Winter 2012

PLANNET

WINTER 2012

THE NEWSLETTER OF THE NORTH WEST REGION

Reflections as Regional Chair Planning Achievement Awards for 2012 NW Annual Dinner – Ann Widdecombe Arrives! Oh, We Do Like To Be Beside the Seaside . . . and see back page for new job opportunities

The Net Bit Welcome 2012.

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PLANNET

Winter

The stygian blackness outside my office window tells me that winter is on its way, but don’t worry… Plannet is here to warm you over those long nights! As 2012 comes to a close we bid farewell to Regional Chair John Knight, who will have completed his two year term at the helm. John gives us his reflections on his two year term on page 4. We also look at this years Planning Achievement Awards, with winning projects from Preston, Central Lancashire, Kendal, Darwen, Stockport and Wigan.

Enjoy! Chris Wilson This newsletter has been brought to you courtesy of the RTPI NW. Any comments or articles should be directed to: PLANNET c/o 91 Draperfield, Chorley, Lancashire, PR7 3PN t. 07796 866422 e. [email protected]

Registered Charity Number 262865 Registered address RTPI, 41 Botolph Lane, London, EC3R 8DL

The Annual Dinner continues to grow in popularity with this year’s guest list approaching 250 people with the event beings held for the first time at the Radisson Edwardian Hotel in Manchester city centre. My thanks go to our sponsors for the dinner and to all those who attended and made the event such a success. Our guest speaker was Anne Widdecombe, the former Member of Parliament who held a number of senior posts in government and opposition until her retirement from the House of Commons at the 2012 General Election. Anne is also a Privy Councillor. More recently, she is well known for her appearance as a contestant on Strictly Come Dancing. After her amusing and informative speech which moved seamlessly between politics, planning and ballroom dancing, Anne agreed to take questions from guests. This part of the evening proved to be very entertaining with Anne responding quickly and often with humour to the varied questions asked of her. Watch out for her memoirs due sometime next year to see if we appear. Also at the Annual Dinner, the presentation was made to the winner of the overall RTPI North West Regional Planning Award for 2013 which went to the Brockholes project near Preston. A full report on our regional awards appears elsewhere in this edition of Plannet. A good range of nominations for regional planning awards were received once again this year and site visits and presentations took place during the summer. The other awards will be presented along with scheme presentations to the AGM in December. Manchester was once again host to one of the main party political conferences, the Labour Party holding their event at Manchester Central. As in previous years, the RTPI hosted a number of fringe events on topical planning issues designed to engage with those attending and raise awareness of the profession. I attended an early morning event chaired by RTPI Junior Vice President Cath Ranson which featured Trudi Elliott (RTPI Chief Executive) and the Labour Shadow Planning Minister Dr Roberta Blackman-Woods. A lunchtime event also featured Hilary Benn, who is Shadow Minister for Communities and Local Government and therefore in opposition to Eric Pickles. The RTPI has attended the main party political conferences in recent years and it remains an investment for senior officers and members with the President attending the Conservative conference this year. The Institute needs to attend such events to represent the interests of planners, but it is also a major opportunity to influence decision makers about planning and a wide range of related matters being discussed at the annual conferences. This year’s visit was held on Wednesday 5th and Thursday 6th September. Colin Haylock attended and contributed to the North West

Winter 2012

Disclaimer The opinions expressed in PLANNET are the view of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the editor, publishers, or the RTPI.

September and early October saw a very busy period for our region with the Annual Dinner, Labour Party conference, RTPI Presidential visit to the region and Planning Summer School all taking place over a five week period.

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This year’s Annual Dinner featured, as its guest speaker, that famous ballroom dancer Ann Widdecombe (I think she has also done a few things in politics as well). She amused guests at the Radisson Blu Edwardian Hotel in October and you can read an article on that at pages 13 and 14. Other articles look at the work of the Young Planners Group, while our Grumpy Planner gets Grumpy(er) by the seaside.

Greetings from the Chair

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Greetings from the Chair continued . . . Update event on Neighbourhood Planning in Warrington after which he met with planners from Salford and the Greater Manchester Combined Authority to discuss spatial planning within the conurbation. A dozen members of the RAC met Colin for evening dinner in Manchester. The second day was an equally busy programme with three further events: a canal barge trip from Sale to Castlefield, Manchester to see and hear about recent developments, a meeting of the Manchester Age Friendly Design Group at the Town Hall and a meeting and Q and A session with planners from the four local authorities in Central Lancashire to consider spatial planning across the area, particularly the cooperation between authorities and the adoption of the Core Strategy. Special thanks are due to all those who helped make the visit such a success.

The second meeting of the Construction Industry Council (CIC) Regional Committee was held in September with Katie Wray from our Young Planners Group and myself attending. A series of aims and objectives have been agreed around matters such as recruitment and retention, employability, future skills, exchanges of information, advice and guidance, and a

In 2014, it will be the RTPI Centenary and there are now 16 projects in the planning, each with a Project Manager and some with Project Plans and volunteer task groups established. It is hoped that regions will be involved in many of these projects. As a region we will be expected to support these national initiatives as well as putting our own complementary programme together. More news of this in the next edition as we move into 2013. Our Young Planners Group organised a very successful and popular regional event in October aimed at mentors of those Licentiates working towards their APC and membership of the profession. Licentiates, mentors and assessors will be aware that the Institute changed the way submissions are dealt with from the beginning of this year. The changes have been generally welcomed and this event was an opportunity for the two key RTPI staff in the RTPI Membership Department (Judy Waugh and Philip Woodward) to give those attending an update including tips and hints for a successful submission time. If any licentiate members within the region would like the support of a mentor through the APC process, members of the RAC have indicated a willingness to offer their support. Please contact Bev Watson in the first instance. Also, good luck to all those submitting in the final round of this year due as Plannet was going to press. Our North West Update programme for 2013 was circulated by post to all members with the notice of the AGM and “Call for nominations” papers. We have made some changes to the programme including its appearance, but it remains at the core of our activities as a region supporting our members. All members can help to support the programme in different ways.

