Professional promotion

Planning, 4 July 2008

It's never been seen as cool to be a planner. Years of being regarded as a process-driven activity that usually says no have not rubbed off well on the profession's public perception.

More recently the sector has devoted itself to transforming its image into that of an exciting, inventive, proactive and cutting-edge vocation. It sounds inspiring, but the real battle is translating this into reality. The government has tried to reinvent planning, with a raft of policy and legislative reforms, tighter targets, electronic systems and buzzwords such as spatial, place-shaping and visionary.

But although some progress has been made towards a change of culture, planners complain that they can still be marginalised and are not always seen as key players. This is particularly galling at a time when the sector is facing massive challenges ranging from climate change and flooding to rising population, housing demand and the push for economic growth.

Now the National Planning Forum (NPF) has picked up the gauntlet with a manifesto launched this week alongside a major study of culture change. The report highlights some of the negative perceptions. "Planning remains frequently misunderstood and vilified and is the scapegoat for a lack of wider public policy action," it laments.

Planning has not been very effective in defending itself from its critics. The NPF hopes that the report will add momentum to the profession's drive for change. It recognises that this will require action across the board in government, the third sector and development industry and the profession itself. It intends to work up an action plan for each sector by the autumn to pin down practical solutions.

Much of the need for culture change seems to fall at the door of local government. Planning has not enjoyed a high profile in many authorities, being seen as simply a regulatory function. The NPF believes that if planners can reposition themselves in the mainstream they will see much greater recognition of their work and its wider benefits.

Recent changes in terminology from development control to development management serve to reflect this shift in attitude. But the NPF wants to see planning much more closely linked to corporate policy and programmes. This means planners being involved in corporate teams and local area agreements to set the wider agenda for place-shaping and delivery.

Planners should be "welcome guests at the executive table, where the action is", maintains NPF chairman and Environment Agency head of planning Mark Southgate. But others feel that the inherent mindset in some local planning departments is a problem. "In local authorities, planning sits on its own," says RSPB head of planning and NPF vice-chairman Simon Marsh. "Planners need to be less defensive and work in teams to break down barriers."

As well as becoming a more central voice in councils, planning needs to be promoted better among stakeholders, the NPF argues. It thinks that planning could be made less adversarial through greater partnership working. While this is not a new concept, it is perhaps still not effective in every area.

Southgate believes that setting up a group for planners across central government and its agencies could help, doing the same job that the Planning Officers Society does for local authority chief planners. But a lot of problems with planning are embedded in local politics. So the need to boost understanding among councillors is just as essential as working with other stakeholders.

The younger generation coming through planning schools could hold some of the answers to culture change. Marsh is optimistic that the next generation will be more visionary. "A lot of work is being done to excite young people about planning. Planning schools are full and I hope that we will see the fruit of that in a few years," he reasons.

Most crucial, but perhaps most difficult, will be to get more people interested in working in the public sector. The NPF report notes that poor status and pay and a negative public image are two of the biggest turn-offs for young people. They also cite lack of knowledge sharing in the profession, unnecessary bureaucracy and politics.

"It is important that the public sector is seen to be an exciting and rewarding place to work. At the core of what planning is about is the element of public service and community benefit," Marsh insists. Yet even with the right attitudes, planners are still struggling with a system that has been in a state of continuous revolution for years. A period of stability is needed for the reforms to really take effect.

Once this happens, it could be that planners have the context to be more confident, develop new skills and work more effectively with partners. "Culture change is possible for everybody but we need more self-determination," says Southgate. "Planning is centre stage now but planners need to regain their creativity."

The forum's report may not provide any ground-breaking solutions but its points clearly remain relevant for a sector playing catch-up on recent reforms. With next week's RTPI Planning Convention focusing on the theme of change, the issues will no doubt be at the front of the profession's mind. As the NPF report sums up: "Live in the present - the past is not going to return."

Delivering Inspiring Places - The Role and Status of Planning is available at PlanningResource. co.uk/doc.

NPF manifesto

- Improve stakeholders' awareness of planning as a positive place-shaping activity.

- Become a key part of councils' corporate teams to ensure joined-up policy.

- Encourage partnership working to make the system less adversarial.

- Commit to learning and improvement to make planning effective.

- Seek out and share good practice.