Graeme Sherriff

Getting involved in plan making: participation and stakeholder involvement in local and regional spatial strategies in England

In 2004 the English planning system was subject to extensive reforms which introduced a ‘spatial planning’ approach that goes beyond traditional land-use planning in integrating policies for the development and use of land with other policies and programmes which influence the nature of places. At the regional level, regional planning guidance was replaced by regional spatial strategies (RSSs) and, at the local level, existing local land-use planning documents were replaced with a portfolio of documents that make up the new local development framework (LDF). Together, the LDF and RSS make up the statutory development plan for an area. At the heart of the new spatial planning reforms is a heightened emphasis on stakeholder and community involvement. This paper brings together research at two different spatial scales. The ‘Spatial Plans in Practice’ study examined stakeholder involvement in LDF preparation across England. Parallel research examined the experience of stakeholders in the formation of the North West RSS. Drawing on this empirical base, we examine experiences of stakeholder involvement in the reformed spatial planning system and discuss the implications for the future.

Achieving successful participation in the new UK spatial planning system

This article assesses how the planning reforms in the UK, focused on the creation of local development frameworks (LDFs), are being put into practice and how the changes are helping to achieve Government objectives of achieving successful participation in the planning system. The article draws on an extensive range of literature sources, both academic and policy related, from land use planning and related fields of local governance and urban regeneration, including consideration of recent Government initiatives such as local strategic partnerships and community strategies—as well as ongoing research by the authors as part of the UK Government-funded Spatial Plans in Practice investigation. This article also has a practical purpose in that it is intended to be of use to practitioners in further exploring the extent to which such concepts and practical advice can be applied to everyday practices, and with what results, within the LDF process. Following this introduction, consideration is given to why participation is needed, in terms of both the advantages of making well-informed decisions based on a thorough knowledge of stakeholder needs and expectations, and the statutory requirements set out in the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act (PCPA) 2004 and associated guidance. The third section asks ‘what is effective participation?’, discusses key conceptualizations of participation and explores the changing nature of community and stakeholder involvement in planning. This is followed by guidance on possible approaches to effective participation along with a discussion of the potential barriers and how to overcome them. In conclusion, the final section pulls together some of the general issues and tensions that are likely arise during the design and implementation of the participation process, drawing on the literature for ways to understand and address these.

Towards healthy local food: Issues in achieving Just Sustainability

The Bentley Bulk local food initiative was piloted in Manchester in 2003 with the aim of creating a “Healthy Local Food System”. It combined education in food, training in horticulture and work on a local market garden with a food buying co-operative and placed these within the context of a local currency. It is argued that, by operating at the nexus of sustainability and justice, the project can be seen as an example of Just Sustainability in the UK. Just Sustainability provides a framework for a discussion of the issues in taking the project from theory into practice. In particular, the paper looks at the challenge of reaching out to the “non-usual suspects”, making organic food more socially inclusive, linking community projects with larger-scale environmental issues, and the ethics of volunteering.

Drivers of and barriers to urban energy in the UK: a Delphi survey

A survey of energy activity in urban areas in the UK was carried out in 2012 with the aim of better understanding the range of activity in this field and of aiding decision-making to facilitate the roll out of a more decentralised approach. Adopting a sociotechnical approach, urban energy was understood not simply as the decentralisation of generation, but also as efforts to promote ways of living and working that contribute towards lower energy consumption. A Delphi approach consisting of a two-stage iterative web-based survey received responses across the public, private and third sectors. Indicative findings suggest a wealth of drivers for urban energy and different “driver profiles” for the sectors, and therefore the need for flexible policy approaches. The survey builds on research that highlights pervasive barriers to progress in this field and, therefore, to the importance of developing solutions that enable urban energy to make a more significant contribution to the UK energy budget.

Success in international decentralised urban energy initiatives: a matter of understanding?

Many towns and cities worldwide have begun implementing decentralised urban energy systems. Aiming to reduce their carbon emissions, many utilise not only technological innovation but also innovative policy and financial and social–economic approaches. Following interviews with stakeholders, four international cases, all of which were defined by stakeholders in different ways as “successful”, provide insights into the instigating driving forces contributing to success. Understanding of “success” varied between projects and between stakeholders, depending significantly on individual attitudes to sustainability, financial feasibility, technical performance and social acceptance, suggesting that a realistic definition of success involves not just a projects financial feasibility and energy savings, but that enhancing high-potential partnerships and transparency, and acceptance and understanding of the proposed project are also critical, as are interest from the media and outside organisations. The success of a project therefore cannot be measured simply via its outcomes – process factors and the context in which they unfold are also crucial.

