1 | July / Aug

Editor – John Acres, Ripon Cottage, 5 Manor Road, Kilsby, Near Rugby, Warks, CV23 8XS Work: 0121 234 9106 • Home: 01788 824343 • Email: acresclark@lineone.net

InsideWhat’s Mark thinking? 2

Chair’s report 2

RTPI West Midlands 2Season Ticket 2012

Big City Plan wins 3top RTPI award

Wolverhampton City 3Council awarded accolade

Those RTPI awards in full 4

The way we live now 6

Neighbourhood Planning 7

Balsall Heath 7Neighbourhood Development Plan

Update on Planning Aid 8

Environmental Report on 8the Proposed Revocation of the West MidlandsRegional Strategy

Editor’s thoughts 8

CPD 9

Young Planners 9meet the Minister

European Group – thanks 9to Christina Mannering

RTPI Summer Ball 10– 13th July 2012 – Picture Gallery

M A G A Z I N E O F T H E R . T . P . I . W E S T M I D L A N D S

Issue 71 July/August 2012

Birmingham City Council has scooped the RTPIWest Midlands Regional Planning Award forits work on the Big City Plan. The trophy was

awarded to Richard Cowell on behalf of theplanning team at the popular RTPI Planning Balland Awards Ceremony held at the BotanicalGardens on 13th July.

The Regional Award was presented by ColinHaylock, the RTPI National President accompaniedby last years’ RTPI Chairman, Mark Walton, onbehalf of the sponsors of the prize, AlliancePlanning.

The Summer Ball had a very special Olympicstheme, with red, white and blue union jacks and allthe award winners received their very own goldmedals and bottles of champagne in addition totheir awards.

The RTPI Chairman’s Special award this year wentto a group of young planners – the YPWestmidsCommittee from 2010-11 who had worked so hard

to stage the very successful Young Planners’Conference in Birmingham last year.

The award for the Young Planner of the Year wentto Laura Smith from GVA who had only recentlybeen shortlisted as Young Professional of the Yearand the Team of the Year was announced asCoventry City Council.

The award for Consultancy of the year went toAlliance Planning and the Local Authority of theYear was Wolverhampton City Council.

Special thanks must go to the principal sponsorsof the event – GVA and No5 Chambers and wewould also wish to thank DLA Piper, JMP andAlliance Planning for their sponsorship support.

Once again, the Ball was a great occasion whichlasted well into the night – and for some,continued afterwards in Birmingham. We aregrateful for all the organising Committee whomade it such a great success. �

Birmingham wins RTPI Regional Award for Planning Achievement

Richard Cowell receiving the Award from Colin Haylock, Andrew Thompson and Mark Walton.

2 | July / Aug

It has been another hectic couple ofmonths for RTPI West Midlands, with avery successful Summer Ball and

Awards Ceremony and more CPD SeasonTicket events taking place.

The year does not seem to be slowingdown in pace and there remains lots moreto do. Personally I have also been to theOlympics. What an atmosphere and place– absolutely brilliant! Being in theStadium and seeing so much of theOlympic Park was a thrilling experience.As is my will, I took time out to speak tonumerous people from around the UK andbeyond. Everyone has been enthused bythe soul and spirit of these games. I alsowent to the South Bank – the Shard islooking awesome and the ‘Walkie Talkie’building is coming along at a pace - twointeresting pieces of architecture.

So back to the Ball. It was great to see somany new faces and some familiar ones.My thanks go to GVA as lead sponsorsand other sponsors including No5Chambers, DLA, Alliance Planning andJMP. Without the support of the sponsors,the Ball would not go ahead. Theorganising committee did a fantastic jobtoo and the Ballroom looked great. Weare always looking for additional support,be it as a sponsor, serving on theorganising committee or judging theaward nominations – if you would like tobe involved, please let us know.  

This year I was supported by a WalsallMafia on stage. Michael PaulEntertainments provided the live musicand disco and thrilled us all. It was agreat show. Sheridan Buckley took thephotos which can currently be found onthe RTPI West Midlands Facebook Page.Contact details for both can be madeavailable to anyone who wants them.

We are always looking to celebrate thebest in the region. This year we received arecord number of nominations for awardsand I was delighted to honour andcelebrate a wide range of winners from all

sectors. I recognise that it is equallyimportant to show support to all. Perhapsinadvertently I also pre-empted theOlympics by giving the Chairman’s awardto the next generation, (the YPWestMidsCommittee). I hope it inspires! There werequite a few unlucky people/teams not towin awards. It is just that they came upagainst some stella performers. MelissaKurihara of Telford and Wrekin Council inthe Young Planners Award particularlyimpressed and Coventry City Council werestrong candidates in the LPA award. I lookforward to next year, so do get yournominations ready.

