{"id":17163,"date":"2017-11-03T18:39:59","date_gmt":"2017-11-03T18:39:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ihbconline.co.uk\/newsachive\/?p=17163"},"modified":"2017-11-03T18:39:59","modified_gmt":"2017-11-03T18:39:59","slug":"ihbc-highlights-un-actioned-permissions-skills-depletion-and-public-interest-as-social-enterprise-primes-londons-la-planning-capacity-for-new-housing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsblogs.ihbc.org.uk\/?p=17163","title":{"rendered":"IHBC highlights \u2018un-actioned\u2019 permissions, skills depletion and public interest as social enterprise primes London\u2019s LA planning capacity for new housing"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Public<\/a>As a collective of built environment interests has launched a social enterprise that aims to get early career planners (and architects) within local government to help deliver more housing, the IHBC highlights the presence of \u2018over half a million un-actioned planning permissions\u2019; the lack of skills and capacity across local authorities (LAs), and the need to ensure balanced outcomes across the wider planning services.<\/h3>\n

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IHBC Vice President and past Chair Mike Brown said: \u2018While this input of design skills is very welcome, it must be worth noting that with over half a million un-actioned planning permissions for new houses extant, perhaps the issue is less any perceived bottle-necks in Planning Departments, but increasingly the inability or, for supply-control and house price reasons, the unwillingness of the house-building sector to roll up its sleeves and get building!\u2019<\/p>\n

IHBC Communications Secretary and past Chair Dave Chetwyn said: \u2018The key message coming across is that the lack of skills and capacity in local government is now a barrier to growth.\u00a0 I think too that the Government now accepts that housing supply is going to need more direct intervention, though this is slow to translate into action!\u2019<\/p>\n

IHBC Director Sean O\u2019Reilly said: \u2018We can only welcome the idea that the business model of this new initiative seems to be framed around simply under-cutting recruitment agency charges linked to the \u2018gig-economy\u2019 employment style currently adopted in some local authority services, while also offering experience for early career practitioners.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u2018Equally, there must be absolute clarity that the full spectrum of public interest is being served in these changed systems.\u00a0 Local needs and holistic planning considerations \u2013 including for communities and the environment \u2013 cannot be overlooked, especially when pump-priming a single thread in what England\u2019s national planning policy recognises must be a wider, balanced and inclusive publicly-focussed service.\u2019<\/p>\n

Planning Portal writes:<\/p>\n

Built environment organisations have launched a social enterprise that aims to place a new generation of planners within local government to help deliver more housing and address the housing crisis.<\/p>\n

Public Practice has been developed through the Mayor of London\u2019s Good Growth by Design programme, with local authorities and stakeholders inside and outside London.<\/p>\n

The programme will operate across London and the South East initially, but it is hoped that it will be take up nationally. In the long-term the initiative aims to transform perceptions of public planning and build the public sector\u2019s capacity to deliver more homes.<\/p>\n

Public Practice is recruiting its first 16 planners, architects and urbanists for year-long placements in strategic roles within local authorities.<\/p>\n

The recruits will receive training and mentoring, spending 10 per cent of their time taking part in collective research and development to be shared across the sector.<\/p>\n

In doing this, the programme aims to bridge the on-going and widening skills gap between the public and private sectors, which has been noted as one of the main barriers to delivering the number of quality homes the country needs.<\/p>\n

According to a statement from the Public Practice team, the proportion of architects practicing in the public sector has dropped from 49 per cent in 1967 to 0.7 per cent in 2016. Nearly half of local planning authorities do not have a dedicated in-house design capacity while 96 per cent of London boroughs have said they need more planning skills but 100 per cent have difficulty attracting suitably qualified or skilled workers.<\/p>\n

Public Practice has been established as an independent social enterprise founded by six partners: the Mayor of London, the Local Government Association (LGA), Future Cities Catapult, British Land, Berkeley Group and Peabody.<\/p>\n

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said: \u2018I set up the Good Growth by Design programme as a step towards realising my vision of London as a city that enables people to reach their full potential, is inclusive and where growth brings benefits to each and every community. Moving away from high-price homes towards more genuinely affordable homes for all Londoners is vital to achieving this and I look forward to seeing the first of many cohorts of talented planners and architects working in local authorities to help make that happen.\u2019<\/p>\n

Paul Bettison, chairman of the LGA\u2019s Improvement and Innovation Board, said planning capacity is a \u2018critical\u2019 issue across the country. \u2018By supporting the creation of the Public Practice initiative we aim to provide a timely and practical way to help councils improve.\u2019<\/p>\n

Finn Williams has been appointed as the chief executive officer of Public Practice. He has worked for the Office for Metropolitan Architecture, Croydon Council and the Greater London Authority (GLA).<\/p>\n

Public Practice\u2019s initial board members are:<\/p>\n