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The way in which RTPI nations and regions operate was last reviewed in 2008. The Regions and Nations Panel agreed at its meeting in September that it is now timely to undertake a review to look particularly at priorities and business processes, particularly in the light of the economic and financial climate in which the Institute has now to operate. The first stage will be to agree a high level statement of the roles and aims of the regions which will be a vision for what the regions should do. The second stage will be to look how these are delivered, and the processes, organisation and responsibilities that can bring the vision about. These will include having the right tools for the job, understanding members, developing effective business plans and having thriving regional committees. As part of this, a review of financing of the regions will be established to consider the current grant system, the income that regions generate, how more income could be generated regionally and how profits generated could be deployed. As a very active region across a wide range of activities, we are keen to play a full role in this review.

An update on Planning Aid England (PAE) can also be given. There are two major work programmes: an advice line funded by the RTPI gives 15 minutes of planning advice and where appropriate refers cases to volunteers for additional support and secondly, delivery of the CLG contract to support neighbourhood planning. The CLG contract has now been extended until the end of March 2013 and our two PAE staff based in the North West are working hard to comply with the terms of the contract within the North West region. Priority is now being given to 24 neighbourhoods nationally, of which 3 are in North West (2 in Wirral, 1 in Preston). The North West region now has over 150 volunteers and still growing; more are welcome. RTPI nationally is now considering medium and long term funding and sustainability of the service. It is hoped to hold a national conference for planning aid volunteers within the next few weeks.

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The annual Planning Summer School took place in Liverpool for the first time in mid-September, held at Hope University campus. Although a separate organisation from our Institute, the Summer School is run by planners for planners and is supported by the RTPI. The School did approach the region at the beginning of the year for support in a number of areas. A successful school was held so thanks are due to those members of our region (some members of the RAC, others not) who helped make the first Liverpool school a success, particularly the site visits within the region which were extremely well received by those attending.

number of regional initiatives are being developed across the Built Environment professions. The group is keen to work together on issues of common interest so please keep an eye on future CIC events in the region.

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Greetings from the Chair continued . . . For example, if you work in a planning office with other colleagues, think about taking out a season ticket for the year which are excellent value for money. Please contact Bev if you have any queries about the programme or are interested in a season ticket for your office. Our final member event of the year will be the AGM to be held at the Hilton Hotel at Manchester Airport on Friday 7 December. Recent AGMs have proved very popular with members with a successful format which we hope to repeat this year. You are promised a diverse and interesting afternoon if you are able to attend comprising lunch, RTPI NW AGM business meeting and presentation of regional awards for achievement in 2012 (some of whom will present their schemes). This will then be followed by a presentation on Airport City Manchester (the Enterprise Zone for the Airport) by John Twigg, Planning Director, Manchester Airport Group followed by a tour of some key sites and buildings. I hope to see you there.

North West Region Annual General Meeting Friday 7 December (Starting with Lunch from 12 Noon)

Hilton, Manchester Airport The theme this year is ‘Airport City’ with presentations from Manchester Airport followed by a walking tour.

John Knight RTPI NW Chairman

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General Assembly October 2012 The last GA of the year was held again in London. Institute business again occupied most of the morning session with the President and Chief Executive each reporting on issues including subscription rates, accreditation charging for planning schools, the new Corporate Strategy, negotiations with CLG concerning Planning Aid and the new arrangements for Fellowship of the Institute. A new Nominations sub-committee will be appointed to consider applications for Fellowship and membership of the Board and standing committees of GA. The George Pepler International Award was won this year by Lorraine Woodward of South Lakeland District Council who was present at GA to receive the award and to give an interesting summary of her proposed study of Community Initiatives in Japan. Lorraine will visit Japan in June next Year.

Tony Whitehead NW RTPI representative on General Assembly

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The afternoon Annual General meeting passed by very quickly with no adverse comments from anyone present on institute Accounts or the recent Governance changes. Once again, only one additional RTPI Member from London Region turned up to attend the AGM in addition to GA members. The AGM was followed by a series of mostly unmemorable presentations by 5 planning practitioners under the banner of ” Towards the Centenary; Five Policy priorities/Five Nations”. The most interesting of these was a paper by Graham McGranagam highlighting the problems of urban globalization and the principal planning issues which are being experienced in the main urban areas of the Third World where population increase continues at an alarming rate both from high birth rates and in-migration from the poorer rural areas. The remaining presentations were directed mainly at ‘Standing up for Planning and Planners’ with a repeated call for regional or national strategic plans to be reconsidered as an important part of the UK planning system.

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Reflections as Regional Chair My two year term of office as your chair ends at the AGM in December and I have been asking myself and others where does the profession stand within our region now compared to two years ago? In the autumn of 2010 we were more than two years into recession with a new Coalition Government beginning to address the planning agenda. I have heard some members say they would like planning to be less susceptible to changes in policy each time there is a change of Government or a change of direction in response to external pressures such as the economy. The chances of this happening seem unlikely. Indeed it could be argued that it is recognition of the important role that planning plays in our society that it cannot escape policy interventions and changes in response to Government ideology. My first conclusion is that as a profession we have already shown that we can still influence Government policies particularly around implementation of policy. The changes made to the Localism Act and the NPPF as a result of the efforts of the RTPI, many of which we contributed to within this region, are a case in point. There is still more work to be done in these areas as new initiatives continue to merge.