As always there is a lot of hard workwhich goes on all around the region. I wasfortunate to be a guest at the RIBAAwards dinner in Leicester and sawexamples of high quality buildings acrossthe Midlands including the British FilmInstitute building in Warwickshire. It isgreat to see that, even in times ofausterity, there are clients who care aboutthe quality of the product and aprofessional team who are able to inspirethe client.

Of course the CPD Season Ticketprogramme continues and we are alreadyplanning a programme of CPD ticketevents for next year. More eveningseminars will be provided. We are alsotrying to get more social events going(including a pub quiz and footballtournament), so if you want to beinvolved let us know.

It seems strange that I am already 3/4 ofthe way through the year. Thank you forall your support. I welcome feedback orideas. I am on Linkedin or am contactableby email. �

ThanksAndy Thompson RTPI West Midlands Chair

http://uk.linkedin.com/pub/andrew-thompson/26/85/815or tomoplan@btinternet.com

Chair’s report

� Wednesday 19th September (AM). Design Quality inNeighbourhood Planning. HCA offices. Birmingham.

� Wednesday 3rd October (AM). Planning Law Seminar. DLA Piper. Birmingham.

� Wednesday 24th October (AM). Energy Seminar. Millennium Point. Birmingham.

� Wednesday 14th November (AM). CIL Seminar.Offices of Irwin Mitchell, Birmingham.

The full programme can be found at www.rtpi.org.uk/the-rtpi-near-you/rtpi-west-midlands/events/

RTPI Members – £50 plus VAT. Block booking deals available.Contact: westmidlands@rtpi.org.uk.

RTPI West MidlandsSeason Ticket 2012

It’s always a difficult moment just before your big speech.Mark Walton, immediate past Chair and representingAlliance Planning who sponsored the RTPI West Midlands

Regional Award, waits in the wings ready to hand over theaward to Birmingham City Council – so what is Mark thinking?

No prizes for guessing – but let me know your ideas aboutwhat Mark is thinking at this moment. All entrants by email tothe Editor at the usual Tripwire address acresclark@lineone.netIn the event of a tie, Mark Walton will have the casting vote! �

What’s Mark thinking?

3 | July / Aug

Special feature on Wolverhampton CityCouncil – awarded the accolade of RTPI LocalPlanning Authority of the Year.

Wolverhampton City Council’s businessfriendly planning team has been namedas the best in the West Midlands. The

department scooped the prestigious Royal TownPlanning Institute, West Midlands; LocalPlanning Authority of the Year award at the RTPIAnnual Planning Ball in July.

Judges were impressed with the way planningin Wolverhampton has transformed itself froma department previously perceived asobstructive and bureaucratic to one that putthe customer first and cut away unnecessaryred tape. Within just 12 months, the team hashalved the time taken to deal with planningapplications without compromising quality.The fast efficient service is boosting potentialinvestors’ confidence in the city.

Councillor Peter Bilson, Wolverhampton CityCouncil’s Cabinet Member for EconomicRegeneration and Prosperity, said: “Ourplanning department has worked hard totransform itself and put the needs ofcustomers first and developers are alreadyseeing the fruits of this. Wolverhampton haspotential for substantial redevelopment andour planning team is sending a clear message

that we are open to do business and firms caninvest in the city with great confidence.”

The transformation of the planning departmentcame about two years ago after plannersundertook an exercise to look at how theyoperated and how unnecessary steps could beeradicated to enable them to speed up theprocess and encourage good development forthe city.

This new approach has been praised andsupported by a number of businesses thathave worked with planning on development inthe city. Christopher Bywater, ManagingDirector of First City Property Consultants in

Wolverhampton, said: “The perception andreality is the planning process hasundoubtedly improved and that is verywelcome.” Paul McCann, Group PlanningDirector at Banner Homes Group, added: “Ihave been impressed with the efficient wayWolverhampton Council has dealt withplanning issues.”

Congratulations to all at Wolverhampton CityCouncil.

For more information, please contact GurdipThandi, Principal Communications Officer, on01902 551256 or emailgurdip.thandi@wolverhampton.gov.uk. �

Big City Plan wins top RTPI award

Birmingham City Council has won the RPTIRegional Award for Planning Achievementwith its Birmingham Big City Plan.

Launched in September 2010 The BirminghamBig City Plan is a 20 year vision supportingtransformational change to create a world classcity centre delivering sustainable growth,improved connectivity, authentic character,environmental quality, new residentialcommunities and a diversified economic base.

