

Core CPD Framework:
- Housing
- 5 CPD Hours
Event Description
RTPI South West welcomes to you their CPD Seminar series for 2025. This is a HYBRID Seminar so you may opt to attend in-person or virtually. We hope this enables the event to be as inclusive as possible.
The General Election in 2024 saw a new Government elected with a mandate to significantly increase housing delivery, with a target of 1.5m homes to deliver this Parliament. This seminar provides an overview of recent and upcoming legislative and policy changes designed to achieve that, and brings together the views and experiences of planners in public and private practice with the development industry to consider how housing delivery can be increased, in terms of both ‘numbers’ and also the quality, type and tenure, to meet both local and national needs.
Learning Objectives:
Develop a broader understanding of the legislative and policy changes recently and soon to be introduced by government to significantly increase housing delivery, and learn from good practice case study examples and views from across the industry on how to achieve that.
After attending this event, delegates should be able to:
- Understand the legislative and policy changes introduced since the 2024 General Election with regards to housing delivery (including Green Belt and grey belt)
- Develop an awareness of the various barriers to increasing housing delivery, and what planners in the public and private sectors can do to help overcome them in the short- and long-term
- Understand how the housing industry works and learn how to negotiate the best developments whilst remaining viable
- Learn from good practice examples of different types of housing delivery, and how they all contribute to meeting local and national housing needs
Programme
Please note that the programme is still in draft stage. We reserve the right to update and amend the programme accordingly. We will do our best to keep the event programme current and reactive to any key legislation or guidance changes.
Topics may include:
- NPPF and what this means for housing delivery with viewpoints from:
- Homes England - Current and Future interventions
Helen Bone, MPP Regional Head for the South West, Homes England -
The viability conundrum and does it really matter?
Viability has long been used as an excuse to confuse and confound, dither and delay and in some cases stop delivery. But if we are to to believe the governments mantra that a successful future is tied to growth and that growth requires delivery of housing then what can we do, if anything, to remove one of the stumbling blocks that is viability? We first need to understand the current issues around viability and then look at the levers that need to be pulled to ease viability pressures, that will assist both short and longer term delivery of housing. Once we understand the issues and potential solutions we then ask ourselves does it really matter - is viability in its planning sense really a root cause of slow/low delivery?
Mark Felgate, Three Dragons - Case studies including community, brownfield, affordable and greenfield development
- Backyard Housing – a model for housing delivery?
Alex Dutton at Snug Homes - Plymouth North Prospect
Andrew Lawrie, Plymouth Community Homes - Brabazon
Simon Fitton, Technical Director of Planning YTL Developments - Cockerhurst
Mike Smith, Cavanna Homes & Dawn de Vries, Somerset Council
- Backyard Housing – a model for housing delivery?
Speakers

Andrew Lawrie
Plymouth Community Homes

Andrew Lawrie
Plymouth Community Homes
Andrew Lawrie BA(Hons) MA PGCE MCIH JP has worked in affordable housing development for over 30 years and has been Head of Development at Plymouth Community Homes since 2013 and overseen the regeneration of North Prospect during this time.

Dawn de Vries
RTPI SW Chair & Service Manager at Somerset Council

Dawn de Vries
RTPI SW Chair & Service Manager at Somerset Council
I am the Service Manger covering Development Management, Strategic Sites and Enforcement at Somerset Council. I started active involvement in the region in 2016 by approaching Charlotte Daborn at a CPD event and asking ‘so what is it that the committee do?’ and have been part of the group since. I was RTPI SW Chair in 2020 which included a full year of CPD planning, two events, COVID and the evolution of virtual! This year I hope for a more active year championing wellbeing, working collaboration and growth as if you are standing still in planning you are already behind! I look forward to meeting members throughout the year and understanding how these themes guide our practice.
I started my career as a Modern Apprentice for the Isle of Wight Council which reinforces my underlining support for the range of apprenticeships available, including in Town and County Planning. Gaining my Masters in Spatial Planning via day release at Oxford Brookes, and becoming RTPI accredited, my family and I moved to the 'mainland', to Somerset in 2015, progressing from a Senior to Principal role at Sedgemoor District Council (SDC). I gained a CMI Level 5 Diploma in Management and Leadership in 2018 and was promoted to Service Manager at the SDC prior to its merger with the adjoining Districts and County to become the new ‘Somerset Council’ in April 2023. Despite promising never to study again I completed my Level 7 Extended Diploma in Strategic Management and Leadership qualification in 2023 and became a Chartered Manager.
Through my involvement with the RTPI SW Regional Activities I have promoted Planning Aid; organised and delivered CPD events for volunteers and members; worked with Plymouth University determining awareness and outreach opportunities and have been part of the judging panel for the Planning Awards. This year I am really looking forward to judging the Chairs ‘Unsung Hero’ award! 2025 will see collaboration through the events (with one co-joined with the South east), more involvement in the RTPI SW Planning Awards and the Presidents visit. In my spare time I also manage to enjoy exploring with family, my dog Topper and being put in my place by my cats Twinkle and Carbonel.