Finally, I see the last two years as a transition period. At Government level, Localism is now embedded in law and emerging practice. The Opposition did not oppose many of its fundamental aims and objectives and it is doubtful they will abolish it if they win the next election. On the other hand, there are still massive centralising forces at work impacting on the planning system. As planners we have to be positive about the roles our profession can play in resolving the social, economic and environmental challenges across the region and finding solutions to those challenges at the different spatial scales. We also have to be clear about the limits of planning, particularly when engaging with local politicians and communities. We should not promise what cannot be delivered. Planning is about making difficult choices over land and other resources and also about making longer term decisions as against short term needs. There is an increasing amount of evidence across the region that local communities are excited about the prospect of making plans for their area if encouraged actively to do so, but there remains a lot of work to be done. John Knight RTPI NW Chairman

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As for Localism, it is still early days in which to form any conclusions. There remains the inherent conflict between what communities think they want (often very little change) and the recovery and economic growth as we emerge slowly out of the recession. Our neighbourhood planning work led by regional Planning Aid co-ordinators and volunteers has given us the opportunity to work with those communities embracing Localism. Initial concerns are that the process of adopting a neighbourhood plan needs to be simplified and the plans need to be made more effective, particularly in terms of delivery. Otherwise, all that community engagement and effort will be to no avail. The activity of neighbourhood planning may however not only lead to a formal development plan, but could result in local design statements or SPDs.

So is the plan-led system still evident after two years of changes to it? The NPPF has of course brought forward the prospect of more planning by appeal, particularly in areas of restraint. The same ingredients for a successful plan-led approach do not appear to have changed, even if the rules have changed and will change again. Firstly, strong political will to give priority to development planning is needed and to give leadership to the community. This requires local politicians to make difficult decisions and at the same time be accountable at the ballot box, a tough call in many areas. Planning officers need to develop good working relations with members and demonstrate their expertise and knowledge so councillors can have confidence in supporting their officers. Finally, communities need to understand how planning can help them resolve local concerns, what the spatial needs of their local area going forward are and why some of development may be required. Localism can help local communities engage with the planning system in new ways so they are better informed about the need for changes to resolve these issues in their local area.

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Strategic planning across the region will however be lost. We need to confront the reasons for this if we are to learn from the removal of the RSS. In the North West, we have a clear regional identity supported by good infrastructure and led by our two great city regions. The challenge going forward is to bring some kind of regional or sub-regional/city region planning which has a clear spatial dimension, stretching beyond the boundaries of individual authorities and which does not become unduly burdensome. An obvious example of the absence of the plan-led approach at the strategic/regional level (or “larger then local” as it is rather awkwardly called) is the future housing needs for our region. How are we to monitor whether enough housing is being planned and built when housing markets operate beyond local authority boundaries?

Another topical issue over the last two years has been the retention and implementation of CIL and the future of section 106 agreements. The main concern here for members is the uncertainty this creates as even modest changes can slow schemes down or even lead to them being scrapped or held in abeyance. It is the process of making the changes and the variations in the proposed charging regimes which create those uncertainties. Clearly, across all sectors of our profession we need to progress the changes as speedily as we can.

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North West Region – Planning Achievement Awards for 2012 The RTPI decided earlier this yyear not to hold anyy national planning awards and as entries to those awards have previously been automatically forwarded and entered into the Regional Awards, this helped boost numbers. Notwithstanding this, we received 13 entries to our 2012 call for submissions, which was a reasonable number given continuing budget costs in organisations and the time involved in pulling together a submission. We g give our g grateful thanks to all those who submitted. Unfortunately one entry was submitted too late and, in fairness to the others, was not considered.

submitted byy The Wildlife Trust for Lancashire,, Manchester and North Merseyside. Brockholes is a former gravel quarry with planning agreement for nature conservation end use. The Lancashire Wildlife Trust has created an iconic high profile visitor attraction and nature reserve on the 166ha site. The £10m project includes a floating g which adapts p to floodplain p conditions. visitor village The centre has achieved BREEAM ‘outstanding’ for sustainable construction.

This year we were also ruthless in our shortlisting of entries to keep judging down to two days. Only seven entries were therefore shortlisted. This year we were honoured to be accompanied on our visits by Keith Nutter, Partner at WYG; long standing sponsor of the Awards. The judging panel comprised: Jane Aspinall, John Knight, Keith Nutter, Peter Kuit, Matt Birkinshaw and Paul Mason (representing the IHBC). Brockholes, Easter 2012 Every aspect off the E h development d l h been has b carefully f ll considered to ensure the project has the lowest possible impact on the environment. In terms of planning input, it was clearly led by planners working in a number of areas, but particularly for and in the voluntary sector on behalf of the Wildlife Trust, which has been instrumental in achieving this iconic high profile visitor attraction and nature reserve.