Covering an area of 800 hectares at the centre

of the UK’s 2nd city, the Big City Plan providesthe vision, strategy and principles to guide thefuture development and regeneration of the CityCentre.

As a shared vision to transform the City Centreover the next 20 years it is already proving to beof significant value to the City forming the basisfor the City Centre Enterprise Zone and directingmajor investment decisions such as theredevelopment of Paradise Circus.

The Masterplan is not a Statutory Planningdocument but is endorsed by the City Counciland its key partners as the vision andframework for future development andregeneration..The key areas for growth and thedevelopment principles in the Masterplan willbe included in the Core Strategy throughstrategic allocations and policies with detaileddesign guidance contained in SupplementaryPlanning Documents. The plan has been basedon a robust evidence base and understanding ofthe environmental, social and economic issuesfacing the city centre together with extensivepublic consultation.

As both a physical regeneration tool andstrategic planning document the Big City Plandelivers a framework for:

• 25% growth of the City Core creatingspace for over 1.5 million square metres ofnew floorspace for over 50,000 new jobsand contributing £2.1 billion to theeconomy each year.

• A radical approach to transportationprovision, to create a well connected,efficient and walkable City Centre.

• 65,000 square metres of new andimproved public spaces and 28 kilometresof enhanced walking and cycling routes.

• Growth in the city centre population,providing for over 5,000 new homesalongside new leisure and recreationalfacilities to attract more families.

• A range of unique character areas valuingthe city centre’s heritage and culturalassets.

• The integration of both sustainabledevelopment and addressing the impact ofclimate change as part of the futuretransformation of the city centre.

Richard Cowell, Senior Development PlanningOfficer at Birmingham City, received the awardfrom Colin Haylock the RTPI President and MarkWalton, representing Alliance Planning, thesponsors of the award at the RTPI Summer Ball.

Waheed Nazir, Director of Planning andRegeneration commented “It is extremelypleasing that The Big City Plan has received theRTPI West Midlands Regional award forPlanning Achievement. Having been producedby an in-house team at Birmingham City Councilthe Big City Plan showcases the type ofinnovation that the planning profession iscapable of and the value of partnership workingin delivering a plan.” �

Wolverhampton City Council awarded accolade

4 | July / Aug

Six awards, in addition to theRegional Award for PlanningAchievement, were presented at

the RTPI Summer Ball and AwardsCeremony on 13th July at the BotanicalGardens in Birmingham.

• Young Planner of the Year• Planning Consultancy of the Year • Team of the Year• Local Planning Authority of the Year• Regional Chairman’s Award• The President’s Leaders Award

The Young Planner of the Year wasawarded to Laura Smith of GVA, who hasbeen involved in an impressive list ofeconomic development and regenerationprojects across the country since joiningGVA as a graduate planner in 2008.Laura has combined this with her role asChair of the West Midlands YoungPlanners last year, in which she spear-headed the organisation andmanagement of the RTPI’s NationalYoung Planners Conference held inBirmingham in October. Although sincehaving stood down as Chair, shecontinually supports and promotesyoung planners in the region. Speakingto Tripwire, Laura said; ‘’It is a greatfeeling to be recognised, particularlywithin your own sector and I am veryproud to have received this award. I havereceived a huge amount of support fromGVA and am extremely fortunate to beworking in an environment that activelyfosters both personal and professionaldevelopment.”

The Planning Consultancy of the Yearwas awarded to Alliance Planning whoimpressed judges with theirinvolvement in high profile regionalschemes, in particular supportingregeneration and being lead consultant,bringing together a wide range ofexpertise. Alliance Planning has alsotaken forward many young WestMidlands planners on their initial stepsin their career and it is that commitmentto the profession that is also noted andhighly commended.

The Team of the Year was awarded toCoventry City Council. Coventry’s PublicRealm Environmental Delivery Team hassecured £3.5m of ERDF money plussubstantial additional funding toimplement a wide ranging programmeof public realm enhancements of thehighest order across Coventry. Theyachieved immense improvements to theCity in the run up to the Olympics as theWest Midland’s only Olympic venue(See previous edition of Tripwire). Tracy

Those RTPI awards in full

Young Planner of the Year: Laura Smith.

Consultancy of the Year: the Alliance Planning Team.

Team of the Year: Coventry City Council.

5 | July / Aug

Darke, Head of Planning said “CoventryCity Council was thrilled to receive theaward for all the hard work that hadbeen carried out in Coventry as part ofthe celebrations for the Olympics. Theaward has showcased the work that hasprovided significant improvements tothe city centres public realm, which willprovide a lasting legacy”.

