Latest News

Examinations of CIL Charging Schedules: new service from TRA - 25/01/12

TRA is pleased to announce the launch of a new service for Local Planning Authorities - Examinations of Community Infrastructure Levy Charging Schedules.

Any LPA that is in the process of producing its CIL Charging Schedule will know that at some point it needs to appoint an "examiner" to carry out an independent examination of the Schedule. What many may not realise is that the examiner does not have to be an Inspector appointed by PINs. An LPA can appoint anyone who, in their opinion, is independent of the authority and has appropriate qualifications and experience. This is because the Examiner's role is to consider not only whether the Schedule is compliant in legal terms but also whether it is economically viable, realistic in terms of the infrastructure being able to be delivered, and consistent with national guidance, and therefore whether it provides an appropriate basis for the collection of the levy.

As an organisation that has provided support for the planning service for many years but which is completely independent of both central and local government, we believe that TRA is perfectly placed to provide this service.

TRA Senior Associates, Lee Prebble and Simon Rowberry, will be leading this new service. Lee Prebble has worked with TRA since 2000 and as one of our specialist presenters/consultants he has delivered numerous training sessions on planning conditions, section 106 agreements and CIL itself. Lee will be delivering our new workshop for 2012 on Introducing and Making Best Use of the Community Infrastructure Levy, and as a former Planning Policy Manager and now an independent planning consultant, he is well placed to conduct an examination of a Charging Schedule. Simon Rowberry is another of TRA's specialist presenters/consultants and in addition to delivering our workshop on Understanding Viability: key concepts in development economics for planners he has invaluable experience working with local authorities on the provision of infrastructure, and so is well versed in the issues and complexities of both viability and implementation. As always, administrative support will be provided by TRA's office team in Bolton.

Further details will shortly be available on our website. In the meantime, if you would like to discuss how TRA can be of assistance in this area please contact Penny O'Shea for an informal discussion.

Achieving more from less: new workshop for planning managers - 24/01/12

As part of our 2012 workshop programmes in England and Scotland, we have introduced a brand new workshop, Managing in Planning Today: achieving more from less. 

Todays' planning managers have to balance incorporating new legislation, prospective new national planning guidance and new thinking associated with localism, with maintaining or improving delivery and performance. At the same time, budgets are under threat, staff are worried about their futures, and in many cases morale is falling. Has it ever been a harder environment to manage in?

Focusing on three key components of successful management: leadership, motivation and overcoming resistance to change, the workshop will help participants better understand how they can proactively influence service delivery in today's particularly challenging circumstances. A mixture of case studies and self-assessment exercises will also help participants to identify their personal strengths and weaknesses and how these impact on their managerial performance.

The workshop will run on 14 June in Edinburgh and 25 September in London. It is presented by TRA Associate, Chris Weetman, who has extensive experience of improving service structure and delivery within local authorities, and is suitable for section managers, team leaders (both planning and support teams), and senior officers looking to take the next step into management.

Firm bookings for Edinburgh or London can be made using the leaflet/booking form on our website (click on the date and venue of your choice above to access). If you would like to reserve a place for a short period please use our online provisional booking facility. The workshop can also be delivered on an in-house basis for an authority or group of authorities jointly - contact Angela Holmes for more information. 

Bespoke training solutions from TRA - 20/01/12

TRA has a great deal of experience in preparing bespoke or tailored training sessions for our clients. To give you an idea of how this might be appropriate to you and your colleagues, we regularly feature examples of bespoke sessions in ENews. This month's example is a two-day Enforcement workshop developed at the request of Birmingham City Council. The session was delivered in December 2011 and neighbouring authorities were invited along to share the training to ensure cost effectiveness. 

