Its Your Neighbourhood
Can the new planning system help you have a say?
Esther Kurland
CABE Planning Policy Advisor

Spatial Planning - What is it

• About how people use places, not just land use control
• Links planning and other public services
• Focuses on areas of change within a spatial vision
• Aims to be more proactive and less reactive

The Back and the Front of Planning

• Front end plan making and objective setting
• Back end decision making and enforcement
• Linked together by plan, monitor and manage system

Public Input

• community involvement not public consultation
• Responsibility of all to ensure input is two way, constructive, inclusive and realistic.
• Planning is a balancing act - public opinion is one consideration.
• Planning has a statutory purpose – sustainable development – influences decisions

When to Get Involved

Front end:

• Issues papers, visions and pre plan thinking
• National Policies (PPSs) Regional Spatial Strategies (RSSs) and Sustainable Community Strategies
• Local Development Frameworks (LDFs) from core policies to area or issue specific documents

Back end:

• Developer led consultation
• Master plans and design codes
• Planning applications
• Enforcement
• appeals

What to say

• Focus on relevant planning issues.
• Use examples to back up your point.
• Try to offer constructive criticism and ideas,
• Say if you like what you hear - be positive as well as negative

Built Environment Issues

• Legitimate planning concern
• About the long term success of a place.
• ‘Without good design we will not achieve sustainable development’ (Lord Rocker to the House of Lords)

What is Design?

• ‘Architecture’ and ‘Urban Design’
• How a building works
• How a place works
• What it all looks like

Good design inside and out

• Fit for purpose
• Attractive
• Durable

Where does design fit in?
The big planning objectives:

• Be sustainable, durable and adaptable making efficient use of natural resources
• Maximise the potential of space to successfully accommodate development
• Respect local context and communities, complimenting surroundings
• Secure positive improvements to the public realm
• Be accessible and easy to use for all including those with disabilities
• Create safe environments where crime does not undermine quality of life
• Be attractive to look at.

Where does design fit in?

The Urban Design objectives:

• Learning from what already exists to support local distinctiveness.
  CHARACTERSENSE OF PLACE
• Clearly distinguishing public and private spaces.
  CONTINUITY AND ENCLOSURECLARITY OF FORM
• Ensuring public spaces, including streets, are lively and pleasant to use.
  QUALITY PUBLIC REALMWELLBEING AND SAFETY
• Creating a place that is easy to get to and move through
  CONNECTIVITY AND PERMIABILITYEASE OF MOVEMENT
• Making sure a place has a clear image and is easy to understand
  LEGIBILITYEASE OF UNDERSTANDING
• Ensuring a place can change easily and respond to new demands
  ADAPTABILITYEASE OF CHANGE
• Supporting variety and mixed use neighbourhoods.
  DIVERSITYEASE OF CHOICE

The Building Blocks, - Physical forms - :

Massing Layout Density Height Access and Movement

Landscaping Mix of uses Relationship to Public Space Appearance Response to Context

Design Statements

• Required within the Planning Act
• Requirement set on application form
• Not just for outline or very large applications
• Explaining and justifying, not part of the application
• Can be half a page or large doc
• Justify and explain the proposal - use them when commenting.

‘By Design’

• Provides an expert companion guide to national Planning Policy Guidance
• Establishes the tools available to local planning authorities to deliver good design
• Provides guidelines to promoters and funders of development on standards and procedures likely to be applied
• Referred to in Draft PPS1

page top^