Caroline Brown’s Post

This is the only image I took at the The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) #Conservation conference yesterday 🤔 ... the render mix that Paye Stonework & Restoration Ltd used for their project at Orford Castle English Heritage... David Manktelow's was just one of many fascinating and inspiring presentations and panel discussions throughout the day - the case studies were great, including Jonathan Brock's summary of the work we contributed to in the library at St. John's Oxford, Sophie Norton's flint project and Meriel O'Dowd and Morwenna Slade's whistle stop tour of Churches Conservation Trust's most climate threatened buildings. But it was the discussions on #training and #skills that filled me with most enthusiasm - remind me I said this in 5 years time, but there were some promising words from English Heritage and news of great progress from Heritage Crafts on providing bursaries for craft skills, that feels like the appetite, energy and commitment is all there for change to happen. keep up the energy Nicola Duncan-Finn Fleur Gordon and Juliet Baillie! My biggest takeaway was the recognition that whilst it will undoubtedly fall to SME's, charities and committed individuals to provide meaningful training opportunities to new learners in and outside of our industry, it has to be enabled and encouraged by the state. The Government has to legislate for training, and put their money where their mouth is to make it possible for us all to do this. There needs to be a shift from short-termism to long-term thinking, in education and training, procurement and legislation to support businesses in the Heritage sector (i.e cut VAT!) We have to make this happen and, as Gerard Lemos said in his Keynote, be more disruptive to address the 2 main challenges we face in terms of skills shortages and climate change. With an immanent change in government, I'm game. And I'll remember to take more photos of important industry events. #heritage #conservation #training #skills #climatechange

Interesting to see what Leicester, Newcastle & Kirklees are doing as the three biggest LUF recipients. All unlocking and unblocking growth - but all dependent on competitive bidding and short-term inflexible funding pots. Local government has the knowledge and capacity to deliver transformational change to place - and to do so in a way that rebalances and grows the economy, creating prosperity and opportunity. But the current approach to funding favours individual projects that can deliver a particular score on a DLUHC spreadsheet in Whitehall, rather than a more strategic and balanced approach to regeneration and growth which is bespoke to each place. At Inner Circle Consulting we worked with a lot of successful local authorities to prepare their LUF bids - and we're really proud to be part of their success. But what this short-term approach delivers are the blockbuster projects (which in and of themselves are great!) but not the enablers, the bits-in-between, the monitoring and evaluation that would come from a more sustainable, coherent and long-term approach to transforming Britain's towns, cities & counties to realise their potential - and most of the capacity that could enable this has gone from the public sector. If the polls hold, then this year will see a change of government and a change of approach to regeneration and growth. A new government will need long-term results on the economy if their approach to 'growth-first' is going to succeed. This will have to start with giving LA's the ability to plan for the long-term, freeing them from the cycle of bid writing and bid submitting and into building a proper programme and portfolio for delivering growth. https://lnkd.in/e8xt3rT3

Might have been broadcast the other week but I am still reflecting on the discussion on Question Time with the mention of housing crisis and planning. It was disappointing to hear a perspective from Anas Sarward MSP and also Iain Dale (none of which having a planning background) outlining that they think the planning system needs overhauled (where have they been lately.....2019 Act and NPF4?) and the fixes it needs. I am not trained in dentistry therefore would never expect to provide a comprehensive perspective of how Mr Sarward would have carried out his previous role before becoming a politician. The one with the correct answer was the fantastic audience member, Jamie Leadbeater, who is a planner and highlighted the need for more resource within the system, particularly in Local Government where cuts and lack of investment have seen an impact on the workforce demographic. They also mentioned us here at University of Dundee as the only undergraduate planning school in Scotland, how right he is! This highlights even further why myself, and others, who are so passionate about doing what we do with new trajectories in education. Our course continues to grow, we continue to evolve. If the so called "experts" could stop planner bashing and actually consider their own accountability that would go some way to assisting. A place is not just created or regenerated by decisions a planner may make. Place is created by a holistic and complex system from engineers, architects, environmental specialists, economists and many many more. Importantly changes in Scotland also seek to further engage with the most important component of place, communities (current and future)! These things can and do take time. Can't have it all ways. However with adequate resource and positive collaboration a whole lot more can be create by working together with collective accountability. I do hope the forthcoming election and subsequent elected politicians come into their role with an open and collective view of the importance that planning plays for social, health, economic and environmental outcomes.

