Regional News & Branchout

RTPI Presidents Visits 2023

3 July 2023 - Summer Reception, Taunton

On the 3rd July, hosted by our Chair Ian Perry, Head of Judges Graham Stephens and RTPI President Sue Bridge we held our annual Summer Reception. This event was about celebration and appreciation.  We therefore not only announced the regional winners in the RTPI Awards for Planning Excellence but we also took time celebrate over 50 newly elected RTPI Members in the region and met many of those on the day (pictured centre and right). Its an important and valued milestone in all their careers to carry the mark of the profession and so we look forward to continuing these new member celebrations in the future.

Also as part of this event we took time to appreciate all our RTPI Volunteers in the South West. With over 70 members involved in helping us to raise the profile of the profession and organising activities for local members we were able to highlight the value of our volunteers. Pictured below left is some of our RTPI Volunteers in the region.

A key message of the day is to keep inspiring, create excellence and be proud of the difference you are making.

 

 

7-8 June 2023 - Teignbridge, Bath and Bristol 

The 7^th and 8^th June was RTPI President Sue Bridge's visit the South West of England, the second leg in her tour of Nations and Regions. 

On the first day Sue visited Teignbridge where she heard about their design code work as one of the pathfinders. Sue heard from their consultant from LDA Design as well as officers and members of our Citizen’s Panel; a group of volunteers who have an interest in their area and sit on a group to help create the design code. Sue was very complimentary of the approach to the work with such close ties to the community; suggestions of such an approach being used elsewhere in Development Management decision making was mooted.

Following a delicious lunch where Sue met with some local young planners and shared career stories, the visit continued. Teignbridge DC took Sue to three sites which form part of the Council’s South West Exeter allocation; a multi-use urban extension of 2000 homes. They visited one of the many developer’s sites as well as the Ridge Top Park, a SANGS which overlooks much of the allocation and provides recreation and ecological benefits. Sue was impressed by how much had been achieved with the Park in such a short time and saw the Park as a real multifunctional asset for the community that exists and is in the process of being created. The 1st day was concluded by calling in at the new Marsh Barton railway station; this was co-funded by various stakeholders  including Teignbridge District Council, Exeter City and Devon County. The station which opens on the 4^th July will serve the large employment destination of Marsh Barton and significantly assist in a modal shift away from private motor vehicles.

     

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Day 2 of Sue's visit began in Bath

The morning gave Sue the chance to meet Bath & North East Somerset Council’s Head of Planning and Regeneration Team and learn about the challenges and opportunities of development and regeneration within a World Heritage city. Sue heard about the Milsom Quarter Masterplan, a project which will see the development of a new Fashion museum and brownfield sites alongside public realm investment. A community led £2.8m project to improve Midsomer Norton Town Centre was also presented alongside a short film about the High Street made by local children. The visit was concluded by a walk around the Milsom Quarter with representatives of Bath & North East Somerset Council and RTPI volunteers.

            

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Over lunch, Sue visited the University of the West of England which currently has four fully accredited RTPI Planning Programmes, where she met a number of current and past students as well as staff. She heard about UWE's current planning research portfolio, with a particular spotlight on recent work on post-consent planning processes and design quality (recipient of the RTPI's Sir Peter Hall Award for Research Excellence!). Sue participated in a lively debate about the value of academic research and how to improve the research-practice interface, which included contributions from students, and planners from both the public and private sectors.  She also visited the annual architecture showcase, which included work from students on the BA Architecture and Planning programme and met PhD student, Jenna Dutton, named as one of The Planner magazine's Women of Influence 2023.

     

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

During the afternoon Sue visited the Brabazon site, an ambitious arena development, former home to the hangars that saw the construction of the UK Concordes. Hosted by YTL, the visit looked at the masterplan visit for the site before undertaking a tour of the current development. Further information on this project can be found at : A Place That Changes Everything for Bristol | Brabazon

       

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The busy day then concluded with the RTPI SW Annual Dinner attended by over 270 guests at the Delta Hotel by Marriott. Sue and Regional Chair Ian Perry hosted a table of Senior and Heads of Planning from Local Authorities. 

    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you would like to host the RTPI President for a visit and meetings in your area and showcase your team and local projects then please do get in touch as we work to plan the next visits for 2024 with incoming president Lindsey Richards. 

 

Branchout -  Winter 2023

Articles include:

• A Focus on Mental Health
• Take Pride in Planning
  - Angharad Williams
  - Harrison Moore
• Theory of Planning
• Net Zero Carbon Homes at Rainbow Way, Minehead
• Digital Engagement in Neighbourhood Planning in Practice
• Planning the charge: a volte face?
• Marine Planning - Isle of Scilly
• RTPI South West Awards - where are they now?
  - Bath and NE Somerset Council, The WaterSpace Project
• Your Branch update

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Branchout - Spring 2023 

Articles include:

• Message from the Chair
• Editor’s Blog
• Member News - Thank you to Kevin Phillips
• Congratulations to New Members
• Young Planners updates
• University Dissertations
• Mentoring
• Spotlight on Bath & North East Somerset Council
• Strategic planning - Catriona Riddell
• Make Space for Girls
• The wellbeing of Planners - We need to talk
• RMB/RAC Update
• Getting to know you - Cat Loveday & Adam Shepherd
• South West Events

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Print view
Booklet view

In early July we welcomed RTPI President Tim Crawshaw for a 3 day visit to the region. Highlights of the visit included:

• Celebrating our RTPI Award winners in the South West, thanking RTPI Volunteers and celebrating our newly elected RTPI members at the Summer Reception in Taunton.
  