The workshop focused on the core elements of planning and listed building enforcement, including:

  • understanding and identifying what constitutes the breach (planning and listed building control)
  • consideration of enforcement scenarios, expediency and harm
  • making the most of the “toolkit”
  • getting the enforcement notice right
  • enforcement appeals (including considerations of invalidity and nullity)
  • factors to be taken into account in considering a prosecution for non-compliance with notices
  • the decision to prosecute and some advice for appearing in Court. 

The two-day course was prepared by TRA Senior Associate, Vivien Green, and participant feedback was excellent:

  • I learnt a lot – very useful handouts to refer to at work. Well presented and explained – I enjoyed the course. Lesley Bennett, Lichfield DC
  • Identified all the points needed for Enforcement. John Tallis, Birmingham CC
  • I feel like I have learnt a lot. I will certainly keep my handouts for future reference. I really liked how we were given handouts discussing some of the case-law we covered, very useful. The presenter was fabulous. She was very knowledgeable and was able to take the legislation and discuss it in real scenarios. A very useful 2 days, thank you! Katie Moriarty, Birmingham CC
  • Above and beyond what was expected. The presenter was knowledgeable, enthusiastic and approachable. Catherine Golightly, Birmingham CC
  • Excellent two days! Iain Mackay, Bromsgrove and Redditch
  • Very informative and covered a lot of issues that I had not been aware of. Paul Perry, Coventry CC
  • The workshop met my expectations, very helpful and informative. Clarified matters in a concise way with adequate time for open discussion and questions. Zoe Langfield, Birmingham CC 

Delivering joint training with neighbouring authorities is becoming a popular approach for many of our clients, with positive results. Not only does it maximise the cost effectiveness of training but many find that it creates an ideal opportunity for participants to share local knowledge and experience. For joint training we need to deal with one ‘lead’ authority as our client for liaison, administrative and invoicing purposes; the lead authority is then free to "sell-on" places to their neighbouring LPAs.
 
If you feel that your authority has some specific training requirements and you would like to discuss them further, please feel free to contact Angela Holmes, without obligation.

Certificated Training Module on Material Changes of Use - 16/01/12

The next module due to run as part of TRA's Certificated Programme in Planning Enforcement will commence in May. The module is part of a unique training programme which leads to the award of the 'Certificate in Planning Enforcement' through the successful completion of four out of the five modules available. However we are also pleased to have people attend modules on a "one-off" basis on topics of particular interest to them.

For each module, students are required to attend two two-day Tutorial Sessions and complete project work based on their own work situation.  Because of this, a certain level of commitment is required but ultimately the student will gain a systematic framework for their job, and invaluable knowledge and skills which can make real improvements to their day-to-day work and also their own professional development.

The forthcoming module entitled 'Planning Enforcement and Material Changes of Use' will take place at Madingley Hall in Cambridge on 10-11 May and 21-22 June 2012. The module considers the significant "grey area" of material change of use, covering issues including key tests to determine materiality; concepts of the planning unit and "curtilage"; the legal status of existing use/loss of use rights; key cases for material change of use and recent case law plus many others. Further details of the module can be found on our website.

Feedback from previous students has been extremely positive in terms of the benefits both to themselves as individuals, and also the improvements to their authority’s enforcement function as a result of information they have acquired whilst taking part in this training programme. Comments of those who have attended this particular module include:

“Invaluable module to attend at the beginning of your role as a Planning Enforcement officer, so you know what to look for in assessing whether a material change of use has taken place”  Susan Francis, St Edmundsbury Borough Council

“As a planning enforcement officer, what I learned on the course will assist me greatly in my work on a daily basis. It has given me more confidence in determining the course of action I would undertake in most cases involving a material change of use”  David Moralee, Durham County Council

“Extremely useful way of learning the real issues of enforcement!”  Julian Beeston, Shropshire Council

Bookings on this module can be made using the Booking Form available to download from the website. Alternatively provisional bookings can be made via our online provisional bookings facility or by telephoning Shelagh Pooley on 01204 385678, who will also be happy to answer any questions you may have about this particular module or the programme in general.

