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Planning Aid England Neighbourhood Planning: Lessons Learned. Mike Dando PAE Advisor. What does Planning Aid England do?. Provide free, independent, professional planning advice to people who do not have the means to pay professional fees
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Planning Aid EnglandNeighbourhood Planning: Lessons Learned Mike Dando PAE Advisor
What does Planning Aid England do? • Provide free, independent, professional planning advice to people who do not have the means to pay professional fees • Provide support and training to local communities so they can influence and contribute to planning strategy, policy and decision making • Focus on Neighbourhood Planning Support 2
Supporting Communities in Neighbourhood Planning 2013-2015 • DCLG supported programme launched on 15 April 2013 and applications opened on 1 May 2013 • Two main aspects to support: grants and direct support • Also a shared learning element • There is one consortium delivering the programme, rather than four support organisations as before • The programme was open to groups who had already had SCNP support and to new groups
‘Top 10’ Community Challenges • The Neighbourhood Area – a boundary that makes ‘community sense’ & ‘planning sense’ • Forums – constitutions, structures, management & maintenance • Project Plan – doing it, seeing it, acting on it!
‘Top 10’ Community Challenges • Engagement – the ‘hard to reach’; getting beyond the residents; constructive! • Evidence Base – technical & robust; fact vs opinion • The small matter of ‘Writing The Plan’ …………………………………….
‘Top 10’ Community Challenges • the planning context • ‘strategic elements’ • adopted but out of date vs emerging but 3 years off adoption; balancing trick • writing ‘planning policy’ • allocations: pin-sticking & working backwards • consultants – who, how much, how to instruct
‘Top 10’ Community Challenges • EU Obligations – building them in; getting the necessary done • Supporting Statements - just when they thought it was safe….. • Resourcing – human, financial, time • Time – flies by & yet is never ending……….
Examples of good LPA support - Camden • Supporting highest number of Neighbourhood Forums in London (10); Kentish Town, Highgate, Somers Town, Fitzrovia, West Hampstead • Dedicated officers • Cross-boundary plans & complex issues (e.g. HS2) • Regular attendance at forum meetings, comments on policies by email
Examples of good LPA support - Doncaster • 5 NAs designated • Regular officer meeting attendance • Ceding of site allocations & support, egArmthorpe, Thorne Moorends • Specialist support, eg flood risk in Thorne; SEA • Detailed comment on emerging NP drafts, egBurghwallis • Good www – self-produced resources & signposting
Examples of good LPA support - Wakefield • 2 NAs designated • Excellent support re SEA/HRA/SA – officers did all the work for Walton • Excellent support re preparation of NP proposals maps – again officers did the work for Walton! • Detailed comments on emerging NP drafts & pre-submission plan
Examples of good LPA support - Hambleton • 4 NAs designated • Good officer support – moving to officers allocated to NPs by area • Good support re SEA – new internal processes on way, eg Appleton Wiske • Carrying out of housing needs assessments, eg Appleton Wiske & Huby • Detailed comment on emerging NP drafts
What can local authorities do to offer more support to groups? • Early engagement re NA boundary proposals • Community development/legal support for emerging forums • Promote awareness of/access to evidence base • Explain policy context & its implications – strategic elements! • Provide clarity re growth that a NP will need to work with • Provide comments on early policy/land use intentions & emerging NP drafts – include DM in this!
What can local authorities do to offer more support to groups? • Carry out SEA/HRA for groups (resources/capacity allowing!) • Timely engagement re post-submission stages • Commit staff time to attending group meetings • Signpost to external support sources • Provide funding (sic); facilitate smooth/fast access to Frontrunner funding still being held • Provide consistency & clarity throughout the process • Work fully in the spirit of the ‘duty to support’!
Contact Details mike.dando@planningaid.rtpi.org.uk 0203 206 1893 Advice Line: 0330 123 9244 E-mail: advice@planningaid.rtpi.org.uk www.rtpi.org.uk/planningaid