Planning Aid EnglandNeighbourhood Planning: Lessons LearnedMike 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

3

• 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

We Provide a Valuable Service…

4

‘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!

5

‘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’ …………………………………….

6

‘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- the planning context- ‘strategic elements’- adopted but out of date vs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

7

‘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……….

8

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

9

Examples of good LPA support - Doncaster

• 5 NAs designated• Regular officer meeting

attendance• Ceding of site allocations &

support, eg Armthorpe, Thorne Moorends

• Specialist support, eg flood risk in Thorne; SEA

• Detailed comment on emerging NP drafts, eg Burghwallis

• Good www – self-produced resources & signposting

10

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

11

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

12

What can local authorities do to offer more support to groups?

13

• 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?

14

• 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’!

20

Contact Details

mike.dando@planningaid.rtpi.org.uk0203 206 1893

Advice Line: 0330 123 9244E-mail: advice@planningaid.rtpi.org.uk

www.rtpi.org.uk/planningaid