Planning for the natural environment conference
This one-day conference will help address the issue that planning has an ever growing role in ensuring that the interests of the natural environment are addressed as part of the broader purpose to secure sustainable development. Climate change will have an increasingly significant impact on our natural environment and planners have an important role to help address this.
16 June 2011
1 Day
-
GBP 489 + VAT
London
9.00-9.30
4.30
36540
There are no other dates for this event confirmed yet. Please call us on 0845 833 3212. for more information.
Why you should attend this conference
2010 is the International Year of Biodiversity, but it seems that the UK’s target to halt biodiversity loss by then will be missed. Climate change, and the need to plan for major housing growth and provide the infrastructure to support this puts more pressure on our natural environment and presents further challenges for planners. What can and should planners do to meet these challenges and help secure a healthy environment for the future?
This conference will help address the issue that planning has an ever-growing role in ensuring that the interests of the natural environment are addressed as part of the broader purpose to secure sustainable development.
Key benefits
This one day conference will help you to:
- Understand changes to planning policy for the natural environment in England
- Develop a knowledge of the practice of Strategic Environmental Assessment
- Enable you to consider the implications of planning in a water environment
- Be inspired by case studies of delivering an improved natural environment
- Learn from the experience of environmental planning in Wales
Who should attend?
- Government, regional and local authority planners
- Ecologists working in both the public and private sectors
- Planners advising both private and public sector clients
- Regional and local authority members
Conference programme
9.00 Registration and coffee
9.30 Welcome and introduction by the Chair Simon Marsh , Head of Planning and Regional Policy, RSPB
9.40 Planning for a natural and healthy environment
Simon Marsh
10.20 What happened to the 2010 biodiversity target?
- Background to the 2010 CBD target and the EU response
- What effect did the target have?
- It is generally recognised that we will fail to meet the target; why is this?
- Revised targets for post-2010, implications for planners and others
- What more do we need to do?
Dr Tony Mitchell-Jones , Principal Specialist Biodiversity Evidence, Natural England
11.00 Coffee and networking
11.20 Public consent for large scale renewables - a spotlight on the Severn
- Climate change threatens an environmental catastrophe
- An energy revolution is required to reduce our dependency on fossil fuels but must take place in harmony with the natural environment
- Exploring ways to harness the power of our estuaries in ways that cause minimal damage to the natural environment
- What lessons can be learnt from government’s study on the Severn
- Implications for future development of large-scale renewables
Martin Harper , Head of Sustainable Development, RSPB.
12.00 An integrated approach to development
Andy Bascombe, Ecology Team Leader, Mouchel
12.40 Panel discussion
1.00 Lunch
2.00 What planners need to consider in a water environment
- Government Policy – an overview of the policy framework for managing water and how it has shaped planning policy guidance
- River Basin Management Plans – an introduction to the first River Basin Management Plans that were issued on 22 December 2009 and what they mean for planning
- Water resources and water quality – planning for a sustainable water supply and pollution control to maintain water quality. This will include relevant legislation and recent changes to environmental permits.
- Flood risk – an update on surface water, river and coastal flood risk with a focus on new legislation and policy guidance
- Scanning the horizon – a look at what the future might hold and some key themes that might shape our future
Richard Whittaker , Planning Policy Advisor, Environment Agency
2.40 Strategic Environmental Assessment: Lessons from Practice
- Strategic environmental assessment /sustainability appraisal (SEA/SA) practice and research in the UK (and beyond)
- How SEA can be used as a positive plan making tool
- Approaches and perceptions of SEA in practice
- The relationship between SEA and SA
- Legal compliance and the EU SEA Directive
William Sheate , Associate, Collingwood Environmental Planning and Reader in Environmental Assessment, Imperial College London
3.20 How we did it - delivering a core strategy for people and wildlife
Jim Redwood , Interim Head of Planning, South Downs National Park Authority
4.00 Panel discussion
4.20 Conclusion by chair
Simon Marsh
4.30 Close of conference
Conference Chair
Simon Marsh is Head of Planning and Regional Policy, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB). He is also chair of Wildlife and Countryside Link’s Land Use Planning Working Group. Simon studied geography at Durham University, town and regional planning at Sheffield University and environmental assessment at Liverpool University. Before moving to the RSPB in 2004, he worked for Sefton MBC, Merseyside, the National Directorate of Town Planning, Mozambique, and Essex County Council.
Conference Speakers
Martin Harper joined the RSPB in March 2004 as Head of Government Affairs before being appointed Head of a new department for Sustainable Development in November 2006. His team is responsible for influencing public policy on climate change, planning and regional policy, marine and fisheries policy, economics, and sustainable development.
William Sheate, originally an ecologist, has worked, lectured and published widely on environmental assessment and policy for some 25 years. He has worked as a practicing ecologist, in consultancy, academia and in the voluntary sector. Most of his professional career has been spent working in interdisciplinarity. His experience lies in the development and application of environmental policy and legislation (especially EIA/SEA/SA) in the European Union, assessment procedures, methodologies, and public and NGO participation.
Tom Simpson works in the Planning Directorate within CLG and leads the team with responsibility for planning policy on the natural environment and environmental assessment. He has a background in soil science and having undertaken a number of years of post-doctoral research joined the Department of the Environment in 1988 to provide scientific advice on soil protection and the rehabilitation of mineral workings.
Richard Whittaker is a Chartered Town Planner who works with the environmental aspects of development. He is a Planning Advisor with the Environment Agency where over the last year he has been particularly involved in the emerging National Policy Statements and River Basin Planning and Management. Richard has over 30 years experience: both overseas with the Hong Kong Government’s programmes for countryside management, urban development and planning; and in UK with the Environment Agency, NGOs and a New Town Development Corporation.
Dr Tony Mitchell-Jones, Principal Specialist Biodiversity Evidence, Natural England, is Principal Specialist on Biodiversity at Natural England, where he is involved in the delivery of the England Biodiversity Strategy and is also helps with Natural England’s efforts for International year of Biodiversity. Tony was a specialist on mammal conservation for over 30 years before moving to his current post earlier this year.
What previous delegates said:
q "Good content covering a wide range of issues of high relevance to planning"
q "Very interesting and relevant course"
In-house training
In-house training can be presented exclusively for any organisation in the planning and development field, including management skills. Training is individually tailored to meet the specific needs of the organisation.
To discuss your in-house requirements please contact the in-house team on 0845 076 0679 or e-mail incompany@rtpiconferences.co.uk
Want to book this as part of the RTPI Season ticket?
Simply Click here to be directed to the booking form.
CPD requirements
This event is intended to help RTPI members with their CPD requirements.
The Environmental Planning and Protection Network
Planning for the natural environment involves hard choices. The RTPI Environmental Planning and Protection Network enables members to make better informed decisions, offering opportunities to develop and share knowledge on key environmental issues. Network members keep up-to-date with developments in the field, seek and offer advice and exchange skills. Membership is FREE and you do not have to be a member of the RTPI to join. Simply e-mail epp@rtpi.org.uk for further information.
In association with the Environmental Planning and Protection Network
