The Infrastructure Planning Commission & National Policy Statements November 17, 2009

Listen Up!

The 2008 Planning Act introduced a new planning system for applications to build “nationally significant infrastructure” facilities in England and Wales.

National Policy Statements (NPSs) are the foundation of this new planning system, and they set out the Government’s policy on “nationally significant infrastructure”.  Twelve National Policy Statements are being prepared by the relevant Government departments, based on existing government policy.  Before being finalised, they will each be subject to public consultation and scrutiny by parliament:

• renewable energy – on and off shore
• fossil fuel power stations
• gas & oil supply and storage
• electricity networks – the grid
• nuclear power stations

These NPSs have been produced by the Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC) and are out for consultation from now until 22nd February 2010.

• ports
• national networks – rail and road
• airports

These NPSs are the work of the Department for Transport (DfT).  Ports is out for consultation from now until 15th February 2010; National Networks opens in spring 2010 and Aviation late next year.

• waste water
• hazardous waste
• water supply

These are being produced by Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and will be out for consultation in spring, summer and autumn of next year respectively.

Under the new planning system the decision making for power for planning applications has been taken away from Government and placed in with the Infrastructure Planning Commission (IPC).  However, a quick look at there web-site revealed that they are part of Central Office of Information (COI) the Government’s centre of excellence for marketing and communications!  So how independent the IPC is I can’t say…

Until a NPS is formally designated by the Secretary of State, following public consultation and parliamentary scrutiny, the IPC (although up and running) does not have the power to decide applications just yet.

So why get involved?

It is important to make your views known because once finalised the NPSs will provide the framework for future decisions by the IPC on individual applications.  Issues relating to the need for specific types of infrastructure will not be debated again.

Except for NPSs on nuclear power stations and airports, specific locations for infrastructure are not identified (meaning they could go anywhere whether you like it or not) although criteria may guide developers to appropriate types of area.

Planning Aid North West have provided me with some guidance on the NPSs out for consultation now, they can be found on the SNAG documents page: www.snag.org.uk/documents.  I’ll touch back on this in the new year once the Core Strategy and Waste Plan consultations are out of the way.

Best Wishes, Tim.

SNP Forum / Core Strategy 8th December November 9, 2009

Hello All,

The SNP Forum scheduled for 8th December is no more : (

Instead Councillor Richard Cowell, Executive Member for Environment, on behalf of Manchester City Council, invites you to attend the Core Strategy Seminar  : ) !!!

So what is the difference?  Unlike a normal SNP Forum there will be some issues covered such as the Airport and Transport and Economy which aren’t aren’t normally discussed.

With the Core Strategy nearing its final stages Planning Strategy are keen to get your views on the Proposed Options document which can be found on the documents page of this website.  For the first time in this process, the Proposed Options proposed policy ideas in line with submissions from the last round of consultation, Refining Options.

The Event will be run in two sessions, one afternoon and one evening – see booking form below for details.

You get to choice which session to go to and which workshops you’d like to attend out of the following:

Housing, District Centres, Environment, Airport, Transport, Economy and General.

If you would like to attend please fill out the attached form:

Pre-Registration Form

It will be assumed that attendees have already read the document or at the very least chapters relevant to the workshops selected to attend.  SNAG members will be issued with a briefing paper which will summarize the content and the emerging policy.

Core Strategy Consultation October 30, 2009

OK we’re almost there now

Welcome to the Proposed Options Stage the Core Strategy for Manchester.  Consultation opens on Monday the 9th of November until 4th January 2009.

I can tell you that Option B was the most popular option following the refined options stage earlier this year (72% of us preferred B), which should please most of you no end.

As ever I’ll be sending a briefing paper to SNAG members ASAP to give you the low down on how the Proposed Option is shaping up.  Certainly none of the headline Spatial Policies have change, but I am yet to see if there is any devil in the detail; I should think not.

So what’s in the option which will lead to the flourishing of Manchester into a green and pleasant, sustainable 21st century haven of well-being and knowledge based industrial excellence?   I’ve only had a quick flick through so these are but my first impressions:

The usual slugs in the pottage include the preference of economic growth over economic development, airport growth (although there are mentions of high speed rail links) over greenbelt protection and a focus on development of the city centre as opposed to effectual sites for employment in the burbs.

I am picking up heightened levels of climate change related activity compared with the previous incarnation of this strategy but the dedicated climate change info measures just 1 small paragraph here and another one there on my climate change policyometer.  The waste management enthusiasts amongst you may find this rather disappointing.

So what’s coming up roses?  If I take number of pages as a proxy to the level of good policy, housing and design are smelling the sweetest.  Economic growth is of course the compost feeding everything in our great Mancunian City.

Watch this space.

Best Wishes, Tim.

Corridor Manchester August 19, 2009

Investigations have been made into the utilities and services infrastructure of one of the Manchester’s most bustling areas.  The oxford Road Corridor is a major destination for work, education and health as well as for leisure act ivies and serving as a major transport artery to the south of the city.

