Planning leadership essentials, new mentoring to coaching programme, and more...

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18 July 2024

Planning Advisory Service


I can't remember when planning last felt so pivotal for the government. What a time for the profession and council planning teams. We look forward to helping you with all the changes as they emerge from the new government. We are really pleased that PAS, with our LGA colleagues, have reintroduced our Leadership Essentials for Councillors sessions after a few years off. They are proving to be very popular, so please sign up promptly. This month we also have two new recruits starting, Zain Muhammad and Sara Dilmamode. We can't wait for you to meet them as we introduce them to the wonderful world of PAS.

Get in touch at pas@local.gov.uk

Anna Rose
Head of PAS

Planning Leadership Essentials: Chairs of planning committee

Due to unprecedented demand for places on our initial Leadership Essentials session for Planning Committee chairs and vice chairs, we are running a second session on 16 to 17 January. This two-day residential session is a deep-dive into what makes a good chair, what are the latest matters affecting planning committees and how to make defendable & robust decisions. Places are limited, so to book your place, email grace.collins@local.gov.uk

Planning Leadership Essentials: Unveiling the future of planning!

We are also running two x two-day events for council leaders, portfolio holders, planning leads and chairs of planning committees:

  • Programme 1: Wednesday 4 and Thursday 5 December 2024
  • Programme 2: Saturday 8 and Sunday 9 March 2025 

From these two-day residential session you can expect to get:

  • Insider knowledge: Understand what the latest government changes mean for planning and give local leaders in Planning early insights into new policies and reforms.
  • Actionable strategies: Discover what these changes mean for your council's plan-making and decision-making.
  • Placemaking mastery: Learn how to become a champion of placemaking and transform your community.

To book your place, email grace.collins@local.gov.uk

New mentoring to coaching programme

PAS are setting up a pilot programme to help with the support for planning managers in LPAs. We are looking for between 10 and 12 Directors or Heads of Planning who would like to mentor a planning manager. In return we will invest in your CPD by providing an introduction to coaching course for you to take part in as a cohort. Please contact pas@local.gov.uk to register your interest.

MHCLG Design Code production for Development Management Officers Workshop - 19 September

Working with MHCLG and the Design Code Pathfinder authorities we're delivering a series of online workshops on design codes specifically aimed at development management officers. The next session, taking place on 19 September, will focus on development management officers being involved in the production and testing of design codes. It will be an opportunity to hear from three pathfinder local authorities -  Medway, Gedling and Epping Forest - on how they engaged their DM officers in the production of their codes.

Book your place

You can also watch recordings from the earlier sessions in the series, on the role of DM officers in the production and use of design codes.

BNG Legal Agreement template

We are pleased to announce that we commissioned Dentons to create a suite of sample agreement templates to facilitate securing biodiversity gains in the various ways allowed for by the Environment Act. We are providing these templates for planners and council legal teams to modify according to their council’s standards and the specific requirements of individual developments. View the templates on the PAS website

Natural England SSSI Impact Risk Zone update

Natural England have updated their SSSI Impact Risk Zones tool, making it simpler, clearer and faster to use. You can use the tool to quickly decide when to consult Natural England on development proposals that might affect a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and get instant formal advice in certain instances.

PAS appoints local plan consultants

As we continue in our work to support local authorities to get local plans in place, we are really pleased to be able to announce that we have appointed consultancies of DAC Planning to work with us to give project management support, and Intelligent Plans and Examinations (IPe) for evidence base and duty to cooperate support, in our work for 2024/25.

Can we make Sustainability Appraisal more sustainable?

As we await news of whether reforms to environmental assessment and introduction of EORs will be a priority for the new government, we've been looking at how LPAs could improve existing Local Plan Sustainability Appraisal (SA). We have resurrected our SA webpage and Becology has written a blog on what she’s found

Energy and Future Homes Standards

MHCLG is conducting research with anyone who is involved in building, planning or modelling energy efficient homes. Their aim is to understand what individuals need when assessing a new home against the upcoming Future Homes Standard (FHS). Please email sergei.wicking@communities.gov.uk to speak with them.

Homes for Nature: swift bricks and hedgehog highways

UK homebuilders have signed up to a major new initiative 'Homes for Nature' to support wildlife on their new developments. The Homes for Nature commitment will see a bird-nesting brick or box installed for every new home built, as well as hedgehog highways created as standard on every new development taken through planning from September 2024.

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