The Academy for Sustainable Communities (ASC) and the British Urban Regeneration Association (BURA) have developed a joint training programme that provides non-planning professionals who interact with the planning system with a detailed insight into the profession in England.
The Planning for Non Planners programme is targeted at local authorities employees who interact with the planning profession but are not qualified planners. It encourages participants to think about how their day-to-day responsibilities are affected by planning issues, identify how they can engage better with the planning system and gain a clearer understanding of how the planning system can contribute to successful and sustainable regeneration.
The two-day courses will be run in January, February and March 2009 and will be delivered by experienced practitioners. It includes three elements:
The course has been piloted by senior and middle managers at Kirklees Council and has elicited excellent feedback. Delegates were drawn from different departments, including regeneration and development, design and property service, highways and transportation and culture & leisure.
The pilot programme focused on environmental assessment, sustainability appraisals, project level assessments and planning applications.
A steering group comprising the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI), the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE) and Planning Aid was formed to provide feedback to BURA and ASC in the development of the course.
For further information about the Planning for Non-Planners programme contact Richard at BURA on 020 7539 4049 or email him at richard@bura.org.uk.
