Tuesday 29 June – 2.15 – 3.20 pm

Workshop 1 - Water and planning

Water is rapidly emerging as a key factor influencing how future development and urban change takes place. As development is planned there are opportunities to improve the water environment, potentially with wide ranging social and economic benefits.

Planning for water will be critical to the achievement of the objectives of the water framework directive, looking at capacities to accommodate development, to promote sustainable use of water, to protect and enhance water quality, and to improve water bodies.

This workshop will consider how the planning system should deal with water, assessing the evidence and partnerships that will be required, at different levels from plan-making down to development management.

Chair:
Simon Birch
Speakers:
Paul Hickey, Head of Water Quality, Environment Agency
Simon Birch, Head of Planning and Environmental Assessment, Environment Agency

Workshop 2 - Green Infrastructure - the new agenda for delivery

Sponsored by Natural England

Recent changes in planning policy and the wider context for Green infrastructure provide the starting point for this session. This includes changes to planning policy statements, the emergence of GI as a strategic issue regionally and locally and a growing recognition of the importance of a high quality green infrastructure in providing a wealth of ecosystem services.
Using live case studies within the Natural Development programme, the second half of the workshop looks at the delivery of strong green infrastructure within new development, ways to achieve this and the benefits it can bring.

Speakers:
Andy Gale, Senior Specialist Green Infrastructure, Natural England
Brian McDonald, Program Manager, Thames Gateway & Natural Development, Natural England

Workshop 3 - Planning Apprenticeship Programme - a new way to recruit

Sponsored by Asset Skills

Asset Skills are currently developing a Planning Apprenticeship Programme with the support of employers within the planning profession and the RTPI.
This is designed for young people entering the profession via a vocational route and will lead to Technical Membership of RTPI. Apprentices will work towards Built Environment Development Control NVQ3 in addition to Key Skills qualifications.

This is seen as an alternative entry route into the profession and it is hoped it will address some of the retention issues experienced by the sector.

Speaker:
Liz Black, Head of Property Sector, Asset Skills

Workshop 4 - Planning for large scale growth in the 2010s: challenges & opportunities

Sponsored by the Advisory Team for Large Applications (ATLAS)

Creating places that will stand the test of time is challenging at the best of times. The ongoing influence of the economic context, the formal implementation of development management into planning policy & practice, and new approaches to collaboration are all having a profound impact on how proposals are being shaped and implemented. This workshop will explore some of the key issues that planners need to be alive to with reference to the experiences from emerging projects, and what this could mean for delivering successful growth over the coming decade.

Speakers:
Paul Evans, ATLAS
Julian Pye, ATLAS

Workshop 5 - The economic game change: planning for new realities

Sponsored by Nathaniel Lichfield & Partners

This workshop looks at how planners must take centre stage in supporting economic recovery. It will consider which economic sectors are most likely to drive the next phase of prosperity, defining the barriers to their growth, and what planning must do to overcome them. The impact of a changing political and institutional landscape, PPS4 and the Local Economic Assessment duty will be assessed. There will also be a discussion on the implications of a tightened fiscal environment in the public sector and continued risk aversion for private investment, and what this means for developing realistic economic regeneration solutions.

Chair:
Professor Mark Tewdwr-Jones, UCL
Speakers:
Matthew Spry - Director, Nathaniel Lichfield and Partners (NLP)
Ciaran Gunne-Jones - Associate Director, NLP
Colin Robinson - Senior Consultant, NLP

Workshop 6 - Planning : Shaping the future on a reduced budget

Sponsored by IDOX

An interactive workshop discussing ideas on how services can be improved and significant efficiencies gained by changing the approach to traditional practices. The workshop will explore, using illustrated examples, how local authorities have employed IT solutions to cut costs, reduce environmental impact and improve services.

Presenter :
Jay Patel, Director, Peter Pendleton & Associates Ltd (PPA)