Planners & Development Economists

Roger Tym & Partners
Roger Tym & Partners

Planning Mediation Partners

Context

Conflict is inherent in the planning system; consultation, negotiation, appeals and judicial review are established means of reconciling competing objectives.  Mediation is an additional powerful tool.

Mediation assists parties to reach their own mutually acceptable settlement.

It delivers significant benefits in terms of time, cost and risk.

The Planning System

The planning system is fundamentally concerned with the business of conflict and reconciliation; for example reconciling:
Competing demands on land;
  • Conflicting policy objectives;
  • Opposing public and private interests; and
  • Local/community versus developer expectations.
Conflict is inhereent in the planning system and so there are statutoru and other processes available to parties to resolve their differences - consultation, negotiation, appeal, judicial review.  Mediation sits in this context.

Mediation

The art of mediation is to assist parties in reaching their own mutually acceptable settlement.  It aims to deliver significant benefits, in terms of:
  • Cost savings
  • Avoiding undue delay; and
  • Reducing risk;
Mediation can significally help parties who are involved in planning processes such as:Preparing for an appeal; statements of common ground
  • Negotiating 106 obligations (esp. financial ones)
  • Negotiating affordable housing or infrastructure costs
  • Pre- and post- application negotiations
  • Planning Performance Agreements
  • Compulsory Purchase
  • Environmental Impace Assessment (esp. scoping)
  • Policy formation
  • Professional Indemnity claims
  • Facilitation
  • Training