The Local Planning Authority of the Yearwas awarded to Wolverhampton CityCouncil. Wolverhampton proved to thejudges that their work in modernising andimproving the functioning of theirplanning service is reaping huge benefitsin terms of efficiency and this has beenrecognised by the business communitywho provided testimony in theirsubmission, of the quality of servicereceived. Councillor Peter Bilson,Wolverhampton City Council’s CabinetMember for Economic Regeneration andProsperity, said: “This is fantastic newsand we are delighted to receive such animportant accolade” (More aboutWolverhampton City Council’s award onpage 3)

The Chairman’s Special Award went tothe West Midlands Young Planners’Committee who played such a criticalrole in making the Young Planners’Conference in Birmingham such a greatsuccess and even achieved a profit forthe Institute. After accepting the awardBen Simm YPwestmids Chair said; ‘‘Weare absolutely delighted to have beenrecognised by the RTPI West MidlandsChairman. The award came as acomplete surprise to the Committee,who had mainly attended the Ball tonetwork and enjoy the atmosphere ofthe event held by the region. The awardis also recognition to our manysponsors, who without their ongoingsupport and kindness we could notundertake as much as we do.”

The President’s Leaders Award wasgiven to Professor Alister Scott fromBirmingham City University who, as themost outstanding candidate, led aninnovative research project ‘ManagingChange at the Urban and Rural Fringe’,which has gained nationwide profile.From this he has developed aninteractive decision-making board game‘RUFopoly’ that has been used inconferences, training events and eventhe Welsh Assembly. He is recognisedas an innovative teacher, who has anational profile in engaging newaudiences via social media. Hecontinues to inspire and challengeplanners of today and tomorrow. �

Local Authority of the Year: Wolverhampton City Council Planning Team. Fromleft to right: Jenny Davies, Tracey Homfray, Laleeta Butoy and Mindy Cheema.

Regional Chairman’s Award: The Young Planners Committee.

President’s Leader’s Award: Professor Alister Scott.

6 | July / Aug

The way we live now

What people need and expect from their homes

In his seminal 1923 book ‘Vers UneArchitecture’ (Towards a NewArchitecture), which is still the best-

selling architecture book of all time,Charles-Édouard Jeanneret (LeCorbusier) expressed the view that ‘Ahouse is a machine for living in’.

Taken at face value, Le Corbusier seemsto be implying that a house is little morethan the pragmatic receptacle for livingin and yet we know that whenexpressed as a home, a house can beone of the most potent and enduringrequirements of living.

We also need only to look at thecontroversy surrounding the housebuilding implications in the draftversions of the NPPF and theimportance of the SHLAA to discover theextent to which the subject of housingpreoccupies the planning process.

‘The way we live now: What peopleneed and expect from their homes’ isthe title of new research commissionedfrom Ipsos MORI by the RIBA for theIndependent Future HomesCommission’s investigation into how theUK can build enough of the right kind ofhomes. This was the subject of the lastmeeting of the West Midlands RTPIUrban Design Forum on 14th June.

The purpose of the report is to providepolicy makers, house designers andbuilders with consumer evidence to helpto us make quality new homes that arefit for modern households.

It provides national evidence about howpeople are using their homes now, whatthey look for when choosing a home andideas about what needs to be done toimprove the experience of buying a home.

The report highlights eight key featuresthat people need and want from theirhomes:

1. Long-term and short-term storage forfunctional items and for personalpossessions that they have chosen tokeep during their lives.

2. Dedicated space for domestic utilityitems and tasks such as vacuumcleaners, the washing, drying andironing clothes as well as for storingrubbish and recycling.

3. Large windows for natural light, largerooms and high ceilings – details which

were typically referred to as ‘periodfeatures’. This was in part informed bythe importance of a ‘sense of space’ topeople’s wellbeing, and howexpectations of a new home are oftenshaped by the homes we have lived inpreviously.

4. A large main living area for socialfunctions such as eating andentertaining and relaxing. Peopletypically preferred an element of open-plan layout to accommodateentertaining friends or family,regardless of age or lifestyle.

5. Layouts which take into accounttechnology ie. we want our homes tohave enough sockets and storage fortechnology and to enable us to arrangefurniture and rooms in different layouts.

6. Space for private time away fromother members of the householdespecially where generations livetogether. Noise reduction within andbetween households is also essential. 

7. Private space outside or access togreen public space in urban locationsparticularly for families.

8. Options for different home layouts.Apart from some universal needs suchas flexible space to entertain andsocialise, there are different needs andexpectations according to the life stageor the size and age of households andfamilies. This means that there is nosingle, standard layout that can caterfor all people.

