Lambsquay Consulting of Cambridge Limited Spatial Planning Consultancy
October 2024
New Online Training for Parish and Town Councillors
Delivered by
Practical Guidance about Effective Engagement with the Town Planning System
A two and half hour event tailored to the town planning needs and issues facing local councils within your county taking into account the latest legislation and Government guidance.
Context:
Councillors representing local communities often feel at a disadvantage when trying to get their views on planning applications considered to their satisfaction. Councillors on District, Unitary and County Councils will receive training on planning matters from their authority whilst developers employ professional planners and others to present their proposals in the best possible light. Local authority planning officers are under considerable time and other pressures in balancing all the issues and will struggle to find time to explain fully the process to parish and town councillors.
The purpose of this training session is to better equip local councils to understand the process and issues and express their views more effectively on development management and policy issues.
Format and Content of the Training
An online session using Zoom or Teams with a group of parish and town councils arranged through county groupings. The session will provide a plain English guide to the Planning System with short interactive exercises and many opportunities for the participants to ask questions. Session documents will be made available afterwards for reference.
The session considers how planning in England works, who makes the decisions and how parish and town councils can ensure their voices are heard and that representations are properly taken into account. The session covers the planning application and planning appeal processes, the role of national policy and local plans (including neighbourhood plans) and planning enforcement.
The session, which can be during the day or evening, will be preceded by a short questionnaire when participants will be invited to indicate the topics they are most interested in so that the event can focus on the issues that are most important to the councillors involved.
Trainer
The trainer will be an experienced Planning Officer Society Associate.
Contact
Simon Payne. POS Associate. Email : simon.payne@lambsquay.co.uk. Telephone: 07789 816405
September 2024
Future Cities Forum: Cambridge Biomedical Campus
Simon Payne took part in a Future Cities Forum workshop in September 2024. The workshop included Peter Freeman (Chair of Homes England), Councillor Bridget Smith (Leader of South Cambridgeshire District Council) and a range of senior academics and professionals.
Simon presented the findings of a group tasked with considering the infrastructure needs of science parks in the Cambridge Cluster. It was concluded that there is more advantage is taking a holistic approach and working together to address energy, water, transport, housing and community needs.
August 2024
Training for Parish and Town Councillors
On 19 June 2024 Simon Payne attended a panel discussion at the Future Cities Forum in the Cheng Yu Tung building at Jesus College, Oxford to discuss strategic growth in the city. Invited attendees included Martin Reeves, Chief Executive of Oxfordshire County Council. Afterwards all the delegates were given a guided tour of the award winning Cheng Kar Shun Digital Hub.
Practical Guidance about Effective Engagement with the Town Planning System
A one day event tailored to the town planning needs and issues facing local councils within your county taking into account the latest legislation and Government guidance.
Delivered by
Context:
Councillors representing local communities often feel at a disadvantage when trying to get their views on planning applications considered to their satisfaction. Councillors on District, Unitary and County Councils will receive training on planning matters from their authority whilst developers employ professional planners and others to present their proposals in the best possible light. Local authority planning officers are under considerable time and other pressures in balancing all the issues and will struggle to find time to explain fully the process to parish and town councillors.
The purpose of this training session is to better equip local councils to understand the process and issues and express their views more effectively on development management and policy issues.
Format and Content of the Training
A one day workshop onsite with a group of parish and town councils arranged through county groupings. In the morning session there will be presentations and discussion with short interactive exercises. The afternoon will include a case study and a discussion to explore the issues in greater depth Throughout the sessions participants will be able to ask questions and there will be course material for reference after the day.
The workshop considers how planning in England works, who makes the decisions and how parish and town councils can ensure their voices are heard and that representations are properly taken into account. The session covers the planning application and planning appeal processes, the role of national policy and local plans (including neighbourhood plans) and planning enforcement. Key topics are tailored to the locality of the attendees; for example the importance to housing targets, green belt and the scope for planning gain. On planning applications the training describes material planning considerations which apply when commenting on a planning application.
Trainers
Two experienced Planning Officer Society Associates will lead the onsite training.
Contact
For more information and details of fees then please contact Simon Payne. POS Associate. Email : simon.payne@lambsquay.co.uk. Telephone: 07789 816405
July 2024
Planning Officers Society Annual Conference in Lambeth
Simon Payne attended the Planning Officers Society Annual Conference on 12 July at Urbanest in Lambeth. Presentations included a briefing by Sarah Scannell (Assistant Director of Planning, at Birmingham City Council); Simone Wilding (Chief Planner at Bristol City Council) and Paul Seddon (Director of Planning and Transport at Nottingham City Council). A panel discussion also took place on revitalising public sector planning.
June 2024
Future Cities Forum: Science Cities Oxford
On 19 June 2024 Simon Payne attended a panel discussion at the Future Cities Forum in the Cheng Yu Tung building at Jesus College, Oxford to discuss strategic growth in the city. Invited attendees included Martin Reeves, Chief Executive of Oxfordshire County Council. Afterwards all the delegates were given a guided tour of the award winning Cheng Kar Shun Digital Hub.
June 2024
2024 National Planning Summit
Simon Payne took part in the National Planning Summit. The two day event took place at IET London: Savoy Place. One of the main themes of the conference was to consider the implications for Planning Services given the imminent election of a new national government.
June 2024
Elected Member Training at Welwyn Hatfield
Simon Payne delivered an online training session on the Planning System during June for elected members at Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council. The event was very well attended and Chris Carter [Assistant Director (Planning) at WHBC] said: ‘The training provided a great foundation for those who are new to planning and also provided a valuable update on recent planning changes for the benefit of more experienced members’.
The training was delivered through the Planning Officers’ Society.
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.
January 2024
Financing Oxfordshire's Green Future
On 11th January 2024 Simon Payne was invited to attend ‘100 Together’ a conference organised by Oxfordshire County Council at Oxford Brookes University. Delegates were invited from local Councils, business and community organisations to discuss the financing of green infrastructure in the county. The key note speaker was Kate Raworth, creator of the Doughnut of Social and Planetary Boundaries, and co-founder of Doughnut Economics Action Lab. Her internationally best-selling book is Doughnut Economics: seven ways to think like a 21st century economist.
December 2023
Supporting a high performing Planning Service at Winchester City Council
Simon Payne has completed a Review of the Planning Service at Winchester. Dawn Adey, Strategic Director - Place, Winchester City Council, commented:
‘We commissioned Simon Payne, Director of Lambsquay Consulting of Cambridge Limited, to carry out a Strategic Review of our Planning Service. Simon has worked with our Senior Elected Members and Managers to prepare a series of recommendations addressing service quality and efficiency with an emphasis on digital transformation, performance management, and the delivery of major development sites. The findings of the Review will be an important guide for us in taking our high performing Planning Service forward to successfully address the challenges of the coming years.’
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/
August 2023
Winchester City Council - Strategic Review of Planning Service
Simon Payne is very pleased to have been appointed to undertake a Strategic Review of the Planning Service at Winchester. Each year the Service deals with a high number of planning applications that include Major Development Sites and a new local plan for the district is in preparation.
The City Council is committed to address the climate emergency whilst supporting sustainable growth in collaboration with local communities and business.
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.
June 2023
Elected Member Training Northamptonshire and Lincolnshire
During May 2023 Simon Payne and Mike Holmes successfully delivered a series of Planning Commitee training sessions for elected members at Bassetlaw and also West Lindsey District Council.
The training was delivered through the Planning Officers' Society.
Simon Payne
Director of Lambsquay Consulting of Cambridge Limited
Email contact:
Spatial Planning Consultancy
Company no: 10051825
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