The Planner - January 2015

JANUARY 2015 THE CHALLENGES OF BROWNFIELD LAND // p8 • COHERENT PLANNING FOR WASTE MANAGEMENT // p.22 • FLOOD DEFENCES STEMMING THE TIDE? // p.26 • ASSESSING THE POSSIBILITIES OF PLACE BASED LEADERSHIP // p.30 •

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

A GLOBAL DIMENSION Janet Askew’s vision for the RTPI in 2015

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The New Politics For Planning Tuesday 7 July 2015 London O

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Book your place now Call 020 3773 5580 or visit www.theplanningconvention.co.uk

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PLANNER 11 18

CONTENTS

THE

JANU ARY

20 15

NEWS

6 Osborne to speed plan processing

“BY COMPARING YOUR SYSTEM TO OTHERS, YOU GET TO SEE YOUR OWN IN CONTEXT AND ARE MORE PREPARED TO QUESTION WHY THINGS ARE DONE THE WAY THEY ARE”

7 Road Investment Strategy hits the accelerator

8 Could brownfield-first policy solve homes crisis?

9 Most councils fail to meet merger bid deadline

OPINION 12 Chris Shepley: Dad’s Army tackles the planners

10 NPPF failing to protect communities, say MPs

16 David Ames: Garden cities international

11 Project to help planners and health professionals collaborate

16 Henry Overman: Little evidence for economic benefits of public realm upgrades 17 Peter Dines: Planning for a comfortable seat 17 Zoe Willcox: Permitte to meet Permitted housing need?

QUOTE UNQUOTE

“WHY PLANNING MATTERS – WE DO NOT HAVE THAT DISCUSSION ANYMORE” KATE HENDERSON, CHIEF EXECUTIVE AT THE TOWN AND COUNTRY PLANNING ASSOCIATION, SPEAKING AT ITS ANNUAL CONFERENCE

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COV E R I M AG E | PE T E R S E A R L E

FEATURES

INSIGHT

18 The presidency of 2015 can build on the achievements of 2014, says Janet Askew

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

22 Coherent planning for waste is vital to an economically productive society, says Derbyshire’s head of planning services, Rob Murfin

40 Career development: Should you opt for the public or private sector?

26 Amid climate change can flood defence ever be a winnable battle?

Mark Smulian reports 30 Planners and academics should pay more attention to ‘place-based leadership’, says Robin Hambleton

30

26 22

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: Welcome to Faragarama

J ANU AR Y 2 015 / THE PLA NNER

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PLAN UPFRONT

Leaderr The neverending reincarnation of the town centre The various and varying responses to the report on the operation of the National Planning Policy Framework, as published in December by the Commons Select Committee for Communities and Local Government, shows just how far from settled the state of the debate surrounding the framework is. As we enter election year, with all the likely planning-related discussion surrounding the impact of new housing (and other high-profile political hot potatoes), the fact that the NPPF may be called into question and brought into play on the hustings may not necessarily be a bad thing. There’s a case here that all publicity is good publicity from the perspective of demonstrating just how planning really matters to the health of the nation.

That said, and aside

Martin Read from all the noise about potential reform of the NPPF, I was particularly drawn to the comment about greater protection of town centres. “The internet has revolutionised the way we shop,” the MPs suggest.

“Planning needs to develop greater flexibility to adapt to changing trends and be sharp enough to offer all our town centres greater protection.”

Which is fine, except for one obvious detail. The internet hasn’t in any way

completed its process of revolutionising the way we shop. In truth, we’ve only just started to see the longer-term cultural impact of our online epoch – meaning that any ability to ‘offer all our town centres greater protection’ is an ability that will constantly need to adapt to circumstance, with the sheer pace of that change ebbing and flowing dramatically as the retail infrastructure underpinning our high streets convulses, collapses and creates itself all over again. Also, is it just a case of 'greater protection' of town centres? A focus on the town centre as community hub is nothing

“WE’RE IN THE MIDDLE OF A RETAIL REVOLUTION THAT WILL SURELY SEE CHANGE THAT GOES FAR BEYOND THE NEED FOR ‘GREATER PROTECTION’ OF TOWN CENTRES”

new, but the breadth of activities potentially hosted could mean less focus needed on protection and more on creativity.

Out of town, the size and capability of distribution centres is increasingly under scrutiny as retailers consider the most lucrative and logistically viable ways of operating. The way that retailers then present their wares in town centres is linked directly to this everevolving logistics chain.

The impact of the internet on town centre planning is only in its infancy. We’re in the middle of a retail revolution that will surely see change that goes far beyond the need for ‘greater protection’ of town centres. Indeed, what’s surely called for is the kind of place-based leadership outlined by Robin Hambleton in one of our main features this month.

In any event, 2015 looks set to be full of potential for planning. So with that in mind – Happy New Year!

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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.

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NEWS

Analysis { AUTUMN STATEMENT

Osborne to speed plan processing

By Laura Edgar In the days leading up to the Autumn Statement on 3 December there were an overload of infrastructure and housing (pre) announcements. They came thick and fast, provoking much comment, with many in the profession welcoming measures to speed up the planning process.

Published as part of the National Infrastructure Plan announced in the Autumn Statement, the measures aim to make planning “processes clearer, faster and fairer”, hastening the delivery of homes in the UK. The measures include a consultation at the Budget 2015 on compulsory purchase reforms, making brownfield land available for redevelopment and implementing steps to speed section 106 agreements and therefore cut delays in the planning process. The government also plans to monitor the speed with which major decisions are made.

The RTPI has welcomed the measures in principle. However, it

l N AT I O N A L

I N F R A S T RU C T U R E P L A N P L E D G E S

Alongside the measures, a number of infrastructure and housing investments were announced as part of the National Infrastructure Plan, including:

£15 £2.3 £100

London housing and infrastructure funding:

£55

billion Road Investment Strategy;

million loan towards the construction of the new London Overground link to the Barking Riverside regeneration scheme.

This in turn frees up the next plot of land for housing.

billion in flood defences;

£150

million Bicester Garden City;

6

has said that although revised guidance on section 106 agreements is good, “the process is one of negotiation and local authorities should not be disadvantaged in ensuring proper accommodating works for new planning consents”. The system, it added, also relies on more than just speed and “it would be helpful if the monitoring system acknowledged the need for qua ity” as well.

As the Autumn Statement drew nearer, The Planner reported on calls by the Home Builders Federation (HBF) to improve the efficiency of the planning system and to bring in measures to help small builders – whose numbers have declined over the past 25 years – back into work. HBF said that if the new measures are successful they will particularly help small builders, who don’t have the financial capacity and resources available to volume house builders.

HBF executive chairman Stewart Baseley added that the current system is too slow, complex and expensive. “Measures to speed up the planning process are positive and what the industry has been calling for.”

The question of how these measures are to be implemented is, however, not answered in the Autumn Statement according to the British Property Federation. In a statement, it urged government to ‘match structural reform of the planning system with measures to unlock greater investment in infrastructure, to ensure that local authority planning departments were properly resourced, and to overcome barriers to delivery at a local level’.

Liz Peace, BPF chief executive said that local authorities needed to have the confidence to implement these measures “to deliver the housing and infrastructure that is needed.

“Properly resourced, well-led local authorities will be essential to deliver this agenda. Delivering the infrastructure and development that we need will depend on local implementation and the efficacy of the carrots and sticks that are put in place to change local behaviour,” concluded Peace.

£2

million to take Crossrail 2 forward and prepare a plan; and

15,000

Ebbsfleet Garden City: the first £100 million to fund infrastructure and land remediation. It will eventually deliver 15,000 homes.

million for the redevelopment of four housing estates: Aylesbury Estate, Southwark; Grahame Park; Blackwell Reach and New Union Wharf;

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PLAN UPFRONT

£1.5bn

on upgrading key motorways into smart motorways

£2bn

to dual entire length of A303 and A358 in south-west, including a tunnel under Stonehenge

£290m

to complete dualling of A1

Road Investment Strategy hits the accelerator The government has re-announced a £15 billion Road Investment Strategy to increase road capacity in England.

Prime Minister David Cameron initially announced the Road Investment Strategy at the Confederation of British Industry’s annual conference in November. Transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin and Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander revealed more details about where and how the money will be spent in the Autumn Statement.

Speaking to The Planner, acting CEO at Centre for Cities, Andrew Carter, said: “It is encouraging to see that the

Autumn Statement is pegged to feature further details around a major suite of infrastructure projects.

“These projects should complement proposed public transport investments, such as HS2 and HS3, that focus on improving connectivity within and between cities in the UK – particularly in the north of England.

“The economic case for many of these projects has been well made over many years, and we support any moves to turn good intentions based on sound economic and financial rationale into real projects with clear time frames for implementation.”

£300m

to improve east-to-west Norfolk connection

Bicester Garden City gets the go-ahead As part of the government’s plans to tackle the housing shortage, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said that a £100 million garden city, with up to 13,000 homes, will be built in Bicester, Oxfordshire.

“Bicester can now be confirmed as a pioneer in what I hope will be another wave of garden cities in this country,” said Clegg. “This is a significant victory for the approach championed by the coalition government.”

It is expected, though, that Bicester will be given a new railway station and improved road networks to help alleviate the already high levels of traffic in the area, which residents feel will be exacerbated by the garden city development.

Additionally, the development will be built on brownfield Ministry of Defence land.

“Two matters that we will be interested to know more about are: will the MoD land be sold at a price that ensures overall scheme viability, and will this assure the provision of some element of affordable housing?”

Government promises cash to bolster flood defences A six-year programme has been set up to prevent more than £30 billion of economic damage and protect homes across England.

Environment secretary Elizabeth Truss said: “We know how vital it is to tackle flood risk and from the Humber Estuary in the North-East to Thames Estuary in the South, this ambitious programme of defences will reduce the threat of flooding for hundreds of thousands of people. This long-term investment will allow businesses and communities to thrive and local economies to flourish by delivering greater protection from flood risk over the next six years.”

The programme has, however, received some criticism. BRE Centre for Resilience has said that there are 5.2 million homes at risk of flooding and this investment only protects 300,000 of them – a new approach is needed to further reduce I M AG E | I STO C K

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£2.3bn

worth of flood defences

+

£80m

for the Humber Estuary

+

£196m

the Thames Estuary programme

+

£73m

for the Boston Barrier the risks. BRE’s Dr Stephen Garvin added: “Surface water management needs to be embedded in the new developments we construct with things like sustainable urban drainage systems, green roofs to decrease water run-off as well as localised flood resilient technologies.”

– RTPI

“We welcome today’s news as a step forward to addressing the country’s housing requirements. Towns and cities need to grow in a way that is attractive and beneficial for local residents and garden cities are a great way of achieving this – but we need many more” – DAVID COWANS, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF PLACES FOR PEOPLE

“The issue, of course, is that Bicester is relatively small, and we suggested four such garden cities in Oxfordshire alone, as well as the expansion of Oxford itself. I’m not sure how much of the land is in public ownership, but it will be interesting to see how the equation works” – WOLFSON PRIZE WINNER DAVID RUDLIN, URBED

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NEWS

Analysis { HOUSING SHORTAGE

Could a brownfieldfirst policy solve homes crisis?

By Laura Edgar

T

he redevelopment of brownfield land and its contribution to solving the housing crisis is a popular topic of conversation at the minute, with recently published reports focusing on it and planning professionals speaking about it at events and conferences.

Published on 24 November, the Campaign to Protect Rural England’s (CPRE) report From Wasted Space To Living Spaces suggests that England has the capacity to build a million homes on brownfield land.

The research, conducted for the CPRE by the University of the West of England, concludes that a minimum of 976,000 homes could be built on brownfield land, but that this is an underestimate as it only takes into account land that is derelict (potentially more than 550,000) or with planning permission (more than 400,000). It does not include underused land or new brownfield land that might become available.

Paul Miner, planning campaign manager at the CPRE, said: “This research demonstrates the huge existing capacity for housing on brownfield land. At a time when there is great pressure on our green spaces, utilising this land through a brownfield-first policy would protect our countryside and regenerate urban areas.”

Speaking at the TCPA Annual Conference ‘Building The Future’, Sir Michael Lyons said making more land available is the headline issue. He agreed that there are many brownfield opportunities that should be taken up and that where possible, they should be prioritised. Referring to the one million capacity identified by the CPRE, he said: “Even if all of those sites can be developed, are all in the right places [and] are all in the right ownership, a million homes is not enough.”

The figure of one million homes has, according to planning consultant Turley, been over-inflated. The company has said that although brownfield land can make a contribution to the UK housing needs, it is “dangerous to assume” that all brownfield land is suitable for development.

A second report, published on the same day by Daniel Watney, puts a further dampener on brownfield capacity, although it does agree with Lyons that it should be prioritised “and where sites can be supported by infrastructure, it surely

8

The key constraints for house builders are highlighted in The Challenges Of Brownfield Land:

1/

4/

2/

5/

Decontamination costs: Complex and time-consuming investigations = higher cost

Demolition of existing building: Complex if hazardous materials need removing.

3/

The scale and shape of sites: Some are too small and some are too awkward to allow for efficient development.

Location: Unless part of wide regeneration it is unlikely to produce viable profits.

Existing infrastructure: The location often means there aren’t sufficient transport connections, shops, schools or healthcare facilities.

n CPRE report From Wasted Space To Living Spaces: http:// bit.ly/1uRkX0M n Daniel Watney report The Challenges Of Brownfield Land: http://bit.ly/136HtIF

l COMMENT Mark Sitch Senior partner at Barton Willmore “The proposed recommendations, if implemented, must not be at the expense of housing coming forward on greenfield land.

The reintroduction of ‘brownfield first’ would be a step back, rather than forward”

Jeff Richards Director at Turley “The introduction of a ‘brownfield first’ policy is only likely to cause housing development to stagnate due to the various barriers of developing on it”

make sense to bring it forward quickly”.

The Challenges Of Brownfield Land considers ONS data for 2012, published in October 2014.

Daniel Watney has focused its analysis on 10,000 hectares of land considered suitable for housing in England. This, according to the report, has an estimated housing capacity of 467,000, equating to 119,000 in London and 309,000 in the rest of England.

However, it also highlights that these sites are not always financially viable. In the report, John Harding, senior partner at Daniel Watney, says: “We therefore need sensible debate and compromise around whether land which needs high levels of remediation is subsidised to encourage its recycling by the private sector.”

With several key constraints for house builders (see table) with regard to brownfield sites, particularly higher costs, is it any wonder green field is preferred?

It is ostensibly clear then, that between 467,000 and a million homes is not enough. Brownfield’s redevelopment viability increases the nearer to cities it is, and the nearer they are the more likely the necessary infrastructure is already in place, reducing the cost, with Birmingham, Liverpool and Oxford all having brownfield land available.

Brownfield land is just part of the solution.

Another contributing solution? A second popular topic of conversation: a green belt review.

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PLAN UPFRONT The scheme aims to spur the urban regeneration of Dublin’s docklands and redundant port areas

£140m investment to improve trains and stations

Launch of key Dublin Docklands planning scheme Dublin City Council has officially launched the North Lotts and Grand Canal Dock Planning Scheme, which is a key step in the implementation of the Docklands Strategic Development Zone (SDZ).

About 22 hectares of land are available for development in this area.

This is equivalent in scale to the entire Custom House Docks area.

The scheme envisages some 2,600 new dwellings and about 305,000 – 366,000 square metres of commercial floor space. The expectation is that this will result in a residential population of 5,800 and employment for 23,000 people.

Under the scheme each major site is required to provide a mix of commercial and housing plus a range of services, new public spaces, parks and community and arts facilities.

“The future of the Docklands is about more than construction. It is about growing new communities and supporting existing community networks,” said Philip Maguire, assistant chief executive at Dublin City Council.

Most councils fail to meet merger bid deadline Welsh public services minister Leighton Andrews has welcomed voluntary merger proposals from six councils – Blaenau Gwent and Torfaen, the Vale of Glamorgan and Bridgend and Conwy and Denbighshire.

In a written statement Andrews (pictured) confirmed that the Welsh Government had received three expressions of interest for mergers from three pairs of councils, while another two – Swansea and Neath

I M AG E S | A L A M Y

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Port Talbot – said they were looking into forming an authority based on the Swansea Bay city region proposal.

The administration has pledged to force mergers through if necessary and may opt for as few as six revamped local councils.

The minister had invited local authorities to submit proposals for mergers in September. The deadline was set for 28 November - however, just six councils had formally proposed a voluntary merger by that date. The administration says it will respond this month.

Only one of the planned mergers meets the templates for 10, 11 or 12 councils proposed by the Williams Commission, the Welsh Government’s review of local government.

Cardiff City Council held talks with four neighbouring authorities including Newport, but could not reach agreement with any of them.

Commuters travelling between Edinburgh and London are set to benefit from new trains, increased seating and more services after the government awarded the new East Coast franchise to Inter City Railways.

The eight-year franchise will see Inter City Railways, a consortium of Stagecoach Group and Virgin, invest £140 million to upgrade rolling stock and services.

Transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin said the deal was fantastic for passengers and staff. “It gives passengers more seats, more services and new trains.

“We are putting passengers at the heart of the service. I believe Stagecoach and Virgin will not only deliver for customers, but also for the British taxpayer.

“This government knows the importance of our railways. That is why they are a vital part of our long-term economic plan, with over £38 billion being spent on the network over the next five years.”

The government says Inter City Railways will pay it £3.3 billion to operate the franchise over the next eight years.

The company is due to begin talks with Network Rail and the Office of Rail Regulation to agree its plans to run new direct services from London to Sunderland, Middlesbrough and Huddersfield as well as seek approval to run more trains to Edinburgh, Leeds, Lincoln, Shipley, Stirling, Harrogate and Bradford.