The research also revealed how peoplechoose a home and how they think thehouse buying experience should be

improved, including how people findchoosing a home ‘challenging’ and howthey find it difficult to understand andcompare space between differenthouses.

Emotional considerations such as the‘feel’ of a home and the desperation toget on the housing ladder were found tooverrule practical considerations such as‘where can I store the vacuum cleaner?’or ‘where will the rubbish bin go?’

In summary the report provides some ofthe evidence which supports the factthat a house is considerably more thana mere ‘ machine for living in’ and is animportant, if not crucial part of our liveswith practical, physical, social,psychological, economic and emotionalimplications.

It is perhaps reassuring that I can givethe last word to Le Corbusier, who inTowards a New Architecture alsoexpressed the following:

‘You employ stone, wood and concrete,and with these materials you buildhouses and palaces. That isconstruction. Ingenuity is at work.But suddenly you touch my heart, youdo me good, I am happy and I say: “Thisis beautiful.” That is Architecture’ �

Michael VoutChair West Midlands RTPI Urban Design Forum

The Forum would express our thanks toRebecca Roberts-Hughes, PolicyManager for the RIBA for thepresentation at the meeting of the WestMidlands Urban Design Forum and toMADE for providing the venue.

7 | July / Aug

Neighbourhood Planning

Formalities, Surveys, Objectives – Much Wenlock moves forward

Now that the regulations are on thestatute book we have had to thinkmore about the formalities

associated with the Plan. Our applicationfor formal NP status is going throughstatutory consultation and, prodded byour DCLG link officer, we are beginning tocheck out the costs and timing of both theassessment and the referenda.

This has been something of a necessarydistraction from the real progress we haveachieved in recent weeks. We are now wellinto the creation of some tangibleoutcomes for the Plan, though this hasbeen mixed with some frustrations in notbeing able to move things along as quicklyas we would have liked. We have alsobegun to encounter some ‘learningexperiences’ which, I suppose, is partlyour job as a national front-runner. 

One of our guiding principles as a SteeringGroup, is that we would ensure the contentand form of the Plan would be driven by theaspirations and ambitions of the people ofMuch Wenlock. Right from an early stage,we had committed to finding these outthrough a Residents’ Survey. We wanted toknow the kind of values and the scale ofdevelopment that should underpin the waythat the town might develop. For us it iscrucial that local people believe that theirviews do count in this new community-driven planning system. We also wanted toproperly inform a community discussion onthe Plan’s objectives which, we hope, willhelp avoid the divisive and crude site-drivenprocess that has characterised localdevelopment in recent times.

We designed the survey questions toreflect the issues and questions which

people had raised in our earliercommunity consultations. A team ofvolunteers delivered forms to every housein the parish - we thought the personaltouch would encourage a greater response- and we also promoted on-linecompletions to make it easier for people.However, a sequence of small things –debates about final wording,specifications for printing, rainstorms,holidays - all added up to create delays,meaning we had to push back ourdeadlines. That said, the response ratewas excellent with over 720 replies (theParish has around 1300 households).

We had received much valuable and expertadvice from the Community Council ofShropshire in designing the survey and wecontracted them to upload the surveyreturns and do the analysis. We agreedthat their familiarity with communityconsultations and independence would bea strength. However, I think we bothunder-estimated the size of the task andconsequently we leaked more time awayfrom our intended programme.  Thesedelays have meant that subsequentcommunity engagement couldn’t bestarted before the holiday period.

In accordance with our second guidingprinciple; of being as transparent aspossible, we have published the results assoon as we could; so if you want to knowwhat we found out, along with those froma smaller, on-line only survey that weundertook of some 220 local businesses,simply google Much WenlockNeighbourhood Plan for our website.

Do these reveal an anti-development,NIMBY bias? No, is the short answer. Butwhat seems to be the mood, is that peoplewant to be sure that development will betargeted to the benefit the community,

especially to meet needs for affordablehousing and local employment.Furthermore, there is a sense that itshould be appropriate to the locality, smallin scale and securing a high qualityenvironment. 

From the survey results, through aworkshop session with around 30volunteers, we teased out and testedsome 24 objectives.  We are nowconsolidating these into a smaller set forthe purposes of wider consultation andtesting with both the community andthose groups with more focussed interestssuch as landowners and statutoryagencies. Obviously we want to ensurewide understanding and buy-in to theobjectives from as many as people aspossible, with a view to moving on toexploring options for delivering thesecommunity aspirations. This will be ourchallenge for the Autumn. �

Mike Grace

Balsall Heath Neighbourhood Development Plan

Balsall Heath was one of the first 17areas in selected by DCLG early in2011 – the so-called frontrunners - to

be able to write their own statutoryNeighbourhood Plan. Since September2011, I have been coordinating the NDP’sprogress for the responsible body, theBalsall Heath Forum. We have been able tomake good progress, largely because theForum is a well-established and well-connected organisation which for 20 yearshas succeeded, with other organisations,in turning around Balsall Heath, frombeing a byword for all kinds of social andeconomic deprivation, to being a popularand cohesive district.

