Forthcoming events:
20 June - RTPI | Planning as a tool for regenerating coastal communities, Illfracombe
20 August - RTPI | RICS Matrics Devon: Networking - Maritime Mixer, Plymouth
In the planning:
- Brickfields Site Visit with RICS Matrics
- Summer Social – Paddleboarding Scavenger Hunt
- Curry and Quiz with RICS Matrics
- Cranbrook Site Visit
- Natural England Talk
- Planning for Neurodiversity
Recent events:
20th June 2025 saw the RTPI Young Planners Event on regeneration in Ilfracombe take place with over 35 planners at the Landmark Theatre on a glorious summers day.
A range of insightful and inspiring speakers highlighted what could be done with collaboration between different organisations to assist in the regeneration of the coastal town, which includes some of the most deprived areas in the country.
Steve Seatherton, Programme Manager, One Ilfracombe used multi-media to highlight the key issues facing Ilfracombe and how an inter-agency approach has helped to deliver improvements in housing, skills and the health of its population.
Georgina Carlo-Paat, Ilfracombe Harbourmaster explained the aims, challenges and opportunities in the delivery of the Watersports Hub at Larkstone Cove, Ilfracombe to provide a new home for the Ilfracombe Gig Club, Youth-sailing club and canoe club. It has also successfully delivered a programme of water based activities for 10 and 11 year olds from the local primary schools as well as being available to the wider community providing a safe area for non-powered craft away from the hazards of the harbour. All of these deliverables have the potential to improve the quality of life of the residents of Ilfracombe.
Mark Reed, Chair of Ilfracombe Community Land Trust (CLT) outlined the difference that CLTs can make to delivering high quality developments where the project is led by the community and the housing is to be retained in perpetuity for local people. Local people had the opportunity to articulate their requirements for high quality housing which the architect was able to convert into the design of a site at Bicclescombe Nursery. The development of a steep, brownfield site with poor access and drainage issues has enabled the provision of 16 units of social housing which may have not been viable to be delivered in the traditional developer led scheme. This has the potential to assist in increased opportunities for local people to obtain high quality housing and improve their quality of life.
Jon Triggs, Director of Resources and Deputy Chief Executive from North Devon District Council (NDC) spoke about the Healthy Homes Initiative and how the local authority is intervening in the local housing market to improve the health of residents. Through £2m of funding from the County Combined Authority NDC was able to improve housing by the purchasing of three empty buildings in the centre of town and refurbishing them to provide 14 units of accommodation. The floorspace of existing bedsits was increased and sustainable features were included to improve living standards and reduce energy costs working with the Poverty Truth Commission. They have now become a registered housing provider and can administer their own social housing stock with capital housing costs from Homes England to implement the schemes. This is hoped to improve the healthy life expectancy of 59 years old in some of the areas of central Ilfracombe, which is the lowest in Devon. In the future the council is planning to expand its housing stock and improve the availability of affordable and high quality housing.
Matt Brown, Lead Planning Officer from North Devon District Council (NDC) led an afternoon walk around 8 different sites where the council have used a range of enforcement and planning powers in an attempt to promote regeneration. He highlighted the multiple developments that have been proposed in various locations but that the problem of stalled sites affected by the prevailing economic conditions still prevail around the town. We finished off at the Watersports Hub where we enjoyed a drink in the sunshine at the Lime Kiln café developed as the commercial element of the hub.
Monday 12th May – RTPI APC Seminar – Achieving Success in your Submission
RTPI Devon, Cornwall and Somerset Young Planners recently hosted an event to help planners with their RTPI APC submission. Two fantastic presentations were given by Bill Richardson of Strongvox Homes Ltd. and Clodagh Macken of CarneySweeney. Bill gave an insightful overview of the APC process, covering the L-APC route, touching upon the three parts of the written submission, assessment outcomes and levels of support the RTPI provide. Clodagh gave a fantastic insight into her own experience on her APC submission in 2023 and provided some helpful tips.
We hope everyone that attended found the session useful. Good luck on your submissions!
2nd April - Site visit to Melville building at Royal William Yard in Plymouth
The RTPI Devon, Cornwall and Somerset Young Planners recently held an informative and engaging event focused on the remarkable Melville building at the Royal William Yard (RWY) in Plymouth. Hosted by a collaborative team from Plymouth City Council, Urban Splash, and Gillespie Yunnie Architects, the event offered attendees a firsthand look at the award-winning Melville Phase 1.