3,100

extra seats for the morning peak time by 2020

+

12,200

additional seats across the fleet – a 50 per cent increase

+

65

state-of-the-art Inter City express trains by 2018

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NEWS

Analysis { NATIONAL PLANNING POLICY FRAMEWORK

NPPF failing to protect communities, say MPs

By Laura Edgar

Following a review of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), the Parliamentary Committee for Communities and Local Government has revealed that the public feels that it is not delivering sustainable development.

were adamant that there should be no tinkering.”

The removal of the NPPF, the review explained, would not help to ensure that future developments are sustainable, nor would it answer concerns regarding developers targeting areas that don’t have a local plan or a five-year housing supply – as is the case with 41 per cent of local authorities.

Committee chair Clive Betts said: “The NPPF is designed to work side by side with local plans. To put an end to councils dragging their feet on this issue, we call for the government to make it a statutory requirement for councils to get local plans adopted within three years of the legislation being enacted.”

Additionally, in reply to their assessment and concerns about the NPPF submitted to them, MPs have recommended a number of changes, including: c Steps need to be taken to ensure that environmental and social factors are considered as equal to economic factors. c Planning permission should only be granted if the necessary infrastructure accompanies it. c Greater protection needs to be given to town centres. Betts said: “The internet has revolutionised the way we shop. Planning needs to develop greater flexibility to adapt to changing trends and be sharp enough to offer all our town centres greater protection.” c The government should scale back permitted development. Betts said: “It is too random and is hollowing out the commercial heart of our towns.” c A land remediation fund for brownfield sites. c Councils should be encouraged to review their green belts.

Although they agreed that the NPPF brought a welcome simplification of the planning system, in The Operation Of The National Planning Policy Framework, MPs argue that developers are taking advantage of loopholes to launch “speculative” planning applications that communities do REACTION not want.

Local residents, amenity groups Andrew Whitaker and parish councils all submitted Planning director at the Home evidence on the negative affects Builders Federation, speaking to they felt the NPPF had on their The Planner local area. In summary, they felt “it “We see it as a positive endorsement of the was failing to prevent undesirable NPPF, with the concerns identified as teething and inappropriate housing” and problems. that towns are not adequately pro“I think inevitably there are bits of it that can tected from developments on be tweaked and honed, but I feel that the committee has come out in support of the their outskirts. principles of the NPPF.” As a result, the committee did consider whether the policy should be either rewritten or Michael Knott revised.

Planning associate at Barton However, and in contrast to resWillmore’s Reading office, idents’ views, many of the national speaking to The Planner organisations that submitted evi“The report focuses on emerging concerns in the community and appears heavily influenced dence for the review suggested by opposition groups. that it is too early to assess the “It states that ‘councils without a local plan are NPPF’s impact. letting their communities down’ and I think Instead, they contended, it that is a fair criticism. On that basis it is unfair requires time to establish itself to criticise developers for being opportunistic.

“We would argue that the NPPF is being used as and fully bed in. The report states: intended, to bring development forward.”

“Representatives of the house builder and property industries

l

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Cath Ranson President of the RTPI “The committee has placed great emphasis on the need for resources to be restored to local planning authorities and in particular to planmaking. We also back the MPs’ demands for proper provision of infrastructure. Lack of physical and social infrastructure has emerged in our own research as one of the major obstacles to housing supply.”

Dr Hugh Ellis Head of policy at the Town and Country Planning Association “We strongly welcome the findings of this report, which we believe plays an important role in opening the debate about the possibility of reforming the NPPF, and framing the debate for the next government about the future of planning policy. We are particularly pleased with the report’s conclusions that a more robust definition of, and commitment to sustainable development is needed.”

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PLAN UPFRONT

50%

The portion of the adult population that will be obese by 2020

Huge offshore wind farm ditched The Crown Estate has confirmed that it has no current plans to re-let the stretch of seabed off the County Down coast that was set to become Northern Ireland’s biggest wind farm.

The First Flight Wind consortium dramatically pulled the plug on its 100-turbine offshore project proposed for the County Down coast.

The shock announcement was seen as a major blow to Northern Ireland’s efforts to meet the target of generating 40 per cent of its electricity from renewable energy by 2020. The collapse of the ambitious project has been blamed on delays and red tape.

Huub den Rooijen, the Crown Estate’s head of offshore wind, said the announcement would be disappointing for many.

“However, we remain confident that the area off the County Down coast remains one of good wind resource and we will continue to work with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment (DETI ) and local stakeholders to understand what role offshore wind development can play in Northern Ireland over the long term.”

Garden city plans submitted for north-west Cardiff Plasdŵr (which means Waterhall in English) is the name of the £2 billion development planned for 365 hectares of land bordering Radyr, Fairwater, St Fagans and Danescourt.

As well as helping to address the capital’s housing shortage, the Plasdwr development would also include shops, offices, four primary schools and a secondary school, alongside extensive leisure facilities. The proposals are in line with the capital’s draft Local Development Plan.

In the long term there will be development opportunities for other house builders to work alongside landowner Plymouth Estates and lead developer Redrow Homes.

“Plasdŵr will combine a historical countryside setting with the convenience of being on the outskirts of a capital city,” said Wayne Rees, project director for Plasdŵr at Redrow.

Project to help planners and health professionals collaborate New guidance launched by the Town and Country Planning Association (TCPA) aims to improve collaboration between public health and planning to ensure that lifestyles in the UK are healthier.

Planning Healthy Weight Environments is designed to help planners and public health professionals identify common ground and areas for collaboration by presenting an idea of how a healthyweight environment could be planned.

The resource is part of the TCPA’s

I M AG E : R E D ROW / G E T T Y

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Reuniting Health with Planning Project, which builds on a 2007 Foresight Report, which found that more than half of the UK adult population will be obese by 2020.

According to the TCPA, planners have a vital role to play in combating obesity by shaping healthier places. But, said its chief executive Kate Henderson, planning and public health have been working separately for years, despite their shared roots and, in consequence, “there appears to be a lack of joined-up thinking”.

Henderson explained: “As the nation faces an obesity crisis we can see that planning has an important role to play in helping to create high-quality environments that offer opportunities for communities to make healthy choices and live healthier lifestyles. By reuniting public health with planning, and bringing together built environment and health professionals, we can work collaboratively to identify local health needs and tackle the obesity challenge.” n Planning Healthy Weight Environments: http://bit.ly/1xeJXj3 n 2007 Foresight Report: http://bit. ly/1Gd9RGI

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CHRIS SHEPLEY

O Opinion Dad’s Army tackles the planners “Stand at ease. Now pay attention, men,” said Captain Cameron. “We’ve got to write a manifesto. And we’ve got to build a lot of houses. But all the obvious places are in the green belt, which is closed for the duration of the war – I mean election campaign. Anyone got any ideas?”

Sergeant Clegg asked to be excused, explaining that whatever the platoon decided would be unacceptable to him, even though he would probably have agreed with it a year ago.

He whistled softly in the corner as Private Pickles suggested that if they changed the use of all the existing buildings to houses this would solve the problem without upsetting the voters. He’d already made a start. “Stupid boy,” said Cameron.

“I’ve got a bit of brownfield land I could let you have cheap, no questions asked,” said Private Osborne. “Only trouble is, it’s up North.”

Cameron thanked him, and said that he had heard of the North; but all the jobs were in the South.

“But we’re going to have a powerhouse in the North,” squeaked Private Osborne.

They all agreed that the North was the best place for a powerhouse.

Warden Farage burst into the room. “You don’t know what you’re doing, you lot,” he said.

His policy was not to increase the number of houses but to reduce the number of people in some unspecified way. “I’m going to build a wall around the green belt and not let anybody in. I’m off for a pint!”

In the office next door, Rev Miliband was trying to

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“THE AIM OF THE EXERCISE IS TO INFILTRATE BOTOLPH LANE, BLOW UP THE RTPI, AND WITHDRAW WITHOUT BEING NOTICED”

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memorise his sermon. He didn’t have the answer either.

As Sergeant Clegg thought, and Private Pickles pretended to think, he believed in letting local people choose. But like the others, he’d noticed that local people didn’t usually choose the right thing. The platoon agreed that doing anything effective might upset somebody somewhere. Though they had assumed responsible positions of leadership, this

excluded any aspects of leadership, which might prove unpopular.

“Never mind all that,” said Captain Cameron. “This weekend we’ve been given the honour of going on manoeuvres. The aim of the exercise is to infiltrate Botolph Lane, blow up the RTPI, and withdraw without being noticed. This should deal a crippling blow to the enemy.

It’s a very important mission, because they are the ones we’ve been blaming for not building houses. But now they seem to be bursting with good ideas. We’ve spent five years trying to eradicate the Hun – I mean the planner – and we’re not giving up now.

“They want to build garden cities and urban extensions; they want to put a tax on the development of land and use

the cash for popular things like roads and hospitals; they want to give more powers to local government, of all people – I know we say we want to do that, but it would be disastrous.

They want us to build a lot of council houses and even to look again at the green belt, just because it dates from the year dot, or maybe before that.

“Superficially, these might seem like good ideas. They might mean that the housing crisis was solved. We don’t want that! We’ve fought to stop namby-pamby socialist ideas from invading this country, even if they work. We’ve fought on the beaches for whatever it is we believe in, and to keep the value of our houses as high as we can. By golly, we’re not going to change now.

These planners have got to be stopped. They’re dangerous.

So come on men; let’s save the market economy!”

There was a chorus of support. “They’re doomed,” said Private Gove. “They won’t like it up ’em,” added Corporal May. They headed off in a tank towards the target.

It is understood they’ve lost their way.

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

18/12/2014 16:49

Quote unquote FROM THE WEB AND THE RTPI

“Why planning matters – we do not have that discussion anymore” KATE HENDERSON, CHIEF EXECUTIVE AT THE TOWN AND COUNTRY PLANNING ASSOCIATION, SPEAKING AT ITS ANNUAL CONFERENCE

“YES, WE ARE FACING ANOTHER FIVE YEARS OF PUBLIC

SPENDING CONSTRAINTS. IS THAT A REASON WHY WE SHOULD NOT MOVE FORWARD?”

“You are never without a golf course in the green belt” PAUL CHESHIRE, PROFESSOR OF ECONOMIC GEOGRAPHY AT LSE, SPEAKING AT LONDON’S FUTURE GREEN BELT, WONDERS WHETHER GOLF COURSES ARE THE BEST USE OF LAND IN LONDON

<- “It has taken us a generation to screw up the housing market and it is going to take another generation to fix it” MARY PARSONS, GROUP DIRECTOR, PLACEMAKING & REGENERATION, PLACES FOR PEOPLE SPEAKING AT THE TOWN AND COUNTRY PLANNING ASSOCIATION ANNUAL CONFERENCE

“The beards get smaller as the green belt gets “Th e RTPI was founded “The f larger” SIR MICHAEL LYONS, SPEAKING AT THE TOWN AND COUNTRY PLANNING ASSOCIATION ANNUAL CONFERENCE

with a meal in 1914.

I think they asked me to speak today because I’m the only person in this room who actually attended thatt meal”

COLLIERS INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR JONATHAN MANNS ON THE FIGURES INVOLVED IN CREATING LONDON’S GREEN BELT, SPEAKING AT LONDON’S FUTURE GREEN BELT CONFERENCE IN DECEMBER

KELVIN MACDONALD, SPEAKING AT THE BRISTOL PLANNING LAW AND POLICY CONFERENCE I M AG E S | S H U T T E RSTO C K

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18/12/2014 16:49

CORRESPONDENCE

I Inbox

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

Gary Stephens — No matter which government is elected in 2015 there will be further severe cuts in public spending. That will mean fewer planners, highway engineers, conservation officers, ecologists, archaeologists, etc. administering the planning system in councils.

The government is already tinkering with the system to try and reduce its cost to the taxpayer with extended permitted development rights, enterprise zones, and pressure on councils to spend less time in determining applications.

It is time for planners to take a long look at the system we’ve inherited, because neither the taxpayer nor business is going to continue funding it to the extent it is today. Planning must be done at a sub-regional/LEP level with councils sharing the burden and neighbourhood plans sweeping up the detail. Development management could include ‘approved consultants’ capable of processing and determining householder and minor applications, discharging conditions and dealing with amendments.

Major developments could then be focused on, but with a streamlined process that is properly resourced. Monitoring completed developments could be the responsibility for this ‘approved consultant’, with retired RTPI members checking unauthorised developments. OK, maybe not – but other sectors are thinking about how they will adapt. We must do the same.

Andrew Newman — How I agree with Hashi Mohammed in December’s issue about the urgent need for more housing in Britain, but how I disagree with his solution! The answer is emphatically not “a body free from political interference”.

People insist on being involved in this issue that affects each one of us, and so do you, Hashi, when your interests are at stake. The decisions need to be taken by democratically accountable bodies, but at the level appropriate to each.

The number of dwellings required in England (to which it is simpler to confine this discussion) over the next 10 years should be decided by the national government, and apportioned by it to the regions. We then need properly elected regional

authorities to apportion those numbers to district and unitary authorities (I don’t see counties as having a role here except as a stopgap pending regional elections).

Districts/unitaries would then decide the distribution of the dwellings required, having regard to the proper planning of their area.

But, crucially, it should be for the people, via town, community and parish councils, to allocate the housing sites on the ground.

The district role should be to offer advice as requested, and to have a default power where local communities are unable or unwilling to take on the responsibility.

Yes, this is top down, but that does not matter. What matters is that decisions are taken at the appropriate level. Politicians take note, decisions must be taken,

and that is your job. The politician’s task is to guide, explain and lead. If you do your job properly, planners will do theirs.

Andrew S Newman (MRTPI retired)

Les Herbert — Chris Shepley’s recollections of his interview at Manchester rang a distant but very loud bell. I was an undergraduate at Aston when Edgar Rose arrived. Certainly for his first few lectures and visits we had absolutely no idea what he was talking about; this was not planning as we knew it and we suspected some of the staff were baffled as well.

Gradually it dawned upon us that his way of thinking might have something going for it after all. Thanks to him, many of us undoubtedly benefited later in our careers.

Les Herbert MRTPI (Retired)

O N THE WEB @ThePlanner_RTPI

The Planner Think Tank group on LinkedIn is live – and we’re keen to invite you in.

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 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.

Gary Stephens MRTPI

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19/12/2014 12:06

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15/12/2014 11:14

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

O Opinion

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David Ames is head of heritage and strategic planning at Letchworth Garden City Heritage Foundation

In Novem November 2014 I travelled to China on o a trip funded by the Foreign & Commonwealth Office to showcase garden cities in support of their work on encouraging low-carbon development. We visited Chengdu, a metropolis of 14 million people, which is planning a satellite town along garden city lines.

Chengdu looks like many other world cities: a chaotic mix of traffic, people and neon-lit shops. But its density is strikingly high, with rows of skyscrapers. The scale and pace of Chinese urbanisation is pretty much unprecedented anywhere in the world.

We were there partly to showcase Letchworth Garden City in an exhibition on UK Modern Green Cities, with a display outlining the history of the garden city movement and its international influence, alongside the RTPI and the Town and Country Planning Association.

I also sat on two panels at the Modern Garden Cities forum, with Chinese and British firms, planners, architects, academics and politicians.

Wolfson Prize-winner David Rudlin of Urbed was a fellow panellist.

New RTPI president Janet Askew gave a scene-setting speech.

Zhu Xiaowen, deputy inspector of Chengdu Development and Reform Commission, said: “There is enormous pressure for growth so we really want to learn from our overseas partners so we

Henry Overman is professor of economic geography at LSE and director of the What Works Centre for Local Economic Growth, www. whatworksgrowth.org

Little evidence for economic benefits of public realm upgrades

Garden cities international

can implement sustainable development, which is the aim worldwide.” I told the audience that global interest lies behind our decision to launch the International Garden Cities Institute this month, to showcase best practice in garden city design.

The next day we drove to the outskirts of town to visit an impressive exhibition showing the plans for Tianfu New Area, a town for two million people outside Chengdu. The scale and ambition are incredible, with plans for enterprise zones covering scie n c e , aviation, IT and agriculture; 13 residential zones, and major infrastructure including metro lines and a central park inspired by New York’s. It is slated for construction in a 15-year timeframe.

That evening we went to Sichuan University for a lecture on 21st-century garden cities with Janet Askew and David Rudlin. Students asked a series of challenging questions, revealing a detailed knowledge of Letchworth and a desire to understand how key garden city principles could be applied in China. Zhou Yong, vice-dean of the Building and Environment Department at Sichuan University, gave a moving introduction, outlining the problems the nation faces with congestion. He said: “The garden city delegation from the UK are like a beacon giving us hope and light.”

“THE SCALE AND PACE OF CHINESE URBANISATION IS PRETTY MUCH UNPRECEDENTED ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD”

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2 BLOG

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re Public realm improvements and estates renewal programmes can be an effective means of improving the quality and attractiveness of public spaces and buildings, and creating more pleasant and liveable places.

Making places more pleasant and liveable, so the conventional wisdom goes, will also boost retail, attract new businesses and residents, and generally increase an area’s prosperity.

But do improvements to public spaces and buildings really boost economic growth?

Not necessarily.

Politicians, policy-makers and practitioners alike will often be heard justifying public realm interventions – such as improving a rail station forecourt, revamping a public square, or landscaping a local park – in terms of positive impacts on the local economy, with benefits for residents and businesses alike. Estate renewal schemes are also sometimes viewed as mechanisms for economic development.

But our recent reviews of the available evidence suggest a more nuanced picture than this; specifically, that while these interventions sometimes have positive impacts on local house prices, this does not necessarily translate into economic uplift for residents. In fact, higher housing costs may displace existing residents, particularly in the rented sector.

Attracting new residents may create more mixed communities, and it is often argued that such mixed-income communities serve the interests of the relatively worse-off through fostering social and other networks. But despite claims to the contrary, the evidence on the importance of these effects is highly disputed.