English planning changes – springing into action! 2024 has already brought much change to the world of planning in England – with even more promised. Here we summarise a few of the key developments to be aware of, and some to keep an eye on. #HLplanning

BLOG: "The key to all the measures introduced this week is that they are well understood & clearly communicated so the whole planning system is working together for the common goal of delivering the places that communities around the country deserve." Richard Blyth, RTPI Head of Policy Practice and Research breaks down his views on yesterday’s announcements from Michael Gove. https://lnkd.in/ejYbCDib #rtpi #planningreform #planners

In our latest Member briefing for the Local Government Information Unit (LGIU), we look at UK examples of town centre regeneration. The briefing considers local government's role in town centre regeneration, looking at public-private partnership models in detail, with UK examples. It examines funding issues, the impact of administrative changes (locally and nationally) and evaluates the cost-benefits of a place-based, holistic approach to regeneration. https://lnkd.in/ePcUYHQh

Will the new Government’s proposed changes to the planning system, in particular to the NPPF and Standard Method, achieve a fundamental shift in housing delivery as claimed? Are you up to date with recent planning caselaw on these hot topics and how the proposed changes might affect this? Book a place at Francis Taylor Building's Annual Planning Forum on 30th September. Chaired by Suzanne Ornsby KC, speakers include; Morag Ellis KC, Mark Westmoreland Smith KC, Kate Olley Philip Petchey, Annabel Graham Paul, Charles Merrett, Michael Feeney, and Stephanie Bruce-Smith, plus guest key note speakers Matthew Spry, Head of Lichfields UK London and Ian MacLeod, Director of Planning and Infrastructure at Malvern Hills and Wychavon District Council. https://lnkd.in/erZBzm4 #planning #law #environment #development #housing #greenbelt #legal #planninglaw

Attention Creative Businesses in England: Win up to £30,000 to grow your innovative project! This is your chance to secure funding for your groundbreaking idea in the creative sector. How much funding? Grants between £10,000 and £30,000. What are they looking for? Innovative projects with clear growth potential. Eligible regions: Greater Manchester Norfolk, Suffolk & Cambridgeshire North East of England West of England & Cornwall South East Coast Leicestershire, Derbyshire & Greater Lincolnshire Nottingham & Nottinghamshire Hull & East Yorkshire West Midlands West Yorkshire Devon Hertfordshire Don't miss out! ⏳ Wilby Jones can help you craft a winning application! We can: Sharpen your proposal. Highlight your project's impact and align it with the competition goals. Navigate the process. Ensure your application meets all the criteria. Increase your chances by guide you through every step, from planning to submission. Contact Wilby Jones today to discuss your project and see if you're eligible. #DCMSCreateGrowth #CreativeFunding #InnovationGrant #WilbyJones

Earlier this month, the Florida Redevelopment Association sponsored a training session on the (mis)use of incentives to support strategic or preferred projects and programs. The daylong event at the GAI Consultants, Inc. office included information about the incentives typically available to local government, their timing for maximum benefit, financial options, regulatory options, and very basic means to combine resources. About a dozen local governments from all over the state participated bringing their own perspectives to the conversation.   Such sessions, while intended for FRA’s own members, yield knowledge valuable to urban planners engaged in parallel efforts. Should they choose to do so, redevelopment staff who are often members of AICP can take full advantage of the opportunity to self-report continuing education credits. There are few learning sessions bringing attention to the specific ways incentives could and should work in Florida so this subject may have a particular appeal for you.   A special thanks to those who joined us.   #FRA #urbanplanning #urbanknights #GAI #FAPA #redevelopment #GAICommunitysolutionsgroup

Great to kick-start the morning with an interesting panel about MMoC in NSW, in particular hearing from keynote speaker Mark Farmer with some lessons learnt from the UK market. My take-aways: - Government needs to invest in this pipeline to give the market enough certainty to invest. We're seeing it in schools but need to be seeing it more in housing. Let's see what's in the budget on June 18. - Construction wants to be lumpy, manufacturing needs a fully-utilised steady state flow - if the pipeline isn't there, we won't see the benefits - Industry needs to embrace the 'pattern book' concept - especially with opportunity to design in Australia for our own market and conditions - There is opportunity for courageous developers who have a product at scale (student accom, aged care, housing?) to leverage MMoC to 'bake in' sustainable products, quality guarantees and a more diverse workforce. I'm looking forward to seeing more of this. - There's an opportunity with the Fed Government pipeline, in particular in Defence, but it would require significant changes to how contracts are procured towards incentivising MMoC Thanks to the panel - Brett Hocking, Katharine Turner, Phillip Tondl and Rebecca Pinkstone and Philippa Kearney/Hassell for the invite. Well done Property Council NSW for another great event.