Between September and February, wecarried out extensive consultation, askingall sorts of people what they wanted tosee in the NDP – compiling our shoppinglist. The list has been turned into a set ofdraft proposals and policies, which in Juneand July was exhibited in Balsall Heath.The Forum is currently collating all theresponses received. Ultimately the NDPhas to go to a local referendum, to beapproved by a vote. We were intendingthat this should be in November 2012, butwe have been given more hoops that wehave to jump through – in particular theproduction of a Strategic EnvironmentalAssessment. So our schedule is beingextended.

Although we have made good progresscompared with other frontrunners, theexperience has not been entirely satisfactory.The major defect of the neighbourhoodplanning process is the lack of adequatefunding. Through the Government’s Localismagenda, communities are being givenadditional opportunities and responsibilitiesto decide their own futures, which iswelcome. But the resources available do notmatch the responsibility. We are confidentthat the Balsall Heath NDP will eventuallybecome a good statutory plan. But this willbe in spite of the resources allocated to it,not because of them. �

Joe Holyoak

8 | July / Aug

Update on Planning Aid

Many people have been asking, whatis happening about the ‘PlanningAid’ service. I attach below a letter

circulated by the RTPI Chief Executive;Trudi Elliot:-

Dear colleagues,You will recall that on 3 July there was aMinisterial statement in the House ofCommons confirming DCLG’s continuationof funding for Planning Aid England (andPlanning Aid for London). Yesterday wereceived  the contract, which also confirmsin writing the length of the funding (to 31March 2013) and sets out the detail ofwhat we are now expect to deliver over thecourse of the contract.

While the Government was clear that theywanted us and the other three partner

organisations, to focus heavily on theNeighbourhood Planning ‘Front-runners’,we have been able to retain working withand supporting our core communities. Wewill also continue to argue the case thatgetting ‘Front-runner’ NeighbourhoodPlans agreed should not be the only wayto judge a local community’s activeinvolvement in the planning of their areaand therefore the success of localism.

As previously, DCLG are not funding thePAE Advice Line.

DCLG have told us that they will now belooking at funding after March 2013 for aperiod of two years (2013-2015) with aframework for this being published, theyhave advised us, hopefully by the end ofthe year.

The total amount of grant payable is justshort of £800,000 i.e. at the reduced levelwe were given during the 13 week extensionafter March. The new funding gives us afurther period continue to consider theoptions available to us for putting in place asustainable, long term model for PAE.

Finally, once again I would like to paytribute to our magnificent PAE volunteersand staff who have kept the servicedelivering for communities , maintainingits very high standards, in extremelydifficult circumstances given theuncertainty over the future until almostthe end of the contract. �

Trudi ElliottChief Executive

Editor’s thoughts

It’s been an ‘emotional rollercoaster’, an‘incredible journey’ the climax to alifetime of hard work. So many clichés!

No. I am not talking about the RTPI WestMidlands Awards, but of course the 2012London Olympics.

After the intense build up to the event, allthe tears of joy during the proceedingsand the inevitable and indeedinterminable slow-motion filmcompilations of the sporting achievementsafterwards, the attention is now turning tothe legacy from the Olympics.

There is little doubt that the 2012Olympics were an outstanding success,both in terms of the organisation, themedal tally and the enhancement ofBritain’s image. The ‘feel-good factor’which was triggered right from the initialtorch procession, followed through to thestunning Opening Ceremony andcontinued throughout the fortnight ofsporting events is still very tangible – let’shope it lasts as long as possible.

Once the initial security debacle and theSouth Korean flag fiasco had beenovercome, the media changed from beingcynical and critical to playing its part increating a ‘good news story’,demonstrating once again the power ofpublicity as well as planning. What’s more,the success and public spiritedness of thevolunteers has clearly demonstrated thepotential for community involvement andco-operation on a wider canvas.