  
• Meeting with Planners at Somerset West and Taunton where they discussed the new Council for Somerset, their Climate Positive Planning Guidance which was recently commended in the RTPI Awards in the South West, the issue of Phosphate and the impact this is having on development, the Taunton Garden Town as well as discussions about rescourcing, skills and budgets.
  
  
  
  
  
• Keynote speaker at the RTPI & Landscape Institute South West Natural Environment Seminar where Tim talked about the importance of using the natural environment to plan for health and wellbeing. The seminar then followed to discuss BNG and Nutrient Neutrality.
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Meetings and visits with Exeter City Council including discussions about Liveable Exeter and the Future of Exeter lego exhibition at the Royal Albert Memorial Museum & Art Gallery. Then a site visit to the RTPI South West Award winning St Sidwell's Point, an exemplory Passivhaus leisure centre.
  
  
• An evening with the Devon, Cornwall and Somerset Young Planners where they discussed raising awareness of planning as a profession, the many different routes into planning and recruiting the next generation of Planners from various pools of exciting talent. There was even talk of a mini festival for Planners!
  
  
• Tim then spent his final day with hosts North Devon 
• Council and Torridge District Council where they discussed the opportunities and challenges of planning in a rural area, the coast and estuary and the effects of climate change. Then in the beautiful sunshine they walked out to Pebble Ridge and then headed over to Braunton to discuss the Local Nature Recovery Strategy with Natural England and the North Devon UNESCO Biosphere. Then a walk out onto Braunton Marsh and Horsey Island before then a relaxing afternoon tea with many of the Young Planners from both authorities.
  
  
  

We were delighted to host Tim who listened, inspired and took interest in the challenges and opportunities that planning has in influencing our communities and protecting our future. We hope to welcome him back to the sunny South West in the near future.

Branchout - Winter 2022

Articles include:

• Message from the 2022 and 2023 Chair
• Editor’s Blog
• Young Planners updates and events
• Case Study - Expanding the prison estate 
• Case Study - An Undergraduates analysis of the Cheltenham Coach Station site
• Future Planner Bursaries 
• Plymouth Graduation and student prizes
• Welcome to new Chartered and Associate Members
• Applications open for the South West Mentoring Programme 2023
• RTPI Fellows in the South West
• Case Study - Strategic Planning in Cornwall
• Case Study - Planning in the Isle of Scilly
• Case Study - Digital Planning; are we there yet?
• Case Study - 2021 Census results
• RMB RAC Updates
• 2023 RMB RAC Committee
• Meet committee members Angharad Williams and Chris Miell
• RTPI Awards for Planning Excellence
• Applications open to join the South West Judging Panel
• South West Webinars 2023
• Launch of South West Seminars 2023 with early bird rates

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Articles include: 

• Message from the Chair and photos from the RTPI SW Dinner
• Editor’s Blog
• Young Planners updates and events
• RTPI Explore
• A personal view of the UK and Brazil Planning System
• Exeter City Council appoints new Director
• New Chartered Members
• Summer New Members Reception
• A day in the life of a Planning Consultant
• Results of the RTPI Awards for Planning Excellence 2022 in the South West
• Bath’s Heritage Action Zones
• A conference of the Islands - Heritage at Risk Channel Islands
• Planning in Jersey: responding flexibly to challenges
• Design Code - A Blast from the Past?
• Putting Nature Centre Stage - mainstreaming biodiversity
• EV Charging provision
• Okehampton: A Strategic Success - an ex insider view
• Presidents Visit
  Planning Aid Update
• Regional Management Board and Activities Committee updates
• Getting to know RMB Member Carla Fulgoni
• Events
• Latest webinars
• Latest In Person events

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Branchout - Spring 2022

Articles include:

• Local Young Planner group updates
• Future Lab - Rethinking our Town Centres Post-Pandemic
• Raising Awareness of Planning Careers
• Mentoring Programme for early career planners
• UWE Sustainopia Competition
• UWE Student dissertations
• Plymouth dissertation summary
• Mad Eye Moody or Severus Snape?
• Triple Access Planning
• Plymouth Heritage Action Zone
• Challenges & benefits of planning on Guernsey
• Planning for beautiful prosperous places
• Planning Aid Updates
• RMB/RAC Updates
• Getting to know you - Tim Burton and Rebecca Windermer
• Forthcoming events
• RTPI SW Dinner 2022

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