BCCEC - Event

Event:	Localism and Planning
Date:	Wednesday 23rd March 2011
Venue:	Wolverhampton Science Park,
	Review	Delegate list
	Photos

Key Speakers: See speaker biographies here

Steve Quartermain - Chief Planner, Communites & Local Government - Presentation Slides

Waheed Nazir - Director of Planning & Regeneration, Birmingham City Council

Louise Brooke Smith – Director of Brooke Smith Planning Presentation Slides

Localism and Planning

Club Benefits

Become an Associate Member of the national Constructing Excellence movement
Networking in construction in an easy atmosphere
Enjoy the social side of the events
Seek help for yourself or your organisation – meet people who can help
Contribute to local procurement in Black Country construction
Introduce colleagues, customers and suppliers to a new opportunity to add value to themselves and their business

Event Review

On a bright and sunny morning on 23 March 2011, over 70 delegates from the West Midlands property and construction industry met at Wolverhampton Science Park to contemplate the effect of the “Localism Agenda”.

The event (the first collaboration of its type between the networking groups) was organised by the Women In Property Midlands Branch and was supported by the Black Country Constructing Excellence Club, Women Working in Construction and the National Association of Women In Construction.

Narvinder Bains, Senior Planning Consultant at Crestwood Environmental opened the event and first to speak was Steve Quartermain, Chief Planning Officer at Communities and Central Government.

Steve provided a perspective from Central Government advising the audience what the Localism Bill meant, what it hoped to achieve and how it was intended to work in practice. He gave an up to date position on the status of the legislation and hinted at whether concerns raised by the industry in response to the legislation would be addressed.

Waheed Nazir, Direction of Planning and Regeneration at Birmingham City Council followed with the local planning authority’s perspective on the Bill and its impact upon the West Midlands. Waheed gave examples of case studies in the West Midlands where the principles identified in the Localism Bill had previously been put into practice (such as in Moseley and Longbridge) and gave feedback on how successful this had been.

It would be reasonable to summarise Waheed’s view of the Localism Bill as being in part welcome but with some concerns.

Finally, Louise Brooke Smith, Director of Brooke Smith Planning, responded by giving the consultant’s perspective on how it was anticipated planning would change under the Localism Bill and the expected implications of the Bill upon developers and consultants. Louise contrasted the requirements for more housing development nationally with the possible nimbyism that could be encountered, but summarised that whatever came into play it was important to embrace the changes brought in by the Localism Bill and use them positively so that development continues to take place.

Event Photos