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We set off Day One with a visit to the New Performing Arts department of Kendal College, submitted by IBI Taylor Young. This is a new development within the h heart off the h town centre’s ’ conservation i area, sharing h i its boundary with the Grade I listed Castle Dairy which has been simultaneously renovated by South Lakeland District Council for the use of the College’s catering students as a restaurant. This is a lovely building and constructed despite the prevailing economic climate, and the judges applauded the architecture. From Kendal we shot down the M6 to B kh l Brockholes N t Nature R Reserve, which hi h had h d been b

Winterr 2012 A new perspective on Kendal

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Planning Achievement Awards continued . . . From Preston we then moved across to Darwen to have a guided tour of the Darwen Town Centre to see the impact of the Town Centre Townscape Heritage Initiative. This was submitted by Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council. The Initiative encompasses the commercial core of the town and is focused on improvements to the Conservation Area. Since 2006, the ongoing programme of works has successfully restored over 25 historic buildings along with significant improvements to areas of public realm around the market square.

Oak marketing suite was officially opened, sales of the new homes were immediately brisk and the waiting list for those interested in renting was closed in a matter of days. It will hopefully bring substantial long term benefits including regeneration of the area and demonstrates what can be achieved when people and organisations work together.

The project has also promoted the Heritage Skills Training Plan which seeks to increase opportunities, increase community participation and improve management and maintenance practices through apprenticeship training.

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The judging panel were impressed by the close collaboration and joint working that was evident between the Local Authority, Private Sector, and the local community. The success of the project is clear to see through the comprehensive physical regeneration of prominent properties throughout the town. With high streets suffering in the current economic climate it was evident that improvements to commercial properties were having a positive effect, and the need for funding had been identified and recognised to different parts of the Conservation Area through a clear project brief. Day One ended with a visit to Stockport to view the Royal Oak building, submitted by Stockport Council. The site has been transformed to provide 51 new homes for local people. When the Royal

Built Heritage in Darwen

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Planning Achievement Awards continued . . . Day Two commenced with two presentations. The Central Lancashire Core Strategy (jointly prepared by South Ribble, Preston and Chorley Councils) was put forward as a strong example of collaborative working within the field of town planning which has led to a successful outcome despite the challenges faced as a result of increasing pressures on resources, the revocation of Regional Strategies and the recasting of national guidance. Prior to 2006 the three authorities had no track record of collaborating on development plans and although the joint working approach started from more humble beginnings (such as combined commissioning of evidence) it was soon recognised that there could be significant benefits of adopting a more joined up approach to spatial planning.

It’s Wigan (Honest!) Astudio Information and Learning Zone Building

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The second presentation was a Neighbourhood Plan by the Upper Eden Community Interest Company. This is the most advanced Neighbourhood Plan in the Country and demonstrates a community-led planning process, which is both advanced and ambitious in the new planning policy it proposes. The pro-growth policies focus on affordable and appropriate housing for local people within the sparsest rural part of the country. A new policy for housing on farms, housing for the elderly and exceptions affordable housing are proposed within the context of an overall development rate for each parish. Following the presentations we ended Day Two with a visit to view the Wigan Life Centre. This project has created an exciting new civic campus which incorporates a revitalized town hall effectively sandwiched between two new buildings and adjacent to extensive new public spaces.

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The £50m PFI scheme was designed by Astudio and LCE Architects in a 50/50 collaboration with main contractors Morgan Sindall. The team set out not only to provide accommodation for a full range of Council services but to attempt placemaking on a significant scale. The scheme succeeds on both counts. Since opening the Council has seen a considerable increase in the usage of the various services housed in each of the buildings. Careful attention has been taken to incorporate the terracotta façade of the former Municipal Building which faces on to the listed Town Hall. The designers have cleverly used the 15m change of level across the site to create an impressive two story entrance lobby to the Information and Learning Zone Building where visitors cross a bridge spanning over the new library. The overall complex also contains many state of the art features from the energy conservation point of view and promises to continue to deliver savings well into the 21st century.

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Planning Achievement Awards continued . . . The Overall Winner of the Planning Achievement Awards (Brockholes Nature Reserve, Preston) was announced and presented at the RTPI NW Annual Dinner, which was held at the Radisson Hotel, in Manchester on Friday 5 October. All of the other awards and the commendations will be announced and presented at the Annual General Meeting, which will be held at lunchtime on Friday 7 December 2012 (12 noon - 4.30pm) at Hilton Hotel, Manchester Airport. Details of all of the award winners and recipients of commendations will be set out in the next edition of PLANNET. Jane Aspinall North West Regional Awards Co-ordinator

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Overall Winner of the Planning Achievement Awards: Brockholes Nature Reserve, Preston

El Presidente's Visit RTPI President, Colin Haylock visited Preston on 6th September. He met officers from Preston City Council, Chorley Council, South Ribble Borough Council and Lancashire County Council, who had worked together on the Central Lancashire Core Strategy. The Central Lancashire Core Strategy was the first Core Strategy to be found sound following the issuing of the NPPF on 27th March 2012 and it is a good example of joint working between Councils. The Central Lancashire Core Strategy is also the winner of an RTPI NW and WYG Planning Award (see the above article), which will be awarded later in the year.

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The RTPI President (probably the one in the middle with the bling!) and guests

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North West Young Planners – Winter 2012 Greetings from the Chair p yyou’ve all had an enjoyable j y I hope summer and,, like me,, are admiring the autumn colours…though not relishing the cold to come! We’ve had a mixed bag of events over the summer, from Olympiads to Walking Tours and we’ve got more variety to come as we head in to winter. I am particularly looking forward to Alex Jones from Centre for Cities presenting to us on devolution on 12th November. It’s been quite a coup getting someone ‘famous’ (in the planning world) up here, so p yyou’ll make the effort to come alongg and jjoin in I do hope with what promises to be an eventful lunchtime session. I am also of course looking forward to our infamous Inter‐Pro Event on 29th November...read on to find a clue on the venue!

