Lazaros Tsenekidis is Senior Public Affairs Officer at the RTPI
As summer winds down and we approach the autumn season, the RTPI is gearing up for an exciting round of party conferences next month. Party Conferences are annual gatherings held by political parties in the United Kingdom. They provide a platform for party members, politicians, activists, and supporters to come together to discuss party policies, share ideas, and engage in political discourse. On behalf of our members, the RTPI will be attending conferences held by the Liberal Democrats, Conservatives and Labour this year to make the case for better planning and planners.
We are attending party conferences as they provide an opportunity for organisations to engage directly with politicians and policymakers. By participating, we can promote planner’s contribution to key political outcomes like housing, the environment, transport and many others. It is a chance to advocate for changes that would enable planners to do more in the public interest and is an important platform that the RTPI’s presidential team use to champion the role of planning.
A previous roundtable event
RTPI President Sue Bridge on the panel at an event last year
As they say, a week is a long time in politics and a year even longer; so every conference season is different. This year promises to be a remarkable one as we are ahead of Mayoral elections and a General Election which significantly impact the profession.
In preparation for the party’s manifestos, we will also launch our “2024 Planifesto” (more details coming soon) which will showcase and reinforce the discussions we’ve been having over the last year with the major political parties ahead of their country-wide campaigns.
Party conferences often include lots of panel discussions, workshops, and policy debates. We will actively engage in these discussions to ensure that planning is firmly on the political agenda and that politicians, the media and the public can be better informed about planning. This also helps our public affairs team to understand how decisions are being made and how we can should confront the challenges faced by planners in the year ahead.
At this year’s party conferences we will be hosting our own events at Conservative and Labour party conferences. Members can stay connected with the RTPI’s party conference activities through our website and social media channels. These will include:
Conservative Party Conference (in Manchester):
“Will the housing crisis determine the next general election?” – 6PM, Monday 2nd October, ConHome Marquee (inside the secure zone). RTPI President, Sue Bridge, will be joined by Housing Minister, Rachel McLean MP, alongside speakers from other ‘Joint Institutes’ in the built environment.
PRIVATE ROUNDTABLE: “After the LURB: unleashing planning’s full potential” – Monday 2nd October. We’ll be joined by parliamentarians, councillors, RTPI members and other representatives of our sector.
The team will also be busy contributing to discussions and roundtables on a wide range of planning matters with organisations like Planning Futures, the Institute for Government & Midlands Engine and more.
Labour Party Conference (in Liverpool)
“Skills and Sustainability: How better regulation can fix the UK’s built environment.” – 9.30AM, Monday 9th October, ACC Liverpool, Meeting Room 20 (inside the secure zone). RTPI Vice President, Lindsey Richards, will speak at Onward’s event alongside other ‘Joint Institutes’ in the built environment.
PRIVATE ROUNDTABLE: “Will Labour-led planning reforms make sufficient, safe and sustainable homes?” - Monday 9th October. We’ll be joined by parliamentarians, councillors, RTPI members and other representatives of our sector.
The team will also be busy contributing to discussions and roundtables on a wide range of planning matters with organisations like Planning Futures and others.
