UPCOMING EVENT: Navigating the APC

RTPI London Young Planners invite you to a learning event Monday 17 June at 6pm.

This evening will provide information and guidance to Licentiates, Mentors and Employees on submitting the APC. It includes a presentation about the APC process, covering the revised guidance and submission procedure. There will also be a series of workshops to cover specific aspects of the APC process, followed by a drinks reception and networking opportunity.

The event has been kindly sponsored by Colliers and will be hosted at their offices in George Street.

Places are limited. Book via Eventbrite

UPCOMING EVENTS IN JUNE: GOES East – Royal Docks Regeneration and IHFP Training Course

Date: Sunday 9 June, 2pm

Location: The Siemens Crystal

RTPI London and IFHP Urbego are hosting a joint event that will explain the regeneration activities in the Royal Docks and give insight into the new Emirates Air Line. With 122 hectares of prime waterfront land, London’s Royal Docks is one of the most exciting development opportunities in the world that will provide an ideal base for high-tech manufacturing, research and green enterprise.

The afternoon will feature speakers from Atkins and Transport for London. Presentations at the Siemens Crystal will be followed by a tour of North Greenwich, via the Emirates Air Line. The afternoon will conclude with drinks in The Pilot Inn.

This event is free. Places are limited. Book via Eventbrite

Urbego training course on strategies to deal with urban growth

This three day training course Thinking Big is being held in London as part of the
International Federation of Housing and Planning (IFHP) Centenary Congress:
A tomorrow for cities – for people, by people on the 5th – 7th June 2013.

This course includes executive training and a mini-workshop. It will help participants to develop skills and knowledge to address environmental and climate change impacts on cities and it features an excellent array of speakers.

Deadline for applications: May 30th

UPCOMING EVENT: Planning Law Update – 2013

The Only Way is Eric

The Government’s enthusiasm for putting into effect its planning reform agenda shows no sign of abating. This makes it essential for planning professionals to be aware of the resulting changes to the planning system.

Join us at 6pm on Wednesday 22 May at SJ Berwin for RTPI London’s annual planning law update which will cover the main legislative changes to the planning system that have taken place in the past year. This is a superb opportunity to refresh your knowledge, learn about the latest developments and engage in a spot of networking with the aid of refreshments.

This event has been kindly sponsored by SJ Berwin, whose Planning and Environment Group is recognised as a leading advised on planning and environmental law and related areas. It is free of charge and open to all those who work or study in planning and related built environment professions. First come, first served.

To book: e-mail Suzanne Evans

suzanne.evans@sjberwin.com

REVIEW: YOUNG PLANNERS EVENT: Viability for Beginners

RTPI London Young Planners, in association with Lambert Smith Hampton hosted a CPD breakfast event Viability for Beginners on Friday 26^th April. The session was presented by James Brierley, Director of LSH’s Residential Advisory Team. James presented on key themes and assumptions in viability in relation to the planning process and development schemes.

James started off with the background to viability in planning with its roots in the 1990 Planning Act and the proposed utilisation of planning gain from increased land value to deliver infrastructure, affordable housing and other improvements. This was then followed with an overview of changes in the economic climate which have lead to the increasing importance of viability testing for development schemes which are unable to fulfill planning policy requirements whilst also providing adequate developer profit.

James touched on the importance of establishing the Market Value rather than Existing Use Value of a development site as part of the viability assessment.  The presentation concluded with some key tips to consider when reviewing the viability of a scheme from a planning perspective:

The presentation was followed by a question and answer session with questions focused on CIL and potential pitfalls and challenges which James suggested included the geographical boundaries which will inevitably include areas of discrepancies. There was an excellent turnout for the event with approximately 90 delegates turning up to enjoy the presentation and also the breakfast provided.

We would like to extend our gratitude to the LSH Planning and Development Consultancy Division for sponsoring the event. Thank you also to all of the delegates who attended.