In the same vein, public realm improvements in commercial areas might boost overall business activity, but the evidence is less clear that this delivers local economic benefits, particularly increased employment. Again, existing businesses might be displaced owing to rising rents.

These complexities muddy the waters when it comes to predicting the local economic impacts of both public realm and estates renewal projects, meaning those responsible for instigating them – and the planners who design, appraise and evaluate them – should be clear about their objectives for the projects from the outset.

There are many good reasons for investing in public realm and housing estates, but stimulating growth in the local economy is not one that is supported by the available evidence.

For more information on the What Works Centre for Local Economic Growth, or to read our full briefing on public realm improvements, visit: whatworksgrowth.org.

“PUBLIC REALM IMPROVEMENTS IN COMMERCIAL AREAS MIGHT BOOST BUSINESS ACTIVITY”

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18/12/2014 16:50

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

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

3

Peter Dines is a partner in planning and development for property consultant Gerald Eve

Zoe Willcox is Bristol City Council’s service director for planning

Permitted to meet housing need?

Planning for a comfortable seat

“Old age age, believe me, is a good and plea pleasant thing. It is true you are gently ge shouldered off the stage, but then you are given such a comfortable front stall as spectator,” said Confucius.

Perhaps we might all be in a better position to get that comfy seat, as the government has introduced a ‘game-changing’ planning policy to help meet the housing needs of older people.

Our population is ageing; It’s a consequence of the age structure of the population alive today and increased longevity – but tangible evidence of policies to address this has been hard to find.

National Planning Practice Guidance (NPPG), published last year, is changing this.

There is now a real prospect of care developers being able to meet the needs of our ageing community while increasing the housing supply for all.

The Demos Top Of The Ladder report highlighted the “chronic under-supply of appropriate housing for older people”. But planning policy has been slow to respond, and obstacles to development have been surprising.

One should expect positive planning policy creating market conditions that bring forward SHOP development. The London Plan explicitly told local authorities they could apply affordable housing policy to class C2 care accommodation. But in doing so,

4 BLOG

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the practical effect has been that as planning officers seek to enforce affordable housing requirements, schemes have fallen at pre-application stage because the costs don’t work.

Meanwhile, NHS consultees complain that developments will increase pressure on services, without appreciating the absurdity of their position. SHOP development doesn’t create new dependency; it provides life and health-enhancing opportunities.

Another ‘given’ is that resources can only be unlocked by empty nesters ‘downsizing’. Developers in the care sector constantly evolve models and choices to meet this need, but a problem has been lack of opportunities as they play on the same pitch as residential developers. The greater costs of SHOP development give residential developers a stronger position in the land market.

The NPPG has introduced a statement that class C2 accommodation (including care and extra care housing) should be included as counting towards local plan housing targets. There is now an incentive to plan positively for SHOP development to meet housing need as higher unit densities can be accommodated on sites if these are of Class C2 developments. There is a real prospect of new models of care, extra care and residential SHOP development coming forward.

“THERE IS NOW A REAL PROSPECT OF CARE DEVELOPERS BEING ABLE TO MEET THE NEEDS OF OUR AGEING COMMUNITY”

A major objective for Bristol is building successful places with a diver diverse mix of housing types and tenures. There’s an ongoing housing shortage in Bristol so we are very conscious of ensuring that the supply of housing is increased - in particular affordable homes.

Since the prior approval rules came into effect in May 2013, in Bristol we have approved 50 applications with the potential to deliver more than 1,000 residential units, mainly in the city centre. The level of applications surprised us as we had already taken a positive approach to the conversion of obsolete offices to residential and other uses so we hadn’t expected such a suppressed demand.

The fact that prior approval has meant there is no ability on the part of the local planning authority to secure affordable housing has clearly incentivised submissions. This is in the context of economic viability on city centre flatted schemes securing a minimum 15 per cent affordable housing – even in the current market.

We are concerned that the prior approval process is doing nothing to contribute to our affordable housing needs in Bristol, where average house prices are eight times the average income and there are 14,000 people currently on our housing

waiting list. It also doesn’t address other locally set requirements on sustainability, which is particularly important for us as European Green Capital for 2015, or the standard of accommodation provided.

We don’t know if all the 1,000 homes will be delivered, but if they are it will result in the net loss of 71,000 square metres of office floor space.

Sustained losses could harm the supply of employment floor space with bad implications for business and economic development. But in Bristol, it is currently low-grade, vacant office floor space that is being converted and predominantly where there is a desire to see investment and regeneration.

We are monitoring the impact of all this and working alongside Bristol property agents to ensure that new homes are in sustainable locations with supporting infrastructure and that valuable office accommodation that is capable of continuing occupation is not lost. If we start seeing detrimental trends emerging then, as the planning authority, we will need to step in to restrict future conversions. Bristol welcomes the government’s recent proposal to amend the existing permitted development right to allow consideration of the principle of losing significant strategically important office accommodation.

“THE PRIOR APPROVAL PROCESS IS DOING NOTHING TO CONTRIBUTE TO OUR AFFORDABLE HOUSING NEEDS IN BRISTOL”

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I N T E R V I E W J A N ET A S K E W

EXPANDING HORIZONS T he 100 year-old RTPI has indeed had 100 presidents. Janet Askew, who takes on the role this month, becomes its 101st – and the third woman in six years to hold the office.

Cath Ranson is passing the baton to a planner with an academic background, a burgeoning international reputation and a specialism in regulatory regimes – all useful qualities for a year in which planning, through the prism of the devolved regional powers debate, might just be thrust into a general election spotlight. Already, Askew is looking forward to the work – and travel – her presidential year will involve.

“I’m interested in looking at good practice and examples of good planning and I expect my regional and national visits to show me things they are proud of,” she says.

“We ran the ‘Scotland’s best places’ competition this year which was very successful, so I will be announcing in my inauguration speech that we will be running a public competition for England’s best places in 2015.”

The task of the incoming RTPI president is to ‘follow that’ – a centenary year with all the razzmatazz of special activities, projects and papers. Yet the presidency of 2015 can build on the achievements of 2014, suggests new incumbent Janet Askew

Themes for 2015 There’s no specific agenda to the Askew presidency, but three broad themes are certain to be addressed PHOTOGRAPHY | PETER SEARLE – research, internationalisation and education.

“As an academic I enjoy the link between research and practice,” says Askew.

“The RTPI published plenty of research last year through its policy and Horizons series papers, and I think it’s important that research becomes a regular output. In 2015 we’ll have she helped promote low-carbon development and showcase Letchworth Garden City as an new research covering societal issues – social inclusion, inequality, poverty, affordable housing and healthcare.” exemplar of sustainable design.

As for internationalisation, Askew believes the RTPI “could do a lot more”.

“The institute is held in very high regard wherIn her role as head of department of planever I travel, so we should be looking at accrediting more schools overseas. There are ning and architecture at the University of the ON FUTURE West of England, Askew and her students plenty of international education establishments GENERATIONS: have been making the most of exchange that want to know about the RTPI and how they “WE MUST DO opportunities – an interchange of internacan accredit professional education.”

MORE TO INSPIRE Travel to the Far East has convinced Askew of tional ideas that fed a burgeoning interest in CHILDREN TO regulatory regimes and then, fi ve years ago, a healthy appetite – in China, Hong Kong and BECOME TOWN an invitation to teach in Taiwan. Askew is Taiwan – for universities seeking to become RTPI PLANNERS. WE’VE GOT GREAT SCHOOLS now a frequent visitor to the Far East, a viscourse-accredited and individuals wanting to HERE IN THE UK iting professor at the National Cheng Kung become RTPI members.

AND IRELAND AND University in Tainan, Taiwan and recently “There’s huge interest, for example, from FURTHER AFIELD ­ joined a government-funded delegation of Chinese municipalities around issues such as I WANT TO PROMOTE sustainability, drainage, sustainable water use, { British consultants to Chengdu, China, where THEM” 18

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19/12/2014 14:27

ON CITY REGIONS AND D E V O LV E D P O W E R S :

“I DIDN’T THINK SPLITTING UP THE UK WAS A GOOD IDEA, BUT MORE POWERS SHOULD BE GIVEN TO THE REGIONS” — “THE SCOTTISH DEBATE INTRODUCED A LOT MORE COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT INTO POLITICS. MORE REGIONAL POWERS MIGHT HELP TACKLE THE MASSIVE DISPARITY BETWEEN LONDON AND THE REST OF THE UK AND IRELAND” — “THE RTPI HAS DONE STERLING WORK LOOKING AT STRATEGIC APPROACHES TO PLANNING OVER THE PAST YEAR OR MORE. CITY REGIONS ARE A REALLY INTERESTING WAY FORWARD”

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19/12/2014 15:24

I N T E R V I E W J A N ET A S K E W

ON NEIGHBOURHOOD PLANS:

heritage planning and overground transport “A LOT OF NEIGHBOURHOOD – and there’s a great interest in PLANS HAVE professionalising the planning sector.”

PROFESSIONAL Although local professional institutes and TOWN PLANNERS qualifications exist, Askew believes there’s a WORKING ON THEM IN A VOLUNTARY certain cachet to RTPI membership and CAPACITY. I’M NOT qualifications. “It’s up to the RTPI to look into SURE ABOUT THAT. it, and I appreciate there are significant IT’S A SKILLED resourcing issues to overcome.”

OPERATION TO Large British consultancies with overseas MAKE A PLAN, EVALUATE POLICY interests can play their part, too.

AND WEIGH UP ALL “A lot of consultancies have headquarters THE DIFFERENT in China, where they employ Chinese gradINTERESTS uates who’ve been educated in British INVOLVING THE COMMUNITY, LOCAL planning schools. These are people eligible PEOPLE, AND to join the institute, but not many do.”

DEVELOPERS” Perhaps understandably for one so well travelled, Askew is an advocate of comparative planning, in which planners compare other systems with their own.

“Both parties can learn good practice from each other and it enables you to better understand your own system. By comparing your system to others, you get to see your own in context and are more prepared to question why things are done the way they are.”

Again, Askew believes that a role exists for British consultancies to promote international placements, adding more to their employees’ sum of planning knowledge. Askew herself is a member of the Platform of Experts in Planning Law, a group that meets each year to share experiences and through which “there is some fantastic research being done to compare systems across Europe”.

Education The profession does not want for motivated new young planners, says Askew.

“By the end of their courses, I believe planning students leave with more inspiration than when they started. And right now we’re in a period in which all planning students will get a job if they want one.”

But what’s changed, says Askew, is that last year 90 per cent of her students went to work in consultancy and not the public sector. “When I left Cardiff University I was only the second student to go directly into a consultancy – that’s a massive shift.”

And Askew is shocked by just how low paid some jobs advertised in local authorities have become.

“Local authorities are so under-resourced now, and that’s a really big issue for us.”

She is, however, a fan of entrepreneurial local authority planners such as Birmingham’s Waheed Nazir.

“When local spatial planning was introduced in 2004, local authorities were told they had to take a different approach,” she explains.

“Planning inspectors told people to think of a vision for their cities or villages and then make policies to fit that vision. Local authorities found that really difficult because they were so wedded to the old ‘survey-analysis-plan’ approach – but when you look at Waheed, you see he’s clearly decided on his vision and gone for it. I like the way he’s approached things.“

Changing perceptions C V

HIG HL IG HT S

J A NET A S KE W Education: University of Wales, Cardiff

Birmingham is inspirational, she suggests. “Not just through what Waheed’s done, but also in what’s been achieved in the city over the last 20 years.

Birmingham has been able to set its vision because it’s had strong leaders, and for me a key quality of a good planner is strong leadership.”

Timeline: 1974

2013

1974 1976 1978 1983 1988 2006 2013 2013 Planner at Shankland Cox Partnership in London where she worked on what for then were unusual multidisciplinary project teams

20

Planning officer at Shetland Islands Council, where she wrote the local plans for the islands at a time when the oil industry had just arrived and dealt with planning applications for the oil terminal, new housing and spin-off industries

Became a member of the RTPI

Senior planner at Penrose Associates planning consultants in Bristol

Senior Lecturer in Town and Country Planning, University of the West of England, Bristol

Head of Department of Planning and Architecture University of the West of England (UWE), Bristol

Director of Academic Engagement, Faculty of Environment and Technology at the UWE

Visiting professor, National Cheng Kung University in Tainan, Taiwan. Became vice-president of the RTPI for 2014 in November.

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Janet Askew’s career to date

ON THE PUBLIC’S VIEW OF PLANNING:

Askew believes that a big issue remains the “IF ONLY WE COULD GET THAT MESSAGE public’s poor impression of the planning OUT TO THE WIDER profession, fuelled by national media and the PRESS, AND TO government.

GOVERNMENT, Yet she’s been impressed by the public’s THAT IN FACT MOST enthusiasm for neighbourhood plans and offers PEOPLE WANT PLANNING AND WANT a novel idea to connect Planning Aid England TO BE INVOLVED IN (PAE) to neighbourhood plans.

A PLANNED TOWN “When neighbourhood plans were introAND A PLANNED duced I worried that small community groups, NEIGHBOURHOOD” in working-class communities, for example, would not be able to engage in them. But they have, and there are some really interesting plans emerging in some quite small areas.”

The problem is professional planners working on these plans on an entirely voluntary basis – when the value of such work is great.

“Previously, local authorities took the lead in making local plans, providing the planners and paying them. But with local authorities really under-resourced, that’s all changed now.”

PAE helps to support neighbourhood planning, says Askew.

“We need a longer-term approach to the funding of Planning Aid England.

If professional planners are going to be volunteers to help resource neighbourhood planning, then Planning Aid England is a very effective way of making that happen.We’ve been working with local communities for over 40 years.”

The RTPI has been discussing the resourcing of PAE with the government and has bid for new work.

It’s an interesting proposal in an election year. As for the election itself, Askew agrees with those who hope the outcome won’t mean more “tinkering” with the system.

“For many, the regulatory regime we have now is quite difficult to get your head around. “When I went to work I knew the General Permitted Development Order off by heart – I doubt very much if anybody does now.”

Aged 16, Birkenhead-born Askew attended a schools career talk given by the then chief planner for Liverpool, Audrey Lees.

“I was instantly inspired, and I came away telling myself that one day I’d become a town planner.”

Growing up in what was then one of the most impoverished places in Britain, the young Askew was attracted to planning as a forum for addressing the social issues emerging in the 1960s. Informed

by Liverpool’s slum clearances and the greenfield-based council estates that replaced them, she studied socio-economic approaches to planning at Cardiff University.

“I was motivated by the huge developments of that time,” she recounts, “such as the inner ring roads set to plough through terraced housing communities in cities like Cardiff. The notion that we didn’t have to demolish these things to make way for roads was a powerful one.”

Askew’s early career took some radical turns. Eschewing the traditional path into practice through local government, she instead joined London consultancy Shankland Cox to spend a year in the company’s then radical multidisciplinary project teams.

Having completed her post-graduate town planning qualification, she moved into practice – on the Shetland Islands. Not an obvious choice, perhaps, but having bought and helped renovate a remote croft house during her university days, a connection was already in place.

Askew joined the four-strong Shetlands planning department just as the oil industry arrived in town. Radical ideas emerging from the negotiation process with the industry, which included a taxation structure for the oil that came into Shetland, would inform her later work. (And during her tenure as president Askew hopes to become the first serving RTPI president to visit both the Shetlands and Orkneys.)

On her return, Askew set down roots in Bristol, where she worked initially at a consultancy and then as sole practitioner.

Motherhood meant seeking a part-time post, and when one arose at the then Bristol Polytechnic, she took it.

The role became full time in 1992, leading to a sparkling academic career. Askew has overseen a series of successful planning programmes at what is now the University of the West of England, and today more than 500 students study on accredited town planning courses.

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WASTE PLANNING

A RIGHT

MESS

Coherent planning for waste is vital to an economically productive society, says Derbyshire’s head of planning services, Rob Murfin. But we seem to be in a bit of a shambles

P

eople are sensitive about waste. A fundamental component of every planned society, waste management, is one of the few services that touch every person and company in the UK. But, despite attempts to rebrand waste management away from negative connotations (waste is now a ‘resource’ and waste incinerators are friendly ‘energy recovery facilities’), it stubbornly remains a problem.

Members of the public, local politicians and government alike flinch whenever it is mentioned, and Eric Pickles’ tabloid-friendly statements on binbullies and the right of every hard-working family to have their rubbish taken away weekly receive nods.

Waste planning is a niche subset of our profession, and the issues that need to be tackled through planning are complex, with peculiarities that create pitfalls for the unwary. Yet, it remains a key part of our economic infrastructure – waste management has deep implications for the competitiveness of UK plc.

In the days of unrestricted landfill, it was simple – collect and chuck. Today the picture interweaves with climate change, raw materials costs and fiscal measures to penalise landfilling.

We don’t consider economic development to be composed of isolated islands of activity – it’s about supply and skill chains. Waste is no different, and it’s critical for every business. Most manufacturing

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businesses have waste management costs that currently hit a ceiling at about 8 per cent. Without a competitive network of non-landfill waste opportunities they will be faced with uncontrolled costs.

Remember, every waste HGV you see on the road could be costing up to £1,000 in landfill tax alone.

So does planning have the tools to help deliver a modern waste management system? In October 2014 the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) finally gave us the National Planning Policy for Waste (NPPW), the replacement for PPS10 Planning for Sustainable Waste Management. While all PPSs were to be swept away by the NPPF broom, waste planning’s European core meant it was always going to be treated differently. More on that later.

The draft guidance caused raised eyebrows last year with its hands-off approach to detail, an ill-thought-out green belt stance and perhaps a lack of insight into the commercial realities of infrastructure investment.

Let’s get it out of the way: the final guidance is short – and I mean really short. It takes the ‘say less’ mantra to its illogical conclusion. The DCLG has been working on this for several years, and we get 10 pages. Excluding cover and appendices, there are just five pages of substance.