Corridor Manchester is the new name for Manchester City South the partnership – a group of major institutions based in the corridor itself – which are working together to improve the area through their own programmes of development – but in a combined way.

This latest study investigates the capacity of the Oxford Road Corridor’s electricity and gas distribution network, sewerage and waste water systems and digital infrastructure (i.e. the stuff which enables us to make a phone call or use the internet and watch cable.)  It also predicts the demand that planned and future developments along the corridor such as new buildings for example will have on these infrastructures and what if any extra capacity must be installed to meet this demand.

The Executive Summary of this report is available here and my notes which are pretty similar but worded a little less “executively” are here.

Transforming Places August 3, 2009

In July 2008, the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) published their draft Framework for Regeneration known as ‘transforming places; changing lives’. Following a consultation period Urban Forum produced this document which sets out how the government is taking forward the delivery of a new national framework to shape the way that regeneration is carried out in England.

This document can be seen here UF Transforming Places

Draft Climate Change Action Plan Structure June 22, 2009

Hello Everyone,

The Green City Team have produced  a draft version of the structure of the Climate Change Action Plan.  When finalised this structure will dictate how the Action Plan will be constructed, who will be involved and what themes will be concentrated on.

If you have any comments or suggestions, please let me know by Thursday morning.  The agenda for this meeting is here.  Again comments by Thursday morning please.

Best Wishes, Tim.

ESP Projects Update June 9, 2009

Introduction

In the Call to Action there was a public declaration to spend 3 months at the start of 2009 undertaking project planning. At ESPB on 24th April 2009, project updates were requested from project leads to enable there to be a review of progress of individual projects and Environmental Strategy Programme (ESP) as a whole.

Project management findings

• Wide mix of projects, from those well-developed and being delivered, to those not yet fully scoped.

• Timescales were not generally defined in projects.

• No detail provided on resource requirements, either already in place or yet to be identified. Both staff and finance (capital and revenue).

• Use of online Project Management System would assist with management of individual projects and programme as a whole. Recommend that PMS is mandatory for all MCC projects. Recommended for non-MCC projects. Need to consider training implications.

• Need to work towards each project having a signed-off Project Initiation Document.

• Once PID’s signed off then need Green City will need a monthly highlight report to track progress. (This could be accessed through PMS).

ESP-specific

• Energy infrastructure is emerging as a recurring theme within several ESP projects. Need a strategic, citywide approach to this topic. I.e. ‘Energy Infrastructure’ project within ESP. Will therefore need to consider resource implications and appropriate approach in terms of MCC and AGMA role.

• Behavioural change is emerging as a recurring theme within several ESP projects. Needs a strategic approach. I.e. ‘Awareness Raising and Engagement; project within ESP. Will therefore need to consider resource implications.

• Digital infrastructure activity has been reviewed as part of ESP review. Important to feed into ESP as may be a theme relevant to a number of ESP projects.

• Need to produce a funding strategy to support the delivery of ESP. £1m Carbon Reduction Fund will be part of this wider strategy but need to make sure the strategy maximises return on investment from the £1m and levers in match from other sources.

• Linkages between projects: As per those identified in original project summaries submitted in February. Energy Infrastructure and Awareness Raising and Engagement strong recurring themes. Need to identify linkages to any other non-ESP projects.

• Need to consider the carbon savings from each project, including target setting.

• Need to put in place a plan for the delivery of the Climate Change Action Plan, showing how and where individual projects will feed in.

Next Steps

• Project summaries from all project leads to Green City by Friday 22nd May 2009.
• ESP review final report from Green City to ESPB 8th June 2009.
• Project-specific feedback provided direct from Green City to project leads after 8th June.

Core Strategy Update May 29, 2009

Hello,

The Refining Options stage of the Core Strategy consultation closed today.  Please go the SNAG PI web-site (SNAG Planning Issues) for more info and to see the SNAG submission which pulled together your views and comments on the document.

Decentralised Energy Infrastructure May 21, 2009

This is good!  This is Real good!

A new report published by Manchester City Council reveals the City’s position on advances in Decentralised Energy Infrastructure.  It explains amongst other items of interest that there are 3 key key drivers pushing forward energy policy:

1. climate change;
2. fuel poverty;
3. energy security.

The words energy security made my eyes light up.  I read on.  There in black and white were the words Peak Oil.  It is worth mentioning here that this is possibly the first time that Manchester City Council have used these hallowed words in conjunction with each other – certainly the first time I’ve ever seen them used by the Council in writing.  This is progress, ladies and gentlemen, this is progress!!!

Highlights of the report include Zero Carbon SportsCity and Deep Geothermal and District Heating Network…..

Please read this, it made me feel happy in a deep geothermal way.

Analysis of Sustainable Property Solutions for Manchester May 21, 2009

Drivers Jonas has been instructed by Manchester City Council to prepare a scoping report for a Strategic Analysis of Sustainable Property Solutions for Manchester.  It can be viewed here.