Latest News

Make sure your validation list is up-to-date and up-to-scratch - 27/08/10

All local planning authorities in England are required to review their local information requirements lists (often referred to as "local lists" or "validation lists") and ensure that an up-to-date version is published on their website by the end of December 2010. This requirement is set out in the Development Management Policy Annex: information requirements and validation for planning applications and the supporting Guidance, both published by CLG on 16 March 2010.

Through our procedural reviews and training, TRA has long advocated and encouraged the concept of "front-loading" of the application process so that all necessary information is provided to the LPA by the applicant at the start of the process. Since 2008, we have assisted a number of authorities in reviewing and improving their local list to ensure that it is tailored to their particular circumstances and provides clear guidance to applicants, and we continue to offer this service for any authority that needs assistance in light of the current requirement to review.

Each requirement on the list needs to be reviewed to ensure that it meets five key principles set out by government, including "necessity", "precision" and "proportionality". For those authorities with well thought-out and reasonably up-to-date lists this should not be too onerous. But for those whose local list has not received any attention for some time or who have not yet prepared a local list, the process is likely to take up valuable staff time which could be more urgently required elsewhere. If needed, this is an area where TRA's experienced consultancy team is ideally placed and qualified to assist.

The service we offer includes a comprehensive review of the existing local list and a report summarising any changes we would recommend (or, indeed, preparation of a list if one does not exist). Our website provides more information on what would be involved and anyone interested should feel free to contact Penny O'Shea without obligation.

Formal and focused training for planning support staff - 27/08/10

TRA's certificated programme in Town Planning Support has now been running successfully for more than three years and the next opportunity to join the programme is coming up in October and November 2010. Full details of the programme, including feedback from previous participants, are available on our website.

The programme is modular, consisting of four modules, and the next one to run will be Planning Support, Planning Performance and Customer Care, on 6-7 October and 17-18 November.  There are a few places available but prompt booking is recommended at this stage since places are strictly limited to 12. This module covers customer care; organising and managing planning support; monitoring planning performance; and managing information.

The other modules are:

The programme offers a unique opportunity for staff working in the crucial administrative/ support role within planning to develop themselves through focused training, tailored to their needs and relating to issues and experience in their own workplace, and at the same time work towards a formal qualification.  In comparison with other qualifications that support staff may consider, and which cover a range of generic skills, the TRA programme is unique in its detailed consideration of the planning context in which staff are working and its focus on improving their knowledge and understanding of the planning system.

If you would like further information or to discuss whether the course would be right for you (or one of your staff) please contact Shelagh Pooley who will be happy to discuss things in more detail.

Planning: Beyond the Basics - a new workshop for Councillors - 26/08/10

For Autumn 2010, we are launching a brand new in-house training workshop for Councillors.  Planning: Beyond the Basics has been designed to complement our highly successful Briefing on Planning and The Role of Councillors workshops and is aimed at Councillors who already have a reasonable level of experience of town planning and an understanding of their role within the decision-making framework.

The fundamental aim of the workshop is to provide Councillors with a greater understanding of the environment, both built (listed buildings, conservation areas, advertisements) and natural (trees, hedges, landscape, protected species). It will explore how Councillors can become more positively involved in improved design through design briefs etc and help them understand how, through the use of legal agreements and charging, they can deliver new development for their locality.

The workshop will be available for delivery from October onwards and will involve two members of our experienced training team. If you are interested in finding out more we can provide further details now, including an outline programme. Please contact Angela Holmes without obligation. For details of our other training options for Councillors and comments from previous participants please visit our website.

Don't miss latest Planning Support Staff Conference - 25/08/10

There's only a month to go until TRA's latest Conference for Planning Support Staff takes place in Manchester but it's not too late to book. Places are still available for this popular and well-established annual event (see below for comments from previous participants) but prompt booking is recommended.

The Conference is running on Tuesday 28 September at our city centre venue, just a short walk from either Manchester Piccadilly or Oxford Road railway station. The event has always offered excellent value for money and this year we have also introduced a new discount scheme to help your money go that little bit further:

  • 1 place = £165 plus VAT
  • 2 places = £155 plus VAT each
  • 3 or more places = £140 plus VAT each.

With new ideas for planning coming from the coalition government and major budget cuts looming, the next few years promise to be the most challenging phase in what is proving to be an extended period of change and reform. Support staff will continue to be essential in delivering an effective and efficient planning service and this Conference aims to help them understand both "the big picture" in terms of change and, more crucially, what it will mean in detail for them and the way they work.

