'Planning Cultures' and Delivering Growth in the South East of England

RTPI Research Briefing no.19 March 2016

‘Planning cultures’ and delivering growth in the South East of England

To what extent are the possibilities for present  In Oxford/Oxfordshire a culture of ‘urban and future planning shaped and constrained by political dissonance’; past planning decisions and established local  In South Hampshire (the Partnership for ‘planning cultures’? This briefing, based on Urban South Hampshire area), a culture of research conducted for the RTPI South East compliance and collaborative working; region by Oxford Brookes University and UCL,  In the Gatwick Diamond area, a culture of focuses on three case study areas in the South accepting and managing difference and East of England – Oxford/Oxfordshire, South uncertainty. Hampshire and the Gatwick-Diamond. These case studies suggest that long- The research builds on a previous project, established planning cultures can exert a funded under the RTPI’s Small Impact significant influence on development. At the Research (SPIRe) scheme, which investigated same time, some of these local approaches the efficacy of governance arrangements of represent entirely logical responses to how planning for housing and employment growth central government relates to localities. in these sub-regions. This latest research included a series of focus group meetings Even though there has been widespread interviewing planners working in the public and recognition of economic under-peformance in private sectors in these locations. each of these areas, only rarely have business interests, politicians or planners entertained Who should read this? the likely connection between this performance Central, regional and local policy- and and some of the political compromises that decision-makers, and local planners, with an have characterised planning approaches. involvement in strategic planning growth, and researchers and commentators interested in The loss of the former Regional Spatial planning and growth. Strategies and associated plans for sub- regional growth are significant in this respect. Key messages for policy and A more fragmentary and localised approach may reinforce established local approaches practice rather than encourage plans of greater scope ‘Planning cultures’ can be understood as how and ambition. planning practice adapts to the context in which it operates. These contexts are informed In these areas, the incremental solutions by the planning history (or legacy) of areas. adopted over the past 50 years may have These cultures can play a significant role in reached their limits. Breaking out of these decision-making but have been largely legacies may mean appealing to a new overlooked, especially at the local level. sense of the areas people relate to and a much broader constituency. Distinct sub-regional or local planning cultures can exist even where there are generally similar region-wide development pressures. This research highlights the different ‘ways of seeing things’ in each of the case study areas:

RTPI Research Briefing no.19 March 2016

Main findings issue of housing resulted in a lack of specificity Discussions of local planning culture must be in the City Deal proposal and ongoing conflict situated within the broader context of national over the wider spatial strategy for the county. political-economic trends and the longer-term dynamics of planning. This is to say, ‘planning ‘Compliance and collaborative working’ in culture’ more broadly has been gradually South Hampshire eroded from the late-1960s and government Despite the different political complexions of policy since the 1980s has – in varying ways – the 12 authorities across the Partnership for chipped away at planning’s foundations and Urban South Hampshire (PUSH) area, a original ambitions (see further below). relatively strong measure of co-operation and joint working represents an important continuity Within this overall context however, the case in planning in the area, particularly amongst studies examined in this research demonstrate planning officers working in the authorities that distinct sub-regional or local planning concerned. cultures can exist even where there are generally similar region-wide development South Hampshire was identified as a potential pressures. Within the settlement pattern of the growth area as early as the 1960s, when South East of England – with its London focus, central government identified it as the location the absence of counterweighting large city- for a possible new town, and in response to regions and numerous market towns – the analysis that the sub-region had under- manner in which growth pressures have performed in economic terms. tended to be dealt with differently has formed part of these sub-regional planning cultures. The accommodation of population growth and associated planning for housing and ‘Urban political dissonance’ in Oxford- employment in South Hampshire has, from the Oxfordshire onset of post-war economic recovery, been Planning in Oxfordshire has been marked by understood locally as Hampshire ‘doing its bit’ sustained periods of tension, as ongoing for the nation. At the same time, one of the strategic action on the part of local authorities main forces prompting a measure of co- has resulted in some incoherent policy operation has been the desire to pre-empt any agendas. As a result it has sometimes been central government attempt to dictate housing difficult to find compromise or workable policy numbers or where houses should be located. resolution. The lack of a stronger co-ordinated strategic In particular, for the past 30 years or so approach has been partly addressed through development planning in the county has been the Partnership for Urban South Hampshire’s marked by an evolving policy dilemma (PUSH) sub-regional strategy, however a regarding the growth and physical expansion sense of compromise persists to this day. of Oxford city, which has critical implication for planning policy for the county and for the ‘Accepting and managing difference and growth prospects of the city and sub-region. uncertainty’ in the Gatwick Diamond The core of the Gatwick Diamond are locations In the face of opposition amongst the – namely, Crawley and Gatwick Airport – which surrounding districts to the physical expansion stand out as distinct from the rest of the area. of the city, the City Deal in Oxford-Oxfordshire reflected previous attempts to manage different The significant differences between urban, policy agendas amongst the local authorities. suburban and rural local authorities, together with two county councils, mean that the sub- The City Deal bid was framed around region is associated with a diversity of planning questions of innovation and economic growth policy responses and that the Gatwick in order to avoid the immediate conflict which Diamond area is perceived by some as an would accompany direct engagement with artificial construct. The sub-region has needed housing allocations. Avoidance of the key to grapple with historical and political