Katie Wray Chair of the NWYP Committee

Planning Olympiad – 23rd August

The first NWYP Olympiad event took place in Manchester’s Gorilla Bar with teams of professional and student planners taking up the challenge of participating in a number of planning related activities in hope of being awarded a Gold, Silver or Bronze medal. The Olympiad tested the teams in 6 different disciplines including the planning acronyms challenge, cityscape silhouettes and the GPDO test. Points were awarded to the gold, silver and bronze medal teams from each of the six rounds of competition. The eventual winners with 186 points were Katie, Amy, Helen & Bob who won a bottle of champagne and an enormous amount of respect for their nous and valour.

After meeting at the historic Seaman’s Gates, the group were led up to the top of Duke Street and through the streets of the Rope Walks area which takes its name from the craft of rope‐ making for sailing ships that dominated the area until the 19th Century. Having observed attempts at regenerating the Rope Walks we then passed through Liverpool One, a mixed use development that has opened up the city centre to the world famous Albert Dock, another stellar example of regeneration within the World Heritage Site. The group were then taken to observe Li Liverpool’s l’ ‘Three ‘ h G Graces’ ’ alongside l id the h cities ii two newest developments, the Liverpool Museum and Mann Island, which prompted much discussion about their background & contribution to the areas World Heritage Status. The tour was so well received that by the time the group had made it to the city Town Hall they had been strolling around the World H it Sit for f almost l t two t h d were Heritage Site hours and very grateful to receive a complimentary drink on behalf of the NWYPs. The NWYP’s would like to thank Professor Ian Wray for donating his time & efforts in making the tour such a successful event.

If there is one  thing planning  is good at  producing, its  lots of  acronyms!

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Move over Mo Farah, bye bye Mr Bolt… It’s the Planning Olympians!

On Tuesday the 14th August the NWYP’s and Merseyside Civic Society were lucky enough to be taken on a guided walking tour of the Liverpool World Heritage Site led by Professor Ian Wray, Chair of the Liverpool World Heritage Site Steering Group. Needless to say we were left in quite capable hands and were also afforded the luxury of a dry and sunny summers evening.

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The NWYPs entered into the 2012 Olympic / Para‐Olympic spirit with a one‐off summer team building event on 30th August.

Liverpool World Heritage Site  Walking Tour – 14th August

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North West Young Planners – Winter 2012 Planning Summer School in Liverpool – 14‐17th September Planning Summer School took place this year from the 14th‐17th September (Friday to Monday) at Liverpool Hope University. The focus this year was “Planning for Legacy” with sessions including workshops on the Olympic legacy, sustainable travel, professional ethics, local cooperation, green infrastructure and predetermination, as well as half‐day study tours and briefings on neighbourhood planning and the Merseyside renaissance. North West Young Planner, Tom Hiles, was lucky enough to take part in the full weekend schedule:

POSTCARD FROM LIVERPOOL

I first spoke to Leonora Rozee, Rozee President of the Planning Summer School, whose highlights of this year’s Summer School were the open debates, which looked positively to the future of planning and the opportunities it will bring, rather than the anxieties and uncertainty that planners face in the here and now. I was then honoured to be introduced to Colin Haylock, RTPI President. I took the opportunity to ask his thoughts on the progress of neighbourhood planning, and he detailed his work with a prospective rural neighbourhood plan group in the north‐east, where the group is considering the potential future conflict between existing residents and newcomers that could result from the details of their plan.

Introductions and dinner were followed by three lectures from speakers funded by the Summer School’s Special Fund and other scholarships, on a

James Burke spoke on the role of planning in addressing the growing gro ing issue iss e of dementia and the aging population, touching on the need for the built environment to enable older people to be more independent and to contribute to society later in life. Maria Tomalova won the Leonardo da Vinci scholarship to work with an architectural atelier in Padua, Padua which allowed her to fully experience the Italian way of life and immerse herself in the rich culture of the Veneto region. Her work there included innovative uses of fibre cement to create more attractive railway spaces. Finally, Memokete Matjomane from the University of the Witwatersrand, spoke on her research into informal retail in suburban Johannesburg, and wider issues around ideas of legitimate and illegitimate land uses, and the legacy of colonialism on the culture of the planning system in South Africa. The evening was topped off with a very informal pub quiz which was generously light on hard planning questions but with an esoteric mix of questions on subjects including local Liverpool knowledge, celebrity cars, and a head‐scratching round on cartographic symbols. As a student hoping for a successful career in planning, it was extremely useful to speak to experienced planners in a social setting, who I p to see again g at next yyear’s Planning g Summer hope School – I’m already booking my ticket!” Tom Hiles

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Duncan Field, planning lawyer from Wragge & Co, told me about his work with the Crown Estate, which has unique planning responsibilities, being responsible for preserving some of London’s most valuable heritage buildings, but also operating commercially to generate value from the property it is entrusted with.

diverse range of planning research topics.

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“I was especially pleased to be able to represent NWYP at the Planning Summer School as I’d really wanted to go to but had sadly missed out on one of the assisted places for students! st dents! I was as very er warmly welcomed and looked after by Sara Whelan, senior planner at Camden Council, who are currently considering the complications of establishing a neighbourhood plan area that includes the largest single regeneration site in Europe: Kings Cross.