Full details of the event, including topics and speakers, are available on our website where you can also download a PDF leaflet/booking form. If you would like to book more than 1 place and take advantage of the discounted price you will need to complete our special booking form. Provisional bookings can be made by telephone or via our online booking system.

Comments from previous participants:

  • As always the event was very informative and interesting. It is always good to meet and talk to people from other authorities, especially in the current climate. Wendy Cox, Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead.
  • Excellent event: very insightful and helpful in broadening my horizons as a relative newcomer to the role of Planning Technical Support. Simon Barlow, Wycombe BC
  • Really enjoyed it and learnt things. Informative and could relate it to my work. Made me questions and look at procedures. Julie Marson, South Derbyshire DC.

Shared training: why not pool your resources? - 23/08/10

An approach to training which is becoming increasingly popular with many of TRA's clients is to organise in-house training jointly with neighbouring authorities. There are a number of benefits to this approach, not least affordability and cost-effectiveness. With training budgets being squeezed, sharing the costs with other authorities can make that much needed training course a far more affordable proposition.

With TRA, a 1-day in-house workshop for plannin staff costs from as little as £95 per person. If required, existing workshops can be tailored to meet your needs or, for a small additional charge, we can develop entirely bespoke workshops specificially for you. Our in-house training is administered by a dedicated team who make the process of commissioning training as simple and hassle-free as possible.

As well as the value for money benefits, joint in-house training also provides opportunities for neighbouring authorities to develop new working relationships and for local knowledge and experience to be shared.

Most people acknowledge that neglecting training and development when times are hard can prove to be a false economy; this is precisely when you need your staff to be working as effectively and efficiently as possible. But what if you're struggling to fund it? Shared training could be the answer....

If you would like further information on in-house training from TRA you can visit our website for details of the benefits/features and the topics available, or you can contact Angela Holmes without obligation to disscuss your requirements.

Don't lose out on vital planning obligation income - 05/08/10

Research carried out recently by software company IDOX estimated that around 5% of the value of s106 agreements in England and Wales is being lost as a result of the complexities of managing planning obligations - and this could amount to an estimated £1.4 billion.

With large sums of money either owed to or still unspent by planning authorities, the effective monitoring of planning agreements is absolutely crucial if communities are to benefit fully from the infrastructure and development funding ear-marked for their area.

TRA's practical workshop on Effective Monitoring of Planning Agreements provides knowledge and good practice guidance for local authority practitioners involved in setting up or managing s106 monitoring arrangements. It is mainly aimed at planning and enforcement staff and specialist 106 officers but may also be of interest to others including legal officers, development officers from beneficiary departments, and corporate finance staff.

Specific aspects covered include:

  • the significance of monitoring and the level of finance/benefits potentially involved
  • the principles of planning agreement monitoring arrangements
  • the various mechanisms and models for monitoring and enforcing agreements and how to establish these (including software solutions)
  • techniques for monitoring the correct application of finance and benefits received
  • the costs of monitoring and how it can be paid for
  • the role of s106, CIL and tariffs.

Participants will come away with the key elements of an Action Plan to improve monitoring in their authority.

The workshop is next running at in London on 4 November 2010 and places are available. Further details, including a pdf leaflet/booking form are available on our website. Provisional bookings, which are recommended if you can't make a firm booking right away can be made by telephone or via our online provisional booking facility.

Other topics in our planning gain series include: Planning Obligations: paths through the legal maze and Financial Appraisal.

New one-day workshop on Planning Enforcement in Practice - 05/08/10

For those of you involved in planning enforcement, we are introducing a new one-day workshop which takes a detailed look at the core elements of enforcement practice. Planning Enforcement in Practice: the core elements in detail is available now for in-house delivery for individual authorities or groups of authorities wishing to run training jointly. It will also be included in our 2011 inter-authority workshop programme when this is published later this year.  

The workshop will be best suited to those who already have at least some experience of enforcement either as enforcement officers, planning officers or lawyers. For anyone who has previously attended our popular Basics of Planning Enforcement workshop (next running in York in September) this new session will be an ideal "next step". 

The workshop focuses on the nuts and bolts of handling enforcement complaints: getting information to assess a breach; drafting a report on expediency; and considering the use of an enforcement notice. There will be an opportunity to look at what went wrong with some real notices and whether they could be rectified on appeal. For the time being, the workshop will also include a brief update on government proposals affecting enforcement.

If you are interested in the possibility of running this new workshop on an in-house basis please contact Angela Holmes for an outline programme and a no-obligation quote. Information on how we organise in-house training and its many benefits can be found on our website.

