DEVELOPMENT & PLACE

I see increasing power in community groups which will be fostered by social media and our enhanced interest in a sharing society. Add to that the fact that the RTPI (Royal Town Planning Institute) has warned that the new legislation will put local authority planners under considerable pressure, what does this mean for future mixed-use schemes? The difficulty is that most cash-strapped authorities have severely downsized planning teams. Few have the resources or toolkit to consider complex proposals and many will be unable to process the number of applications expected to deliver the new homes required. This will put greater pressure on local authorities to approve without hesitation developments of increasing density, or risk leaving the door open to even more resource- hungry appeals. So, is there a danger that an increased focus on housing could pose complications for mixed-use schemes (even those including residential components)? Sadly, I think that is likely to be the case. The Housing Delivery Test and the direction of the NPPF as a whole are likely to be backed in the coming months by legal rulings and I expect appeal precedence which firmly fixes the focus on the delivery of housing over commercial development. Is there a way round this? To a certain extent, yes. We now advance all major schemes under planning performance agreements which help deliver on expectations and, in some cases, help fund bespoke planning officer resources. We find better outcomes for both parties in quicker and, crucially, better-considered applications. As mixed-use regeneration schemes are encompassing an increasingly wider range of uses, does that create challenges in planning terms? Certainly, it requires a careful balance. The ‘agent of change principle’ introduced in the London Plan and now in the NPPF is an interesting approach as it requires those proposing new development to be responsible for the mitigation against any existing uses. This means that developers need to ensure any proposed mix of uses is acceptable and for purchasers it is very much a case of caveat emptor. In the last 20 years we’ve seen the arrival of newmechanisms like BIDs (see NE1 Profile Interview, p10) which have helped to shape our urban environments. Can we expect others to appear over the coming decade? That’s an interesting point. I see increasing power in community groups which will be fostered by social media and our enhanced interest in a sharing society. Whether it’s turning telephone boxes into Quick Questions » What do you love most about London Its energy, constant change and diversity » Tell us about a hidden gem in London… Whilst not hugely ‘hidden’, the route through Grays Inn and Lincoln Inn’s Fields to Inner/Middle Temple Gardens provides sanctuary from the noise of the City (although sadly I am often briefing QC’s too much to enjoy it.) » What is your favourite UK city & why? Definitely Manchester, because there is no better night out to be had! » Key ingredients for a great ‘place’? Interest, great environment, people. » Favourite European city break destination? Rome, for its history, culture, chaos and espressos. » City break strategy: detailed itinerary or wing it when you get there? I am a planner - it’s all worked out beforehand! libraries, guerrilla gardening or growing vines for community wine projects, harnessing these as part of a wider placemaking initiative and engaging similar ideas as part of a wider development strategy will promote identity and place. Where in the UK inspires you and serves as a good examplar of successful redevelopment? I hate to say it as a Yorkshireman, but I remain envious of Manchester. I spent an early part of my career there and was involved as the city grew in the late 1990s. Through developing ‘quarters’, such as Castlefields, Deansgate Locks and the Northern Quarter, it has maintained development momentum, while keeping the city both legible and interesting. And as we head towards the 2020s what do you see as the most significant planning-related issues facing UK urban regeneration? The construct of the planning system doesn’t easily deal with where we are going with town and city centre development, which is: mixed-use, flexible and agile space. We need to address our approach to that, as well as the increased appetite for meanwhile uses. Ultimately, we’ll need to reform the potentially obsolete single- use-driven Use Classes Order. Above Watermark West Quay, Southampton Left Northern Quarter, Manchester Right Kings Cross Rome. Photo by Caleb Miller 20 21 CUSHMAN & WAKEFIELD DEVELOPMENT & PLACE