First, the positives. It makes welcome statements on the presumption that employment land is generally suitable for modern waste facilities. This is useful as we regularly hear every potential waste site is actually being retained in case Microsoft wants it for that European headquarters.

The guidance also has a rather splendid diagram of the waste management hierarchy (WMH), the obligatory requirement of every local waste plan, strategy and public information video since 2002.

The rest of the guidance raises thorny issues, as much through what it doesn’t say as what it does.

What does it steer us on? Predictable green belt issues, of course. There is unsubtle waving of green credentials, but not much has really changed on a substantive basis. Eric Pickles claimed the guidance will bring waste into line with wider planning policies and introduced the NPPW by saying: “I am crystal-clear that the green belt must be protected from development, so it can continue to offer a strong defence against urban sprawl.”

I have written consistently in the waste press that heavy-handed policy approaches to rural waste management have major risks. People and government conflate ‘rural’ with green belt. Either type of land could be a suitable location for modern on-farm solutions like anaerobic digestion (AD) and composting. These are less suited to urban areas, and are vital for the sustainability of modern farming.

Germany, typically, has embraced some 500 on-farm AD plants already. This is not “PROMPTS FOR about encouraging ‘sprawl’; but low-carbon, MOVING TO low-nitrate farming is being caught in the SUSTAINABLE crossfire of the illusory ‘greenest governWASTE MANAGEMENT ment ever’ message. The Department for ALL ORIGINATE IN Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) EUROPEAN POLICY, grant supports on-farm AD, but another arm SPECIFICALLY THE of government seems to be saying that this WASTE FRAMEWORK is not the solution. Joined-up?

DIRECTIVE” Certain types of other waste development are singled out for specific criticism, like “incinerators that cut across up-to-date local plans”. Sustainable waste management decisions must not undermine the WMH, but arbitrary hand-waving throws issues into the arena of judicial review. I thought Pickles was going to stop planning QCs affording those new Maseratis?

This would be less of a concern if national thinking were stronger on supporting things where the true emphasis should be – on waste reduction, reuse and recycling. This is compounded because wider government direction in England (such as the National Waste Prevention plan) is substance-light.

This brings us on to the real problems.

Prompts for moving to sustainable waste management all originate in European policy, specifically the Waste Framework Directive. It’s no coincidence that since UKIP has been threatening not-so-marginal seats ministers have avoided acknowledging anything Euro-tinged. There was formerly specific guidance on how planning could help delivery of the wider aims of the directive, and these were actually the bits that were improving sustainability.

Am I just a public sector planner always in the habit of asking for more policy, guidance, and that dirty word, ‘regulation’?

Perhaps government, as many of us have felt, misreads some of the realities of the private sector. Although it is a truism that the private sector will never argue for red tape, they do need certainty – primarily, certainty to invest on a level playing field. Therefore, there is a concern about under-regulation; large companies with excellent compliance are being undercut by the small outfits.

Then there is the far bigger issue over certainty, and this relates to disjointed national steers. The private sector waste industry is concerned that Defra’s, DCLG’s and other government approaches to waste lack direction and feel increasingly superficial compared with the devolved administrations of Wales and Scotland. This can’t just be because we look like hitting 2020 landfill diver-

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The NPPW – a useful tool for planners?

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Landfill waste disposal across the EU (selected) sion targets, and the foot is off the gas.

This also bites in DCLG attitudes to strategic planning.

The new guidance suggests wasteplanning authorities (WPAs) should work collaboratively with other authorities. I suggest that as they could be hampered by an unwilling neighbour, National EU TOTAL Planning Policy Guidance (NPPG) should set out the expectation that (ESTIMATED) each WPA should be involved in semiformal joint working, but allow with whom to be discretionary.

Difficulties are compounded by Environment Agency (EA) resourcing.

It has been a key player in intelligent waste planning, and the most insightful work has been the result of joint local authority, regional and EA thinking. However, EA now operates on a two-tier business model, with services at either local or national level. This has affects duty to co-operate, particularly when it involves single-tier local authorities without specific waste-planning capacity. EA will signpost data, but its hands-on approach is over.

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A way out of the mire?

So what is the way forward? The DCLG is now saying strategic approach and direction is up to you.

Duty to co-operate is a challenge, but waste planning has been tackling it. Regional Technical Advisory Bodies (a thrust of PPS10) have now largely been reinvented voluntarily. The private sector wants to get involved, and recent moves like the closer alignment of trade bodies like the CIWM and ESA will help momentum.

Waste planning as a discipline also needs to evolve. There are staff shortages, even in the present climate. In the mid-2000s many local authorities and consultancies were simply unable to recruit, and universities have been reluctant to place emphasis on waste planning because of fears of tiny markets.

This relates partly to requirements for effective waste planners. Not only is the role concerned with complexities of controversial development,

n Source: Eurostat – 2012 figures, excluding major mineral wastes http://bit.ly/15ZWTQ1

SERBIA 91% BULGARIA 88% IRELAND 52% SPAIN 43% UNITED KINGDOM 36% (UP FROM 30% IN 2010) CZECH REPUBLIC 30% FRANCE 27% GERMANY 10% SWEDEN 9% DENMARK 6% NETHERLANDS 3%

but also there are the interpretations of wider European policy, economic efficiency, and the fluid science of pollution control and prevention.

Applying a network conceptualisation to decisions must be based on operational spatial issues rather than consumption arguments at the heart of housing site debates. The principle of handling waste as close to source as economically and environmentally possible now receives less attention in national thinking.

Community waste self-sufficiency is as much of a challenge as localised energy production.

England exports large waste volumes to Sweden and Denmark, who happily use it in combined heat and power. Is this coherent national infrastructure strategy, sustainable, or just the consequence of disjointed thinking? Eric Pickles may feel the big issue is weekly domestic bin collections. But in Derbyshire, household waste makes up about 11 per cent of total waste. The private sector is responding to the absence of clear government thinking by exporting waste abroad to spare treatment capacity. What happens when this route dries up?

The planning system is not to blame. In one part of the North there are permissions for six strategic waste facilities that cannot be built because of funding issues. Large waste plant is frighteningly capital intensive, and the financial institutions are becoming wary of backing investments with uncertain national government priorities.

With little government steer, local arguments on waste applications become debates on what national policy should be. It is like investing in housing, but without any acknowledgement that housing provision actually will remain important. The Lyons Report makes clear the perils of storing up a housing backlog. The same thinking should hold true for the next stages of waste infrastructure for the UK.

n Rob Murfin is head of planning services at Derbyshire County Council and a director of the Planning Officers Society. Views expressed here are his.

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F LO O D S

TURNING THE TREASURY HAS VOWED TO FUND MORE THAN 1,400 FLOOD DEFENCE PROJECTS TO PROTECT 300,000 HOMES. THE £2.3BN INVESTMENT WILL HELP PREVENT £30BN DAMAGE IN AREAS INCLUDING THE THAMES AND HUMBER ESTUARIES OVER SIX YEARS. BUT AMID CLIMATE CHANGE CAN IT EVER BE A WINNABLE BATTLE? MARK SMULIAN REPORTS

THE

TIDE

T

he North-South divide is much discussed, but the UK has an East-West one too.

Prevailing winds tend to make UK’s western half wetter and so prone to flooding.

The East’s low-lying coastal areas though do not escape – indeed, the East Coast floods of 1953 saw the UK’s worst 20th century peacetime loss of lives.

According to the RTPI, one in six properties is at some risk of flooding.

Even in these hard times the government found the issue urgent enough that in December it allocated a £2.3 billion capital investment programme among 1,400 schemes over the next six years.

It said this would see more than 300,000 homes better protected and deliver benefits worth £30 billion through avoidance of damage to homes, industry, infrastructure and farmland.

This was not as generous as it appeared, though. As Nick Baveystock, director general of the Institution of Civil Engineers, put it: “Government only part funds these schemes. Local authorities are under increased pressure to generate the additional investment from other sources, or plug the gap from their own already stretched budgets.”

Flood prevention has two faces – defences that can be built (or land used) to contain floods, and what to do about buildings that stand in floodplains.

Last winter’s inundations were so severe that at one point the West Country was cut off.

These followed serious flooding in the West Midlands, parts of Yorkshire and Northern Ireland in 2007 and widespread floods in spring 2012.

Such disasters in densely populated areas inevitably lead to

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calls that “something must be done”.

Historically that ‘something’ was building defences to keep water out of the adjacent land.

But there is an increasing realisation that defences cannot be built ever upwards while climate change raises water levels.

Attention has turned to storing water on low-value agricultural land for later ordered release once flooding subsides without overloading rivers or sewers.

That raises the obvious problem that landowners may not feel their property is ‘low value’.

Building in mitigating measures Protecting homes from floods is hampered because there has only been an effective planning system since 1948; there were no controls on what was built on floodplains before that.

There are controls now. With planning applications for new homes in floodplains, Environment Agency advice must be sought for ‘major’ ones of 10 or more homes covering whether they should be built at all, and if so, can they be flood-proofed, for example, by a planning condition that their ground floors are uninhabited?

“Rarely do things now get built in flood-prone areas and where

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it is, planners and others are getting better at understanding how to build in mitigating measures,” says an RTPI spokesman.

The Home Builders Federation (HBF) agrees. Its external affairs director John Slaughter says: “If somewhere is at high risk of flood and you cannot mitigate against it, then a builder would not want to build there, as quite apart from anything else no builder would want a reputation for building homes prone to flooding.”

But Daniel Johns, head of adaptation at the Committee on Climate Change, an independent statutory government advisory body, remains concerned about development in floodplains.

He says local planning authorities invariably follow Environment Agency advice on major applications.

“The problem arises on minor applications, for nine or fewer homes, which the Environment Agency does not assess.

“There are some 12,000 such applications in the floodplains a year and they are not subject to the same scrutiny.

“Local authorities have lots of different objectives and constraints, of which flood risk is only one factor to weigh. Compromises are inevitable, and the impact on flood risk may be one compromise,” he adds.

Slow release

ing constraint whereas spatial planning has to work with multiple constraints to achieve multiple objectives”.

The Pitt Review An RTPI spokesman says it is wrong to blame flooding problems on the planning system.

“If development takes place in the floodplain it may only happen if it is made safe and does not increase flood risk elsewhere,” he says.

“Calls for a reform of the planning system and simply blaming new development in the floodplain are wide of the mark.”

Grime thinks land values pose a problem in storing floodwater.

“The idea of containing floodwater in the upper reaches of catchments to alleviate flooding downstream needs joined-up thinking from farmers and landowners about the real value of land,” he says.

“The value of agricultural and Forestry Commission land is quite low so it could be used, but how do you do that in southeast England, where it seems every blade of grass is worth half a million pounds? The figures don’t stack up quite so easily there.

“Also, if you hold water upstream by flooding agricultural land but you then have to import wheat, that may not stack up either.”

Planners are also engaging with the use of sustainable urban drainage systems (SuDS) in new residential developments to reduce the flow of water into ageing sewers and rivers.

SuDS measures include, for example, storing water, allowing it to soak into the ground safely, or to flow at a sustainable rate into sewers or watercourses.

Sir Michael Pitt’s review after the 2007 floods strongly encouraged the adoption of SuDS, but progress has been slow.

Johns says: “The Pitt Review identified the need for SuDS to become the default option in new development. But the new regulations have been repeatedly delayed.

Andrew Grime, managing director of water engineering consultancy Weetwood, and an RTPI flood network member, says: “Requiring ground floors that cannot be lived in may be a solution with homes on floodplains.

“If you have a house where the ground floor is an uninhabitable carport it can be done. With very high-value land you have to do something.”

Johns notes that building endlessly higher physical flood barriers “isn’t sustainable in some areas, and we More than 7,800 homes and nearly need to work more with nature, rather than 3,000 commercial properties were against it”. hit by flooding last winter “Where possible we should be keeping the water out of urban areas – storing it in uplands where it can be held back and released slowly.”

But where? Colin Green, professor of water management at Middlesex University, says: “Achieving sustainable water management is now ultimately a spatial planning issue as the focus shifts to limiting and slowing runoff and storing flood waters on parts of the floodplain.

“In addition, physical flood intervention measures all require space and place and so finding that can limit what can be done.

“While agricultural land will increasingly be used for flood storage, there will need to be managed realignment in some existing areas as well. The challenge is therefore how we can integrate water management into spatial planning when the two forms of planning have very different cultures and practices.”

Green says that achieving this is difficult because spatial and water planners see themselves as separate and “water planners tend to argue that the flood risk should be an overrid-

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De evo olv ved d admin nisttrations WALES

Sir Michael Pitt advocated adoption of sustainable urban drainage systems (SuDS) after the 2007 floods

“THEE CH HALLENG GE REFO ORE HOW W IS THER GRATEE WEE CAN INTEG R MANAG GEMENT WAATER O SP PATIIALL INTO PLLANN NING WH HEN HE TWO O FO ORMSS OF TH NING HAAVEE PLLANN VEERY DIFFEREN NT ULTURES AND CU PR RACTTICES”

“Most new homes are still being connected to the ageing sewer network. This will be increasing the risk of urban flooding after heavy rainfall.”

Johns speculates that the delay arises from pressure on the government from developers who do not want regulations that might add to their costs, either through the installation of SuDS measures or because these may mean fewer homes can be built on any given site.

“The reality is that SuDS cost no more to build and are as cheap to maintain as traditional piped solutions,” he says.

“It seems that developers are winning the argument as the new proposals are significantly weaker than Pitt recommended.

“Some types of SuDS take up extra land on a site. But approaches like permeable paving and underground storage don’t take up space. We need to change the culture of the building industry and among planners so that these solutions become the norm.”

The HBF declines to take the blame for this. Slaughter says: “SuDS schemes are something the industry has no problem with, though we are still waiting for the standards under the 2010 Flood and Water Management Act to appear.”

Neither resisting floodplain development nor SuDS helps existing settlements though, which is where most people live.

Where physical defences reach the limits of usefulness the search may intensify for storage sites.

As Green says: “The big problem will be adapting existing urban areas like York and Hull to the increased risk of flooding, especially those areas where a significant proportion of the urban core is at risk.”

Few would dispute the urgency. The government response to last winter’s floods noted that more than 7,800 homes and nearly 3,000 commercial properties flooded, and that led indirectly to December’s flood prevention package.

With homes and money at stake on such a scale ‘something’ must indeed be ‘done’. The question is which options will prove effective and affordable.

Wales adopts a precautionary approach that seeks to direct new development away from areas with a high flooding risk and local planning authorities are expected to reflect this in local development plans.

The National Strategy for Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management in Wales seeks to reduce the consequences from flooding and coastal erosion and prioritise investment in the communities most at risk.

Planning and flood risk management are in the same ministerial portfolio to ensure an integrated approach.

SCOTLAND

Scotland’s national spatial plan recognises building the resilience of key infrastructure as an important part of adaptation to climate change.

Scottish planning policy requires a precautionary approach to flood risk in coastal and island areas and that development requiring new defences “will not be supported except where there is a clear justification for a departure from the general policy”.

The policy also allows for managed realignment of the coastline where appropriate.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Much of Northern Ireland is low-lying with clay soils of low permeability, leading to wide scope for localised flooding, says the province’s planning policy.

It describes its primary aim as being to “prevent future development that may be at risk from flooding or that may increase the risk of flooding elsewhere”.

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SPIRIT OF PLACE

“IF WE ARE TO UNDERSTAND PLACE­ BASED LEADERSHIP, WE NEED A CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK THAT HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF LOCAL LEADERS IN FACILITATING PUBLIC SERVICE INNOVATION” 30

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Place-based leadership allows strong and decisive planners to prove their value, with Melbourne a perfect example of what can be achieved. Here, Robin Hambleton looks at the Melbourne story â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and explains how place-based leadership should be structured

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I

n 1978 the centre of Melbourne in Australia was a dump. The local newspaper, The Age, described Melbourne as having “an empty, useless city centre” – and published pictures to prove it. Leap forward 30 years and The Economist praises Melbourne as being “the most liveable city in the world”.

Indeed, Melbourne has now established itself as an international leader in how to create a people-friendly public realm at the heart of a major metropolis. How did it do it? Answer: strong, place-based leadership.

Many local leaders contributed to this remarkable transformation – local politicians and community activists played a major part. But, under the leadership of Rob Adams, director of city design for the City of Melbourne, city planners and urban designers played a decisive role.

“AN INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVE IS ESSENTIAL IF WE ARE TO CONFRONT THE OBSESSIVE CENTRALISATION THAT IS NOW HOLDING BRITAIN BACK”

Melbourne makeover The first Melbourne strategic plan of 1985 aimed to switch the whole of the central area from a 12-hour pattern of activities to a vibrant 24-hour centre.

The plan set out robust urban design principles and clear priorities for land use, built form, an increased central city residential population, community services and streetscape.

Out went the previous developer-dominated approach to urban regeneration and in came very strong design requirements – for example, insisting on building up to the street frontage, requiring active frontage on all streets and a very protective stance on historic buildings and spaces. Purposeful planning, coupled with an imaginative approach to development control, has reshaped the public realm. The results are spectacular.

The central area residential population rose from 650 dwellings in 1985 to reach 28,000 in 2013. The city is now much greener, there is more pedestrian space and there are many more bicycle routes – a really lively street café culture has been created and local, service-oriented businesses are thriving.

Melbourne is not alone in demonstrating that powerful place-based leadership can make a big difference to the quality of life in a city.

Place-based leadership While researching my new book on how to create inclusive cities, I discovered 17 examples of inspirational, civic leadership drawn from cities across the world.

As well as Melbourne I found impressive stories of urban achievement in cities as diverse as Copenhagen, Curitiba, Freiburg, Malmö, New York City and Portland.

A key feature in many of these innovation stories is that planners have made a major contribution to progressive, urban leadership.

As a result of globalisation, place-less power is now almost

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Melbourne is a convivial space in which to live and work by day and night

out of control. Place-less leaders – people who are not expected to care about the consequences of their decisions for particular places and communities – have taken to themselves an unacceptable amount of power and influence.

