Planning Expert Panel

Summary by Expert Panel Chair, Craig Tabb, DP9

The purpose of the Expert Panel on Planning is to advise on the NLA Planning programme in three key areas:

Recruitment of staff and increase in planning skills: Planning is not always seen as an attractive or accessible career option for people of all ages and from diverse backgrounds.
Increasing youth engagement in planning: Youth participation in the planning process has increased in recent years, but there is room for further involvement. This would improve the final design of services, meet the London Plan principles of good growth, and potentially inspire the next generation of built environment professionals.
Embedding social value through the planning process: In recent years, there has been a growing trend to incorporate social value into planning schemes. However, the lack of a unified approach across the sector means that the net additional value of these schemes can vary significantly.

The method involved a comprehensive review of existing policies, academic research, and best practice case studies. This approach helped identify barriers to change and informed the development of actionable recommendations for the next steps.

Several recommendations were compiled, including but not limited to:

Promoting a positive image of the sector, highlighting planners as visionary place-makers rather than potential bureaucrats.
Local Planning Authorities (LPAs) should aim to offer salaries comparable to the private sector to remain competitive and balance the distribution of private vs public sector workers.
Make Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) education and chartership more accessible.
Clearly define social value in the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) to ensure consistent delivery across all development scales.
Develop a consistent London-wide approach to Social Value Impact Statements and ensure these statements are effective for all project sizes and integrate existing policies and practices.
Engage with youth groups, youth councils, and sports groups to build a business case for youth participation in planning.
Mandate youth engagement in planning and develop a toolkit for consistent participation.

The full whitepaper will delve into these proposals and examine case studies that showcase their real-world applications and benefits.