Melville, a Grade I listed building and the striking centrepiece of Europe's largest collection of Grade I listed military buildings, was recognised as the Best Project at the South West Region Planning Excellence Awards 2024 and went on to national success, winning the Excellence in Planning for Heritage and Culture category.
The event revolved around the collaborative working partnership that underpinned the successful regeneration of Melville. Attendees gained valuable insights into how Plymouth City Council, Urban Splash, and Gillespie Yunnie Architects worked together to develop innovative procedural and practical planning solutions. Key discussions highlighted the strategies employed to overcome significant challenges related to viability, flood risk, and the sensitive handling of the site's rich heritage. It was particularly interesting to hear how these challenges were navigated through effective communication and a shared vision.
Participants were taken on a tour of the Melville building, a mixed-use scheme, including a: boutique cinema; restaurant; offices; co-working space and gym, and the wider RWY site. The tour allowed attendees to truly appreciate the scale and quality of the restoration, and to understand how the building is being used and adapting to current economic demands to secure its optimum viable use.
Following the tour, attendees enjoyed a valuable networking opportunity at one of the on-site restaurants within the RWY. Accompanied by tapas, this provided a fantastic platform for attendees to connect with each other, as well as with the hosts.
A special thank you to: Katie Graham, Strategic Developments Manager for Plymouth City Council; Tom Lowry, Development Manager for Urban Splash; and Jackie Gillespie, Director for Gillespie Yunnie Architects. Their willingness to host the event, share their expertise, and provide such a comprehensive overview of the Melville project was greatly appreciated by all attendees.
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9th March, DevComms Presentation at the Phoenix, Exeter
RTPI Devon, Cornwall and Somerset Young Planners recently held an event, hosted by DevComms on Politics and Planning: A Devon, Cornwall and Somerset Perspective, at the Phoenix, Exeter.
DevComms gave a fantastic insight into devolution, looking at the latest policy position and direction, timeline for the process of the change, and what this may look like for the Southwest.
Discussions concerned the implications such changes may make at local level, specifically relating to the time delay, lack of resources for LPAs and the knock-on effect it may have on the delivery of new housing.
A special thank you to DevComms for hosting this event and we look forward to our next event together!
10 December, Site visit to the Millennium Building and C103 with Nudge Builders in Plymouth
RTPI Devon, Cornwall and Somerset Young Planners and RICS Matrics recently undertook a site visit, hosted by Nudge Community Builders, to the Millennium building and C103 in Stonehouse, Plymouth.
Nudge Community Builders, a Plymouth-based Community Benefit Society, aims to build a strong local community and economy through the restoration of disused, privately owned landmark buildings for the benefit of the local community.
The event gave a fantastic insight into the history of the Millennium building and C103, along with the journey and challenges in bringing them both back into active use. Discussions concerned the involvement and engagement of Nudge Community Builders and local volunteers, their approach to development, and the plans for the future of both buildings.
A special thank you to Nudge Community Builders for hosting this event and it was great to see all the fantastic things they are doing for Stonehouse.
A big thanks to RICS Matrics too, we look forward to our next event together!
11 October 2024 - Planning in Coastal Areas, Bideford
The Devon, Cornwall and Somerset Young Planners organised a study day on Planning in Coastal Areas in Bideford kindly supported by Torridge District Council. The morning session was introduced by Dominie Dunbrook, Place Manager, Economic Development and Regeneration at North Devon District Council who set the scene regarding the economic strategy, cultural strategy and local plan in the area to maximise the growth potential in the area focusing on the Clean Maritime Growth Vision to move the coastal and rural area to the forefront of delivering critical priorities in Net Zero, energy, health and food security.
Laura Davis, Development Management Team Leader, Torridge District Council then focused on the planning process and challenges in the granting of permission for the Appledore Clean Maritime Innovation Centre, Appledore which is to provide a physical focus for regional activity across the clean maritime and green energy sector funded by £15.6m Levelling Up fund in 2023.