If you would like to view James’ well-illustrated presentation, please follow this link.

RTPI Young Planner of the Year: RTPI London’s Jonathan Manns is in the running.

Voting opens today for the RTPI’s national Young Planner of the Year award and with only one candidate from the London region RTPI London Calling Blog caught up with Jonathan Manns, Associate Director of Planning at Colliers International, to see what makes him tick.

Q: Hi Jon, you’ve been nominated for Young Planner of the Year. How does that make you feel?
A: Great, thanks. It’s a fantastic opportunity to bang the drum for our profession. Planners have taken a bit of stick over the past few years but there can’t be many jobs with the same potential to have such a tangible, lasting and positive impact.

Q: You’re the only candidate from London. Do you think this sets you apart?
A: There’s a real range of planners nominated this year and from right across the country, but I wouldn’t want to have worked anywhere else. I’ve advised on some great Central London schemes – from tall buildings to large scale regeneration projects – and with so much going on in the capital at the moment you can’t help but appreciate the extent to which planning shapes the city’s future.

Q: How do you currently promote the profession?
A: I’ve been an RTPI London Regional Activities Committee member and its professional representative at the inter-disciplinary London Planning & Development Forum for the past five years.
I’m also co-ordinating an RTPI Working Group on “The City without Public Economic Funds”, as part of a Europe-wide ECTP-CEU young planners initiative. That said, my real enthusiasm is for taking the debate to people who might not normally be engaged. This has led me to speak and publish in the UK, EU, USA and China – everything from the World Town Planning Expo 2006 and Jiangsu Foreign Experts Symposium 2007 to the forthcoming IFHP Centenary World Congress 2013. In the last few months I’ve met politicians when presenting at the European Union, the general public as Expert Planning Advisor at Grand Designs Live and a host of others following a slot on the BBC News. I also run a built environment community outreach programme for young professionals.

Q: You certainly seem very passionate about planning and incredibly active in promoting it; can we assume you would encourage other people to join the profession?
A: Planning is a career with a huge amount to offer and as an RTPI APC Mentor I would certainly encourage anyone wishing to pursue it to work towards Chartership. It’s great for people with a passion for the built environment, empathy and an ability to balance a range of issues; but I also firmly believe that planning is a profession with which everybody can engage at some level. Whether it’s contributing to a local plan or discussing the Government’s economic policy, chatting in the pub or actively learning in the classroom, planning affects us all. Everybody is, to some extent, a planner. Community and school outreach projects are a great way to get this message across and young planners are particularly well-placed to take these forward.

Q: It’s one of our favourite questions, but is there anyone from the built environment professions (past or present) that you find particularly inspiring or who has been a real influence.
A: It’s always been those who’ve raised their voice, pushed the debate and made a difference. Of course this includes people like William Morris, Thomas Sharp and Jane Jacobs, but my most inspiring moments have undoubtedly been “on the job”. Working as a private sector consultant and a volunteer for Planning Aid has allowed me to see development from a range of perspectives and it’s not only humbling to see the passion that people invest into their communities but genuinely beneficial to design quality to understand how a scheme will be used and by whom.

Q: What would be the cause that you would promote through your 1 year as Young Planner of the year?
A: Does planning count? It might sound a bit clichéd but I think now is the time to be proud of planning and planners. We simply can’t let the profession languish in rhetoric around “ivory towers” and being a “drag anchor to growth”. Planners have the skills and drive to make things happen and that’s something we all need to shout about! Young Planners have a freshness of perspective and enthusiasm which regularly sets them apart from the crowd and I’m keen to use this opportunity to help raise the level of debate and get people involved through increased outreach work, CPD and thought leadership.