Lord Coe in his speech at the OpeningCeremony gave a welcome vote of thanksto the construction teams who built thefacilities who were all present at thearena, but perhaps inevitably the physicalplanning and procedural build-up to theproceedings went largely forgotten. As ourChairman, Andrew Thompson, pointed outin the previous edition of Tripwire, theOlympic venues and infrastructure were alldelivered on budget (after some early re-adjustments) and on time and withoutdelay or fuss. If only it could always belike that – but there is nothing like aninternational high profile project and an

immovable deadline to concentratepeoples’ minds.

Looking forward, we should now celebratethe wealth of facilities which are nowavailable, the improvement in London’smuch maligned transport and infrastructure,the injection of the new Olympic Park andthe massive regeneration achievements toEast London which have contributed somuch to the enhancement of its image.

Whether Britain’s young people decide toembrace more physical activity and sportin the future remains to be seen, but thephysical and psychological legacy is therefor all to see. Not for the first time,planners have emerged, implicitly at least,as part of the success story – but withoutactually receiving the full credit for it. AsBen Ainsley said (without a hint of irony)shortly after receiving his sailing goldmedal ‘It’s a great achievement but it’s notquite had time to sink in’. �

John Acres Tripwire editor

The Government has decided to updatethe environmental reports on theproposed revocation of the Regional

Strategies and to undertake additionalconsultation.  This consultation hasalready started with the publication of thefirst of the revised environmental reports -

for the East of England Regional Strategy –but others including the West Midlandswill follow. In each case there will be an 8week period for consultation responses.

The environmental reports are being madeavailable via the Department’s website at:

http://www.communities.gov.uk/planningandbuilding/planningenvironment/strategicenvironmentassess/

On request, because of their size, they canalso be supplied on a compact disc. �

Environmental Report on the Proposed Revocationof the West Midlands Regional Strategy

Charity Registration Number: 262865 • Scottish Charity Registration Number: SC 037841 • Registered Office Address Royal Town Planning Institute 41 Botolph Lane London EC3R 8DL.

Continuing Professional Development: : : : : : : : : : Events Ca lendar : : September > November : : : : : : : : : :

REGIONAL PROGRAMMENon-members of RTPI welcome to attend.

MONDAY 17 SEPTEMBERYoung Planners Meet the RTPI PresidentVenue: Metro Bar, 73 Cornwall St, Birmingham B32DFTime: 6pmCost: FreeDetails & booking: Emailypwestmids@googlemail.com

TUESDAY 18 SEPTEMBERThe National Football CentrePresentation, guided tour & buffet plus opportunityto meet RTPI President, Colin Haylock, during hisvisit to the West Midlands Region.Venue: St Georges Park, Burton upon Trent, DE13 9PDTime: 6pm – 9pmCost: £16 incl VATDetails & booking: Sue Griffith-Jones Tel 0121 7091599 Email westmidlands@rtpi.org.uk

WEDNESDAY 19 SEPTEMBERDesign Quality in Neighbourhood PlanningSeminar focussing on how planners and architectsengage and communicate with local communitieson design quality.SPEAKERSColin Haylock, RTPI President“The role and contribution of the planner inachieving design quality” Stephen Hodder, RIBA President Elect“The role and contribution of the architect inachieving design quality” Tom Lonsdale, PlaceCraft“Community activists should know their place”Louise, Wyman, HCA“The challenges in enabling a community tounderstand design quality”

Richard Guise, Context4D“Achieving design quality through bettercommunication between communities, plannersand designers”Venue: Offices of HCA, 5 St Philip’s Place,Birmingham Time: 10am – 1.45pm (registration from 9.30am,presentations start 10am, followed by lunch)Cost: £50 + VAT for RTPI members, £60 + VAT fornon-members. Less if purchased as part of the RTPIWest Midlands 2012 Season Ticket Programme.Full-time students & the unwaged £20 + VAT. Details & bookings: Sue Griffith-Jones Tel 0121 709 1599Email westmidlands@rtpi.org.uk

WEDNESDAY 3 OCTOBER Planning Law UpdateVenue: DLA Piper offices, Victoria Square,Birmingham Time: 10am (registration from 9.30am) – 1pm(followed by lunch)Cost: £50 + VAT for RTPI members, £60 + VAT fornon-members. Less if purchased as part of the RTPIWest Midlands 2012 Season Ticket Programme.Full-time students & the unwaged £20 + VATDetails & booking: Sue Griffith-Jones Tel 0121 709 1599Email westmidlands@rtpi.org.uk

WEDNESDAY 24 OCTOBEREnergyVenue: Millennium Point, BirminghamTime: Morning seminar followed by lunchCost: £50 + VAT for RTPI members, £60 + VAT fornon-members. Less if purchased as part of the RTPIWest Midlands 2012 Season Ticket Programme.Full-time students & the unwaged £20 + VATDetails & booking: Sue Griffith-Jones Tel 0121 709 1599Email westmidlands@rtpi.org.uk