An early reminder for post-election Councillor training - 09/01/12

For some authorities across England, Wales and Scotland, local Council elections are taking place in May. We would like to remind those of you who are considering providing planning training in the coming months about the importance of booking early to ensure that your Councillors don’t miss out on one of our extremely popular in-house training sessions.

Even for those Councillors who are relatively experienced in planning, training will be especially important in light of the recent Localism Act 2011, as localism will require new skills and understanding. We have now updated all of our Councillor workshops to reflect the changes that localism will bring to a member’s role and responsibilities; so you can be assured that our workshop content is bang up to date.
 
We can respond to various training requirements, providing individual bespoke sessions as appropriate, but particularly popular in the post-election period are our one-day sessions:

The Training for Councillors section of our website provides further information and answers the most frequently asked questions.

Please note that demand is very high in the period immediately after the elections and therefore we would highly recommend that you get in touch as soon as possible to fix your preferred date and avoid any disappointment. A number of authorities have already avoided the rush and booked their training days – so don’t leave it until the last minute, contact us today!

To receive a detailed quotation, including an outline programme, please contact Angela Holmes, without obligation. The prices that we quote are ‘all-in’ and therefore include all of our fees, presenter’s expenses and pre-course/course material. This means that there are no hidden extras and our clients are aware from the outset what they can expect to pay at the invoicing stage.

 

Receive TRA info direct to your inbox - 06/01/12

Don't forget that as well as the information contained in ENews each month you can also access regular information on our forthcoming events by signing-up to our e-mailing database.  

You can sign-up via our website and the subscription form allows you to choose from a number of topics areas to suit your interests. So why not sign up now and make sure you don't miss out on anything.

Please note that we will not pass on your information to anyone else. Details of our privacy policy are on the form.

The Planning Admin Network (PAN) - not just for Admin staff! - 05/01/12

The Planning Admin Network (PAN) is an invaluable resource for ANYONE who is interested in how the Planning Systems in England, Wales and Scotland function; despite its name, it is not just for admin/support staff.

Initially established in November 2006 to provide a way for people working in planning administration and support to gain open access to current information and new developments in the world of planning admin, PAN has evolved over time and its membership now includes staff in other planning roles, in both the public and private sector, who are keen to keep up to date with developments. PAN is coordinated by TRA's Angela Holmes and Senior Associate, Vivien Green, and membership is absolutely FREE.

The network functions via a dedicated website and because the network operates online, it's easy to contact people working in similar jobs regardless of whether they are in the next town or at the other end of the country - an opportunity you don't often get!  The key features are:

  • an interactive discussion forum – which offers members an opportunity to ask questions/get advice from other members
  • a monthly news section – enabling you to keep up to date with various developments/legislation changes in planning
  • a useful links page – signposting other websites which may be helpful
  • a calendar – (in the Training section) which allows you to see, and set yourself reminders for, upcoming TRA inter-authority workshops which might be of interest. 

The registration process is quick and easy and you only need to provide your preferred username, email and password.  If you would like to join the network, you can sign up via the PAN website – just click on “register” on the homepage at www.planningadminnetwork.co.uk. Alternatively, to see more details, visit the PAN page on the TRA website.

 

NEW workshop to bring Councillors up to speed with Localism - 19/12/11

The Localism Bill received Royal Assent and became the Localism Act on November 15th 2011.  Councillors, and particularly those serving on Planning/DM Committees, will now need to develop an understanding of the how the Act will affect planning and the impact it will have on their own roles and responsibilities.

TRA has developed a BRAND NEW briefing session to help prepare Councillors for the new ways in which the planning system will operate. Specific topics covered include:

  • an overview of the Act
  • proposals for further change
  • pre-determination and Codes of Conduct
  • plans and strategies: NPPF, presumption in favour of sustainable development, duty to co-operate, local development schemes etc
  • neighbourhood planning
  • the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL)
  • the implications for enforcement
  • development management - other provisions
  • the way forward...