If you would like us to let you know when the dates for the 2011 inter-authority sessions are announced just email your details with a short note to promotion@tra-ltd.co.uk. 

Next opportunity to join certificated enforcement programme - 22/07/10

Although it is not essential, we do recommend that most people wanting to join TRA's Certificated Programme in Planning Enforcement should begin with the module entitled Key Principles of Planning and Enforcement, which is generally seen as the "introductory" module. The next opportunity to attend this module will be in October/November this year and there are a few places still available. If you would like to attend, prompt booking is recommended as attendance is strictly limited to 12 students.

The module will take place at Madingley Hall, Cambridge on 4-5 October and 15-16 November 2010. It provides an excellent introduction to enforcement, ideally suited to staff new to enforcement, whether qualified or not, who need to learn quickly in order to get on with the job. It is also of great benefit to established enforcement staff who may not previously have had much specific training, giving them a good framework for their practical experience. It is a valuable, though not essential, foundation for other modules. Full details of this module and the enforcement programme as a whole can be found on our website.

For further information or to reserve your place on the October/November module please contact Shelagh Pooley.

September workshops in England and Scotland - 22/07/10

TRA's inter-authority workshop programmes are now taking a break for the summer but will be back before you know it, with events starting again in late September. There are four workshops running in September, two in our England & Wales programme and two in our Scotland programme and places are currently available on these events.

Edinburgh - 23 September 

York - 30 September

For full details of these events, including what they will cover and what previous attendees have said, just click on the relevant link. Our website also provides details of all the remaining 2010 workshops for England & Wales and for Scotland. 

Workshop places are priced at just £215 plus VAT but don't forget that all of these events are eligible for our discounted block booking schemes - save 15% when you book 6 or more places across either the England & Wales or the Scotland programme.  

If you would like to reserve a place you can either download and return a booking form to us or, if you're not quite ready to book yet, you can reserve a place provisionally for a limited period either by telephone or via our online bookings facility.

The Planning Admin Network - not just for admin staff - 21/07/10

It might sound like it, but you don't have to work in a planning admin/support role to be a member of PAN - the Planning Admin Network. Whatever your role, if you are interested in the way in which the planning process is administered (in England, Scotland or Wales), then PAN is likely to be a useful resource for you.

Originally set up in 2006 as a network for "Planning Administrators", PAN has evolved slightly over time and its membership now includes a number of staff in other planning roles who are keen to keep up to date with developments and have access, via the Discussion Forum, to colleagues in other organisations who are facing similar issues.

One of the most useful features of the network is the PAN News page. It is packed with information, especially concerning changes to legislation etc, and interesting articles on a range of planning-related matters and is updated and circulated on a monthly basis. Its content is co-ordinated by TRA Senior Associate Vivien Green, who many of our readers will have come across in the past. To access PAN News you need to be a member but it's free to join and only takes a minute to sign up online (see below). To give you an idea of the sorts of things included in PAN News, you can download a PDF copy of the April and July 2010 issues now.

To find out more you can visit the PAN website. To join PAN now just click here. If you have any queries or comments about PAN please contact Angela Holmes.

PAN Survey - In order to find out what people think about PAN and how it could be developed/improved, we are currently conducting a brief online survey (max 5 minutes) of PAN members, so if you are already a member but haven't yet completed the survey please login to the Discussion Forum asap for details of how to take part - responses needed by 16 August. 

Conference for Planning Support Staff (Manchester) - details available - 20/07/10

The programme for our next Conference for Planning Support Staff has now been finalised. The event will take place in Manchester on 28 September. Details are currently being circulated to our mailing contacts and are available on our website.

We know that budgets are tight so we have introduced some discounts for this event. Basically, the earlier you book and the more places you book - the more money you can save:

  • 1 place = £165 plus VAT
  • 2 places = £155 plus VAT each
  • 3 or more places = £140 plus VAT each.

Plus - Bookings received by 5pm on Friday 13 August will automatically receive a 10% discount on these prices.

With new ideas for planning coming from the coalition government and major budget cuts looming, the next few years promise to be the most challenging phase in what is proving to be an extended period of change and reform. This Conference aims to the help support staff understand both "the big picture" in terms of change and, more crucially, what it will mean in detail for them and the way they work.

It can sometimes take a while for news and information, especially regarding forthcoming changes, to filter through to support staff - by which time there's not always a lot you can do to influence how things turn out in your authority. But this conference will put you ahead of the game. Support staff will continue to be essential in delivering an effective and efficient planning service and we believe that they need to take an active role if local authorities are to prosper in these changing times.