This power needs to be confronted, and people living in particular localities need to regain the authority to decide what happens to the quality of life in their area. Planners in the cities I have mentioned have contributed to the development of effective strategies that have succeeded in doing just this.

Innovation stories It is uplifting to be able to report on so many successful efforts to develop progressive approaches to city planning and urban management – approaches that reject prevailing neo-liberal dogma.

But telling inspiring stories about effective city planning around the world is not enough. It is important to try to go beyond narratives of successful place-based innovation and attempt to draw out lessons that might be useful for civic leaders elsewhere.

The key task for those wanting to advance the causes of social justice, environmental sustainability and community empowerment is to focus on the changing nature of place-based leadership in modern societies.

In stressing the importance of local leadership, I am echoing the argument presented recently in these pages by Kevin Murray and Vincent Goodstadt (‘Who leads planning? The Planner, October 2014). They suggest, correctly, that: “Where our best

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planners have influence, they use their knowledge, skills and aspirations to lead political, environmental, business and local communities of interest to shape change.”

If we are to understand place-based leadership we need a conceptual framework that highlights the role of local leaders in facilitating public service innovation.

Figure 1 (below) suggests that in any given locality there are likely to be five realms of place-based leadership reflecting different sources of legitimacy:

(1)

Political leadership – referring to the work of those people elected to leadership positions by the citizenry; (2) Public managerial/professional leadership – referring to the work of public servants, including planners, appointed by local authorities, governments and third-sector organisations to plan and manage public services, and promote community wellbeing; (3) Community leadership – referring to the many civic-minded people who give their time and energy to local leadership activities in a wide variety of ways; (4) Business leadership – referring to the contribution made by local business leaders and social entrepreneurs who have a clear stake in the long-term prosperity of the locality; and (5) Trade union leadership – referring to the efforts of trade union leaders striving to improve the pay and working conditions of employees.

These roles are all important in cultivating and encouraging public service innovation and, crucially, they overlap. I describe the areas of overlap as innovation zones – areas providing many opportunities for inventive behaviour. This is because different perspectives are brought together in these zones and this can enable active questioning of established approaches.

FI G U R E 1 The realms of place-based leadership POLITICAL LEADERSHIP

MANAGERIAL/ PROFESSIONAL LEADERSHIP

Potential innovation zones

TRADE UNION LEADERSHIP

COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP

BUSINESS LEADERSHIP

Wise civic leadership is critical in ensuring that the innovation zones are orchestrated in a way that promotes a culture of listening that can, in turn, lead to innovation.

Civic leaders are not just ‘those at the top’. All kinds of people can exercise civic leadership, including planners working for, or with, elected local authorities.

The UK devolution debate In the UK we have a political system that I have described elsewhere as centralisation on steroids. Ministers are, even now, crawling all over the details of plans put forward by city regions in England to devolve power from Whitehall.

It is disappointing that the City Growth Commission Report, published by the RSA in October 2014, has fallen into the centralist trap of recommending that central government should require metropolitan areas to bring forward bids for ‘devolved status’.

Recall that this notion requires specific city regions to beg for ‘earned autonomy’ for their territory.

The commission wants to usher in an era in which a national ‘Devolution Committee’ should be set up to decide whether or not particular proposals and arrangements for urban governance and regeneration in particular localities meet with the approval of ministers.

This is a ludicrous situation. It bolsters centralisation to a wholly unacceptable level. In this vision city regions are expected to be accountable in minute detail ‘upwards’ to distant figures in central government when it should be obvious that any sensible system of local democracy requires politicians to be accountable ‘downwards’ to the citizens who elected them.

These arrangements for the super-centralisation of the state are viewed with astonishment and disbelief in countries around the world.

A general election is approaching and there is much talk of devolution of power to local authorities, and/or groups of local authorities comprising city or county regions in England. These debates provide exciting opportunities to advance the cause of place-based leadership.

But the English debate about devolution and, for that matter, the debate about devolution of power within Scotland, within Wales and within Northern Ireland, is cautious and unadventurous.

Place-based leadership in many other countries is far more advanced than anything that is being seriously contemplated in the UK. Planners can, in my view, contribute positively to the argument for strengthening place-based power in modern societies. This is partly because planners know that place matters – it has social meaning.

However, an international perspective is essential if we are to confront the obsessive centralisation that is now holding Britain back. We need to learn from abroad if we are to develop progressive solutions to current urban and regional challenges.

Robin Hambleton, MRTPI, is professor of city leadership at the University of the West of England, Bristol, and director of Urban Answers. His new book, Leading The Inclusive City. Place-based Innovation For A Bounded Planet, is published by Policy Press: www. tinyurl.com/l489uak

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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 The Dingy Skipper butterfly – on the decline in the UK, and a beneficiary of a lost self-build housing appeal

HOUSING

Reptile survey fails to save selfbuild scheme (1 SUMMARY Outline permission to construct 22 self-build homes has been denied on appeal.

(2 CASE DETAILS

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The 2.5-hectare site is south of Loud Reservoir, Loud Hill, Stanley, Greencroft, in County Durham. It is made up of disused land originally constructed as a reservoir with associated buildings, both of which have recently been demolished.

Although it is on an elevated position, the site is well screened from the surrounding countryside by a combination

of stone walls, mature screen planting and trees.

The applicant intended to construct the services to each of 22 plots, with said plots then sold to individuals who would then commission or self-build bespoke homes.

The main issues involved included whether or not there were special circumstances to justify the construction of dwellings in

this rural location, the effect on the safety of vehicles and pedestrians and the effect, if any, that the proposal would have on the biodiversity of the site.

During the course of the application additional information was submitted by the appellant in support of ecological and highway issues.

These were in the form of a reptile survey and a habitat survey for the dingy skipper, as well as a technical response to the council’s review of access options to the appeal site. This information had been used by the council to inform its decision on the planning application.

(3 CONCLUSION REACHED Inspector M Seaton determined that the site would be assessed as being located outside of an existing settlement and thus within open countryside.

Saved Policies EN1 and EN2 of the Derwentside District Local Plan 1997 (the local plan) sought to permit development in the countryside only where “it benefits the rural economy, is sensitively related to existing settlement patterns, and does not result in an encroachment into the surrounding countryside”.

He deemed this approach as “broadly consistent”

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Fifteen affordable homes have been allowed on a ‘rural exception site’ at Hunstanton

situated within the green belt, this was not the case.

with the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), which also sets out the special circumstances that would justify new residential development in the countryside. In Seaton’s view the appellant had provided “no indication that the proposed development would accord with any of the special circumstances as set out in the [National Planning Policy] Framework”.

Furthermore, neither party has highlighted that the appeal site should be regarded as a rural exception site providing affordable housing, as described in paragraph 54 of the NPPF, although Seaton took into account the appellant’s willingness to agree to a commuted sum payment in lieu of the provision of affordable homes on the site.

The distance involved to access services and facilities, combined with the relatively steep gradient of Loud Hill, is unlikely to discourage the use of the private car. The inspector said: “I have taken into account that the land has been previously developed, but given the location of the site this cannot be regarded as an overriding factor in assessing its suitability for residential development.”

Appeal Ref: APP/ X1355/A/14/2214713

HOUSING

Affordable housing development on Cromer Road gets go-ahead (1 SUMMARY Permission has been granted on appeal for an affordable housing development of 15 dwellings on Cromer Road, Old Hunstanton, Hunstanton, Norfolk.

(2 CASE DETAILS The proposed development by a housing association is to provide affordable housing for local residents. Fifteen residential units would comprise flats and houses of different sizes. All units bar one would be two storeys, with eight units facing onto the A149; the remaining units would be sited to the rear, with a new vehicle access.

The effect of the proposed development on the character and appearance of the area was key to this case.

The appeal site is on Cromer Road (A149), which runs between Hunstanton and Old Hunstanton. The rectangular site covers an area of about 0.5 hectares and is located in the north-western corner of an agricultural field abutting the southern edge of Old Hunstanton. Although considered by several interested parties as being I M A G E S | G E T T Y /A L A M Y

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(3 CONCLUSION REACHED Since the council determined the original application, the appellant had submitted a signed and dated S106 Obligation. This agreement provided a mechanism to ensure that the dwellings were affordable, that they would remain so in perpetuity, and that they are allocated in accordance with a priority list of qualifying occupiers that would give priority to existing and past residents of Old Hunstanton.

Thus, inspector S Stevens, concluded: “The proposal would fulfil the criteria that permits housing on a rural exception site.”

In allowing the appeal, inspector Stevens said that submissions from the borough council of King’s Lynn and West Norfolk relating to the need and supply of housing clearly indicated a need in the locality for affordable housing.

With regard to the scale of the proposed development, inspector Stevens

determined that its distance from the coastline and the existing development in Old Hunstanton and Hunstanton (which is closer to the coastline than the proposal) meant that the appeal proposal “would have very limited impact on the character and appearance of the coastline. The open character of the area would be retained with the substantial areas of open fields and the golf course surrounding most of the site”.

Appeal Ref: APPV2635/A/14/2221305

HOUSING

Decision to refuse 91 dwellings and public open land reversed (1 SUMMARY Outline permission has been granted on appeal for development of 91

Ninety-one homes on a former sports and recreation site in Chesterfield would deliver much-needed affordable homes

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DiF { D residential dwellings and an area of designated public open space on land at the former GKN Sports Ground in Newbold Road, Chesterfield, Derbyshire S41 7AJ. (2 CASE DETAILS The site, which is privately owned, is not currently used as playing fields nor intended to be accessible to the public.

Although it was last used as sports facilities in 2008, the site is safeguarded as sports pitches and playing fields through a “saved” designation on the Proposals Map of Chesterfield Borough Council’s Local Plan.

Despite this period of non-use, the site should be considered to be “existing open space” as referred to in paragraph 74 of the framework.

At the inquiry the council conceded that its level of supply of housing was likely to be about three years, not five, and that because the council could not demonstrate a fiveyear supply of deliverable housing sites, inspector Mark Dakeyne said that relevant development plan policies for the supply of housing should not be considered up to date.

Policy CS9 of the Core Strategy (CS) was deemed relevant because it refers to “the loss of open space, play provision and sports facilities”.

(3 CONCLUSION REACHED Dakeyne concluded that the appeal site had been “clearly shown” to be surplus to requirements as open space, having regard to Policy CS9 of the CS and paragraph 74 of the framework.

The proposed development would, said Dakeyne, “provide benefits in terms of housing provision, including

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DECISIONS IN FOCUS a significant number of affordable homes, in a location which is accessible to local services”. On this point, Dakeyne stated that new homes in the areas were “much needed… given the shortfalls in provision in recent years”.

The development would thus fulfil a social role and, through its construction, “contribute to the economy by providing construction jobs and local spend from future residents”.

Accepting that the decision meant the loss of an area with potential for use for sport and recreation, Dakeyne stated that the likelihood of outdoor sports use being restored were “unlikely”. In terms of the loss of a ‘green lung’, Dakeyne said that the development, although at outline stage, “would be designed to contribute to the built environment and include sustainable construction techniques”.

Overall, he concluded, the proposal would achieve sustainable development.

(2 CASE DETAILS Appeal Ref: APP/ A1015/A/14/2214996

HOUSING CONVERSION

Office change of use to residential granted on appeal (1 SUMMARY Approval has been granted for the change of use from B1 office to C3 residential of 20 units at 7 Shakespeare Road, London N3 1XE. The appeal’s success was founded on Inspector L Gibbons

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determining that the sole matter of concern relevant under the provisions of Schedule 2, Part 3, Class J of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 1995 was transport and highways.

Inspector Gibbons pointed out that Barnet Council had already indicated how the appeal site was located within an area with a Public Transport Accessibility Level (PTAL) rating of 5 (very good). Close to Finchley Church End Town Centre with a wide variety of shops, services and facilities and Finchley Central Underground Station, the site also benefits from a number of bus routes with high frequency.

“These are significant factors in determining the matter before me,” said

The switch from offices to homes in Finchley was allowed as it would not impinge on traffic in the vicinity

Inspector Gibbons, who also pointed out that there was “no detailed information that the provision of parking for the existing offices causes parking and highway safety problems”.

(3 CONCLUSION REACHED Inspector Gibbons decided that the proposed development would not in fact result in an adverse impact on transport and highways in the area and would comply with the maximum standards of Policy DM17 of the Barnet Local Plan’s Development Management Policies (DMP).

It would not be contrary to the framework in respect of promoting sustainable transport.

Appeal Ref: APP/ N5090/A/14/2222810

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+ We’d like to incorporate your comment, insight and analysis into Decisions in Focus each month. Whether you can offer a brief obversation on a matter of interest within an inspector’s judgement or an informed interpretation of a decision, please let us know by emailing DiF at editorial@theplanner.co.uk

ROUND­UP Here are seven more decisions that we think are worth a look this month. All the details and inspector’s letters can be found on the Planning Portal website: www.pcs.planningportal.gov.uk

APPEAL DECISIONS HOUSING

(1) Application: Appeal against refusal for permission to build 28 homes plus access and infrastructure at land at Hampton Lucy, Warwickshire.

Decision: Appeal allowed.

Main issues: The council could not prove a five-year supply of housing land and its policies for the supply of housing were out of date. The proposal would not harm the character of Hampton Lucy and would represent a sustainable development, boosting the supply of housing. This outweighed the loss of agricultural land.

Appeal reference: APP/ J3720/A/14/2215757 (2) Application: Appeal against a refusal for permission for 10 houses including eight market-value houses and two affordable houses, parking and access at Chearsley, Buckinghamshire.

Decision: Appeal allowed.

Main issues: The site is a flat, open field backing onto a cricket field. The south-east boundary comprises existing homes fronting the road.

There is an extensive hedge at the north-west boundary.

These boundaries present the site as an open field on the edge of the village rather than as open countryside.

The inspector disagreed with the council view that the site is visually prominent. He accepted the layout differed from existing dwellings, but did not rule it as harmful to the area’s character.

Appeal reference: APP/ J0405/A/14/2223105 (3) Application: Appeal against refusal for permission

to build three homes on land at Halford, Warwickshire.

Decision: Appeal allowed.

Main issues: The appeal site lies within the historic core of the village, at the heart of the conservation area, near two listed buildings.

The inspector considered that introducing buildings onto land that is currently undeveloped would change its character and appearance, but such change did not equate to harm and chimed with the objectives of the NPPF in seeking to ensure that development enhances the quality of the area, and had no consequences for highway safety.

Appeal reference: APP/ J3720/A/14/2217159 (4) Application: Appeal against failure to decide within the prescribed period an application for outline permission for up to 110 homes, plus open space, foul and surface water infrastructure, internal footpaths, cycle routes and estate roads and access on to the A30 at Crewkerne, Somerset.

Decision: Appeal dismissed.

Main issues: Areas of concern are the impact on landscape character and accessibility.

The site comprises five fields in open countryside outside the existing settlement boundary of Crewkerne. It is an undulating landscape in which small fields, said by the council to be pre-17th century ancient enclosures, are largely defined by hedgerows and mature trees.

The site acts as an intimatescale buffer between the town’s built edge and the larger agricultural fields of the surrounding landscape. The inspector felt the proposal would be

an isolated, incongruous projection of urban development into a nuanced and intimate landscape.

Appeal reference: APP/ R3325/A/13/2210545

MIXED DEVELOPMENT

(5) Application:Appeal against failure to decide within the prescribed period on an application to build 73 dwellings and 80 residential parking spaces including 38 at basement level, landscaping, amenity space, plus a three-storey building of 14 light industrial/office units with access and 14 industrial/office car parking spaces in Hanwell, West London.

Decision: Appeal dismissed.

Main issues: The appellant sought to remove the disputed condition that the B1(c) industrial units should only be used as light industrial premises, except with permission of the planning authority. The reason for the condition was to ensure that the B1(c) industrial units are available for use in the interests of local employment. The inspector said the council had clarified that it would accept a new condition for flexibility between the B1 Use Class a (offices other than financial), b (research and development) and c (any industrial process) so the appellant could market the units to a wider range of occupiers.

Appeal reference: APP/ A5270/A/14/2211525

ENERGY

(6) Application: Appeal against refusal to permit the siting of a 36.6m high wind

turbine with a tip height of 46.3m at Fields Farm, Cheadle, Stoke on Trent.

Decision: Appeal allowed.

Main issues: The proposed wind turbine does not fall within any of the types of development listed as exceptions within the planning framework and would normally be inappropriate in green belt.

But due to the restricted height, footprint and tapering nature of the turbine tower, and the restricted size of its cabinets, its harm to the location would be limited.

It would be near a farm and therefore not seen in isolation but in the context of that development.

Appeal reference: APP/ B3438/A/14/2216211

(7) Application: Appeal against a refusal to permit a 500Kw wind turbine, ancillary equipment, grid connection and access on land at Newquay.

Decision: Appeal dismissed.

Main issues: The appeal site lies within the Newlyn Downs Landscape Character Assessment area characterised by an open and undulating plateau landscape. There are a number of wind turbines of a broadly similar size to the appeal proposal nearby.

But the inspector considered that the proposal would amount to a significant change from the landscape that existed before the installation of the wind turbines because it was different in its impact to other nearby tall structures (pylons and telecomms masts), making it an uncharacteristic addition to the landscape.

Appeal reference: APP/ D0840/A/14/2212162

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LLegal landscape PLUS ÇA CHANGE… Chad Sutton runs the rule over recent amendments to the planning system The planning system in the United Kingdom is in a constant state of change, and keeping track of these changes is as much a part of the job as providing legal advice or drafting Section 106 agreements.

Like previous administrations, this government has sought to stamp its mark on the planning system by implementing what it states are much-needed reforms to make the system more efficient and to promote development.

In 2011, the government tried to tackle these issues under the guise of ‘localism’.

