Viability and deliverability training for PAS
June 2010
Roger Tym & Partners has been appointed by the Planning Advisory Service (PAS), part of the Local Government Association, to help deliver a series of viability courses for local authority planners across England. The first viability course, to be held in July 2010, was completely full two hours after it was announced. A further nine courses have been scheduled as part of PAS’s on-going task to, improve productivity in the planning sector and equip planners to provide faster, fairer, more efficient and better quality services. The firm recently completed a major research study for planning and property bodies (including RICS, RTPI, PINS, PAS, CLG and others, co-ordinated by the British Property Federation) into the training needs of the planning sector in development economics. The study found that planners need to better understand the development process, the appraisal techniques used and to be able to access expert advice. The cumulative impact on development viability and deliverability of consultee demands was also recognised. There is strong support for additional training for all involved in the planning sector - planners, consultees and councillors, and the study recommended three broad levels.
Deliverability is a key issue for plan-makers, faced with planning for viable development in general and housing in particular. Development managers are frequently faced with schemes that may not be capable of supporting all the obligations demanded. Planners want to understand how they can secure the appropriate levels of affordable housing and other obligations while meeting their wider policy objectives. Planners also want to know how to commission the advice they need on these issues and to be able to interrogate it intelligently.
The courses will be run with inputs from HCA, ATLAS and the Planning Inspectorate. Gilian Macinnes, Principal Consultant at PAS says: “Development economics (viability) is a key part of options assessment for Core Strategies and other DPDs, for CIL/tariffs and for individual site assessment. It has been identified – including by Roger Tym & Partners in their earlier study - as an area where there is a significant skills issue for planners and requires capacity building.”
Further information
