Building Sustainable Communities

This learning seminar will provide an opportunity for LSP practitioners to learn more about the concept of sustainability, the role of LSPs and the community planning process in making their communities more viable in the future.

The seminar will consider some of the issues partnerships need to take account of in developing their thinking on sustainable development.  It will also examine how a sustainable community strategy can drive real changes and improvements on the ground.

LSPs are expected to take an increased responsible in the strategic role of delivering genuinely sustainable communities.  Many areas are undertaking a review of their strategies and a key challenge is to turn these into sustainable community strategies.  This requires closer integration of social, economic and environmental planning at a local level and an increased emphasis on action both to limit people’s impact on the local environment and to mitigate the effects of climate change.

The seminar will begin with a context-setting presentation on the current thinking at the heart of sustainability.  This will be followed by a panel session with speakers looking at different policy strands which need to be woven together at local level, including: links between spatial and community planning, community engagement & neighbourhood-level working and economic planning and regeneration. This section will be followed by an opportunity for delegates to question speakers in an open forum. In the afternoon session there will be workshop discussions providing an opportunity for small group dialogue. The day will include examples of practitioners’ work around sustainability from outside and within the region.

A full programme of the day will be available to delegates two weeks before the event.

For venue details follow this link

This is an all day event running from 10.30 to 4:00 to be held at the London House, Goodenough College, London WC1N 2AB.


10.30  Arrivals and coffee

10.45  Welcome and introduction to the day – Peter Johnson, PtP Manager

11.00  What is a sustainable community– speaker tbc - Sustainability Commission or representative from Forum for the Future

A context-setting presentation examining national policy aims in the area of sustainability and the implications of this for local authorities and their partners.

Questions

11.30  Local challenges in delivering sustainability

In small groups, delegates have an opportunity to discuss the challenges that they face locally in taking the sustainability agenda forward through a facilitated breakout session.  Delegates will discuss the situation in their own authorities – sharing work being done on sustainability, barriers in driving this agenda forward and support needed to move towards sustainable development.

12.15  Think global, plan local

Local authorities and their partners are being asked by government to develop sustainable community strategies (SCS) which will drive local action. The vision set out in the SCS should be implemented through the Local Development Framework and Local Area Agreement.

This session will examine how a SCS differs from current plans; what areas of policy and planning partnerships need to take account of when reviewing their area’s SCS and linkages with the LAA process.

• Patrick Feehily - SE Regional Assembly on the sustainability framework and pilot study for LSPs
• Sue Rayden – Basingstoke and Deane on local developments in driving sustainability via the LSP
• Therese Lawlor – Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead on the recent LAA feasibility testing and implications of new style LAAs

1.00  Lunch

1.45  Panel discussion – Peter Johnson to moderate

Panellists to answer delegates’ questions raised in the earlier breakout session and clarify issues from the presentations.  Panel to include John Houghton from Shared Intelligence and LAA PLUS network and a representative of Forum for the Future.

2.30  Turning vision into action on the ground

The planning system is changing, moving from narrow ‘land-use planning’ to ‘spatial planning’, which takes account of broader considerations and is more engaged with local partners. With the development of LAAs and LDFs, this is an excellent opportunity to bring together social, physical and economic plans for an area – for local authorities to be true ‘place shapers’.

In hour-long workshops, delegates have an opportunity to explore in depth key aspects of sustainable development and assess where they are at in terms of their own work.

• Community engagement – Jeff Bishop, BDOR consultancy
• Climate change – Keith Smith, New Forest District Council
• LAA as a driver for change, speaker tbc
• Spatial planning – speaker tbc

3.30  Summary of learning from the day and next steps

3.40  Close

Programme  215Kb

Peter Johnson, PtP Manager

Sarah McDuff, PtP Coordinator

John Houghton, Shared Intelligence

Patrick Feehily, SE Regional Assembly

Sue Rayden, Basingstoke and Deane

Therese Lawlor, Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead

Jeff Bishop, BDOR consultancy

Keith Smith, New Forest District Council