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North West Young Planners – Winter 2012 APC Mentoring Event – 1st October Mentoring is an important part of the RTPI’s Assessment of Professional Competence process, and can provide benefits for both the Mentor and Licentiate. In order to assist licentiates, mentors and employers understanding of the APC process, Judy Waugh (RTPI Head of Membership and Careers) and Philip Woodward (RTPI Senior Membership Officer) visited the North West to deliver the FIRST seminar on the mentoring element of the APC process on 1 October 2012. 2012 The session was designed to provide tools for existing and prospective mentors to help employers understand how they can best support graduates to achieve Chartered status. The session also provided helpful ideas about getting the APC process started, structuring mentoring meetings, setting rules and managing issues as well as offering best practice advice and highlighting potential traps. Please contact Greg Dickson ([email protected]) if you would like the hand out from the event.

APC mentors

16th October The North West Young Planners made the most of a dry Autumn evening to meet for a tour of Preston City Centre. The tour took in Winckley Square, the Fishergate shopping area, the historic flag market and concluded in the Town Hall with a presentation by Mike Molyneux from Preston City Council. Winckley Square is a privately planned Georgian development, which is one of Preston’s most historic areas and acts as a green heart in the centre of Preston just yard’s away from the main shopping area. Winckley Square is the subject of ongoing discussions over how to restore the park sympathetically. The tour then moved onto the Fishergate shopping area, the main retail quarter of the city centre. This area is currently very crowded with a lot of conflict between pedestrian and vehicular traffic due to its designation as a major bus route and pedestrian thoroughfare. As with many City Centres across the UK the shopping offer within Preston has been curtailed by the recession. There are optimistic signs of growth though with several upmarket chain shops having recently located into the area. Part 2 of the event was a short presentation by Preston City Council with regard to the changes in the proposed plans for the city centre. Despite the recession having had an impact on the City Council and its partner’s ability to deliver the comprehensive Tithebarn redevelopment scheme, there is still hope to d li deliver major j regeneration ti th through h incremental i t l redevelopment. In order to achieve this, the City Council have devised a master plan for the City Centre which outlines a £1.8 billion program of investment to transform the city into a major player within the North West economy. One key driver of growth has been the University of Central Lancashire; who have been key in developing several sites on the outskirts of the City Centre in recent years. years

Thanks to Mike Molyneux and colleagues for an informative evening.

Preston

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The event was successful in drawing planners from a variety of sectors within Manchester, Wigan and Preston, and it is hoped this event will act as a spring board to more events in the Lancashire and northern areas of the North West. Any volunteers and suggestions for either social or CPD events for the Young Planners and indeed the RTPI North West Region are welcomed.

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Thanks to Turley Associates who kindly donated their Manchester office to host this event.

City Centre Regeneration in a  Recession: Preston –

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North West Young Planners Year Ahead and Upcoming Events NWYP Events Inter‐Professional Event Manchester – Thursday November

2012, 29th

Save the date for this year’s inter‐professional event. Following on from last year we have again booked an exciting and unusual city centre location for our biggest event of the year. This year we’ve teamed up with even more groups, including architects, engineers and designers. Location and theme to be revealed soon but a clue is ‘books’!

Other Upcoming Events... Events

North West Young Planners in  Social Media

Follow NWYP @NWyoungplanners

on

Twitter:

Join NWYP on Facebook: Search “RTPI North West Young Planners”

Background: Greg graduated from the MA (RTPI accredited) Town and Regional Planning course at Leeds Metropolitan University in 2008. Prior to this, Greg completed a BA (Hons) degree in Human Geography with a Study in North America at Manchester Metropolitan University. Greg started life in the planning profession as a Graduate Planner in Turley Associates Leeds office, but has now worked as a Planner in the company’s Manchester office for the past 3 years. In terms of experience, Greg has been actively involved in a broad range of projects including a number of large, high profile regeneration schemes where he has been responsible for co‐ordinating the planning application submission and liaising with the local communities and key stakeholders. Role and ambitions for NWYP: Greg was the Young Planner Chair for the NWYPs between 2010‐2012. period,, the NWYP Steeringg Group p Duringg this p organised a wide variety of events to increase membership and help planners to engage with professionals from other fields involved with the formulation of the built environment. The experience of working in two regions aided Greg’s initial understanding of spatial planning and provided him with the unique opportunity of being involved with both YORnet and the North West Young Planners (NWYP). Greg played a key role in co‐ ordinating the first joint NWYP/YORnet event in Huddersfield in August 2011. Interests within planning: Greg has a variety of planning related interests ranging from heritage and modern architecture to public consultation and the formulation of sustainable communities. He is also intrigued to see if the Localism Bill and forthcoming National Planning Policy Framework will provide planners with the tools to engage with local communities, stakeholders and developers more effectively.

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The North West Young Planners have joined the social media movement by launching a Twitter account and re‐launching our Facebook group. We believe that both Facebook and Twitter are a great way to share information and events, discuss topical issues, and mobilise (potentially) thousands of people to our cause. With 158 followers on Twitter and 71 members in our Facebook group, we’re making great strides towards a more active group of young planners within social media – join the movement today!

Greg Dickson Planning  Consultant,  y Turley Associates

PLAN NNET

We have several other events to look forward to in the remainder of 2012 and beyond into the Spring of 2013. Before the end of December, we hope to arrange a Manchester Heritage Pub Tour, sampling the finest ales the city has to offer in some of the most interesting & historic locations. Looking further ahead into the New Year we will be hosting our traditional NWYP Pub Quiz and our ever popular NWYP Planning Debate with a panel of senior planning experts involved from the public and private sectors. We’re set to bring an APC Talk to Liverpool after the success this event has had in Manchester in the past; while we also plan to deliver a Disabilities & Planning event in the spring of 2013.