Ryan Steppel, Principal Planning Officer, Torridge District Council outlined the XLinks Morocco-UK Power Project that is proposed to facilitate the importation of up to 3.6 GW of low carbon energy from Morrocco to UK to meet approximately 8% of the UK annual electricity needs. The project has been confirmed to be a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP) and Ryan detailed the Development Consent Order process that the council are a consultee in and the stages this is likely to take over the next 2 years to determine its approval.
Andrew Sierakowski, North Devon District Council gave a local authority perspective to the development of the offshore floating wind project at Whitecross and the difficulties of twin applications for the offshore component to the Marine Management Organisation and the onshore project which requires a separate Town and Country Planning Act 1990 application. The onshore elements are being determined by North Devon District Council with a range of challenges from landfall at the popular beach of Saunton Sands, a substation in Flood Zone 2, multiple designations including National Landscape, Special Area of Conservation, SSSI and North Devon Biosphere as well as MOD land and a crossing of the Taw Estuary with 1000 objections to date.
Rob Lacey, Planning Policy Manager, Cornwall County Council outlined the issues of second homes and short terms lets on housing in coastal areas of Cornwall and evaluated the use of planning policies such as neighbourhood plans and use classes in tackling this.
Ian Rowland, Planning Policy Team Leader, Torridge District Council gave an insight into the challenges of the ever changing coastline, with erosion and inundation being exacerbated by climate change and the research completed by the Coastal Processes Research Group at Plymouth University to establish Coastal Change Management Areas. These will be rolled out to other local planning authorities to help with the development of planning policies and the determining of future planning applications in coastal areas.
Chris Wilson, Coastal Engineer, Torridge District Council highlighted the link between coastal engineering and planning and the importance of consultation with coastal engineers to ensure sustainable decisions are made regarding planning in coastal areas. This was followed by a study visit to see coastal change processes in action at Northam Burrows and how the Shoreline Management Plans are produced to identify areas of the coastline that are to be protected with ‘hold the line’ and others where nature will be allowed to take its course through ‘no active intervention’.
The day ended with a social visit to continue discussions at a pub in Westward Ho!. The day was well attended being sold out with 40 delegates and a number of people commented that it was nice to have an RTPI event in North Devon.
19 September 2024 - SuDS
Devon, Cornwall and Somerset Young Planners recently visited Central Park in Plymouth to attend a walk and talk hosted by Plymouth City Council’s Liz Oxford, Natural Infrastructure Officer and Kate Saunders, Strategic Planning and Infrastructure Area Planning Manager. The walk and talk focused on Plymouth City Council’s Central Park Ponds Project, comprising sustainable drainage systems (SuDS), and discussed the process of obtaining planning permission and the complexities along the way.
The Central Park Ponds Project involved the re-landscaping of a portion of the park to provide a nature-based solution to flooding using SuDS to manage surface water whilst providing a space for wildlife and people. The scheme includes: improved drainage with French drains along Coronation Avenue and Jubile Row; a swale located to the south of Coronation Avenue; and two ponds located in the Barn Park corner of the park.
The event gave a fantastic opportunity to learn about how the ongoing SuDS project looks to provide a nature-based solution to flooding, along with addressing wider planning considerations, such as: improved access, conservation of heritage features, conservation of trees, placemaking and design, and Biodiversity Net Gain.
In addition to discussing the planning application process, attendees discussed the delays to the project, maintenance of the SuDS and the potential implications of the operational day-to-day park use and how this had been managed.
Following the talk, attendees enjoyed the opportunity to network and socialise with pizza and drinks at Roam Brewery Taproom.
24 July 2024, Exeter Science Park
We had a very successful event at Exeter Science Park learning about its development and the role of these types of projects in economic development, as well as the processes and applications of Local Development Orders. Excited to see how the future LDO for Exeter Science Park takes shape to supports its growth. Lots going on in the region and the use of the tool is becoming increasingly widespread - see Gravity, Skypark, Power Park. Thank you for sharing your expertise Mary Crew and Frances Wadsley and thank you for the insight into the Science Park project Dr Sally Basker and Jason Buck MCIM.
Our next event is a SuDS walk and talk visiting Central Park in Plymouth to learn about the innovative nature-based solutions being built there and their interface with public open space. Followed of course by pizza (included in ticket price) at Roam brewery! Limited spaces are available.
