The former resulted in the Bridgewater Concert Hall and the latter, amongst other outcomes, a new central business district for Liverpool, next to what was Littlewood’s headquarters.
The RTPI NW Region ably chaired by - young planner again - Sarah Foster, and the highly successful administrator Beverley Watson had, unbeknown to them, also booked me into Jury's Inn, at the back of the Bridgewater Hall, where I used to stay for both jobs!
However, before my RTPI NW trip, I started with a special Executive Board to agree a speedy programme to replace Robert, and then the “annual out of London” General Assembly at Liverpool University, located there to celebrate the centenary of the first planning school in the UK, the School of Civic Design. We assembled in a beautiful chamber in the old University building and were addressed by the Head of School (and chair of CHOPS) Prof Dave Shaw, and Lever Professor Peter Batey.
Peter gave us a history of the creation of the School, which resulted from a successful libel case against the Daily Mail, in 1907, by Lord Lever (of the soap fame), who secured and invested £1million in the school! They have attracted extraordinary planning figures, such as Patrick Abercombie, and remain one of, if not the, top Planning Design courses in the world.
The General Assembly discussed housing in the recession, and received an excellent introductory presentation from Dave Curtis, Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) director, on the opportunities for planners to contribute to Sir Bob Kerslake’s “single conversation” with local authorities, regarding housing delivery. This was followed by opposing presentations by Glyn Robert’s offering a market based solution and Alan Wenban Smith’s offering a non trend based approach, both of which had run the usual gauntlet of Rynd, Richard and Planning Policy and Practice Committee.
The debate was healthy, humorous and well informed, and results will be published shortly but you can see the presentations on the RTPI website. The GA seems to have discovered a real policy purpose of late and the Executive Team members have found their contributions extremely valuable. Elections for GA and ExBo commence in the autumn, and I expect to see much more competition for places than usual.
I was then privileged to address the AESOP (Association of European Schools of Planning) Convention also celebrating the centenary and concluded their opening session with a summary of the excellent academic and research track record of the RTPI (due in no small part to Robert’s and now Sue’s considerable efforts), their use of Partnership Boards for Planning Schools and the range of careers now open to spatial planners. You can see my presentation on the website at http://www.rtpi.org.uk/download/6730/RTPI_AESOP_Liverpool.pdf
So, on to Manchester, and an early start with Sarah and Tony Whitehead,
who kindly chauffeured us for the first day.
We arrived in Blackpool, where Philly and I had taken our four children to see the lights, each year we had lived in Harrogate, in the early 1980s, but I had never visited the Tower.
It was an extraordinary and highly recommended experience, led by Tom Kellet, the Works Manager, who must have done the tour hundreds of times in his 37 years of service, but still showed huge enthusiasm for the project.
The building complex has changed hands several times since its construction in the 1800s, and the current owners, Leisure Parcs, are slowly uncovering wonderful tiled interiors and generally bringing the buildings back to their former glory.
The pictures here do not do justice to the quality of heritage, and we were also in the Ballroom when the “Mighty Wurlitzer” appeared out of the floor and onto the stage – memories of Terry Jones and Monty Python's Flying Circus were banished by the delightful ballroom dancing before us.
The views from the top allowed us to receive a helpful presentation on the work of the Urban Regeneration Company ReBlackpool, by Julie Dunn, who also guided us around the town centre. Blackpool, despite the lack of success in securing a mega casino, is clearly on the up, so visit it if you can.
Off to Lancaster and a serious discussion regarding an unusual case of developer withdrawal from a call-in Public Inquiry, into a public/private partnership scheme to extend the retail centre site - photos of which can be seen here.
Many of you will know the detail, but a positive discussion, with important contributions from Tony and Sarah, left David Hall and his enthusiastic team with some ideas to take the initiative forward, to discover a new scheme, assuming the current one is unsuccessful.
Dinner with the RTPI NW RAC and MB in a Greek restaurant, that I also used to frequent - and the huge pleasure for me, of presenting the first Today’s and Tomorrow’s Planners Awards to Richard Knight and Lindsay Whitley, respectively. John Knight, erstwhile RTPI ELL Committee Chair, was particularly proud of his son!
For the record, this year's and next year's RTPI NW Chairs are young planners - and so were both of the winners! Some of us are feeling a little old...!
The following day, with Lindsay replacing Tony, Sarah and I visited Nigel Wray’s planning team at NWRDA, who were feeling a little bruised by the latest cost-saving reorganisation, and threats from an opposition party, declaring the intent to remove regional bodies.
Our discussion centred on the rational for strategic planning, a subject that also featured in my discussions with Yorkshire and Humberside RA, and which will feature in my next Planning article. They were a cerebral and able team, and I am confident that any reshuffle will accommodate planners of this ilk.
Finally to Warrington, where we met John Groves and a highly competent and streetwise team, who showed us the transformation of the town centre. I have not visited Warrington town centre for 10 years or so, and as these photos show, the landscaping of public realm is of an extraordinary quality, vastly different from my last visit.
They have over five years' housing land supply but are clearly focused now on delivery, in partnership with the RDA and HCA.
The town compares well with my experience at Reading, where committed public servants work for many years to introduce grain and structure, to create wonderful places from a poor start. Good work John, Director Andy Farrell and team!
Sarah and Lindsay kindly dropped me off at the station, and I headed for Headingley to watch Leeds Rhinos beat Hull KR in a rugby league match with the Ramus’s, good friends and neighbours from Harrogate.
Right shaped ball but only 13 men, no line-outs or opposed scrums, but excellent athleticism.
The following morning I visited Peter and Anna Wilbraham, to find that Peter was in fine form, coping well with his treatment, and hopefully back in the RTPI Hon Sec and Solicitor saddle by early September.
May I also wish Vincent Goodstadt, Hon Treasurer, a quick return to health?
Both Honorary Officers are much missed.
A rather long train journey back to Somerset, livened up by the train arriving late into Taunton, and my having to run under the lines to catch the train to Castle Cary, where my car was parked - with a parking fine!
C’est la vie…
Martin Willey
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