Young Planner  g Profile

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The RTPI NW Annual Dinner is Strictly Entertaining

After dinner speaker Ann Widdecombe took to the stage, amusing guests with anecdotes from her parliamentary days and, of course, her new found fame on ‘Strictly Come Dancing’, at the RTPI NW Region’s sixth annual dinner. Guests from the public and private sectors were entertained at the sell-out event at the Radisson Blu Edwardian Hotel , Manchester on Friday 5 October. The 240 guests enjoyed a champagne reception, kindly sponsored by HOW Planning before RTPI Senior Vice President Peter Geraghty gave a short welcome address. The dinner was kindly sponsored by DLA Piper, e*SCAPE, Kings Chambers, IBI Taylor Young and WYG.

Winter 2012

The event Sponsors. In order from the left: • Gary Halman, HOW Planning • Keith Nutter, WYG • Bill Brown, Kings Chambers • Ann Widdecombe • Roger Lomas, e*SCAPE • Marc Watterson, IBI Taylor Young • Richard Woodford, HOW Planning

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Gary Halman, Richard Woodford (HOW Planning sponsors of the champagne reception) and our own Bev Watson. Not sure who the woman in the middle is!

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The RTPI NW Annual Dinner is Strictly Entertaining

Anne Selby and Ian Selby from The Wildlife Trust being presented the overall winner for the Planning Achievement Awards for their submission

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WYG, making the best of a hard life. Paul Shuker on the left and Keith Nutter on the right.

Steven Abbott Associates LLP and guests

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Victor Meldrew is alive and well and has a BA in Town and Country Planning! PLANNET is proud to present our ‘grumpy planner’ column. Please don’t sue!

The “Cynic-shire” Courant Oh, We Do Like To Be Beside the Seaside The moment the sun comes out, we seem to love rushing for the coast.

Even in the wet summer of 2012, we all love a good beach when the sun comes out – just witness the urban beach at Liverpool One this summer – when the sun did come out at times!

In many seaside towns the mood is rather less buoyant. Many have been identified as some of the most deprived places. There are few places more depressing than a seaside resort with the fun gone out of it. Britain’s coastal towns have been struggling since the 1970s, when the masses started taking package holidays abroad. Generations have grown up expecting two weeks of Mediterranean sun almost as a human right, cheap flights to Europe have now hit the weekend break market – who wants to mingle with the excesses of the booze fuelled hen and stags. Britain’s won’t stand for a holiday spent picnicking on a rain-lashed pebble beach watching the raw sewage float by. Not all the blame, however, resides with the irresistible forces of globalisation. The rest belongs to that ancient enemy of civic beauty and originality: the town planner.

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However, many of our seaside towns are struggling to reinvent themselves. The former North West Regional Development Agency commissioned work to help guide the regeneration of towns and lots of money (public, private and European) has been pumped into towns to try and turn things around. Morecambe, Blackpool and Southport have all seen lots of money spent. Some examples have been well publicised e.g. the Midland Hotel in Morecambe or the revamped prom and tram in Blackpool. But is this all one sided veneer?

For anyone over 40, most of our holidays were spent at the British seaside resort – often places that were nothing special, but still ok. However as the march of time has progressed and they often seem to have now become outright hideous. Either decay has set in and the buildings have become run down bedsits and home to a marginalised population trapped in a benefits dependant culture – welcome to “Dole by the Sea” – or one by one, the Victorian and Edwardian boarding houses, hotels and holiday villas have been torn down to make way for ranks of identikit executive homes and flats. Along the front, flimsily-built low quality developments spring up and almost instantly spend the remainder of their short lives streaked with rust and coated in scaffolding. Too often we will all agree with this sentiment - “the nice thing about ........,insert the name of any seaside town......, is that you don’t have to worry about it being ruined. Because it already is.”

We need to have regeneration that is more than just bricks and mortar – remember the seaside’s biggest asset is the beach, the sea and its wonderful light.

Winter 2012

Always chasing the empty promise of “regeneration”, local councils and planners often seem blind to what people really want in a British town: history, character and eccentricity. You cannot regenerate a place by building cardboard houses and shopping malls of the type found everywhere from Tulsa to Tyneside. You need to work with the grain of history – make the most of whatever is local and distinct. Now all it needs is town planners with a little imagination. We need to turn away from a solution that just focusing on the big capital projects to build new promenades / sea defences / leisure and retail developments / hotels / apartments. These do have a place but what we need are new solutions, which don’t cost the earth and do re-engage with local communities, businesses and entrepreneurs.

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Perkins Slade: RTPI Preferred Insurance Broker The RTPI has appointed Perkins Slade, one of the UK’s leading independent insurance brokers, as their preferred insurance broker. Key initiatives for the new partnership include the development of new risk management services, competitively-priced online insurance products and bespoke policy wordings. As part of the support available for RTPI members, an online insurance hub, www.ps-insurancehub.com, has been created. Members can use the site to access policy wordings, summaries, risk management information and FAQs and to raise queries and request renewal reminders. Speaking about the benefit of the new arrangement, Chris Sheridan, RTPI Planners in the Workplace Manager, commented: "As a professional Institute, we have worked alongside Perkins Slade for numerous years, receiving their help and guidance in developing and delivering specific insurance solutions for our members whilst maintaining a cost-effective offering. It is important to us that RTPI members have access to expert knowledge and advice. Perkins Slade are the ideal company to advise our members on managing risk and protecting their businesses. The confidence that we have in their professionalism is demonstrated by our decision to appoint them as the RTPI’s preferred insurance broker.” Nick Tamblyn, Managing Director, Perkins Slade, added; “We have a longstanding relationship with the RTPI and their membership over which time we have developed a thorough understanding of their insurance needs. The new arrangement enables us to use this knowledge to enhance the products and service we provide to RTPI members.”

