Gideon Amos OBE

1


tcpa
Unmaking England Smart City Futures 2009
Gideon Amos OBE Chief Executive 14.1.09
2
about the tcpa

• we are independent and open to all who want
  better places
• we have achieved greener cities, new towns,
  better homes
• we create ideas, knowledge, publications,
  campaigns, independent policies
• we aim to secure homes, empower communities and
  deliver a sustainable future
• through planning

3
Regional Urban Policy where does the North
stand?

• Without a strategy to guide key infrastructure
  projects and national programmes, to set
  priorities the country will simply drift
  directionless, reinforcing a belief, real or
  imagined, that the winner takes it all
• Foreword - Peter Hetherington
• Chair of the Commission

4
BBC Breakfast on 9 May 2006
http//news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/programmes/b
reakfast/4752903.stm
5
Terms of Reference

• Jobs and the regions
• Transport, energy and communication
• infrastructure
• Growth and environmental impact
• Social needs and the environment

6
PSA7

• The Comprehensive Spending Review 2007
• committed the Government to continue the
• Regional Economic Performance PSA. It aims to
• Improve the economic performance of
• all English regions and reduce the gap in
• economic growth rates between regions

7
Key challenges

• Inequality between regions
• Inequality within regions
• Threats to the growth and productivity of the
  Golden Arc and beyond
• Inequalities in housing
• The Challenge of Sustainable Communities
• Rural Development
• The Transport System
• Energy, Water and Waste
• and now, economic downturn

8
Inequality between regions
9
Working households unable to buy
Source Wilcox Can Work, Cant Buy, Joseph
Rowntree Foundation 2003
10
Inequality within regions

• The generally high employment rate of the region
  masks pockets of exclusion, low pay and under
  utilisation of the workforce. Parts of the
  population are effectively excluded from work .

Source RES for the South East of England
11
The Causes

• Skills development the principle cause
• behind the globalised economy
• Global environment as a cause
• Responding to the causal factors

12
2006 Policies and their Limits

• Sustainable Communities Plan Renewal Growth
  Areas
• RSSs and RESs
• ESDP
• PSAs

13
Development priorities

• Skills, research and innovation
• Sustainable development / climate change
• Balance of jobs and workers

14
Priorities ctd

• Regional issues and spanning boundaries
• Ports and airports
• Transport infrastructure, integration and land
  use

15
Priorities ctd

• Housing and affordability
• National procurement decisions
• Delivery and timescales

16
Region Proofing

• Many government policy decisions are made
  without an assessment, evaluation or even
  awareness of the likely regional impacts. This is
  likely to have a bearing on the prospects for
  meeting the governments target

Source Prof John Tomany
17
Lessons Wales
18
Lessons Germany
19
Lessons Scotland
20
BP
A private sector strategic development framework
21
12 Key Recommendations

• Rail new/improved N-S and
• W-E (trans-Pennine) rail routes
• Airports Grow northern airports to take
• the pressure off Heathrow and Gatwick
• Ports Strategy to determine how much further
  growth at southern ports (Felixstowe,
  Southampton) and to encourage growth at northern
  ports with spare capacity (Liverpool, Teesport,
  Hull)

22
(No Transcript)
23
(No Transcript)
24
12 Key Recommendations ctd

• Region-proofing All planning decisions on
  nationally significant research facilities to
  ensure regional development implications
  highlighted and regional development benefits
  optimised
• University research Science and Innovation
  Strategy to consider wider economic role of
  universities alongside excellence and opportunity
  
• Local Government and the regions Government to
  give major unitary authorities same transport
  powers (and ultimately planning and regional
  development powers) as Greater London

25
12 Key Recommendations ctd

• Housing and Sustainable Communities Government
  review to focus on increasing subsidised housing
  supply principally RSLs but also LAs, self
  builders and others
• Participatory planning process establishing a
  DFE through a multi-level process, initially from
  existing regional strategies. Ultimately a DFE
  must receive Parliamentary scrutiny and be
  adopted by national Government
• Criteria based projects assessment a strict,
  criteria-based approach to assess and determine
  projects and policies to be prioritised in a DFE

26
12 Key Recommendations ctd

• Statutory obligation Statutory duty upon UK
  Government institutions to promote development in
  regions and subregions falling below average
  national income levels
• Constitutional safeguards In future
  constitutional reforms, need to give local and
  regional Government a stronger voice
• Relocation Implement Lyons recommendations
  relocate 20,000 civil service posts to areas in
  need of investment and regeneration (majority to
  the north and far southwest) review and extend
  beyond 20,000 target encourage local government
  to locate certain functions in regeneration areas

27
Progress and Next Steps

• Paving the way for connectivity and growth are
  even more essential in current credit crunch
  conditions
• Planning Act 2008
• Infrastructure Planning Commission
• National Policy Statements (NPS)
• Plans for investment in transport infrastructure
  -DfTs Developing a Sustainable Transport
  System (DaSTS) one goal is
• Support national economic competitiveness and
  growth by delivering reliable and efficient
  transport networks
• e.g. Improved North-South rail links and Trans
  Pennine links

28
Progress and Next Steps ctd

• Clear, national strategic framework a joined up
  and coherent approach
• Successful local economic decision making
  requires coherence and coordination of different
  strategies at the national level

LGA-TCPA project on public transport and
connectivity
29
Bringing it together

• decent home for everyone
• empowering communities
• sustainable future
• through planning