Q: What’s your favourite building in London?
A: I wouldn’t want to settle on one in particular because, quite frankly, there are so many. To an extent you’re also comparing apples with pears. I always get a real sense of being at the heart of London when I see the BT Tower and can’t help to be impressed by the St Pancras train shed and Trellick Tower – all of which were built by people who dared to try something different and embrace change. If I had to throw my hat into the ring on something contemporary I’m also increasing fond of the ‘walkie talkie’ at 20 Fenchurch Street, which seems to work well both architecturally and commercially.

Voting opens today and you can register your support for Jonathan via this link.

Jonathan’s LinkedIn profile may be viewed here.

Quick Facts

Name: Jonathan Manns.

Role: Associate Director of Planning, Colliers International.

University: Sheffield (History) and then Cambridge (Planning, Growth & Regeneration).

First Job: English Assistant with Jiangsu Provincial Government (Nanjing, China). Started: 2006.

REVIEW: Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) in London

Thank you to our delegates who came along to the CIL in London event on the evening of Wednesday 1^st May at City Hall.

The presentations can be downloaded here.

Mark Lee from Communities and Local Government started off proceedings giving delegates an update on CIL legislation and guidance. In particular Mark touched upon the recently approved CIL (Amendment) Regulations 2013, which allow 15-25% of CIL to be dedicated to ‘neighbourhood’ infrastructure schemes, as well as the recently updated CIL statutory guidance published in December 2012 and updated in April 2013, which aim to clarify the relationship between CIL and S106s, and the ‘Regulation 123’ list. Mark also summarised the main proposals being consulted on in the CLG Consultation on Further Reforms to CIL, including possibly extending the CIL ‘deadline’ from April 2014 to April 2015.

Jamie Ounan from CIL Knowledge spoke about the importance of having a credible ‘infrastructure planning’ evidence base as part of CIL charge-setting. In particular, Jamie highlighted the point that CIL should only be seen as a small part of ‘infrastructure planning’ and that local authorities must adopt a comprehensive approach for it to be successful. Jamie also stressed the importance of linking infrastructure planning processes to the policies in the relevant local plan to help determine a funding gap and the ‘Regulation 123’ list. Examples of CIL examinations from Poole, Havant and Bristol were also touched upon to show the different approaches which can be taken in infrastructure planning.

Anthony Lee from BNP Paribas Real Estate gave a comprehensive talk on assessing viability as part of the CIL charge-setting process, and how the development industry can engage with this process. Anthony summarised the basic residual land value (RLV) method of viability assessments and introduced the differences between the RICS guidance ‘Financial viability in planning’ and the Local Housing Delivery Group guidance ‘Viability Testing Local Plans’.

Neil Lees from Transport for London spoke about the Mayor of London’s CIL and its progress ‘one year on’ after its implementation in April 2012. Neil provided delegates with a breakdown of the costs of Crossrail for which the Mayoral CIL is planned to contribute £300m. An overview of the relationship between Mayoral CIL and the recently adopted Funding of Crossrail SPG was also provided. Neil also detailed the working relationships between TfL, the GLA and the London Boroughs in considering ‘joined up’ approached in CIL collection and sharing of knowledge.

Andrew Barry-Purssell from the Greater London Authority was our final speaker of the evening. Andrew gave delegates his ‘top 12 tips’ on CIL which can be viewed in the presentation attachment above.

The speakers were then joined by Julian Ware from Transport for London finance department to take questions from our delegates. Questions included the impact of CIL on affordable housing and the implications of CIL for self-build.

Delegates were then able to enjoy a wine reception, kindly hosted by our sponsors, CIL Knowledge, BNP Paribas Real Estate and The Growth Agenda, which provided an excellent opportunity for networking with other practitioners.

You can follow the discussion on Twitter by using the hashtag #londoncil or by following us @RTPI_London.

About our sponsors

BNP Paribas Real Estate

BNP Paribas Real Estate is a leading firm of chartered surveyors with an extensive track record in advising on viability in planning, including working with more than half the London boroughs on the viability of CIL in their areas.

