Conference Programme

8.30am
Registration & Networking Breakfast Session

9.20am
Start of Morning Conference Session

What is next for Planning and what is in the pipeline in terms of policy?
What will be the impact of the Planning & Infrastructure bill?
What will happen with schemes that are called in?
How will the Government’s proposed policy of penalties if housing isn’t delivered fast enough, actually be implemented?
How will changes in decision making from committees to officers work on a practical level?
What can we expect with delivery on grey belt and green belt?
Changes to the NPPF, Housing Targets, reviews of the Green Belt and more – what is the timeframe for delivering these changes and how will it happen?
How can we make delivery of housing more viable?
How can AI & New technology improve the planning system on a practical level?

An Industry view – One year in, how has the industry responded to changes to the planning system?
Understanding what the changes mean on a practical level and how the industry is approaching them – how easy will they be to implement?
Which policies will increase the speed of housing deliver fast and which will take longer?

The Role of the Planning Inspectorate in the evolving Planning system
How have the new Government and planning reforms affect the inspectorate?
Are there any changes planned for the role of PINS?
How will the inspectorate police local plans being up to date?
How will the inspectorate cope with increased number of appeals?
What is the plan for the evolution of CPO powers and how can this be implemented?
What can the inspectorate do to modernise the planning system and speed up the process?

The Key Planning Decisions from the Last Year
What significant Planning Appeal Decisions have there been & why are they significant?
Which Court decisions & Secretary of State Decisions which affect planning do we need to be aware of and why?
Which recent appeals and case law do developers and Local Authorities need to know about?

11.00am
Networking Coffee Break

11.30am
Start of Middle Conference Session

Public Sector Panel Session
What does the new Government mean for the planning system from the Local Authority Perspective and what impacts have we seen so far?
Why is resourcing such a key issue for local authorities, will 300 new planning officers nationwide be enough and how can we speed up the system?
What is the effect of the new legislation locally or nationally on the planning process in a practical sense?
What kind of technology is being used and considered and does this remain a Government priority?
How can we encourage positive engagement between the public and private sectors?
Why are s106 agreements taking so long and how can we speed this up?
How are local authorities progressing with local plans and what is the timeframe for delivery – will they await more details on New Government policy?
Why are s106 agreements taking so long and how can we speed this up?

With Climate Change moving to the top of the political agenda, how are sustainability and environmental targets affecting Residential Development Planning?
How is the planning system approaching embodied carbon, energy consumption and sustainability for new developments?
What is the impact of the Environmental Act 2021 on Planning and how will new development pay for ‘economic repair’ as proposed in the King’s speech?
How have Nutrient Neutrality and Water Neutrality been affecting Residential Development across the UK and what can developers do?

Understanding Biodiversity Net Gain – what are the legal requirements & framework?
How do we plan strategically for future compliance?
What do developers need to put in place?
Biodiversity Net Gain Credits – what are the advantages of an off-site system?
How can we deliver a system of off-site BNG credits?
How is it working in practice?
How does it actually effect the whole design and delivery process?
What kind of projects does this deliver and how can developers get involved?
What are the wider benefits of such schemes?
Do such schemes reduce land availability for food production or solar/wind farms?

1.00pm
Networking Lunch Session

2.00pm – Start of Afternoon Conference Session

Grey Belt, Green Belt & New Towns – where can we deliver 1.5m new homes?
What is ‘grey belt’ and what is the true capacity of what could be delivered on this land?
What are the parameters to deliver on these sites?
Are we seeing the gradual erosion of the green belt and how far might this go?
What is the difference between a new town and an urban extension?
Can New Towns deliver significant quantities of new housing and where are we with this policy?
What have we learnt from history and what would be needed to make it work?

How are the changes to the planning system and the new legislation an opportunity for large scale housing delivery?
Where should developers looking for opportunities to deliver and what needs to be done?

Changes to Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) Powers
What do these changes mean for land owners and the delivery of housing?
How will this work in practice?
Will this unlock significant housing delivery?
How do strike a balance between the right to a fair price of a landowner and the gain to the wider public?

Developer Panel Session – Planning & Delivery
What is the developer perspective on evolving planning legislation?
Where are the opportunities to boost delivery?
How do we strike a balance with new legislation to drive delivery and having clear, established legislation to offer some certainty or is it just more change to adapt do?
How have developers reacted to the Government’s proposed policy of penalties if housing isn’t delivered fast enough?
How could future interaction and initiatives between Private and Public Sector Planners be advantageous to the process and understanding each other’s role?How do we solve the issues with selling s106 affordable housing units and what can be done?

The Viability Session – The Leading practitioners take us through the key issues following one year of the new Government, and the Planning & Infrastructure bill, which will change the system fundamentally. (10-15 minutes each, followed by questions)
How is the Government approaching viability?
Can viability really be dealt with by Central Government or the Planning Inspectorate?
What changes do we expect to see and how quickly can these realistically be delivered?
Will the new Infrastructure Levy be delivered or will it fade away?
How can the system be more efficient and really deliver housing – do we really need to spend months arguing viability?
How can we get s106 agreements done more efficiently – could this be improved with a nationally agreed version rather than the locally produced alternative?Why is a pragmatic and competent approach now needed and how do we get through this period of a change in Government and associated policies?
Will the new Government seek to restore ‘Land Value Capture’?

4.10pm
Closing remarks from the Chair

4.15pm
Conference Close & start of the Annual Resi Planning Drinks Reception