The workshop has been designed to run over a half-day (morning, afternoon or evening) and will be delivered by one of our experienced Councillor presenters; please note that we can also offer a full day session, if required.  All of our existing Councillor workshops have now been updated to incorporate the principles of Localism, so you can rest assured that our workshop content is bang up-to-date.

If you think that your authority’s members would benefit from having an expert briefing on Localism, then please contact Angela Holmes to see an outline programme and receive a detailed quotation.

Diagnostic Reviews of Development Management available in Scotland - 19/12/11

TRA's Diagnostic Review service for development management is now available in Scotland and a review was completed during October and November for Orkney Islands Council.

The purpose of a Diagnostic Review is to provide the authority with a snapshot of how well its procedures are currently operating, highlighting any areas that appear to be doing particularly well and any areas that require more detailed investigation because there are current or potential future problems which the authority should seek to address.

The review focuses on key areas of the DM service which help to form an overall picture of its "health" and which can be used as the basis for future development and improvement to the service. For information on the scope of the review please see our website.

TRA is qualified to conduct such reviews because of the range and depth of experience we have in looking at how the development management function is handled in a wide range of authorities. Our experienced team of planning practitioners know exactly where to focus attention, allowing us to quickly spot procedures and organisational arrangements which are not up to standard in terms of current best practice, legal requirements and operational efficiency/effectiveness.

For further information please see our website and to discuss things in more detail, without obligation, please contact Penny O'Shea.

The Community Infrastructure Levy: new workshop - 16/12/11

The Government has made it clear that CIL is to be a key tool in the provision of infrastructure needed for development; it will replace the use of planning obligations under s106 in many instances.

TRA's brand new workshop Introducing and Making Best Use of the Community Infrastructure Levy , led by Senior Associate Lee Prebble, aims to provide those involved in establishing and using a Levy system with a thorough understanding of the legislation and its requirements. It will look at the evolution of CIL and practice to date, in order to provide guidance for those officers tasked with introducing CIL as part of a Local Development Framework or producing a Charging Schedule and having it declared sound. It will also offer advice on implementation to secure developer contributions.

The workshop will take place on 26 April 2012 in London and further details can be found on our website. A detailed leaflet (including booking form) will be added shortly, but in the meantime bookings can be made using the general booking form. Alternatively, provisional bookings can be made to reserve places by telephone or via our online provisional booking facility.

Take a look at the TRA training workshop programmes for 2012! - 13/12/11

The TRA training workshop programmes for 2012 have now been finalised and are available to view on the website via these links:

As mentioned in last month's issue of Enews, a number of brand new workshops have been developed for this year's programmes, which we hope many of you will be keen to attend, covering areas including: Community Infrastructure Levy (see detailed article in this month's ENews); Managing in Planning Today; Being Effective at Inquiries; Advertisement Control (new to England/Wales programme) and Sustainable Development By Design.

Bookings are now invited on all the workshops in the 2012 programmes. Detailed leaflets incorporating booking forms for each workshop will be available to download from the website shortly. In the meantime, bookings can be made using the general booking form for England/Wales or Scotland.

Those wishing to book two or more places can take advantage of our Discounted Block Booking Scheme to receive a discount of up to 15% (depending on the total number of places booked). Booking your training this way offers the opportunity to make substantial savings, which can be a bonus in these times of limited training budgets. Bookings should be made using the special Discounted Block Booking Form which can be download from the website for England/Wales or Scotland.

If you are unable to make firm bookings straight away, provisional bookings can be made to reserve places (completely without obligation) using our online provisional bookings facility or by telephoning 01204 385678.

West Lindsey Support Staff get to grips with The Basics of Planning - 05/12/11

TRA was recently commissioned to deliver the very popular Basics of Planning workshop on an in-house basis for West Lindsey District Council. The training was for the benefit of their planning support staff and also members of their customer service team who regularly take planning enquiries. The aim of the training was to improve the general understanding of planning, from their ‘non-planner’ perspective. 

