Information into Intelligence Delivering Inspiring Places the role and status of planning discussion NPF 21 June 2007 Tony Burton Janice Morphet

Information into Intelligence Some key issues All places matter Places don’t decline overnight – more proactive approaches needed through basic public services Planning is one of these key approaches but cannot work on its own Places need vision Planning now returning to 1947 model – regulation, delivery and investment

Information into Intelligence PLANNING Some of the key issues (1) Planning has a role in making everywhere somewhere – ‘character building’ counts Planning works better when in it works with other local services to create better places Development management at the micro level is mission critical in shaping places Planning always adds value – we rarely count it Planning can add more value if it consciously does so – through encouragement of investment, planning gain and creating spatial calm Planning delivers but is set up to deliver more

Information into Intelligence PLANNING some key issues (2) Planning’s role in the economy seldom discussed Role of property values underpinning business Role of private equity in realising these assets – eg Sainsbury’s recent property re-valuation to stave off takeover Role of new house building as a perceived indicator of national economic health eg Scottish Index of Leading Economic Indicators

Information into Intelligence PLANNERS some of the key issues Planning managers need management training All planners need better briefing on the current role of planning in the public sector – does Local Government Chronicle do a better job than Planning? Planners – whether in the public or private sectors need to understand the changing world of the public sector in which planning sits and where it has a clear delivery role Planners need development finance and appraisal skills Planners need to learn ways of operating more effectively through the use of business process reengineering = delivering services through appropriate means eg one stop shops

Information into Intelligence Planning – strengths and weaknesses Strengths Well known Confers value Seen to be working better in delivering decisions Weaknesses Seen to be focussed on process and not on delivered outcomes Not seen to be delivering the same agenda as the rest of the local public sector Detached from senior politicians and officers

Information into Intelligence Planning – opportunities and threats Opportunities To deliver place shaping To be central to new public and private investment To deliver the public sector’s capital programme Threats Be bypassed by others Be seen to be the problem Be seen to add to the costs of delivery rather than enabling it

Information into Intelligence Planners – strengths and weaknesses Strengths Analytical approaches Able to deal with complexity Understand process delivery Good relationships with councillors Weaknesses Focussed on process Prefer to work on their own Management skills not generally seen to be important Poor relationships with the rest of the organisation

Information into Intelligence Planners – opportunities and threats Opportunities To be at the heart of place shaping and change To enable the vision and its delivery To be at the heart of the of the future of places Threats To stay looking at process To discourage young planners from public service through out- dated practices and poor management To discourage other from joint working from sense of superior processes

Information into Intelligence Discussion…