Chairs Foreword: Judith Winters

Transcription

1

2 2 RTPI Northern Ireland Annual Review 2018 Advancing the Science Chairs Foreword: Judith Winters During the year, I attended a number of engagement events for school pupils and planning students from University of Ulster. At each event, I shared my experience as a planner, promoted planning as a career and encouraged RTPI membership, setting out career benefits and opportunities. The Autumn season began with the Northern Ireland Annual Conference, which I co-chaired with Roisin Willmott. With a diverse professional audience including planners, legal experts, councillors and RTPI Chief Executive, Victoria Hills, the Conference promoted much discussion and was well received. This was swiftly followed by a visit from RTPI President, John Acres, who engaged with planners, members and the community during his whistle-stop tour of the Province. More recently I participated in University of Ulster s celebration of World Town Planning Day, when 160 school pupils along with students from Belfast Met and Ulster University attended a themed event based round the Sustainable Development Goals and Planning. The NI Executive Committee has established a collaborative project with Belfast Heathy Cities, entitled Healthy Places, Healthy Children. I am delighted to announce that the project has been launched and will introduce the concepts of planning and healthy urban environments to the pupils, with a focus on the children s own experience of their local area. Aligned with the Primary 5- Primary 7 Northern Ireland curriculum, the project will culminate in an RTPI award financed by the Mathers fund. The hard work of the NI Executive Committee has paid dividends in terms of both ongoing projects and the events that have been organised throughout the year which were well attended and received positive feedback. I would like to thank everyone involved. As I hand over the baton to Emma Walker, I would like to wish her every success in her year as Chair and to thank her for her support throughout my year. Finally, I would like to thank Roisin Willmott, Julie Sullivan and Claire Williamson for ensuring I made it to the finish line! My theme for 2018 as Chair of RTPI NI has been Children in Planning and promoting planning as a career. Executive Committee 2018 Judith Winters Chair Emma Walker Senior Vice Chair Angus Kerr Junior Vice Chair Beverley Clyde Immediate Past Chair Karen Blair Kim Boal David Brown Neil Dunlop Helen Harrison Matthew Harvey Student Representative Andrew Heasley Gemma Jobling Mary MacIntyre Sharon Mossman David Mounstephen Mura Quigley - Co-opted Member Carol Ramsey - General Assembly Representative Diana Thompson Ryan Walker Young Planner Chair David Worthington RTPI NI Staff 2018 Julie Sullivan Administrator Claire Williamson Policy Officer Roisin Willmott - Director

3 3 RTPI Northern Ireland Annual Review 2018 Advancing the Science Championing the Planning profession Common Ground In February our activities for 2018 kicked off with a joint event with RSUA to discuss Common Ground, shared language at Riddel Hall. Attended by 50 planners and delegates and led by a multi-disciplinary panel, discussions covered the importance of working effectively with different professions to deliver positive outcomes. Engagement beyond the profession Our work seeks to engage with those beyond the planning profession and our members. During 2018, RTPI NI Director, Roisin Willmott, spoke on BBC Radio Ulster on issues affecting residents living close to Belfast city centre to explain the role of planning. We are also developing close links with Councillors from Northern Ireland s Councils. This including developing a forward work programme with NILGA and also supporting members to attend the Northern Ireland Annual Conference in September. We have also been meeting with Councils individually both officers and Councillors to provide support and information about the work of the RTPI and the role of planning. Communications We use our newsletter PlaNIt which is published twice each year, to pormote good practice and the latest news from around the profession in Northern Ireland, helping to share and spread information to support the development of a good planning service. Not all work, but some fun too In March, our Annual Dinner was held at the new Titanic Hotel, Belfast with 91 guests. In June NI Young Planners ran a successful pub quiz at the Duke of York, Belfast. Northern Ireland Young Planners continue to grow in strength and are planning more events. RTPI NI Annual Dinner, Titanic Hotel, Belfast

4 4 RTPI Northern Ireland Annual Review 2018 Advancing the Science Supporting and Growing Membership Annual Conference The 2018 Annual Conference was held in Belfast on 11 th September. This year we had over 100 delegates attending, as the Conference continues to build in strength. This year s Conference discussed the topic of Excellence in the Everyday: understanding that delivering quality places for communities is not always about creating world class statement buildings and spaces. Everyday places are important to our communities and businesses. Creating excellence in the ordinary is what planners and the planning system must deliver. University Engagement RTPI Chair and staff engaged with both Universities in Belfast, engaging with students and promoting the value of RTPI membership. CPD Events Our programme of CPD events during the year delivered on a range of topics for members. Improving Performance, held at The Mac, Belfast on 12 March, and 41 delegates attended. Engagement how well is the public consultation process working? in Seamus Heaney Homeplace, Magherafelt on 4 June, with 40 delegates attending. Evidence at Inquiries, 11 October, held at Mossley Mill with 55 delegates attending. The annual Planning Law Update was held on 15 November, at the PAC in Belfast, 81 delegates attended. Northern Ireland hosted the first event of the new RTPI Training service, with a series of other events hosted during the year. We are visiting employers and speaking to staff to promote awareness about the value of RTPI membership. RTPI NI Membership Figures % Membership Class Chartered Town Planner Fellow Associate Legal Associate Retired Honorary Licentiate Student Affiliate *This class includes Legal Members 10% 0% 6% 1% 21% 4% 0% 57%

