...the Oxford Planning Law Conference is a highlight and this year was no exception.
The RTPI, Law Society, the General Council of the Bar and the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors come together to receive expert presentations and papers on contemporary issues - this year “Planning in 2009 – the show must go on”!
The focus was a mixture of energy and the Infrastructure Planning Commission (IPC) - the top team for which were in attendance - and updating on RSSs, LPAs and mediation.
Being a gathering dominated by lawyers, an underlying interest was the impact on the legal profession and process, one view being that the reduction in work for barristers, from the removal of cross examination, from IPC infrastructure scheme consideration being replaced by business from judicial review, because of the changes in impact assessment and community involvement in such decisions!
We shall see... but I had conversations with representatives of the Law Society and GCB, which indicated that they might be prepared to talk to the RTPI regarding “better planning law” because however much legal work emerged from the complexities of the planning process there was a professional desire to see the law work better. An informal discussion will follow so let’s see if the legal profession might help the planning profession in a simplification of their process but one which led to the more effective delivery of planning objectives?
One surprise was to hear Ken Livingstone’s after dinner speech support Gordon Brown for having “saved the world!”
Following my presentation to the Environment Agency Thames Region Conference, I had arranged to meet Simon Birch, the Environment Agency's Head of Planning, at their offices in Bristol. The offices had just been award the top Eco building award. Simon has wide ranging experience, including Chief Planning Officer at Winchester and Chief Executive Officer at Swindon, and as a committed planner, his job in the EA is to lead on planning issues, varying from flood prevention to water supply and quality. Simon, like Steven Bee at English Heritage, is keen to renew and refresh the relationship with the RTPI - and we will be holding a major stakeholders' session later in the year, to address how we can work more closely together.
Remaining in the South West region, I started my Regional visit with Dr Stephen Essex, at Plymouth University School of Geography (which is seeking accreditation of a planning course), joined by Andy England, the outstanding South West Region Chair.
The university was heaving with freshers and, as the campus is right on the northern edge of the city centre, it integrates fully in the life of the city. We discussed the benefits to be gained from accessing their departments of Psychology (Community Behaviour and Engagement), Business (Economy and Viability) and Architecture (Urban Design) to strengthen their case - and I came away confident that they will shortly be successful.
Down to the highly regarded Planning Division of Plymouth City Council, who were awarded the RTPI Silver Jubilee Cup in 2007 for their LDF Core Strategy.
Led by Paul Barnard and Mike Palmer, with an outstanding team, it was clear that they had led the revival and regeneration of Plymouth and were hugely respected by the local community and councillors. They seemed to have a grip of the most difficult issue facing LDF planners, how to review and update LDFs in the light of changing economic circumstances, and have managed to provide a clear planning framework for public and private investment.
One of their consultants had come up with an ingenious solution to move people from a redeveloped railway station, down the valley to the city centre, then up to the Hoe – on an overhead cable car.
I hope this outstanding idea is introduced, as it will help the Hoe, which is a steep walk up from most other city centre venues.
I was also taken round the centre by an expert team including one of the most enthusiastic young lady planners I have met, Hannah Sloggett, who has worked her way up from admin clerk to planning trainee and, as a local, will clearly be an exceptional ambassador for the city in the future.
Pleasant dinner with RAC and Plymouth worthies, including the long serving David Lobban, where Plymouth Gin is produced - then off the next day to Truro.
First stop a small planning consultancy, Laurence Associates, led by Laurence Osborne. They were an impressive team, a mixture of MRTPI and Technical members together with an urban designer and what, for me a distinguished team, was that they offered eco design and eco building expertise to all their clients to complement planning advice.
This is exactly what I am looking for from private planning consultants - the professional commitment to try to deliver planning objectives before an application is made. Well done to you all!
I then visited the new Planning Department at Cornwall County Council, met their Corporate Director Tom Flanagan, Head of Planning and Regeneration Phil Mason and their newish Chief Executive Officer, an ex-planner Kevin Lavery. I had a discussion with many senior and junior members of Phil’s team. They seemed attracted by some of the services on offer from the RTPI and, with Andy England as in-house chairman, were clearly committed to the Regional approach. Phil also drew attention to the benefits of bringing together specialists from the previous authorities, once unitary status was delivered.
He made an excellent suggestion about how specialists within local authorities might form an “internal consultancy” for adjoining LAs to provide expertise, such as bio-diversity, urban design, landscape architecture, archaeology, etc. I commend this to others and I'm sure that arrangements emerging, where LAs combine resources, may offer particular opportunities in these difficult economic times.
Finally with officer support, a Land Rover trip with John Hodkin, Project Director of IMERYS Minerals, around the multi-settlement Eco Town, IMERYS’s China Clay Community.
The photos shown here demonstrate both the potential and the beauty of these old china clay sites for sustainable development.
IMERYS have just attracted a Swiss investor, so it looks as if reservations regarding the need for unavailable up-front public investment may be reduced, and both public and private partners are approaching the master plan and community engagement process with great skill.
A pleasant drive, through the countryside of the South West region, back home in Somerset, after a quick glass of Cornwall Ale with Andy in Truro.
Martin Willey
