Lambsquay Consulting of Cambridge Limited Spatial Planning Consultancy

March 2024

A new Sports Pavilion for Fen Drayton, Cambridgeshire

Lambsquay Consulting of Cambridge Limited (LCC Limited) acted for Fen Drayton Parish Council in securing a Lawful Development Certificate for a new sports pavilion . Roger Davies, representing the Parish Council, commented:

“We commissioned Simon Payne, Director of LCC Limited, to prepare an application to South Cambridgeshire District Council for a Lawful Development Certificate for the demolition of an existing pavilion and replacement with a new modular building. Simon dealt with the proposal promptly and his help was invaluable in gaining the Certificate for the work to go ahead.”

January 2024

Future Cities Forum: Science Cities Cambridge

On 24 January 2024 Simon Payne attended a Future Cities Forum at Newnham College, Cambridge to discuss good quality place making. Simon took part in a panel discussion with senior colleagues from Arup, HOK, David Lock and Scott Brownrigg. 

He stated: 'I think there is a very good report by the Bennett Institute, looking at the need for a universal basic infrastructure and shows that we need to plan for the longer view and connect everything up. The Germans do it better. It is a much simpler system. The Bennett report looks at several German cities and their community provision and they outperform us in nearly all cities, with facilities such as GP practices. But we need to state a slight word of caution here - there has been a huge amount of investment after the unification of Germany in the east. The main lesson we need to learn from all of this is the longer-term joined up approach and that there is a type of social contract between people who are delivering the infrastructure and the people who need the infrastructure. 

November 2023

Planning Officers Society Planning Network Conference in Central Birmingham 

Simon Payne attended the Planning Officers Society Planning Network Conference on 20 November at the Steamhouse Innovation Centre at Birmingham City University. Presentations included a briefing by Ian MacLeod (Director of Planning, Transport & Sustainability at Birmingham City Council) on Birmingham’s Growth Agenda and also an update on national planning changes by David Waterhouse (Head of Planning Capacity and Capability at the HM Government Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities). 

September 2023

Future Cities Forum in Oxford

Simon Payne took part in a Forum event at St Johns College, Oxford in September 2023. The event debated future challenges for developing science cities and included Susan Brown, the Leader of Oxford City Council, senior built environment practitioners and representatives from commerce.

Simon observed that:

'The main lesson from my experience working in Germany is that there is a lot more certainty and long term thinking there, that goes well beyond the local and sub-regional. There was a (UK government) announcement today about biodiversity, but we are planning for generations to come. Garden towns, for instance, need a 30 year vision to plan and develop. It needs a different mechanism and also a move to long term thinking. How do you get over the ad hoc approach and short term thinking that we have now? There are all sorts of partnerships cobbled together to do what the RDAs (regional development agencies) originally did. We are facing fundamental issues on water, waste, energy and net zero and how can we tackle these with a fragmented approach? Susan, with your influence, can we expect the next government to address this?’
 

Cllr Susan Brown responded:

‘One of the things we have suffered from for years in this country is a lack of confidence in local and regional government to act with long term vision for policy. It seems even more fragmented at the moment, and some of the decisions around net zero are appalling. The pan-regional partnership we have in place, is one area which can allow us to address issues around energy, for instance. Talking to cities and twin towns in Europe, the Mayor of Grenoble couldn't believe we don't have regulation powers over energy, water and power suppliers locally, to try and get what we need as a city. We don't have powers to ask them to provide. That has to change, and we need a way of progressing planning with them.'

More information about the Forum is available at https://futurecitiesforum.london/

July 2023

Planning Officers' Society Annual Conference

In June Simon Payne attended the Planning Officers’ Society Annual Conference at Gateshead. The event was hugely successful with an inspiring keynote speaker, Professor Sir Michael Marmott, on the importance of planning in health.

A range of topics were covered in the two days and the finale was delivered by Joanna Averley, Chief Planner at DLUC, when she set out the opportunities of Planning Reform and the year ahead.