This was followed by further reforms introduced under the Growth and Infrastructure Act in 2013.

As housing increasingly dominates the political agenda, the government is coming under pressure to deliver solutions to the current shortfall. The most significant response to this has been the introduction of permitted development rights, allowing a change to residential use from offices and retail uses.

As with most legislative reform, the devil is in the detail, and it often falls to the planning lawyer to interpret the legislation and policy. Community infrastructure levy (CIL) is a

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Chad Sutton prime example of a reform that, since it first became live in 2010, has proved complex in its interpretation and implementation. It is

“NO MATTER WHAT POLITICAL PARTY IS IN POWER, OR WHAT REFORMS ARE PROPOSED BY GOVERNMENT, THE ROLE OF A PLANNING LAWYER WILL REMAIN CRUCIAL TO THE SUCCESS OF ANY DEVELOPMENT”

widely acknowledged that the original CIL Regulations published in 2010 were badly drafted and this has been evident from the amendments to the regulations, which have been introduced in every subsequent year.

Permitted development rights present their own issues as these rights are typically subject to onerous conditions and exclusions that can prove a minefield to navigate. Anyone who has sought to utilise the officeto-residential permitted development rights will be aware of the many legal issues arising from the wording of Class J that contains these rights.

Although some government reforms have made the planning system more unwieldy despite best intentions,

there are other reforms that have made a positive contribution to simplifying and improving the delivery of development through the planning system. The introduction of the National Planning Policy Framework and the accompanying National Planning Practice Guidance has been effective in simplifying what was previously an ever-growing library of planning policy documents for developers and local planning authorities to comply with.

The reduction in the time period for judicial review claims against planning permissions to six weeks has also expedited many development projects.

No matter what political party is in power, or what reforms government proposes, the role of a planning lawyer will remain crucial to the success of any development. This could be as simple as ensuring that the red and blue lines on a development site plan are accurate or that notices of a planning application are served correctly on owners of a site to mitigate any judicial review risk. It could be as simple as ensuring that a Section 106 agreement is negotiated swiftly, or successfully obtaining planning permission at appeal in cases where there is opposition from a local planning authority.

CHAD SUTTON Chad Sutton is a planning partner for Maples Teesdale LLP

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LATEST POSTS FROM THEPLANNER.CO.UK/BLOGS

B LO G S This month… When considering whether to challenge the validity of a decision made by the secretary of state that overrules an inspector's recommendation, practitioners must be very sure of their grounds to act

L E G I S L AT I O N S H O R T S A matter of reasoned judgment Kate Creer and Sophie Stewart Does the secretary of state (SoS) have to accept an appeal inspector's recommendation?

Three recent cases highlight the scope that he has to decide a case the other way.

In the cases of RWE Innogy UK Ltd v Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government and Wind Prospect Developments Ltd v Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government and another, an inspector allowed an appeal following a refusal of permission by the local planning authority for a wind farm. But in each case the SoS disagreed with the inspector's decision.

The court held that planning judgment – including the weight to be attached to material considerations – could and should be exercised by the decision-maker.

Providing the SoS gives intelligible reasons for his decision, he’s entitled to disagree with the inspector's recommendation.

Where the SoS substitutes his planning judgment for the inspector’s, there is no higher standard to be applied to the reasons he is required to give for his decision.

The court found in

both cases that the SoS had considered the inspector's planning judgment in a reasoned way and exercised his own judgment – differently but lawfully.

This is a reminder that the court is reluctant to interfere with a decision-maker's exercise of planning judgment, especially when it is backed up with solid reasons.

In the case of Miles O'Connor v Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government and another, the court considered whether the SoS was entitled to disagree with an inspector's finding of fact. This concerned changing a former holiday chalet site into two gypsy pitches. The site was partly within flood zone 2 and partly within zone 3a and so was at risk of flooding.

But land-levelling works had taken place, the effect of which was to raise areas of the site such that the flood risk in the zone 3a area was no more than that for the area of the site in zone 2. The appellant had submitted a sitespecific flood risk assessment and the Environment Agency had no objection.

The inspector recommended a temporary permission for four-and-a-half years – but the SoS decided that the flood risk was too great and refused it. His decision letter merely recited the flood zone designations on the site and didn’t address the works that had taken place.

The court held that

the SoS had no sound evidential basis to disagree with the inspector's factual conclusions and was not entitled to do so unless one existed.

The court concluded that not only had the SoS not been entitled to disagree with the factual findings, but also failed to set out why he disagreed with the judgment that the inspector had exercised in assessing flood risk.

The SoS’s decision was quashed.

When considering whether to challenge the validity of a decision made by the SoS that goes against an inspector's recommendation, practitioners must study the reasons given.

If the SoS has exercised planning judgment alone and given reasons for his conclusions there is likely to be less chance of bringing a successful challenge against the decision.

If the SoS has departed from the inspector's recommendation on factual grounds, however, it appears that the courts expect a higher standard of reasoning and explanation for the decision and will more readily intervene to quash a decision that does not demonstrate a sound, alternative evidence base supporting it.

Kate Creer is a planning director and Sophie Stewart is an associate in the planning team at DLA Piper UK LLP

Islington proposes to restrict basement development The accelerating trend for big basement developments in wealthy Islington has prompted the borough council to propose planning controls to restrict their scale, reduce flooding risk and limit impact on neighbours.

The number of applications for underground developments increased by close to 50 per cent between 2013 and 2014, and the average size and depth of excavations also went up.

The council is concerned about the effects of extensive subterranean development on the area’s environment, particularly drainage patterns, ground movement and rooting space.

“We’re seeing a growing trend towards big basement extensions as the value of homes in Islington – particularly large ones – continues to soar,” said James Murray, the council’s executive member for housing and development.

The council is proposing a supplementary planning document and has opened a consultation on the plan, which runs until 27 January.

Anti-HS2 campaigners lose legal challenge HS2 Action Alliance (HS2AA) and Hillingdon Council have lost a legal challenge to the proposed HS2 rail route between London and Birmingham. Their case – that the government had unlawfully failed to carry out a strategic environmental assessment (SEA) – was unanimously rejected by three Court of Appeal judges.

The scheme’s opponents argued that an SEA was necessary before “safeguarding directions” could be made by the transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin to protect land along the route from conflicting developments. Without an assessment, some of this land would be included without proper debate or consideration of the scheme’s impacts, they claimed.

McLoughlin told the BBC that the government had now won 20 out of 21 challenges to the HS2 scheme.

“I invite interested groups to join with us to make HS2 the very best it can be, and not waste more public money on costly and fruitless court cases,” he said.

Ombudsman report on planning failures The Local Government Ombudsman (LGO) has issued a special report detailing the most common areas where fault is found with councils over planning and development. These include: overlooking impact on neighbours; failing to check validity of applications; not considering objections; neglecting to publicise applications; bias; and lack of enforcement action.

Not In My Back Yard was prompted by the Ombudsman investigating more than 1,600 complaints during 2013-14, as well as 14 per cent rise in complaints about enforcement over the period.

The report also contains good practice advice.

Local Government Ombudsman Dr Jane Martin said: “Planning is an important local issue and the LGO is the only independent route of redress for people who have been adversely affected by a local decision.” She added: “Councillors will want to ensure that their local planning services are as effective and transparent as they can be.” n Download the report: bit.ly/12PQXH7

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Career { D E V E L O P M E N T C PUBLIC OR PRIVATE?

Should you aim to work in the public or private sector as a newly qualified planner? We look at some of the pros and cons of each

A

ccording to its 2014 membership survey, half of RTPI members work in local government, more than a fifth (22 per cent) for private consultancies and 10 per cent are self-employed. There are also planners in academia, the third sector, developers, and so on.

The proportion of planners in local government is relatively stable, although anecdotal evidence suggests that more newly qualified planners are now heading to the private sector, where there are perceived to be better salaries and career opportunities.

Should you go public or private at the outset of your career? We invited three young planners to tell us how they find working in their chosen sector.

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KATR IN E DE A N: —

Development management 2009 FINISHED POSTGRADUATE, UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER 2009 ­10 INTERN, GLASGOW HOUSING ASSOCIATION 2010­14 ASSISTANT PLANNER, RENFREWSHIRE COUNCIL MARCH 2014­PRESENT PLANNING OFFICER, LONDON BOROUGH OF CAMDEN

Starting out Development management is nothing like I had imagined planning to be at university, where my course was geared mainly towards policy formulation and project work, writes Katrine.

I had always thought of planning at a more strategic level. But I graduated during

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the recession and went into development management in the public sector circumstantially.

Graduate planner jobs were like gold dust in Scotland. I worked as an unpaid intern for six months at the Glasgow Housing Association, before my first paid job in development management at Renfrewshire Council. I feel my work experience and membership of Planning Aid and Women in Property put me ahead of other candidates at the time.

Development management involves assessing applications and providing advice to developers and the public on the development potential of sites. It is fast paced, varied and involves dealing with a substantial caseload. There are site visits, too, and it is enjoyable to get out of the office.

Challenges The biggest challenge has been dealing with budget cuts in the public sector, which have led to fewer staff doing a large volume of work. The loss of colleagues also means a loss of important specialist in-house expertise.

A good starting point Development management is a great place to learn about planning. You use the planning framework every day, and become very familiar with legislation. It teaches you to be analytical and to think like a planner. I have also acquired an abundance of transferable skills, especially negotiation and organisation.

I would encourage young planners to spend at least two years in development management. It really is important to know what happens to a planning application once it has been put together. The knowledge base and transferable skills of a development control planner are invaluable.

l

Skills development The highlight is working on complex and major developments, and being involved in project work. Seeing a plot of land on a site visit before and after development really makes you proud to be a planner and gives you job satisfaction.

It’s important for young planners to show their initiative and capability by asking their superiors to be involved in complex projects, in order to develop knowledge and skills.

At Renfrewshire Council, I also enjoyed being involved in process and service improvement, which allowed me to be creative. Teamwork, relationship-building and project management are among the other valuable skills that planners can pick up in development management.

“THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE HAS BEEN DEALING WITH BUDGET CUTS IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR” K AT R I N E

Z ENA B HA J I­IS MA I L —

Public sector policy planning

2012 FINISHED POSTGRADUATE, CARDIFF UNIVERSITY 2012 INTERN, GL HEARN 2012 – 13 ENERGY EFFICIENCY ASSISTANT MANAGER, OFGEM 2013 – 14 PLANNING OBLIGATIONS OFFICER, LONDON BOROUGH OF CAMDEN

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Starting out I fell into my career in the public sector, says Zenab. It began with work experience at GL Hearn on the community infrastructure levy (CIL). Following brief employment at Ofgem, I was taken on as a CIL/Section106 Officer at Camden. I chose to go into the public sector because CIL was a relatively new piece of legislation, so it was both an opportunity to put together a CIL charging schedule and a system to manage monitoring and collection in a Central London borough.

l

DEBORAH

the company’s profile.

Every role is what you make it. I’ve enjoyed working in both sectors because of the quality of work and the people I’ve worked with.

Skills development I have gained a deeper appreciation of the data and evidence used to inform local policies. I engage with a wide variety of stakeholders at an early stage and I’m exposed to ‘politics’ with a small ‘p’ – I have developed an appreciation of the political sensitivities of the planning system, the changing nature of planning policy and dealing with different stakeholders, especially finance officers, early in my career.

Challenges Planning legislation is ever-changing nationally. Some of these changes may be sensitive locally, but this is a great opportunity; for the planning policy team is at the forefront of responding to these. There are time and resource pressures and a need to prioritise what realistically can be done. At the same time there are ample opportunities for professional development. There are no barriers to what you can achieve if you are motivated.

What next?

My experience to date has set a strong foundation; I have had exposure to a breadth of planning experience and an opportunity to project manage the monitoring and collection of CIL and S106 obligations. It’s been very rewarding. I will now seek to move across to a planning team internally to continue gaining a variety of experience before making a decision on which area of planning I would like to specialise in.

“I HAVE DEVELOPED AN APPRECIATION OF THE POLITICAL SENSITIVITIES OF THE PLANNING SYSTEM” ZENAB

“THE PRIVATE SECTOR ALSO OFFERS MANY OPPORTUNITIES TO GET INVOLVED IN INITIATIVES BEYOND THE DAY JOB”

D EBO RA H BA K ER —

From public to private

2010 FINISHED POSTGRADUATE, UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER 2008 – 2010 ASSISTANT PLANNING OFFICER, SALFORD CITY COUNCIL 2010 – 2012 PLANNER, NATHANIEL LICHFIELD PLANNING 2012 – 2014 PLANNING OFFICER, CHESHIRE EAST COUNCIL SEPTEMBER 2014­ PRESENT PLANNER, INDIGO PLANNING

Similarities between public and private The caricature of the slow-paced planning officer whiling away the days to retirement has never been true. As the recession advanced, the councils I worked for became more streamlined and innovative. I’ve met committed, dynamic and focused colleagues and mentors in both sectors, and have worked equally hard on projects that were fulfilling, challenging and subject to demanding deadlines.

Differences The work-life blend varies, with most councils offering flexitime as a given. This is much less so in the private sector, although flexibility is given in special circumstances.

The benefit is that you always have a support network of colleagues on hand to give and seek advice.

Opportunities for career progression tend to be less frequent in the public sector owing to adherence to strict staff structures that must be approved by council members.

The private sector is better able to reward good performance.

The private sector also offers many opportunities to get involved in initiatives beyond the day job. For example, business development activities and networking will enhance your skills while developing

How is working in the private sector?

Private sector work is not all about submitting applications. It’s about strategising, considering appropriate land uses and adding value by giving a professional opinion. This requires in-depth knowledge of current and emerging policy, and the confidence to present and back up my recommendations. Devolving responsibility down through the organisation in this way is efficient and builds staff abilities.

If officers were similarly empowered – for example, in giving pre-application advice – it would give developers more certainty and reduce costly renegotiation. More money could be directed to increasing the quality of the proposed development.

In my current role I am entrusted with managing all aspects of a project, including delivering within budget. Spreading this commercial project management mindset to all levels of council officers might help address the public sector resourcing crisis, and reduce the frequency of restructuring.

How has working in both private and public sectors helped your development?

It has given me an appreciation of the challenges faced by council officers, such as time pressures, accountability to councillors and managing the expectations of the public. In my previous role as a council officer with private sector experience I understood the pressures on consultants, particularly in relation to the cost implications of delays. As a result, I seek to build collaborative relationships with officers. It’s less frustrating than maintaining an adversarial approach, and achieves better results for the developer and the authority.

+ n Link to RTPI career guidance: www.rtpi.org.uk/ education-and-careers/

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18/12/2014 16:53

INSIGHT

Plan ahead P

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

Beneath the surface It’s an important area of planning, but one that too few planners are familiar with. In February you can find out all about the topical issues at the heart of minerals planning Gypsum. Clay. Potash. Slate.

Building stone. Coal.

For centuries – thousands of years, even – these minerals have been vital to helping us meet our construction and energy needs. That’s not to mention their application in a manufacturing and agricultural processes.

Britain is particularly well endowed with these essential raw materials. Indeed, they underpin a considerable portion of our economic activity.

But their extraction is messy and problematic: minerals mining takes up space; it disturbs the environment and communities close to mines; it can be polluting; mines are an eyesore; and too often the landscape disturbed by mining is not restored to its former condition once the mineral has been exhausted.

The chances are that at some point in your career you’re going to encounter minerals planning in some form. It helps to have some background knowledge and understanding

“CAN WE ACHIEVE THE RESTORATION OF A SITE THROUGH APPROPRIATE RESTORATION CONDITIONS? OR DO WE WANT A FINANCIAL GUARANTEE?”

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Minin is messy Mining and problematic – sometimes for a long time

of its wider context.

“Minerals can be quite controversial in places,” explains Claire Teasdale, principal planning officer for Durham County Council.

“In certain regions, minerals are big business and important to the regional economy.

But there are a lot of issues surrounding this, and the environmental impacts can be quite problematic.”

The impact of minerals extraction can be extreme and long lasting. “The nature of minerals development is often that if it is an opencast site it can be there for three to seven years,” says Teasdale. “But others – for example, hard rock quarries – are there for 20, 30, 40 years.”

For those who want to start to get to grips with it, Teasdale has organised a full day devoted to learning about minerals planning and understanding its context.

‘Digging deep’, in Newcastle on Wednesday 4 February, is aimed at both public and private sector planners and will feature presentations by representatives of the

Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG), Natural England and the Banks Group, a company with minerals interests in Northumberland.

The morning will be spent considering government approaches, as enshrined in the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) for England, with its presumption in favour of sustainability.

“It’s a valuable opportunity to actually listen to a speaker from the Department for Communities and Local Government about minerals planning and the government view with regard to the impact of minerals,” notes Teasdale.

“In the afternoon we’re going to focus on the restoration of sites. There have been a lot of things in the news about opencast sites, for example. So

we’ll have Peter Close from the land use operations team at Natural England talking about dealing with sites and provide his advice.”

Persuading developers to restore disfigured landscapes is one of the biggest challenges for minerals planners. “The NPPF says you should only have financial guarantees in exceptional circumstances,” explains Teasdale.

“So we ask: ‘Can we achieve the restoration of a site through appropriate restoration conditions? Or do we want a financial guarantee, some sort of cash or insurance bond?

“You need a mechanism to ensure that there’s money to restore the site. We [Durham County Council] have recent experience at a public inquiry with this, and our solicitor spent a lot of time looking at restoration bonds. So we’ll be talking about that as well.”

There are two sides to every story, of course, and MarieLouise Grey, a development planner with the Banks Group, will be looking at the topic from a developers’ point of view.

“It helps to have a greater understanding of the current issues in relation to minerals planning,” Teasdale concludes – not least because many experienced minerals planners are retiring. “There are courses, but a lot are quite general and more related to built development. Minerals is a specific area of work.”

