Wherever planners work, they will sustain high professional standards

I am looking forward to a brief holiday with Philippa in the sun...

But firstly, two meetings with top consultants and one with the chair of the IPC.
Terence O’Rourke Ltd has their HQ in Bournemouth.



Terry, recently retired, was a Hants County Council Planning Department Team Leader when I was a PPO in Test Valley and subsequently set up what is now a substantial consultancy of nearly 100 people, specialising in difficult but high quality consents mainly for the private sector. Whenever I meet separate groups of either local authority or consultant planners, they both perceive that the other group has more influence in the RTPI. Both are mistaken because all planners have equal influence!

Our discussions, led by MD Tim Hancock and Director Ann Bartaby, ranged from the energy required to complete the APC process to the scope to persuade clients to require high design standards as a route to successful and speedy application consideration. TOR has a good mix of young and experienced and like the RTPI as a whole, an increasing proportion of ladies. They have a good track record of supporting RTPI governance having supported a President, SW Regional Chair and leading YP. All in all a thoroughly professional outfit.

With Robert’s elevation to Deputy Chair, meeting the IPC chair Sir Michael (Mike) Pitt was always going to be interesting. I was joined by Sue and Jim Claydon the interim Policy Officer for Planning Aid and as with other important stakeholders we started off by describing the RTPI and what we would like to offer the IPC. The IPC starts on October 1st and will receive applications from 1st March and have already received indications that at least 55 are in the pipeline. Clearly the RTPI has the scope to inform and upskill members through Networks and we may offer some customised training through Planning Matters. However Planning Aid can offer quite specific support to the IPC in engaging hard to reach communities in the various Commission processes and we agreed to meet later in the year to agree a specific programme of action.

Finally to the London offices of Jones Lang LaSalle, at the top of a Canary Wharf office block, with amazing views up and down the Thames. Guy Bransby, Planning Director, and Jeff Field, Director of Planning, introduced me to a team, mainly from the London offices, but one from Manchester, and I did my presentation on what the RTPI stands for and what services it offers.



Unlike many of the meetings I attend, over half of those present were aware of and members of RTPI Networks, mainly YPs, but they were not aware of the website and Learning Partners, the RTPI kite marked training recognition.
Again the discussions covered the APC process and I understand that some modest changes are under consideration that are likely to address some reservations but generally we were favourably compared with other schemes such as from the RICS, which was perceived to be much easier.
JLL London deal mainly with major city commercial schemes but are moving into mixed use projects. I gained the firm impression that they work hard and competently but also enjoy themselves. Jeff also indicated that he would look at the possibility of collecting evidence of the beneficial economic impact of planning from within the firm and provide this to the RTPI, for which I am very grateful.
As I mention in my latest Planning article, any change in government may result in more outsourcing of public services so the balance of public/private members in the RTPI may change. From all of my visits I remain confident that wherever professional planners work, they will sustain high professional standards.

Have a good summer!

Martin