to ensure that these advantages create a borough with a high quality living and working environment for all. About the Roles These roles are paramount to the delivery of the Council’s strategic corporate priorities, securing “Growth”, with new homes and jobs coming to Redbridge. We are looking for dynamic and resourceful professionals, who can demonstrate that they want to play a major role in the ambitions of Redbridge. In return we offer opportunities to develop your ambitions in terms of career development in senior positions. The Planning and Regeneration office is located in Ilford, connected by train every 10 minutes to Liverpool Street station. Enforcement and Appeals Manager will lead a pro- active Planning Enforcement Team; ensuring potential breaches of planning are dealt with so as to be customer focused, timely and effective, and will also have responsibility for dealing with any related planning applications and appeals. A planning qualification and membership of the Royal Town Planning Institute is required. Planning Policy Manager will lead a professional team developing planning policy taking forward the Local Plan and other policy documents, meeting legislative and national policy requirements and helping to establish the framework to deliver the corporate priorities of the Council. A planning qualification and membership of the Royal Town Planning Institute is required. Urban Design and Conservation Planner will help shape proposals to ensure developments of the highest quality are achieved. The role involves getting involved in project management of capital schemes particularly involving heritage buildings. For further formation about all the job roles contact Becky Smith, Head of Business and Performance Becky.Smith@redbridge.gov.uk

Redbridge is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of young children, young people and vulnerable adults. Some posts will require a DBS disclosure check; references may therefore be taken up prior to interview.

Ambitious for Redbridge

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