Does anybody trust anyone?

So a few months into our new Government, a new NPPF awaited, lots of rhetoric, opinion, concern, winners, losers and even a new towns programme.  On face value, rightly more focus on the delivery of much needed new homes. 

So, let’s put my cynical hat on for a brief moment and predict what may happen:  the NPPF will be delayed and leave lots of unanswered questions.  Council Officers will do their best to inform their Members and suggest a way forward.  Some will (and already have) raise concerns over resourcing, which the Government will promise additional funding that will take too long to arrive.  Some Councils will do their best to embrace the new thinking; others will find a way to circumvent it.  Planning applications and appeals will be submitted given the shortfall in housing which many Councils find themselves in, diverting Council resources and pre-emoting the plan making system.  The industry will get busier and recruitment needs won’t keep up with demand, resulting in more job movement.  The Government will produce more guidance on the much needed strategic plan making system, causing more delay.  New Local Plans will be produced alongside or after any strategic plans, but take far longer than anticipated.  The New Towns Programme will do great work but struggle with traction at the local level.  And it will all go badly wrong before the next general election.  Why? Because we’ve been here before ….. and it went wrong then too!

So the big question is: does Government have enough time to mandate its current agenda and for voters to get used to the outcomes before the next election (at the latest before 2029)?  I would suggest no!   Why? Because the system simply can’t react that quickly; and every Government attempt to speed up the system ever has actually slowed it down.  Oh…. And every new Government likes to change the planning system, so it will all start again. 

In the mean time, Councils will be come increasingly overstretched, developers increasingly unpopular and everyone increasingly frustrated.  And all of this pitches the developer, Government, Councils and communities against each other.  And who wins? 

I am an optimist at heart, so this cynicism doesn’t sit well, so I would be delighted to be proven wrong.  But in a space where no one seems to trust anyone else, I fear I won’t be unless we learn from what went wrong before.  And it’s simply this: we didn’t bring communities with us; and “imposing” change that has such significant effects on people’s lives will never go down well.   

Look at why Structure Plans were abolished; why Regional Plans never passed the start line; why Neighbourhood Plans were established (thanks to Big Dave’s Big Society).  And in a world where information is much more available, misinformation more easily spread and communities more readily able to respond, can we really expect communities to let this all play out and then re-elect the same Government?  I think not.

Over the past 25 years, I’ve seen the best and the worst of how all this plays out; and I’ve been fortunate to have worked on numerous schemes and plans that prove that  developers, communities & Councils can work together, be that in plan making or on specific projects, be that a new community of 4000 people allocated in a Neighbourhood Plan; large scale allocations delivering much needed community infrastructure; and a community pleading with an Inspector to allow an appeal the local Council had rejected - in locations where many had given up hope.

All of these schemes have had certain things in common.  So as we play pass the parcel of who will take responsibility for delivering the homes we need, I’ve a few thoughts on how we can avoid repeating the mistakes of the past.

1. Embrace that planning is ultimately a democratic process

The development industry is one of few manufacturing processes where someone else decides what, how many and where they are provided and sold.  And those decision-makers have a different agenda to the manufacturer.  Love it or loath it, that’s the system we work within. 

Development Plans and planning proposals have to be voted for.  The only way to avoid this is the appeals process which is expensive, time consuming and full of risk.   It what if we were to start with the question: what will win hearts and minds of the decision-makers and create schemes that seek to win support and resolve existing problems or concerns?  What if we sought to work with communities from an early stage before proposals are drawn up, to see if a scheme could be devised to address local issues?

This isn’t just for specific proposals, but also on the big questions in regional and local plan making: how do we want to live? What are the actual social and environmental consequences of different scenarios when plan making – more growth, less growth, no growth; genuinely allowing people to make informed choices.  

2. Let’s support Neighbourhood Planning

Are communities always resistant to development?  Some may say so, but most communities want some control over the places they live in and use Neighbourhood Plans to that end. Many allocate land for development.  Many not enough.  But some, more than they would have.  Why? Because it suited them to do so; they recognised the benefits; and they saw an opportunity to create the change they wanted. 

But from what I have seen, the vast majority start the process not realising how complex it can be; but give their time and efforts to try to bring the wider community with them.  Often with little support and insufficient financial assistance.  Many fail or get delayed, not because of their efforts, but because the system works against them.   

But I have also seen there is a way for landowners, developers and Councils to work with communities to help them create a plan for their area.  Often there’s a way to deliver exactly what is needed, so everyone wins.  And contrary to the fears, when the community is given the pen in deciding what is best for their area, working with them in an open, collaborative and honest way, new opportunities emerge that never existed before. 

3. Invest time to build trust

If we are honest, the reason why delivering development is so challenging is because there is a fear of losing control – something which you never completely had in the first place.  But there are countless examples that prove it doesn’t have to be that way.  What is essential though is trust.  And that doesn’t happen overnight.  Breaking down barriers, demonstrating you are there to help and support; being present and a familiar face – it all takes time.  But experience suggests it can be time very well spent.  Because when you do, you can often find a common objective everyone can work towards.

Nothing will ever be straight forward in place making - it never has been.  But before we make the same mistakes of old by seeking to impose solutions on communities, maybe we need to invest the time in having early and open conversations; to take communities with us.  Put another way, if we want to succeed, do we really have any other choice?