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RTPI Research Briefing no.19 March 2016

conditions which do not lend a natural harmony Indeed, a more fragmentary and localised to the area and which do not provide an system seems destined to reinforce established foundation for coordinated established and in some cases ossified local planning. approaches, rather than encourage plans of greater scope and ambition. Again however, addressing economic under- performance and the need to raise skills levels Another way of putting this is that even though have been important concerns shared by both there has been widespread recognition of business and local government. Nonetheless, economic under-performance in each of these there have been very real achievements at case study areas, rarely have business various stages of the planning process for the interests, politicians or planners entertained area. Certainly there was evidence of real the likely connection between some of the collaboration in the production of the Regional political compromises that have characterised Spatial Strategy and preparation of a Local planning approaches in each of the areas and Strategic Statement in 2011. their economic under-performance.

Implications for strategic planning It is too early to tell whether and how UK Academic interest in planning cultures has central government’s ambitions for house mainly been concerned with comparing spatial building will further shape what have been planning systems operating at a national scale, renewed attempts to plan for growth inherited and has largely overlooked the enduring from the era of Regional Spatial Strategies. perspectives that can inform practice over a Political compromise may continue to constrain considerable time in individual localities. growth and development in the case study areas. These case studies show that long-established planning cultures can exert a significant It remains to be seen then whether and how influence on development. The research helps UK central government’s ambitions for house to bridge this gap in understanding of distinct building will further shape what have been local planning ‘rationalities’. Planning cultures renewed attempts to plan for growth inherited are shown to exist in local planning policies from the era of Regional Spatial Strategies. and designations as much as the operation of There is the distinct possibility that these the national planning system, and may equally compromise agreements will be insufficient to have originated in the distant past. meet government ambitions for growth and development; it is also unclear how a further However, there is a sense in each of the areas dismantling of planning in pursuit of ‘growth’, examined that the incremental solutions understood narrowly, will help in this respect. adopted over the last 50 years since the designation of new or substantially expanded The influence of national planning towns may have reached their limits. dynamics Breaking out of established planning policy Land use planning enjoyed a measure of legacies may mean appealing to a new ‘spatial public support up until the 1960s. In part, imaginary’ (the areas which people relate to) planning was able to draw on a strong sense of and a much broader constituency. public interest built on the war time effort. New towns provided an orderly and profitable way The loss of the former Regional Spatial to build settlements and the requisite Strategies and associated plans for sub- infrastructure, and remain an important legacy regional growth is significant in this respect. and ingredient in one of the case study areas Current planning arrangements under the (Gatwick Diamond). Localism Act (2011), the generalised streamlining of the planning system and associated nudges such as the New Homes Bonus, are unlikely to have a significant impact on strategic planning.

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RTPI Research Briefing no.19 March 2016

This popular and political support, along with The case studies examined in this research the position of planners as respected public demonstrate that incremental solutions and servants, was short lived. It began to wane compromise such as the ‘spreading of pain’ with objections to the ongoing effects of (through tacking extensions onto villages and comprehensive town centre redevelopment towns or encouraging dispersal) may have schemes and was crystallised in critiques of reached their limits. A distinctly new vision of the planner as ‘evangelistic bureaucrat’ planning for growth in the south east of England, offering new institutional forms and Politicians more recently have often been ‘political spaces’, is urgently required in place unwilling to make decisions that incur even of the politically acceptable but second best modest opposition from their electorates, solutions for development and growth. rather than offering a measure of insulation from such demands in favour of the wider About the research public interest. This briefing is based on research conducted for the RTPI by Dave Valler from Oxford Three further factors are identified as Brookes University and Nick Phelps from undermining planning: University College London, funded through the RTPI’s Small Projects Impact Research  The sense of the planning profession (SPIRe) scheme. The full report is available on having been watered-down within local the RTPI website at: www.rtpi.org.uk/spire authorities, particularly the loss of the Chief Planning Officer role and their associated management teams and the shift in About the RTPI technical work and evidence gathering to The Royal Town Planning Institute holds a private consultancy. unique position in relation to planning as a professional membership body, a charity and a  The effect of persistent ‘managerial reform’; learned institute. We have a responsibility to changing policy objectives (including the promote the research needs of spatial planning scraping of regional spatial strategies); in the UK, Ireland and internationally. increasing breadth of/changes to legislation

and onerous requirements for plan-making. More information on our research projects can  Antipathy and distrust of planning by locally be found on the RTPI website at: and nationally elected politicians. Examples www.rtpi.org.uk/knowledge/research/ include the unwillingness of local councilors

to undertake training and a nagging suspicion that central government is intent You are also welcome to email us at: on getting rid of planning altogether. [email protected]

Resolving the dilemma The case studies show that planning cultures have a significant impact on the development of spatial strategies and consequently on economic and housing development.

Sub-regional areas present an opportunity to imagine alternative institutional forms and the possibilities this may present for place-making. However, breaking out of established policy legacies requires a level of transformational change which involves re-imagining the spatial context in favour of one which accords more closely to the way local people actually identify and relate to the spaces around them.

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