You can download a PDF leaflet and booking form from our website. If you would like to book more than 1 place and receive a discount you will need to complete our special booking form. Provisional bookings can be made by telephone or via our online booking system but don't forget - book by 13 August and get an extra 10% discount.  

Financial appraisal: improve your understanding of how developers work - 15/07/10

A recent addition to TRA's portfolio of training events is a one-day workshop on Financial Appraisal, aimed at planning and development staff who work with and/or negotiate with commercial developers.  So far, the workshop has been delivered three times on an inter-authority basis (in Glasgow, Manchester and London) and twice on an in-house basis (for Arun District Council and Turley Associates).

It is proving to be an extremely valuable workshop for those wishing to get a better idea of how the commercial sector carries out appraisal of proposed development and how planning considerations, including conditions and planning contributions, can impact on the viability of development schemes:

  • It dealt with matters that are relevant to my job and gave me a good insight into the development market and where I can find out more information. The knowledge will help me in future negotiations with developers. John Gunn, Tamworth BC
  • Has significantly improved my understanding of the development appraisal process. Peter Lawson, Turley Associates
  • Very informative course which is very relevant to my current role as senior planner. Claire Rodway, Arun DC
  • I have a better understanding of terminology and practices. I hope I’ll be able to discuss more “knowledgeably”. Karine Suller, Aberdeenshire Council.

As you would expect, the workshop currently makes specific reference to developing in a recession.

The workshop is next scheduled to run in York on 24 November and is also available throughout the year on an in-house basis for individual organisations/authorities or a group of neighbouring authorities.

Further details for the November workshop, including a leaflet/booking form can be found on our website. Alternatively, if an in-house course (where we come to you) might be more appropriate please feel free to contact Angela Holmes for more information, without obligation. 

New half-day workshops for support staff on enforcement and adverts - 14/07/10

TRA provides a range of workshops to help planning support staff understand the context of their work and develop their knowledge and skills. We have recently added two brand new half-day sessions to the list for delivery on an in-house basis:

  • An Introduction to Planning Enforcement
  • An Introduction to the Advertisement Regulations and Dealing with Applications and Appeals.

Both workshops are delivered by TRA Senior Associate and enforcement expert, Vivien Green. Vivien has been the Course Tutor on TRA's popular Certificated Course in Planning Enforcement since its start in 1996 and has delivered numerous training sessions for support staff on a wide range of topics.

An Introduction to Planning Enforcement is aimed at support staff who may have to take complaints; deal with enforcement enquiries; and/or provide administrative support to their enforcement colleagues. The workshop focuses on the following key elements:

  • what is a breach of planning control?
  • when is it expedient to take enforcement action?
  • elements of an Enforcement Notice/Appeal
  • what can happen if a notice is not complied with.

An Introduction to the Advertisement Regulations and Dealing with Advertisement Applications and Appeals is aimed at support staff who have to deal with enquiries; validate and process advert applications; handle the administrative aspects of appeals; and even in some cases handle advert applications themselves. It covers the following key aspects:

  • what is an advertisement?
  • the advert regulations (using practical examples)
  • when express consent is required
  • how applications are determined
  • adverts and the historic environment
  • handling advert appeals.

Although both sessions have been developed primarily for support staff they will also be of benefit to other staff who have little experience in these particular topics, such as those who are new to the enforcement team or junior planners. In-house training from TRA is already a cost-effective option but involving not just support staff could make it even more so. The workshops can be run independently as half-day sessions but a considerable saving can be made by delivering both sessions on the same day ie with one in the morning and one in the afternoon.

If you would like more information on either or both workshops please contact Angela Holmes without obligation. Please note that the prices we quote you are fully inclusive of all our fees and expenses (so no worrying about hidden extras) and are valid for 90 days.

Development Management Conference highlights opportunities and challenges - 09/07/10

TRA's new annual Conference on Development Management took place earlier this month in Manchester. Not surprisingly, for this first event, the main theme was what exactly does "development management" opposed to "development control" mean for practitioners both inside and outside of local authority planning. The event attracted a good mix of senior planning staff from both the public and private sectors and provided an excellent opportunity to share experience and take away some ideas for consideration/implementation.

Colin Walker, Director of Planning at Newark & Sherwood DC, began proceedings with an overview of how development management is being used to put corporate plans and priorities into action within the Borough. Kath Lawless, Head of Development Management at the City of Newcastle upon Tyne, provided us with an in-depth look at how the move from development control to a more facilitative development management approach has been undertaken during the past 12 months, focusing on how both processes and culture have changed. By contrast, Heather Morrison, Senior DC Officer at Copeland District Council, provided examples of some fundamental problems faced when trying to make this transition in a small rural authority with resource and logistical issues.