CIC appoints new Regional BIM Ambassador

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Please visit the Perkins Slade website (www.ps-insurance-hub.com/) for insurance advice, information and online quotations. RTPI consultancy information and support can be found at www.rtpi.org.uk/membership/member-benefits-and-support/consultancy-information-and-support/

The Construction Industry Council is pleased to welcome new Regional BIM Ambassador Steve Race to the team. Steve Race was part of a team that developed one of the world’s first 3D multi disciplinary CAD systems at Oxford Regional Health Authority thirty five years ago, a system which would now carry the label ‘BIM’ and which was aimed at the first assessments of how new technologies would change the way in which the Health Estate would be managed. Steve has accumulated a unique body of experience in cooperative working which embraces software platforms, business strategies for BIM, project team facilitation, contributions to standards organisations and a more collaborative legal landscape as means of exploring and implementing BIM. Steve has been recruited to Work alongside CIC and the BIM Task Group to facilitate the delivery of the BIM Hubs Regional Events; a series of sixteen free half day workshops entitled ‘A BIM Focus’ organised by CIC to take place this autumn, commencing on 25th September 2012 in Newcastle.

For more information on the BIM Regional Hub events visit www.cic.org.uk/events

Winter 2012

Steve’s role will also include: • Supporting the Regional Hubs in their development • Work supporting the implementation of new hubs post the event • Providing advice to the Hubs and attending meetings as necessary to help facilitate them.

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Launching the Friends of Planning Summer School At the Annual General Meeting of its Members the Planning Summer School introduced a new structure placing the future of the charity on a firm foundation. The structure provides a more efficient and streamlined structure for the Summer School with a new board of trustees charged with developing and managing the annual event. In addition, the structure introduces a new way for all those interested in ‘advancing education in town and country planning’ (the charitable object) to become more involved in shaping the event through becoming a ‘Friend of the Summer School’. Outgoing Summer School president Leonora Rozee, who stepped down at the AGM after a three year term of office, said: “I am delighted that the Summer School is moving forward with a confidence and vigor through adopting the new trustee structure. The Friends of Summer School is also an excellent opportunity for becoming involved and keeping up with developments throughout the year in addition to the annual School itself.” Speaking at the launch of the Friends, new Summer School President Roger Pidgeon said: “The Summer School looks forward to welcoming new friends to contribute to its ongoing success under our 2013 theme of ‘Planning for Prosperity’.”

Feedback from the 2012 Weekender has been overwhelmingly positive, with the new combined School for practitioners and elected members, the packed programme, and the professional but laid back atmosphere of the School attracting particular comment and praise. The Weekender Format will be rolled forward for 2013, and an announcement on the venue will be made shortly.

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Many delegates from the 2012 Weekender in Liverpool expressed an interest in becoming a Friend of Summer School, and further information on the benefits and opportunities will be available on the Summer School website in the next few weeks.

Conferences / Events in 2013 RTPI North West Update Events LOCAL PLANS: Cunning Plans – how to demonstrate soundness Thursday 21 February, Gateleys, Manchester Changes to the planning system through the NPPF and the Localism Act have engendered planning authorities with a general power of competence and the Duty to Co-operate, but with limited resources and an increasing need for an adopted and up-to-date Development Plan how can we ensure that the Plans prepared are sound?

To book a place, please [email protected]

contact

Bev

Watson

on:

0161

969

Look out for our updated RTPI NW Update brochure with additional events for 2013!

3815

or

Winter 2012

Single tickets for RTPI Members are available at a cost of £95 per person + 20% VAT = £114. £100 + VAT for non members = £120. All events are full day and include lunch.

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Vacancies

RTPI News New RTPI Logos for Members Promote your professional status and show your colleagues and clients that you are part of the RTPI with our newly developed member logos, which include your designation. If you are a Corporate Member, Fellow, Legal Member or Legal Associate, you are encouraged to use the logo on your business card, stationery or when promoting your practice to give yourself a competitive edge with the mark of quality within the planning profession. If you are currently using a standard RTPI logo, please update this with the new logo, specifically for use by members. To get your copy of the logo and guidance note please email [email protected] with your membership number.

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Planning for the Future In 2014 the RTPI will be a hundred years old and looking to our future we have launched a schools project to get the next generation fired up about planning. The aim of the project is to educate and inspire pupils about planning. There are two key elements to this project; finding RTPI members to go into schools to promote planning and planning as a career with the title of Ambassadors for Planning. Secondly we will be producing learning resources for the schools to use. Ambassadors for Planning Through the RTPI Regions and Nations we will be supporting RTPI members in going into schools to educate and inspire students about the planning – the reasons why planning is so important and what planning has achieved. We will help find members with the right skills to relate to modern pupils and provide them with the materials and support to go into schools to do this.

This exciting project is being led by Dr Holly Mclaren, the RTPI Education Officer. Further information about this initiative will be available soon with the key steps and timetable for the project being finalised this autumn. Watch this space!

Winter 2012

Materials for teachers We are also going to produce a series of planning resources for use by teachers and the Ambassadors for Planning. These resources will include a series of case-studies for both classroom and fieldwork activities that address a range of planning-related topics. The resources will be designed to fit into the current curriculum, for example geography and citizenship, and where possible will be available for download from the RTPI website.

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