5 5 RTPI Northern Ireland Annual Review 2018 Advancing the Science Shaping and Informing Policy and Practice Planning in a political void RTPI NI Policy Officer, Claire Williamson, published a blog: Northern Ireland: planning in a political void, in February on the RTPI website; this was followed up with a further blog in September discussing the continued political impasse and #wedeservebetter. The lack of political leadership and a Minister has meant that there has been limited activity emanating from the Assembly or the Department for Infrastructure (DfI). Consultations Consultations have been limited in Northern Ireland, given the lack of a Minister. RTPI NI has responded to two consultations during 2018: Ireland 2040, Our Plan, National Planning Framework Where is the NI Planning System post 2015 changes? Given the lack of Assembly activity, we have taken the opportunity to take stock of the Northern Ireland planning system, following the significant changes introduced in Work has been underway on a policy note considering best practice: Contributing towards effective planning, highlighting examples where the planning system is working well following the reforms in We also invited our members to tell us their experiences of the post-2015 planning system with a view to informing our future work programme, through our survey conducted in September and October. The results are being digested and the RTPI NI Policy and Research Forum will consider these in early Policy and Research Forum 2018 Karen Blair Richard Bowman Seamus Cleary John Cleland David Donaldson Peter Fleming Tamasin Fraser Carrie McDonagh (Chair) David Mounstephen Gavan Rafferty Sujeet Sharma Emma Walker David Worthington Economy 2030 Industrial Strategy for Northern Ireland Panel discussion at the Northern Ireland Planning Conference. Left to right: Angus Kerr, DfI, Wendy Madden, Design Commission for Wales, Victoria Hills, RTPI Chief Executive Northern Ireland Planning Conference 2018, Europa, Belfast

6 6 RTPI Northern Ireland Annual Review 2018 Advancing the Science RTPI President Visits Northern Ireland Meetings with Councils and Residents John Acres, RTPI President, visited Northern Ireland in September. He attended a breakfast meeting with delegates from Mid and East Antrim Borough Council in Carrickfergus Town Hall, where he met the Deputy Mayor - Cheryl Johnston, Chair of Planning Committee - Councillor Paul Reid, Chief Executive - Ann Donaghy, Director of Development - Linda Williams and Head of Planning - Paul Duffy. Following this meeting, John met with residents of Whitehead Blackhead Path Preservation Society and had a tour of the town. John also had the opportunity to meet with planners at Antrim Newtownabbey Borough Council hosted by RTPI NI Chair, Judith Winters There was also an opportunity to meet with RTPI members and staff of the LDP team at Belfast City Council. The Gobbins John is a keen coastal walker and is currently making his way around the coast of Britain. So a tour of the Gobbins Coastal Path with planners from Antrim Newtownabbey and Mid and East Antrim Borough Councils was an apt activity to indulge him on. Consultants Breakfast John attended a consultants breakfast in Belfast, hearing about current issues. There was also a presentation from the Eastside Partnership and was followed by a tour of Connswater Community Greenway and CS Lewis Square. A finalist in the 2015 RTPI Awards for Planning Excellence - Connswater Community Greenway was described by the President as a "major achievement", connecting communities in east Belfast. Breakfast meeting at Carrickfergus Town Hall with Mid and East Antrim Council Walking and talking with RTPI members from Antrim and Newtownabbey and Mid and East Antrim Borough Councils.

7 7 RTPI Northern Ireland Annual Review 2018 Advancing the Science Achieving Good Governance RTPI NI Executive Committee The RTPI NI Executive Committee has worked hard during 2018 to deliver events and activities for members in Northern Ireland. During Northern Ireland the long outdated Scheme of Delegation for RTPI NI was reviewed and a new scheme rules for engagement was approved by the RTPI s Board of Trustees in September. The scheme sets out the roles and responsibilities for the Executive Committee within the RTPI structure and the structure of the Committee itself. The scheme came into operation immediately and has shaped the Executive Committee from Policy and Research Forum The RTPI NI Policy and Research Forum has developed during 2018 and met four times during the year. Over the year it has developed its work programme, which will continue into This has included researching and drafting a policy paper on good planning practice in Northern Ireland post the 2015 changes and also conducted a survey of members experience of the new planning landscape since The outcomes from the survey will further inform its work programme in Representation on RTPI Committees RTPI NI has been represented on the following RTPI Committees and Panels: General Assembly: Carol Ramsey (Ryan Walker, is a GA Student / Licentiate representative directly elected) Policy, Practice and Research Committee (PPRC): Carrie McDonagh Nations and Regions Panel: David Brown Our revised Scheme of Delegation enables us to effectively deliver and be reflective of the membership in Northern Ireland.

8 The RTPI is a charity registered in England (262865) and Scotland (SC037841). Registered Office Address: Royal Town Planning Institute, 41 Botolph Lane, London, EC3R 8DL. northernireland@rtpi.org.uk