DIGGING DEEP Digging deep: A day devoted to minerals planning Where: Watson Burton LLP, Newcastle NE99 1YQ When: Wednesday, 4 February 2015 Find out more and book at: http://bit.ly/1yyYrJa

I M AG E | R E U T E RS

18/12/2014 16:54

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 26 February – RTPI’s guide to the planning system in 2015 A key issue of devolution is what approach to take to strategic planning in England. Commentators have focused on various aspects of devolution, but how would planning work?

We are seeing cooperation in operation between planning authorities and this seminar will discuss how that could improve.

The afternoon session looks at planning with limited resources from the point of view of government, local authorities and applicants.

Venue: The Hatton (etc Venues), 51-53 Hatton Garden, London Details: www.bit. ly/1xZkPgk

EAST OF ENGLAND 28 January – Building the city Half-day seminar hosted

by Peterborough City Council. Peterborough was designated a New Town in 1967. In the past 40 years, it has seen extraordinary growth.

Explore the lessons learnt from the development corporation that are still relevant. Peterborough’s director of planning shares his plans for the city. There will also be a discussion on community engagement – why it matters and how it can promote planning.

Venue: Town Hall, Peterborough City Council Details: www.bit. ly/1z3eLlm 24 February – Rural affordable housing/ exception sites Rural communities getting older, they are losing their services, and they are losing their historic economic backbone. Across professionals, there is a consensus about the key issues but less so about the solutions. This event brings

together planners, housing and other professionals to discuss issues, practical solutions and good practice.

Venue: The Maltings, Ship Lane, Ely, Cambridgeshire Details: www.bit. ly/1wgrSBb

DON’T MISS Economic growth – the value of planning conference Organised by the Planning Advisory Service, this conference focuses on how the planning service can support the delivery of economic growth.

Attendees will learn what role the planning service can play in delivering economic growth and how to recognise if your planning service is aligned to support your objectives.

The conference is designed for those planning officers and councillors involved in policy-making and decision-taking. There’s space for up to two representatives per authority, although if you are from a large unitary authority, additional delegate bookings may be accepted.

Date: 24 February Venue: Central London (venue to be confirmed) Details: www.bit.ly/1uYDjcA

SOUTH­WEST 26 January – Fracking: shale gas and oil exploration planning workshop Planning Advisory Workshop seminar for council officers and members. An introduction to shale gas exploration and the extraction process, the planning process for decision-making on shale gas applications and licensing process.

Venue: Brunswick Room, The Guildhall, Bath Details: www.bit. ly/1qlgNhv 30 January – Politics and planning: The respective roles of members and officers in contemporary decision-making Exploring political aspects of planning, including the perspectives of politicians on their role as portfolio holders, and the relationship between officers and consultants with politicians involved in various aspects of the planning process.

Venue: The Watershed, Bristol Details:www.bit. ly/11fVH8k 11 February – The Academy of Urbanism Glass-House debates: Is our view of place too shortsighted?

Wolfson Prize winners David Rudlin and Nicolas Falk speak. How much do we consider the longterm consequences of our decisions and actions around place? Can we make quick wins and still achieve long-term success for people and places? Are sustainability and political

and financial attention spans mutually exclusive?

Members only.

Venue: Bristol Details: www.bit. ly/1uqmeKl 25 February – NPPF and NPPG: lessons & case studies A review of some of the emerging lessons since the introduction of the NPPF and its supporting guidance, highlighting key issues from the most recent appeals and case law.

Venue: Town Hall, Cheltenham Details: www.bit. ly/1qHvtYB

NORTH EAST 11 February – Neighbourhood Planning Workshop for Officers (Newcastle) A Planning Advisory Service workshop to discuss issues and share practices ro suppor neighbourhood planning. A range of experienced partners in the neighbourhood planning process will speak and there will be an opportunity to shape the agenda by sharing issues and questions before the event. Members only.

Venue: Thistle Newcastle City Centre Hotel, Neville Street Details: www.bit. ly/1BhgDLM 25 February – Politics of planning With the general election looming this seminar will look at the implications that politics at both

the local and national level are having on the planning system and the development process.

Chaired by Ross Smith, director of policy at the North East Chamber of Commerce.

Venue: International Centre for Life, Newcastle Details: www.bit. ly/1vwqThz 25 February – Members annual reception An informal networking event open to all members of the RTPI NE region free of charge.

Venue: Holiday Inn, Jesmond Road, Newcastle upon Tyne Details: www.bit. ly/1zvwpzx

NORTH­WEST 2 February – Public inquiries The event considers inquiry procedure and process with specific emphasis on the role and approach to giving witness evidence to help those preparing for giving evidence at an inquiry as well as those involved in managing the inquiry case and team.

Venue: Pinsent Masons, 3 Hardman Street, Manchester Details: www.bit. ly/1wF7vO8 12 February – Planning support This will look at the basics of planning, including the latest updates in mapping and GIS; the development management process and when permission is and isn’t required, how to

comment effectively on an application, the issue of development viability, the decision-making process, and how and when to appeal including reference to appeals, judical review and legal challenges.

Venue: BDP, Ducie Street, Manchester Details: www.bit. ly/16sGyDM

EAST MIDLANDS 17 February – East Midlands APC seminar 2015 The APC process will be presented by RTPI’s Hilary Lush. The seminar will cover: practical experience statement; professional competence statement; professional development plan; maintaining the log book; acceptable experience; presentation and formatting; and reasons for failed applications.

Venue: East Northamptonshire Council Thrapston, Kettering Details: www.bit. ly/1GPm1nJ

WEST MIDLANDS 26 February – Planning law update A seminar led by planning lawyers on topical legal issues, new legislation and guidance, recent case law and appeal decisions plus the significance and impacts of all of these.

Venue: Birmingham, West Midlands Details: www.bit. ly/1AEKWs6

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18/12/2014 16:54

NEWS

RTPI { A year to remember RTPI PRESIDENT CATH RANSON LOOKS BACK ON THE SUCCESS OF THE INSTITUTE’S CENTENARY YEAR

The Washington New As the year marking our 100th birthday draws to Tow Town presentation (left an end, I want to thank all of our members for to right): Councillor Harry Trueman, deputy leader of engaging so enthusiastically in our centenary Sunderland City Council, celebrations. I do not think anyone could have RTPI NE chair Stephen predicted how successful 2014 was going to be Litherland, and RTPI President Cath Ranson with such a wide variety of national and local activities taking places. We have not only reflected on our achievements, but through our extremely well-received policy and research papers also looked ahead to shape the future direction for the institute. Everyone has played their part in raising the profile of planning as a force for good.

A major highlight for me has been the sell-out concert in Exeter Cathedral attended by more than 1,100. For others it has been the locally organised cycling events, the walks by members and their families and horse riding challenges. Our events this year have been so popular many have sold out.

The centenary has certainly brought members together in a very special way and given us a new unity and strength. We must build on this new enthusiasm in 2015 and beyond.

We have also honoured outstanding achievement, presenting the prestigious RTPI Gold Medal to Alison Nimmo, chief executive of the Crown Estate, and many members have received outstanding service awards.

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RTPI news pages are edited

by Tino Hernandez at the RTPI, 41 Botolph Lane, London EC3R 8DL

We have celebrated and recognised the role of our honorary members, both in this country and abroad, and on perhaps the one sad note of the year we witnessed, but rightly, also celebrated the life and work of the late Sir Peter Hall.

Planning excellence was marked by our most successful awards of recent times showcasing a dazzling array of planning talent. We have also been the recipient ourselves of a major planning award, the 2014 National Planning Excellence Award for a Planning Landmark, given by the American Association of Planners.

Over the past 12 months we have reflected on our rich history and heritage. I know on my international travels that the history timeline for our institute has been very well received and is being used in universities across the world. The success of projects such as Mature Planned Communities has given public recognition to the long-term achievements of planning.

Importantly, we have looked to the future as well, through our Planning Horizons policy and research papers series, the special edition of Planning Theory And Practice and our Future Planners initiative, which is seeking to raise understanding of the role of planning in schools, both as a potential career and to improve active citizenship. Our policy work has been immense and has included seeking to identify how to take new town and garden city principles forward and how to provide housing and infrastructure on a scale to address the vast under provision, without diminution of quality.

Of course, we have continued to work with governments across the UK and Ireland in support of improvements to the system, but alongside this we have also stood fast against proposals that we do not consider helpful to planning, communities, the economy and the environment.

Within our regions and nations, across our young planners networks and across the RTPI staff team, the commitment, energy and activity has been unprecedented. Whether as a chartered planner, a fellow, a licentiate, a student, an associate, an affiliate member, or as a politician in planning, membership is about much more than joining, paying your fees and undertaking continual professional development.

My New Year challenge to you all is to set our centenary commitment as the platform for future active membership of the institute. To continue to carry forwards our legacy projects and to recognise our responsibilities to promote planning to the public.

Thank you all for taking part and for making the centenary a year to remember.

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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

RTPI SHORTS

Eamonn Kelly Director of Planning, RPS DUBLIN OFFICE

(1) What do you currently do?

I manage multidisciplinary teams in coordinating large commercial and public sector planning projects in Ireland, including strategic infrastructure development projects.

(2) If I wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t in planning, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d probably beâ&#x20AC;Ś Involved in much the same work as I am today, albeit Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d be wearing a purely legal hat, as opposed to a planning hat.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT The start of the New Year is a great time to take stock of your professional development. When was the last time you considered yours? Making time to regularly review is time well invested.

The RTPI believes that one of the most useful pieces of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) you can do is to carefully prepare a Professional Development Plan (PDP). All members are required to begin and maintain a habit of lifelong learning and to remain competent to practice for the rest of their planning careers. The planning profession changes, requiring all professionals to continue to learn, debate, discuss and keep up to date on an ongoing basis.

Enhanced PDP guidance is now available for all classes of membership, including ongoing CPD requirements. The requirements for the PDP are not changing â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the guidance has simply been reviewed and improved to provide clarity to candidates and existing members.

"#!!

(3) What has been your biggest career challenge to date?

No doubt many UK-based readers of The Planner will be aware of the massive and sudden contraction of the Irish economy and the subsequent decimation of the construction and development industries over the last seven years or so. Therefore, notwithstanding the challenges associated with the successful delivery of a number of complex planning projects over my career thus far, my biggest career challenge to date has been more existential in nature: In parallel with the experiences of many of my colleagues in the private sector, I managed to successfully maintain and grow my client and project base through the severest economic recession in the history of the state, in the face of rounds of pay cuts and redundancies of junior staďŹ&#x20AC;.

(4) What attracted you to the profession?

An undergraduate degree in law, coupled with an enduring interest in geography and all things spatial, which I had carried with me from my school days, meant that a postgraduate degree in regional and urban planning was a natural progression in my academic career.

(5) What single piece of advice would you give to someone starting out in planning?

Stick with it! With reference to the answer to question 3 above, there have been very few entry-level job opportunities in planning, if any, over much of the last decade in Ireland. Fortunately, some opportunities for aspiring planners to commence their professional career in Ireland have recently appeared in both the public and private planning sectors. Hopefully these opportunities will ďŹ&#x201A;ourish and multiply as the economy improves!

(6) If you could change one thing about the planning profession, what would it be?

I would encourage the planning profession to demonstrate more stridently and more visibly to the public, to policy-makers and to other professions the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;added valueâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; of planning and the key function that the planning profession has in facilitating economic development and recovery.

PART TWO â&#x20AC;&#x201C; GOALS, OBJECTIVES & ACTION PLAN

More details on how to prepare a PDP for the APC are contained in the guidance document: Preparing your APC submission: Part 5

For each goal you intend to achieve, you need to develop objectives and an action plan. Use this table as a guide to setting out your PDP. Goal Where do I want to be professionally?

SWOT Analysis Set out your SWOT in table format as below. Your SWOT should reflect the information provided in your PES and PCS. Strengths

Weaknesses

Opportunities

Threats

Objectives What outcomes will help me achieve this goal?

Action

How will I know I have achieved it

When will it commence and finish?

n Revised guidance: http://www.rtpi.org.uk/ media/11228/pdp_template.doc

ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTIONS WAL E N E R RENEWAL Many thanks to all of our members who have already paid their subscriptions for 2015. We are pleased that RTPI numbers continue to grow in the year of our centenary, demonstrating that RTPI members recognise the value and importance of their professional institute and the support it provides across a whole career. If you have not paid yet you have a number of diďŹ&#x20AC;erent options. You can pay online on the RTPI website. Alternatively, you can spread the cost by setting up a direct debit to pay in instalments or pay over the phone.

You may qualify for a reduced subscription fee if you are on a low income, a student on an RTPIaccredited course, or if you started maternity leave during the previous calendar year. n To pay online www.rtpi.org.uk/membership/ subscriptions-and-fees/pay-your-fees n For other details, please visit: www.rtpi.org.uk/ membership/subscriptions-and-fees/ n If you have any queries, please contact the subscriptions team at subscriptions@rtpi.org.uk or call 020 7929 9463.

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19/12/2014 14:56

NEWS

RTPI { Dedication is key to great planning

IT’S OFTEN SAID THAT PLANNERS AS A PROFESSION ARE NOT VERY GOOD AT PROMOTING THEIR SUCCESSES. THE RTPI’S LATEST REPORT AIMS TO CORRECT THIS, SAYS RTPI DEPUTY HEAD OF POLICY AND RESEARCH, DR MICHAEL HARRIS The late Sir Peter Hall famously once wrote a book about Great Planning Disasters (some of which over time actually turned out to be more successful than was initially the case, for example, Sydney’s Opera House).

The RTPI’s latest report – part of a series of papers commissioned from leading planning schools – is something of an antidote to Hall’s book, focusing on how places can be transformed through planning interventions.

Success And Innovation In Planning, written by researchers at Newcastle University, focuses on 12 case studies from England and Scotland of successful innovations in planning practice. These are major projects or initiatives that have had a positive, demonstrable impact on places. At a time when planning is under pressure, the research identifies what makes projects successful – and what planning can achieve given the right environment.

To its critics, ‘planning’ is almost an antonym of ‘innovation’. But as Success And Innovation In Planning shows, planners can be highly innovative when they are given the opportunities, freedom, resources and support. The case studies included in the report range from projects with national and even international recognition – such as the regeneration of central Manchester and Salford Quays, to the London Olympics and Paralympics Games – to much more local but nonetheless significant initiatives, such as Bristol City Council’s approach to localism and how Rugby has changed its approach to planning.

The common thread between the nominated projects isn’t scale but

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commitment. The technical skills and experience of planners have necessarily been inherent to the success of these projects, but even more fundamental has been the continuity of political vision and leadership underpinning these projects, in creating an environment in which the full potential of planners and planning can be released.

Not only does the report tell a story about planning that obviously differs from how it is often characterised by some policy-makers and commentators, it also plays into the current consensus between the main UK political parties about the need to devolve more powers to cities. The critical point made in the report is that devolution of decision-making must be accompanied by devolution of resources (again, there needs to be continuity in these resources to achieve sustainable outcomes). Even if progress is being made in this respect, the report also points to how the potential of planning remains limited by conventional government and policy-making.

First, government structure is still highly centralised and organised into policy delivery ‘silos’, which makes coordination of decision-making to benefit places difficult (this ‘place governance’ has also been undermined by the increasing outsourcing and privatisation of services and utilities). Second, recent bids to reform planning systems have tended to be been narrowly focused on simple performance measures to improve ‘efficiency’ and achieve narrow objectives, for example, increasing housing permissions without sufficient attention to the many dimensions that create great places to live and work.

Alongside reduced funding to local government, this has created greater pressure to meet nationally set targets and narrow policy aspirations rather than finding ways of improving our towns and cities, including by working in partnership with local communities. The result is planning systems – and planning practice – that has drifted to varying degrees into a quasi-legal, process-led form which stifles creativity in terms of plan-making.

Despite these limitations, the examples included in this report show that many planners and planning consultants, working often over considerable periods with local politicians, other stakeholders and citizens, can make a real, positive and lasting difference to the communities they serve. The question is, what can we do to ensure that more planners are able to do the same? n The report, Success And Innovation In Planning by Geoff Vigar, Paul Cowie and Patsy Healey, can be found on the RTPI website at: www.rtpi.org.uk/spire

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STEP CHANGE

DS

AWAR ENTER THE RTPI AWARDS FOR PLANNING EXCELLENCE 2015 Highlighting exceptional examples of planning and celebrating the contribution that planners and planning make to society, the awards are now open for entries.

Rigorously judged by a panel of experienced senior planners, the annual RTPI Awards for Planning Excellence welcome entries from planning initiatives of all types and sizes; we are interested in the scale of the achievement, rather than the scale of the project.

In 2015 we will be recognising outstanding projects in the following categories: c Excellence in planning to create economically successful places; c Excellence in planning for community and wellbeing; c Excellence in planning and design for the public realm; c Excellence in planning for the natural environment; c Excellence in planning for built heritage; c Excellence in planning to deliver housing; c Excellence in planning practice for plan-making; c Excellence in planning practice for decision-making; and c Excellence in planning to deliver infrastructure.

We will also look to recognise and award exemplary individuals, teams and practices in the following categories: c Planning Consultancy of the Year; c Small Planning Consultancy of the Year; c Local Authority Planning Team of the Year; and c Young Planner of the Year.

All the project categories are open to recently completed or substantially completed projects or plans, which are at a stage that could potentially be verified by a site visit or interview.

The awards are high-impact yet low-cost, an excellent way to showcase your achievements to the world, to stakeholders, your peers and indeed potential clients. All winning and shortlisted entrants receive a prestigious awards logo for use on their own promotional materials, and material from their entries will be disseminated through the RTPI’s website and other best practice resources. n For more information go to www.rtpi.org. uk/awardsforplanningexcellence

RTPI members discuss their big career-changing decisions

Peter Sedgwick Area Team Leader, Development Management PEMBROKESHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL I am preparing to live and work in Zambia from early 2015 for two years with VSO [Voluntary Service Overseas].