The session was delivered by TRA presenter, Vivien Green, and course feedback was excellent:

  • I was particularly interested in Permitted Development Rights and this was covered very comprehensively. The content was excellent and has filled in the gaps in the very basic knowledge of planning I had. Diane Leslie
  • I wish I’d have had this level of training four years ago when I started out in planning! Denise Donaldson
  • Good coverage of the basics of planning; put ‘meat on bones’ of existing knowledge. Diane Krochmal
  • I found the training very useful. The presenter was easy to understand and explained points thoroughly.  Heather Kelly
  • Exceeded my expectations. The presenter made planning (normally perceived as a complex subject) very fascinating. Very well explained – I was able to understand the complex subject as it was delivered in plain English with a lot of examples, very interesting. Marina Di Salvatore

This one-day workshop provides a valuable training opportunity for new or less experienced enforcement, administrative, clerical and technical staff who work in town planning, to learn about the key elements of the planning process. The workshop can also be of benefit to more experienced staff who want to set their own job in the wider context of the planning service.

If you are interested in receiving more information about this workshop, such as an outline programme, please contact Angela Holmes, without obligation.

Planning training for Town and Parish Councils - 02/12/11

Town & Parish Councils have a important role to play in the planning system and their potential influence will be even more significant in light of the new Localism Act and the concept of neighbourhood planning. But to be fully effective in their role, Town & Parish Councillors need to understand the fundamentals of the planning system and where they fit in.

TRA has been providing training for Town & Parish Councils for the past 10 years. The most popular option is our half-day Briefing on Planning for Town and Parish Councils. Recently updated to reflect the implications of localism, it is suitable for both Councillors and Clerks and is is designed to help them make a more effective contribution to the Development Management process.

Training can be organised by the District Council for the benefit of its Town/Parish Councils, or by the Town or Parish Council directly. Two recent examples are sessions organised by Bracknell Forest BC and North Horsham Parish Council. Both briefings were delivered by TRA Senior Associate, Jed Griffiths, and the feedback received was very encouraging:

  • As a new Councillor I found it extremely informative. The presenter was very enthusiastic and clear in his delivery. Cllr Gavin Porter, North Horsham Parish Council
  • An excellent presentation. I am looking forward to perusing and revisiting all of the information provided at the end of the training session. I was impressed with the accurate time keeping! Cllr Sally Wilton, North Horsham Parish Council
  • It surpassed my expectations. I particularly enjoyed the case study, it brought the training alive. Cllr Sandra Ingham, Warfield Parish Council
  • The presenter was excellent, covering all of the issues raised with in-depth knowledge and humour. He most certainly engaged with my Councillors, who in turn engaged with each other. Sue Kemp, Parish Council Clerk, North Horsham Parish Council
  • It certainly met my expectations. Planning was brought to life by the presenter. Cllr Susan Thompson, Crowthorne Parish Council
  • Very informative – good to use an actual example which promoted discussion from all angles. Lesley Doyle, Bracknell Forest Council
  • It was much better than I thought it would be and was very informative. Emma Coles, Bracknell Forest Council
  • A thorough and concise workshop that did not stray too far into more complex issues. A challenging and effective case study. A very engaging speaker. Matthew Miller, Bracknell Forest Council

As with our usual approach to training, the session is delivered in an informal, yet structured atmosphere allowing plenty of opportunity for questions. The workshop lasts for three hours and can be delivered at a convenient time in either a morning, afternoon or evening. For more information on this session, or to see an outline programme, please contact Angela Holmes.

For those wishing to provide training for Town & Parish Councils which is more focused on the principles of localism and neighbourhood planning, we can also offer an alternative half-day workshop - again, please contact Angela Holmes for details.