CIL Knowledge

The CIL Knowledge Partnership works with Councils and Developers to implement the Community Infrastructure Levy and assess its impact on developments. We have worked with over 50 Councils on their CIL projects and are the PAS and DCLG advisors on CIL; delivering the Direct Support Progamme and recent Seminar Series.

The Growth Agenda

Bringing together several companies with a proven track record in the fields of development, regeneration and organizational change, we work in collaboration to provide local authorities with the tools to assess what growth means for their local area and support them to develop and implement a sustainable growth strategy.

RTPI Young Planner of the Year: RTPI London’s Jonathan Manns is in the running.

Voting opens today for the RTPI’s national Young Planner of the Year award and with only one candidate from the London region RTPI London Calling Blog caught up with Jonathan Manns, Associate Director of Planning at Colliers International, to see what makes him tick.

Q: Hi Jon, you’ve been nominated for Young Planner of the Year. How does that make you feel?
A: Great, thanks. It’s a fantastic opportunity to bang the drum for our profession. Planners have taken a bit of stick over the past few years but there can’t be many jobs with the same potential to have such a tangible, lasting and positive impact.

UPCOMING EVENT: What Next for the High Street: Different, Not Dead? Tuesday 4th June

As familiar high street chains shut up shop and vacancy rates rise, the survival of the high street as we know it is being called into question. RTPI London and CBRE invite you to a seminar to discuss this highly pertinent topic, with four excellent speakers, followed by a drinks reception.

REVIEW: Forgotten Spaces 2013: Exploration Workshop: Edmonton Underpass

On Tuesday 23rd April, RIBA and planners from Enfield Council ran a workshop for the RIBA Forgotten Spaces competition, focused on an underpass site close to Edmonton’s enormous IKEA store. After a tour of the site and a briefing from the planners, participants in two teams came up with some very creative ideas for this dark neglected space beneath the A406 and alongside the River Lee Navigation canal. The photos show there is lots of room for imagination!

The RIBA Forgotten Spaces comptetition seeks out redundent spaces across London and invites design ideas for re-use and regeneraton. For further details on the competition, including entries from previous years, see www.architecture.com/forgottenspaces.

Henrietta Billings.

RTPI London at 3Space RE:Think Festival

From 1st – 3rd May, 3Space’s new hub in Blackfriars will be transformed into an interactive playground for Re:THINKing the ways that we use our cities and resources

3Space is an innovative charity which unlocks the potential of empty commercial property by making it available for temporary community use. They have recently taken ownership of a large building on Victoria Embankment at Blackfriars that is being used as a hub: 

http://3space.org/properties/london-and-south/london-blackfriars

 The Re:Think festival will include exhibitions, interactive displays, workshops, talks and discussions, panels and parties, all of which are designed to get you and your organisation exploring, promoting and celebrating new ideas for the ways that we interact with our environment.

RTPI London in partnership with AECOM and Regeneris will be hosting the following workshops during the festival:

Thursday 2nd May – 11.30am – 12.30pm

Rethinking High Streets

This session will provide different insights into the changing face of high streets from the public, private and third sectors and debate whether our high streets have a sustainable future. Speakers include:

• Tom Venables- RTPI London/AECOM – Planning for High Streets – Portas and Pickles
• Chris Paddock – Regeneris – A downward spiral? The economics of High Streets
• Andrew Cribb – 3Space – Third Sector Solutions

To book go to:  http://rethinkhighstreets.eventbrite.co.uk

2.30 – 3.30pm  -  Rethinking Housing

This session will look at current issues in housing delivery and will look at the example of Rational House as a means to bring forward resource efficient and affordable housing. Speakers include:

• ChrisPaddock – Regeneris – The Economics of Housing
• Robert Dalziel (City House Projects) – The Rational House http://www.rationalhouse.com/
• David Cassells – AECOM – Planning for Rational House 

To book go to: http://rethinkhousing.eventbrite.co.uk

For more information on the festival go to:

http://3spacerethink.org/