Richard Grant
Planning Director at Origin3

Richard Grant
Planning Director at Origin3
Richard is Planning Director at Origin3. He has over 30 years’ experience of working in all aspects of planning policy, from strategy development and policy interpretation to building an evidence base and navigating the local plan process. With a deep understanding of planning policy at all levels, he is a specialist in strategic spatial planning, and particularly housing policy, need, supply and delivery.
Much of Richard’s experience has been in local authorities, including as Head of Planning Policy at Cornwall Council and as Strategic Planning Manager (Joint Local Plan) at Plymouth City Council. Over the years, he has been lead officer on highly successful and award-winning planning policy documents, such as the Plymouth and South West Devon Joint Local Plan, the Plymouth Plan, key elements of Plymouth’s Local Development Framework and the Cornwall Climate Emergency DPD.
As Planning Director with Origin3, a Planning and Design Practice based in Bristol, Richard has assisted clients in producing representations on Local Plans, provided advice on developing innovative and effective planning strategies for promoting sites, has attended Local Plan Examinations leading expert witness teams, and has attended Public Inquiries as the Planning expert witness. He believes that planning is a positive and proactive tool for creating great places for people and communities, and is driven to deliver new homes which contribute to solving the country’s housing crisis.

Robert Lacey
Planning Policy Manager at Cornwall Council

Robert Lacey
Planning Policy Manager at Cornwall Council
Rob is Cornwall Council’s Planning Policy Manager, leading the Council’s Policy and Neighbourhood Planning teams. He is a chartered town planner and has spent 27 years working in Local Authority planning in the South West of England. His current work involves starting the next Cornwall Local Plan, exploring approaches to neighbourhood planning, green infrastructure and design and working across disciplines and sectors to help create healthier, more liveable and distinctive places in Cornwall.

Justin Dodge
West Country Land

Justin Dodge
West Country Land
Justin is known as one of the leading experts in gaining residential planning permission in the West Country. He has worked on some of the largest land developments in the region and has successfully managed many contentious planning approvals during his career. His experience also encompasses project management, having been involved with and completed more than 1,000 projects to date.
Having studied Valuation and Estate Management at University, Justin has a comprehensive understanding and knowledge of financial viability and the importance of profitability.
In 2001, Justin was appointed director of CSA Architects after a hugely successful three years with the company. His experience and pragmatic, focussed approach transformed the company into an award-winning practice and cemented CSA as one of the largest and most successful architects practices in Devon and Cornwall.
Justin’s multi-disciplined skillset went on to gain him an outstanding reputation as a planning specialist and one the best in his field, securing work from the top developers and housebuilders.
Justin joined his now business partner John Schuttkacker in 2009 and launched the highly successful business; Westcountry Land & Homes. Honing their complementary skills, they took the land and property development business in a new and exciting direction, focusing on the personal approach to business, and delivering the highest possible return for landowners whether financial or legacy.
Justin continued to run CSA Architects alongside his directorship at Westcountry Land & Homes until 2014, when he later sold the business to continue working full time with John.
Staying true to his passion for design and architecture, Justin designed his own house (and business partner John’s) earning him a shortlisting at The International Design and Architecture Awards in the “Private House of the Year” category for homes up-to £1m contract value in 2014.
Booking
Please follow the booking links below.
If you wish to do a group booking please contact [email protected]
RTPI are happy to support RTPI Members and Students who are unemployed or financially precluded from attending local CPD events. Please contact us to discuss opportunities.
We are happy to offer accessibility tickets with a free carer place.
Accessibility
- Please view travel information here.
- There is parking available on site and chargeable
- The nearest train station is Plymouth and is a 15-20 minute walk away.
- The meeting and catering takes place on the ground floor
- A quiet room are available during the event should you require this.
- We are happy to offer accessibility tickets with a free carer place.
The RTPI is committed to delivering inclusive events; to make sure that everyone can have the best possible experience. To help work towards being able to do this an event organiser will contact all booked participants to discuss any access needs or requirements that they might have. Contact Charlotte Daborn to discuss any questions or concerns you may have.
Speakers needed
If you would like to speak at this or other events, please do get in touch.
Sponsorship opportunities
RTPI South West have a range of sponsorship opportunities for a number of events in the year, so please do get in touch to discuss. As well as supporting events which raise the profile of planning, they are a great way of aligning to your organisation values and goals.