WEDNESDAY 14 NOVEMBERCIL Charging Schedules – one year on from adoptionVenue: Offices of Irwin Mitchell, BirminghamTime: Morning seminar followed by lunchCost: £50 + VAT for RTPI members, £60 + VAT fornon-members. Less if purchased as part of the RTPIWest Midlands 2012 Season Ticket Programme.Full-time students & the unwaged £20 + VATDetails & booking: Sue Griffith-Jones Tel 0121 709 1599Email westmidlands@rtpi.org.uk

OTHER EVENTS

THURSDAY 13 SEPTEMBERHow to Reunite Health with Planning: HealthierHomes, Healthier Communities Venue: Centre for Voluntary Action, BirminghamTime: 9.30am – 1pmCost: FreeOrganiser: TCPADetails & Booking: Michael McLean@tcpa.org.uk

FRIDAY 26 & SATURDAY 27 OCTOBERYoung Planners Conference 2012Planning: Striking a BalanceVenue: RIBA, 66 Portland Place, LondonCost: £135 + VATOrganiser: RTPIDetails & bookings: info@rtpiconferences.co.uk

FRIDAY 9 NOVEMBER14th Annual Midlands Development ManagementConferenceLessons from the New Planning SystemVenue: Central Baptist Church, LeicesterTime: 10am – 4pm (Registration from 9.30am)Cost: £120 incl VAT Organiser: Landmark PlanningDetails & booking: Emailjw@landmarkplanning.co.uk

Young Planners meet the Minister

On the 12th July 2012, Young plannerrepresentatives from across the UKincluding the West Midlands met with

Greg Clark MP, Minister for Cities,Decentralisation and Planning.

The hour long meeting allowed networkmembers to bring the perspective of early careerplanning professionals on a range of differentissues, including,

• The image of planning and the profession;• Planning education,• The driving forward of strategic

development projects; and,• Community Infrastructure Levy.

The Minister was particularly interested inhearing about personal experiences of howPlanning was working in practice and whatcould be done to improve the current system,and the role of Young Planners in creating andimplementing further change within the system.

The meeting was a great success and is plannedto become a regular event, allowing YoungPlanners and the Minister to interact on variety ofissues and express our views on key consultationsand planning policy development within CentralGovernment. It is an exciting prospect, but one theYoung Planners in Scotland and Wales have beenundertaking for some time with their respectablecounterparts within their Assemblies.

The meeting also allowed me to talk about theplanning practice within the West Midlands andthe key role which Young planners in both thepublic and private sectors are playing within theregion. Steve Quartermain, who was present atthe meeting, also referred back to YoungPlanners Conference, held in Birmingham, as anexcellent event, showing our enthusiasm anddedication to the profession.

This is a superb example of Young Plannersbeing proactive and allowing our voices to beheard, whilst representing our regions. �

Benn SimmChair YPwestmids

European Group – thanks to Christina Mannering

Last month’s meeting of the European andInternational Group saw the resignation ofChristina Mannering as Chair.

Christina has led the group and organised tripsand exchanges with planners abroad for as longas anyone can remember and we are most

grateful to her for all her hard work andcommitment to the Institute over the years.

Christina has forged links with planners inPoland and Lithuania and also beeninstrumental in spearheading trips to Brussels,China and all over the world. She has also

played her part in helping to establishrelationships between our West MidlandsUniversities and other planning schools andinstitutions abroad.

Anyone interested in joining the group shouldcontact Martin Haslett martin.haslett@o2.co.uk. �

10 | July / Aug

RTPI Summer Ball – 13th July 2012 – Picture Gallery

RTPI Chief Executive Trudi Eliot, RTPI President Colin Haylock withhis wife, Tina Regional Chair, Andy Thompson, RICS ChairmanMartin Perks, RIBA Vice Chairman Noel Street, RTPI Regional ViceChair Sandra Ford.

The Ballroom.

Trudi Eliot, Colin Haylock, Craig Alsbury (GVA), Andrew Thompson.

Steve Hill: our MC for the evening.

John Jowitt and Will Vincent.

Colin Haylock (President), Peter Goatley (No 5), AndrewThompson (Chairman) Mark Walton and Alan Bain (JMP).

The Wolverhampton City table.

Graham Parker and colleagues.

Mark Walton, Past Chairman, Laura Smith, Amy Truman and SueGriffith Jones.

Michael Paul.

The JMP table.

Mike Beazley & Sue Griffith Jones. Gemma Jenkinson winner of the air guitar award.