Living and working abroad is not new for me, but staying in one place for two years in Africa will be. The challenge of living in a totally different culture is what engages me and I have plenty of experience of working in transient situations earlier on in life, but can now offer some value in terms of capacity building in Zambia.

I have a planning background and studied at Birmingham Polytechnic for my planning degree and post-graduate diploma during 1985-1990.

From study, I worked for Barnet Council for a couple of years, which enabled me to save to go abroad, as I had always wanted to do this.

For a total of six years I travelled Africa, Asia, South America and Australia, working wherever I could to keep me travelling and seeing different cultures. The jobs I encountered were varied and numerous, including balloon sculpting, delivering sandwiches, working in a night club, labouring on building sites, fruit picking and paralegal work in Hong Kong.

A friend of mine told me about a planning job in the Shetland Islands, as I needed to get back into the field and home, so I applied and got the job. I applied for the job in Wales, working for Pembrokeshire County Council in planning development work after taking a holiday in the area in 2000. I really liked the place. I stayed with them for nine years and built up quite a bit of experience.

After another short-term trip abroad in 2009, I worked for Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority, covering a maternity leave post for six months. I then came back to Pembrokeshire County Council into development management. I have always wanted to go back to Africa in some capacity and so I applied for the Zambia posting with VSO in September and was offered the post at the beginning of November.

At the moment I am preparing to leave the UK, which involves a lot of arrangements. However, I am also fund-raising for VSO and will walk 75 miles in four days from Chirk to Hay-on-Wye in Wales, as part of the RTPI Cymru Circumnavigate Wales project. I’m looking forward to the step change in Zambia, helping to build a new planning system and offer help and advice, and being careful to build capacity and not just teach people how to do planning. The principles of VSO are about helping people to help themselves, and I certainly want to learn from the mistakes of the past in terms of dependence on development aid. We need a different approach that doesn’t patronise developing countries.

n We wish Peter all the best with his trip. You can find out more about the fund raising here: https://www.justgiving.com/PeteSedgwick/

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19/12/2014 14:57

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19/12/2014 11:59

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The Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames is unique; a town within a city. We are an ĂŵďŝƟŽƵƐ ĨŽƌǁĂƌĚ ƚŚŝŶŬŝŶŐ >ŽŶĚŽŶ ŽƌŽƵŐŚ ǁŝƚŚ Ă ƐƵďƐƚĂŶƟĂů ŐƌŽǁƚŚ ĂŶĚ ƌĞŐĞŶĞƌĂƟŽŶ ĂŐĞŶĚĂ͘ dŚŝƐ ĂŵďŝƟŽŶ ŝƐ ŵĂƚĐŚĞĚ ďLJ ƚŚĞ ƌĞĐŽŐŶŝƟŽŶ ƚŽ ƉƌĞƐĞƌǀĞ ĂŶĚ ĞŶŚĂŶĐĞ ŽƵƌ ŚŝƐƚŽƌŝĐĂů ďƵŝůĚŝŶŐƐ͕ ƉĂƌŬƐ ĂŶĚ ŐĂƌĚĞŶƐ͖ ŝŵƉƌŽǀĞ ŽƵƌ ĂƐƐŽĐŝĂƟŽŶ ǁŝƚŚ ƚŚĞ dŚĂŵĞƐ͖ ĂŶĚ ĐŽŶƟŶƵĞ ƚŽ ďĞ ŽŶĞ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ďĞƐƚ ƐŚŽƉƉŝŶŐ ĚĞƐƟŶĂƟŽŶƐ ƚŽ ǀŝƐŝƚ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ h<͘ KƵƌ ĂŵďŝƟŽŶ ŝƐ ůĞĚ ďLJ <ŝŶŐƐƚŽŶ &ƵƚƵƌĞƐ͕ ŽƵƌ ŝŶŶŽǀĂƟǀĞ ƌĞŐĞŶĞƌĂƟŽŶ ƉƌŽŐƌĂŵŵĞ͘ KƵƌ ƉůĂŶŶŝŶŐ ĂŶĚ ƌĞŐĞŶĞƌĂƟŽŶ ƚĞĂŵƐ ƵŶĚĞƌƉŝŶ ƚŚĞ ƉůĂŶŶŝŶŐ ĂŶĚ ĚĞůŝǀĞƌLJ ŽĨ ƚŚŝƐ ƚŚƌŽƵŐŚ ƚŚĞ ƉƌŽǀŝƐŝŽŶ ŽĨ ƐƚƌĂƚĞŐŝĐ ƉŽůŝĐLJ͕ ĚĞǀĞůŽƉŵĞŶƚ ŵĂŶĂŐĞŵĞŶƚ͕ ƌĞŐĞŶĞƌĂƟŽŶ ĂŶĚ ƵƌďĂŶ ĚĞƐŝŐŶ ƐƵƉƉŽƌƚ͘ /ƚ͛Ɛ ŶŽƚ Ăůů ǁŽƌŬ ƚŚŽƵŐŚ͕ ŐŽŽĚ ĂĐĐĞƐƐ ƚŽ ĐĞŶƚƌĂů >ŽŶĚŽŶ͕ ĂůŽŶŐ ǁŝƚŚ ŽƵƌ ŽĸĐĞƐ ďĞŝŶŐ ůŽĐĂƚĞĚ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ĐĞŶƚƌĞ ŽĨ <ŝŶŐƐƚŽŶ͕ ŶĞdžƚ ƚŽ ƚŚĞ dŚĂŵĞƐ͕ ĂŶĚ ǁŝƚŚ Ă ǁŝĚĞ ƌĂŶŐĞ ŽĨ ƐŚŽƉƐ͕ ƌĞƐƚĂƵƌĂŶƚƐ ĂŶĚ ůĞŝƐƵƌĞ ĨĂĐŝůŝƟĞƐ Ăůů ŵĂŬĞ ĨŽƌ Ă ĚĞƐŝƌĂďůĞ ĂŶĚ ƐƟŵƵůĂƟŶŐ ƉůĂĐĞ ƚŽ ůŝǀĞ ĂŶĚ ǁŽƌŬ͘ tĞ ĂƌĞ ĐƵƌƌĞŶƚůLJ ůŽŽŬŝŶŐ ĨŽƌ Ă ƌĂŶŐĞ ŽĨ ĞŶƚŚƵƐŝĂƐƟĐ ĂŶĚ ƚĂůĞŶƚĞĚ ŝŶĚŝǀŝĚƵĂůƐ ƚŽ ŚĞůƉ ĚĞůŝǀĞƌ ƚŚĞ ŽƵŶĐŝů͛Ɛ ŐƌŽǁƚŚ ĂŐĞŶĚĂ͘ &Žƌ ƚŚĞ ƌŝŐŚƚ ŝŶĚŝǀŝĚƵĂůƐ ǁĞ ŽīĞƌ ĐŽŵƉĞƟƟǀĞ ƐĂůĂƌLJ͕ ŇĞdžŝƟŵĞ ĂŶĚ ƚŚĞ ŽƉƉŽƌƚƵŶŝƚLJ ƚŽ ǁŽƌŬ ǁŝƚŚ ůŝŬĞͲ ŵŝŶĚĞĚ ƉĞŽƉůĞ ďĂƐĞĚ ŝŶ ŽŶĞ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ŵŽƐƚ ĂƩƌĂĐƟǀĞ ƉůĂĐĞƐ ƚŽ ůŝǀĞ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ĐŽƵŶƚƌLJ͘

>ĞĂĚ KĸĐĞƌ ĞǀĞůŽƉŵĞŶƚ DĂŶĂŐĞŵĞŶƚ ;ϰϲ͕ϲϬϴ Ͳ άϱϭ͕ϰϰϭͿ Ɛ >ĞĂĚ KĸĐĞƌ LJŽƵ ǁŝůů ůĞĂĚ Ă ƚĞĂŵ ŽĨ ƉůĂŶŶĞƌƐ ǁŝƚŚ ĚĞůĞŐĂƚĞĚ ƌĞƐƉŽŶƐŝďŝůŝƚLJ ĨŽƌ ĚĞůŝǀĞƌŝŶŐ ƚŚĞ ŽƵŶĐŝů͛Ɛ ƉƌŝŽƌŝƟĞƐ͘ tĞ ŚĂǀĞ Ă ŶƵŵďĞƌ ŽĨ ůĂƌŐĞ ĚĞǀĞůŽƉŵĞŶƚƐ ĐŽŵŝŶŐ ĨŽƌǁĂƌĚ ĂƐ ƉĂƌƚ ŽĨ ŽƵƌ <ŝŶŐƐƚŽŶ &ƵƚƵƌĞƐ ƉƌŽŐƌĂŵŵĞ ǁŚĞƌĞ LJŽƵƌ ůĞĂĚĞƌƐŚŝƉ ǁŝůů ďĞ ǀŝƚĂů͘ /Ĩ LJŽƵ ĂƌĞ Ă ĚLJŶĂŵŝĐ͕ ŝŶŶŽǀĂƟǀĞ ĂŶĚ ďƵƐŝŶĞƐƐ ŽƌŝĞŶƚĂƚĞĚ ŝŶĚŝǀŝĚƵĂů ƚŚĞŶ ƚŚŝƐ ǁŽƵůĚ ďĞ ƚŚĞ ŝĚĞĂů ŽƉƉŽƌƚƵŶŝƚLJ ĨŽƌ LJŽƵ ƚŽ ƐŚĂƉĞ ƚŚĞ ĚŝƌĞĐƟŽŶ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ĚĞǀĞůŽƉŵĞŶƚ ŵĂŶĂŐĞŵĞŶƚ ƐĞƌǀŝĐĞ͘

ϯ dž ĞǀĞůŽƉŵĞŶƚ DĂŶĂŐĞŵĞŶƚ WůĂŶŶĞƌƐ ;Ϯ &Ƶůů dŝŵĞ͕ ϭ WĂƌƚ dŝŵĞͿ ;άϮϰ͕ϬϮϳ Ͳ άϯϱ͕ϲϱϱ &Ƶůů dŝŵĞͿ tŚĞƚŚĞƌ LJŽƵ͛ƌĞ Ă WůĂŶŶĞƌ ǁŝƚŚ Ă ĨĞǁ LJĞĂƌƐ ƵŶĚĞƌ LJŽƵƌ ďĞůƚ Žƌ ƐŽŵĞŽŶĞ ůŽŽŬŝŶŐ ĨŽƌ ƚŚĞŝƌ ĮƌƐƚ WůĂŶŶŝŶŐ ƌŽůĞ͕ LJŽƵ͛ůů ĮŶĚ Ă ƐƟŵƵůĂƟŶŐ ĐĂƌĞĞƌ ĞŶǀŝƌŽŶŵĞŶƚ ǁŝƚŚ ŐƌĞĂƚ ŽƉƉŽƌƚƵŶŝƟĞƐ ƚŽ ŐĂŝŶ ĞdžƉĞƌŝĞŶĐĞ ŝŶ Ă ǁŝĚĞ ƌĂŶŐĞ ŽĨ ĂƉƉůŝĐĂƟŽŶƐ ĂŶĚ ƉƌŽũĞĐƚƐ͘ &Žƌ ŵŽƌĞ ŝŶĨŽƌŵĂƟŽŶ ŽŶ ƚŚĞ ƌŽůĞƐ ƉůĞĂƐĞ ǀŝƐŝƚ͗ www. ŬŝŶŐƐƚŽŶ͘ŐŽǀ͘ƵŬ ĂŶĚ ĨŽƌ ŝŶĨŽƌŵĂƟŽŶ ŽŶ ĨƵƚƵƌĞ ƉƌŽũĞĐƚƐ ŝŶ <ŝŶŐƐƚŽŶ ƉůĞĂƐĞ ǀŝƐŝƚ ǁǁǁ͘ŬŝŶŐƐƚŽŶĨƵƚƵƌĞƐ͘ŽƌŐ͘ƵŬ

&Žƌ ĂŶ ŝŶĨŽƌŵĂů ĚŝƐĐƵƐƐŝŽŶ ĂďŽƵƚ ƚŚĞ ƉŽƐƚƐ ƉůĞĂƐĞ ĐŽŶƚĂĐƚ ĂǀŝĚ ,ŽƌŬĂŶ͕ /ŶƚĞƌŝŵ 'ƌŽƵƉ DĂŶĂŐĞƌ͕ ĞǀĞůŽƉŵĞŶƚ DĂŶĂŐĞŵĞŶƚ ĞŵĂŝů ĂǀŝĚ͘,ŽƌŬĂŶΛ<ŝŶŐƐƚŽŶ͘ŐŽǀ͘ƵŬ͘ ůŽƐŝŶŐ ĚĂƚĞ ͗ Ϯϯ͘Ϭϭ͘ϮϬϭϱ

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18/12/2014 15:57

J ANU AR Y 2 0 1 5 / THE PLA NNER

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INSIGHT

Plan B P A STIFF UPPER NIP FOR THE BRITS

Plan B has always been fascinated by the quirky theme parks that dot the British countryside. Almost neighbouring each other in Dorset, for example, are Monkey World and Tank World – and Plan B remembers family holidays in the South-West that incorporated trips to model villages and Flambards, a Cornish theme park devoted to aircraft.

There’s something wonderfully eccentric about a lot of them, and this is what makes them so good. We Brits are a little embarrassed by overstated razzmatazz, and prefer the more offbeat delights of monkeys and tanks. In an ideal world, of course, this would be monkeys AND tanks. But you can’t have everything.

Plan B therefore feels threatened by this month’s news that the gargantuan Paramount theme park to be built in Kent is going to include attractions related to popular BBC shows such as Sherlock and Top Gear. Aren’t these things shoved in our faces enough?

The park is already so big that it qualifies as a NIP (nationally important infrastructure project), along with power stations, freight interchanges and gas pipelines.

It’s a theme park. How are Top Gear dodgems nationally important? It’s all rather showy, self-congratulatory and – well, terribly un-British.

Fortunately Plan B has a rival scheme that will sink Paramount before it even gets launched.

Oh yeah.

As any fule kno, UKIP leader Nigel Farage will be standing for Thanet South at next year’s general election. Within this constituency is Ramsgate. Within Ramsgate, there’s an amusement park called Pleasurama. Pleasurama is no longer in use.

You see where we’re going with this? Plan B is compiling a fresh application for a NIP…

QUESTIONS, QUESTIONS

It’s not clear whether Nigel Farage approved of DCLG minister Penny Mordaunt’s notorious ‘cock’ speech in the House of Commons – although it would seem to appeal to his politically incorrect sense of humour.

On the other hand, it also plays into his narrative about how contemporary Parliamentarians have little but contempt for the British public and the institutions that sustain us.

It must be hard leading a party that tries to position itself as a radical alternative for the future built on evocations of a comfortingly familiar past.

But confusion about direction of travel hasn’t held UKIP back before.

As it happens, Farage and Mordaunt appeared together on Question Time in December. The ‘cock’ speech was quickly glossed over, with the minister for coastal communities (but not livestock welfare) looking very contrite.

Mordaunt came across as sensible, but failed to grasp the nettle when the inevitable question about Britain’s expanding population came up. Farage’s silly comment about traffic jams on the M4

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Faragarama will be a classically British theme park based on the life of the great UKIP leader (all hail Nigel) and his struggle to be taken seriously. Here are a few of the things you can expect once funding has been secured via Kickstarter: c M4 dodgems – the world’s only dodgems that remain completely stationary for the duration of the ride. c An exact, full-scale replica of Nigel’s local, the famous George and Dragon in Downe – as it was in the 1950s. c God Save The Queen broadcast from loudspeakers every hour on the hour.

c No breastfeeding! Anywhere!

At all. c The Eurotunnel of Horrors – revealing what a trip to Europe is really like. Don’t be scared!

They’re only foreigners! c Taxi drivers in crisp uniforms ferrying you everywhere and grumbling about “them blimmin’ himmigrants”!

It goes without saying that all employees will be British and women must wear dresses. What could possibly be more British – and more morale-boosting for the good people of Kent in these difficult times – than Faragarama?

You don’t have to answer that question.

being linked to immigrants was a perfect opportunity to talk about the need for equitable distribution of infrastructure and investment around the UK, to push growth into the regions and relieve pressure on the South-East.

The only panellist to mention infrastructure was Labour’s shadow secretary of state for international development, Mary Creagh – but she let it slide. None of them had an adequate response to the UKIP leader’s point about Britain’s ageing population and how we should deal with that.

It was disappointing. These are important national questions to which the answer is ‘good planning’. But no one thought to mention that.

Quelle surprise.

I M AG E S | I STO C K / R E X

19/12/2014 14:28

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Post or tweet a great initiative, award, project or plan. facebook.com/ProudofPlanning #proudofplanning #proudofplanners

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16/12/2014 16:08

Highlighting exceptional examples of planning and celebrating the contribution that planners and planning make to society

The RTPI Awards for Planning Excellence 2015 Deadline for entries 30 January www.rtpi.org.uk/awardsforplanningexcellence Previous winners of the RTPI Awards for Planning Excellence

Central Govan Action Plan, Silver Jubilee Cup winner 2014. Photograph courtesty of Andrew Lee

Photograph courtesty of Design Services (Landscape), Sunderland City Council

Photograph courtesty of English Heritage

Photograph courtesty of Nash partnership

The categories are: O Excellence in planning to create economically successful places O Excellence in planning for community and well-being O Excellence in planning and design for the public realm O Excellence in planning for the natural environment O Excellence in planning for built heritage O Excellence in planning to deliver housing O Excellence in plan making practice O Excellence in decision making in planning O Excellence in planning to deliver infrastructure O Planning Consultancy of the Year O Small Planning Consultancy of the Year O Local Authority Planning Team of the Year O Young Planner of the Year O Employer Award for Excellence Highlight O Celebrate O Inspire

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16/12/2014 16:12