Strategic Planning and the Duty to Cooperate

What is Planning Advisory Service for? The Planning Advisory Service exists to provide support to local planning authorities in England to provide efficient and effective planning services, to drive improvement in those services and to respond to and deliver changes in the planning system

What is PAS ? PAS is a DCLG grant-funded programme Part of the Local Government Association 3rd iteration (speed of decisions/plan making/planning reform) Governed by a ‘sector led’ board 8 staff – commissioners, generalists

A new approach to strategic planning ●Despite the abolition of RSs, the Government is committed to strategic, cross boundary planning - on issues that need to be effectively addressed at a larger then local scale ●But it’s strategic planning in the context of localism ●Rather than setting rules and structures Government has remove barriers to addressing strategic planning issues – its up to you to make it work ●Local plans become the mechanism for delivering on strategic planning – they have to have strategic policies

Strategic planning now …

Strategic planning activites : filling the void LEPs /LNPs City Regions Combined authorities City deals Enterprise zones Regional funding Local growth plans ……

Local Enterprise Partnerships “Local enterprise partnerships will provide the clear vision and strategic leadership to drive sustainable private sector-led growth and job creation in their area. We particularly encourage partnerships working in respect to transport, housing and planning as part of an integrated approach to growth and infrastructure delivery.” Local Growth White Paper (Oct 2010)

Heseltine Review : No Stone Unturned Create a (single pot) Local Growth Fund of pooled Whitehall funding. Access to the fund via a LEP bidding process LEPs to draw up strategic growth plans. More formalised governance arrangements to be made Speed up and streamline DM processes

Treasury response A 'Single Local Growth Fund' to be created. LEPs will be able to access the fund from April Devolved responsibility for growth-related spending to LEPs on the basis of their strategic growth plans Local authorities across LEPs are asked to strengthen their governance arrangements LEPs will be able to control "a significant proportion" of European Union growth funding from 2014.

Treasury response : Local planning Planning local authorities must "co-ordinate land use planning functions and align adopted local plans, including the use of local development orders, across local authorities in a LEP area". The plans must also show "effective pooling of economic development spend and functions across the LEP area" and "a co-ordinated approach to strategic spatial planning".

City Deals Devolved powers 2 waves Focus on clear plan / strong governance / bidding Partnership New structures – LAs Relationship with LEP?

Strategic funding Single Local growth fund Regional growth fund Growing places fund European funding Local Infrastructure Fund Others

48 LNPs exist throughout England LNPs take a strategic look at challenges and opportunities involved in managing the local natural environment but also how they support the economy and quality of life Opportunities for collaboration between LNPs, LAs, LEPs and Health & Wellbeing Boards Key role in supporting local plan-making and delivery, and Nature Improvement Areas Key Partnerships: Local Nature Partnerships “Self-sustaining strategic partnerships of a broad range of local organisations, businesses and people with the credibility to work with, and influence, other local strategic decision makers.”

Are you doing your duty?

Strategic Planning and the Duty to Cooperate You are required ‘ to engage constructively, actively and on an ongoing basis in relation to planning of sustainable development.’

The duty to co operate is the means NOT the end ….. It’s all about strategic planning Duty to co operate or duty to agree?

DtC Evidence? Statement of compliance Memorandum of understanding Statement of common ground Agreed joint framework Joint plans Reasonable and proportionate evidence

Recent experience at examination Success  Support of / no objections from neighbouring LAs  Up to date evidence base  Statement of compliance Delays  Mainly related to a poor evidence base Withdrawals

Getting your house in order 4. Establish ‘fit for purpose’ governance and support arrangements 3. Review existing partnerships and working groups 2. Ensure corporate roles and responsibilities are clear and understood 1. Identify ‘strategic’ issues to be addressed

What are your strategic priorities? Local plan should set out the strategic priorities for the area : Homes and jobs Retail, leisure, other commercial Infrastructure eg transport, telecoms, waste management, flood risk etc Health, community and cultural infrastructure Climate change, natural and historic environment NPPF Para 156

The Duty to Co-operate - prescribed bodies All Local Authorities Environment Agency English Heritage Natural England Mayor of London Civil Aviation Authority Homes & Communities Agency Primary Care Trusts Office of Rail Regulation Transport for London Integrated Transport Authorities Highways Authorities Marine Management Organisation

When to start ?

Rising to the challenge Demonstrating leadership Locally driven ‘strategic’ priorities Corporate ownership Continuity & consistency Honesty & transparency Keeping grounded in reality

Joint work : early examples The Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Joint Strategic Planning Unit (JSPU) Coastal West Sussex Strategic Planning Board Marches LEP ‘Poised for Growth’ Leeds City region

Key Messages Co-operation is not an end in itself - the objective should be local plans that are sustainable and deliverable and result in better places The scale and type of co-operation required should flow from the evidence – but will also depend on relationships The effectiveness of the duty will depend on the willingness of elected members to ‘pool sovereignty’ on difficult decisions

The challenge for councils “It is time we took planning out of the box. Councils have been given a real opportunity to shape our communities from the bottom up, but we must not shirk our responsibilities for tackling strategic issues” Cllr David Parsons CBE, Former Chair, LGA E&HPB

Strategic Planning and the Duty to Cooperate

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