{"id":48117,"date":"2026-09-22T16:50:26","date_gmt":"2026-09-22T15:50:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsblogs.ihbc.org.uk\/?p=48117"},"modified":"2026-09-22T16:50:26","modified_gmt":"2026-09-22T15:50:26","slug":"ihbcs-2026-yearbook-update-no-1-rtpi-president-on-ihbc-rtpi-a-great-example-of-planning-across-the-divide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsblogs.ihbc.org.uk\/?p=48117","title":{"rendered":"IHBC\u2019s 2026 \u2018Yearbook\u2019 update No.1 \u2013RTPI President on \u2018IHBC & RTPI.. a great example of planning across the divide\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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The IHBC\u2019s 2026 Yearbook is our network\u2019s essential sector guide, reference and review for 2026-27, complementing our 2026 Newcastle School<\/a>, with IHBC updates and a foreword by Jan Bessell FRTPI, 2026 RTPI President, who supports \u2018conservation planning\u2019 as \u2018\u2026 a creative, collaborative and cohesive force for good in the public interest\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

The IHBC writes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jan Bessel\u2019s foreword to our 2026 \u2018Yearbook\u2019 argues that \u2018conservation planning should not be seen as a remote, bureaucratic exercise, but as a creative, collaborative and cohesive force for good in the public interest\u2026\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jan also confirms that: \u2018The partnership between the IHBC and the RTPI is a great example of \u2018planning across the divide\u2019, as illustrated by recent collaborations\u2026 Tim Crawshaw\u2026 as the \u2018Friend of the School\u2019\u2026 and John Sturzaker\u2026 Director of Careers & Education contributing to a webinar looking at the skills needed for effective planning and conservation.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jan Bessell writes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There  a long history of planning and conservation professionals working together, and an equally long history of collaboration between the RTPI and the IHBC, so the opportunity to write this foreword is very timely as the two organisations renew and refresh their partnership. As I said in my inaugural speech as RTPI President, while the focus of discussions around planning often relate to the important systems and processes through which we plan areas and decisions are made, planning is about much more than that \u2013 it is an endeavour to answer one profound question: How do we want to live and thrive, while taking care of our environment and society in an equitable, accessible and productive way? The aspirations of the IHBC to think about conservation for people and places equally relates to that question, and to my main presidential theme: Planning with Purpose. The case studies in this yearbook provide powerful illustrations and compelling evidence of best practice and the outcomes good planning can achieve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We should not underestimate the challenges inherent to this best practice: historic buildings and places which feature concentrations of such buildings are close to the hearts of the public, with heritage often reflecting shared memory, identity and continuity, helping communities feel rooted in place. Proposals for their adaptation and reuse are therefore often challenged. However, it is only with an eye on the future that we can be custodians of the best of the past, and the partnership between planning and conservation professionals is essential to that enduring continuity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conservation planning can be an enabler, a catalyst for regeneration, resilience, social cohesion and transformation, delivering new uses that move from cost centre to economic infrastructure. The expertise within our professions is deep and broad, but to build support and really engage we must be better at communicating: conservation planning should not be seen as a remote, bureaucratic exercise, but as a creative, collaborative and cohesive force for good in the public interest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During my year as President, I\u2019m supporting a new series of short films showcasing real places shaped by positive planning \u2013 tangible reminders of what the built and natural environment professions as well as communities can achieve when they work together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The partnership between the IHBC and the RTPI is a great example of \u2018planning across the divide\u2019, as illustrated by recent collaborations: one of my predecessors as RTPI President, Tim Crawshaw, is acting as the \u2018Friend of the School\u2019 at the IHBC annual school 2026, and John Sturzaker our Director of Careers & Education is contributing to a webinar looking at the skills needed for effective planning and conservation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conservation planning isn\u2019t about freezing places in time: it is about unlocking their future. Done well, it turns heritage into an asset for regeneration, builds resilience to climate and economic shocks, and strengthens the social fabric that makes places thrive. We can of course do more together to communicate these benefits and continue to celebrate the best outcomes that deliver economic resilience and growth, environmental stewardship and cultural value and identity of place. I therefore look forward to the relationship between the IHBC and the RTPI continuing to deliver and communicate these benefits and grow over the coming years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jan Bessell FRTPI is the 2026 President of the Royal Town Planning Institute<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2026 YEARBOOK CONTENTS<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Structure and Membership<\/p>\n\n\n\n