In-house training for planning policy staff
Our in-house training provides a unique opportunity for local authorities to provide training matched to their requirements, run at or near their premises, in a systematic, cost-effective and more environmentally friendly way. Where an individual authority does not have sufficient staff to run a workshop for themselves, it is often possible to arrange sessions for a group of neighbouring authorities.
The training takes the form of workshops with a limited number of participants (maximum 20) and an interactive, participatory style with discussion and practical exercises/case studies.
Current workshops
The following workshops would be of benefit to those working in planning policy/forward planning:
- Examinations of Development Plan Documents
For further information see In-house training for Inquiries/Examinations - Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) - NEW!
SEA is a process to ensure that significant environmental effects arising from policies, plans and programmes are identified, assessed, mitigated, communicated to decision-makers and monitored, and that opportunities for public involvement are provided. The importance of SEA is widely recognised and it has become an important instrument to help to achieve sustainable development in public planning and policy making. The specific objectives of the workshop are to provide an introduction to SEA and the Sustainability Appraisal and their role in policy planning; to show how the techniques help to develop issues and options in the preparation of plans and policy documents; to explain the role of the SEA/SA at the formal submission and adoption stages; and to illustrate how the processes can be used effectively in monitoring and implementing plans and policies. - Understanding Viability: key concepts in development economics for planners
The planning system increasingly requires the incorporation of tests of viability across a range of policy and development management areas. This workshop is aimed at all planning and development staff whose work involves delivering effective plans and policies or the negotiation of development contributions in a planning agreement. Participants should afterwards be able to understand how developers approach financial appraisals; be able to assess in broad terms the viability of proposals; and appreciate the financial impact of conditions and planning agreements under consideration. They will also gain an insight into the structure of development appraisals and the models available from the Homes and Communities Agency so that they can commission expert advice and act as an intelligent client. - Writing Effective Policies in the LDF
This newly revised and updated workshop, aimed at all Forward Planning staff, explores the most effective and practical means of expressing policies within the various elements of the LDF. It is crucial to get this right if the policies are to be clearly understood, applied and implemented through development management and other mechanisms. As well as covering key general principles and their application, including relevance, precision and “plain English” aspects, the workshop considers specific issues associated with writing: Core Policies; Action Plan Policies; Enabling Policies; Annual Monitoring Reports; Supplementary Planning Documents; the policy context for s106 agreements/tariffs and the implications of recent Inspector’s reports and emerging Government policy. - Negotiation Skills: the key to achieving planning goals and objectives
Almost every day, planning, enforcement and other "environmental" staff within local planning authorities engage in some form of negotiation. Often these negotiations, whether they are with developers, agents, the public or even their colleagues, are carried out without any clear understanding of the principles and techniques involved. Yet having an awareness of both principles and techniques, coupled with experience, can make a formidable difference to an officer's effectiveness. This workshop focuses on persuasion and influencing skills; when to negotiate and when not to; approaches to negotiation; "tricks" and techniques; power and the personality dimensions. The workshop combines theories with working references from the experience of participants. - Design Policy
Although there is high level support for design quality in new development, local and national policy can sometimes be inadequate or poorly applied. This brand new workshop begins by reviewing the policies that can be applied now, and looks at the guidance available to help to influence design in new development. Participants have the opportunity to share their experiences of working with their local policy and guidance (where this exists), and to consider the way forward in the context of emerging Local Development Frameworks. The role of Design SPDs is explored, with guidance on integrating these within the LDF and examples of good SPDs are studied and evaluated. Finally, an interactive session identifies the stages in creating a workable Design SPD and scopes the areas that can be covered in a contemporary planning context.
Bespoke workshops
We are also happy to consider designing bespoke/tailored workshops for individual clients (although this may involve an additional cost). For more information please contact Angela Holmes, without obligation.
Download our flier on the features and benefits of in-house training.