The breakout sessions led by TRA's Senior Associate, Vivien Green and Principal Planning and Management Consultant, Chris Weetman provided delegates with the opportunity to discuss cultural and process changes that will be required to move to development management. Vivien took the opportunity to question how the Government's "localism" agenda is likely to affect the processes and procedures for controlling development. Following discussion of some of the procedures suggested in Open Source Planning and recent Government announcements, the conclusions were that planners must get to grips with what localism might mean and be positive and open to new ways of working and thinking if they are to implement localism in their LPAs.  

Finally, Phil Kirby, from the Planning Officers Society provided an overview of Development Management's key role in the spatial planning system, highlighting how important it can be in achieving corporate aims and aspirations, especially in these troubled economic times, and the opportunity this offers to planning and planners to achieve a higher profile within Councils.  

A number of key lessons emerged from the event, most notably that planners need to understand the links between key strategic documents and the work they do in facilitating development, and that to engender culture change it is essential to have strong outcome-focused leadership within the organisation. 

Feedback from this first event was very positive and we look forward to organising similar events in the future:

  • A well organised event with a full and practice-related agenda that highlighted the opportunities and benefits of Development Management with plenty of opportunities for comment, feedback and networking. Alan Coleman, Worcester City Council.
  • A useful event for reflection and thinking ahead. Tim Furnell, East Staffordshire BC
  • Excellent thought provoking day. Emma Curle, Stockport MBC
  • Much more interesting that I expected - thought the subject might be a bit "dry" but enjoyed the variety of speakers and the discussions.
  • Very helpful opportunity for learning and sharing together as well as from speakers.

Planning for non-planners: tailored briefings - 14/06/10

For many years TRA has specialised in providing training for those involved or interested in the planning process and this has included a number of sessions aimed at explaining the "mysteries of the planning system" to people who regularly interact with it but who are not planners themselves.

One example of our workshops for non-planners is the Briefing on Planning for Housing Associations. The briefing is suitable for any members of staff, but especially senior staff and those on the development side, who need to have a good grasp of how the UK planning system operates. It is designed to help demystify the planning system and to assist Associations relate to it more effectively and productively, in order to achieve their objectives more completely and quickly.  The workshop is available on an “in-house” basis for the benefit of individual organisations, or for groups of organisations working together.

This particular workshop was recently delivered by TRA on behalf of Helena Partnerships for the benefit of their own staff and others from organisations they work with. The feedback from the workshop was very positive:

  • Very useful – demystified the planning process.
  • Well presented, content very informative and relevant.
  • Very comprehensive and well presented. Well informed and personable presenters. An excellent workshop.
  • Interesting and helpful, particularly in relation to wider planning issues such as stakeholder/ community consultation and planning policy.
  • Good balance of presentation, discussion and examples. An enjoyable course. 
  • The course was delivered professionally and with expertise.

Other audiences for whom we can provide contextual briefings on planning to improve their own interaction with the system include:

  • organisations which interact with planning as consultees, major landowners etc
  • planning agents and applicants (normally commissioned by local authorities)
  • building control staff.

If you are interested in arranging an in-house session along these lines, or would just like further information at this stage please contact Angela Holmes.  

Awards ceremony for graduates of certificated courses - 09/06/10

A number of students who have successfully completed one of TRA's certificated courses at Cambridge University returned to Madingley Hall, the venue for the courses, in early June to attend an awards ceremony.

Four students were there to receive the Certificate of Continuing Education in Planning Enforcement - Jennifer Baxter (Lewes DC), Karen Tozer (Huntingdonshire DC), Richard Marshall (Gedling BC) and Cath Bentley (West Lindsey DC).  Two students - Ray McMurray (South Cambridgeshire DC) and Jeff Upton (previously with Lichfield DC and now an independent consultant) were being awarded the equivalent certificate in Management Concepts and Skills in Planning. Beverly Cleary (Calderdale MBC) was there to receive her certificate in Town Planning Support.

It was a lovely occasion and most of the students were able to bring along family members or friends who had supported them during their studies, to say thank you and to share the celebrations with them.

Pictured below left from left to right are Jennifer, Karen, Richard, Cath, Ray and Jeff.  

  

TRA's Principal Director, Penny O'Shea, was also at the ceremony to see the students receive their hard-earned certificates. It is a considerable achievement and everyone at TRA, and especially their Tutors, sends their congratulations to these students and all the others graduates who were not able to attend.