Voting on sustainable transport: communication and governance challenges in Greater Manchester's ‘congestion charge’ referendum

In December 2008, the Greater Manchester electorate voted to reject a £3 billion package of transport measures that would have included investment in the conurbations bus, tram and rail networks and walking and cycling infrastructure, together with, and partially funded by, the introduction of a congestion charge. The proposals followed a successful bid to the UK Government Transport Innovation Fund (TIF). High levels of car use present challenges to cities, and the TIF bid can be seen as an attempt to address these by promoting and facilitating a modal shift. The paper reflects on the debates surrounding the proposals, which led to a referendum. In particular, it explores the challenges of communicating complex, controversial plans in a fragmented and contested political arena.

Perspectives on Getting the Region Involved in its Spatial Strategy: Or, 'I have no idea what you're talking about. I have not met anyone who knows what an RSS is'

Abstract This article explores the experience of individuals, and public, private and community sector organizations in the formation of the Regional Spatial Strategy for the North West of England (RSSNW). Although the RSS and its successor, the Regional Strategy have now been revoked by the incoming coalition Government, the questions surrounding involvement in regional and sub-regional planning remain pertinent. The empirical research comprised a questionnaire survey, followed by interviews with stakeholders and regional government officers. Quantitative and qualitative data identify a number of frustrations and indicate that the quality of stakeholder experience is influenced by organizational status, location, sector, technological knowledge and relationships with the relevant planning authorities. The stakeholders who present the greatest challenge in terms of outreach and involvement appear to be individual members of the public and smaller organizations, dependent on volunteer time and energy, and this article focuses on their experiences. Whilst there is a range of lessons that can be learned from the RSSNW consultation process, and translated into improvements to consultation approaches, the discussion also suggests that there are systemic issues in consultation on issues of a regional nature with a relatively far-reaching time horizon.

Meeting Workforce Needs?: Developing and Delivering Education for ‘Sustainable Communities’

Embedding notions of sustainability within both higher education and practice occasionally faces resistance. This chapter details one such experience of resistance by drawing on attempts in the last decade to develop and embed the concept of ‘sustainable communities’ in higher education and professional practice within the United Kingdom (UK). The Foundation Degree in Sustainable Communities (FdSc) was developed by the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) in partnership with a select number of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). The development of the FdSc was spurred by, what was perceived as, the significant lack of skills, within the various sectors, required to deliver New Labour’s ‘Sustainable Communities’ agenda within a framework of regeneration. By drawing upon research with the HCA, HEIs and students this chapter explores the development of the FdSc and reflects upon the experience of the various stakeholders who have played a part in the delivery of the programme. A positive unanticipated outcome of this process; the collaborative working, provides ideas as to how to increase the effectiveness of collaboration across HEIs generally. The chapter also highlights various challenges and dilemmas’ facing the FdSc as it was delivered within a very different political and public milieu to that of the 2000s. The chapter focuses on the difficulties that can be faced by HEIs when they become the delivery agents of political discourse.

Adapting to Climate Change: Getting More from Spatial Planning

Given the severity of future climate change projections and associated risks to human and natural systems, societies are now faced with a strong imperative to develop adaptation policies and actions in response. Spatial planning, which is the process through which the development and use of land is visualised, negotiated and regulated, has an important role to play in adapting to the changing climate. Despite positive steps forward in some locations, there remains a gap between spatial planning’s potential capacity to support the achievement of adaptation goals and the realisation of this role in practice. This paper reports on the findings of an online Delphi survey undertaken to build understanding of the relationship between spatial planning and climate change adaptation. The survey secured the input of over 70 academics, planners and policy makers working across these fields in ten different countries. Its results offer insights on barriers inhibiting spatial planning’s contribution to adaptation, which range from overarching systemic issues through to those concerning the detailed workings of the planning system. The Delphi survey also identified solutions that could help build the capacity of spatial planning to progress the adaptation agenda. Approaches include enhancing the adaptation knowledge, skills and technical capacity of planners and applying different concepts and methods to align spatial planning more closely with adaptation goals. In presenting and analysing the results of the Delphi survey, the aim of this paper is to help build the capacity of policy makers, practitioners and researchers to adapt spaces and places for the changing climate.