The podcast discussed the ongoing importance of garden communities in meeting Britain’s housing need, and what must be done to bring them to fruition, bringing together those at the forefront of driving new garden communities forward. The expert panellists included councillors and professionals who have first-hand experience of navigating the planning and political issues which surround new the design and delivery of new garden communities. They discussed sustainable infrastructure needed to connect new garden towns and villages, the importance of good design, and the community benefits needed to bring residents on-side with the plans. Speakers: Councillor Duncan Enright, Interim Chair of Didcot Garden Town Advisory Board Councillor Seán D T Woodward, Executive Leader at Fareham Borough Council Paul Lemar, Head of Strategic Land at Clarion Group Daniel Fryd, Associate Director at BECG (Chair)

With Kent having felt the effects of Brexit and the Covid-19 pandemic more strongly than any other region, now is a critical time for the county’s growth. Known as the Garden of England, Kent is more than just its leafy villages – it is a region with an ambitious growth agenda and a key role in driving growth in the Thames Gateway region. Our expert panel explored how to overcome the challenges and harness the opportunities around delivering the growth needed in the garden of England. Speakers included: Kate Willard OBE – Thames Estuary Envoy Cllr Derek Murphy – Cabinet Member for Economic Development, Kent County Council Cllr Gerry Clarkson – Leader, Ashford Borough Council Gordon Pratt – Managing Director, KenEx Tramlink

BECG led a working group of planning professionals to deliver the Neurodiversity in Planning – Engagement Toolkit, launched in Spring 2021. The Toolkit provides seven principles to guide how to make planning consultation accessible to a neurodiverse audience, recognising that we are all affected by the built environment and we should thus all have a stake in how it is managed and developed. The working group sought input from an array of neurodivergent voices and neurodiversity experts in producing the Toolkit. Neurodiversity is the concept that all humans vary in terms of neurocognition, encompassing conditions such as autism, dyslexia and ADHD, as well as certain acquired types of neurodiversity. Over 15% of the UK’s population is neurodivergent. Part of the Toolkit’s intention is to start a conversation, so we would very much welcome you to join this free webinar and become part of the discussion; during which our panel will introduce and discuss the Toolkit, share their experiences relative to neurodiversity in planning and have a panel discussion on how we can make planning as accessible as possible. Chairing the session was Dr Nancy Doyle, Founder of Genius Within – a social enterprise who help neurominorities maximise their potential and work to their strengths. They reviewed and input into the Engagement Toolkit. Our panel speakers included: • Nicola Laszlo, Planning Directorate, MHCLG • Paul Kallee-Grover, MBE, Group Planning Director, The Leith Group • Jenny Offord, Co-founder of Neurodiversity in Planning

Modern methods of construction (MMCs) have the potential to revolutionise house building and assist in reaching the target of 300,000 homes per year. They bring high-quality design, innovative building methods and, perhaps most importantly, have significant sustainability benefits. But while a good start has been made, the uptake in MMC use in housebuilding has not been as substantial as many would have liked. Joined by an expert panel, including the Government’s MMC Champion and representatives of the MMC and development sector, we explored how the government, housebuilding sector and MMC community can work together better to overcome the barriers to greater adoption, and what more is needed from Government to get the MMC revolution going? We were joined by: Mark Farmer – Government’s Champion for Modern Methods of Construction in Housebuilding Keith Blanshard – Industry Advisor, Buildoffsite Jonathan Layzell – Executive Director – Development, Stonewater Dave Sheridan – Executive Chairman, Ilke Homes Chair: Sarah Wardle – Associate Director, BECG

The latest politician to appear in our series of London Leaders is Council Leader Steve Curran. Councillor Curran has been the leader of Hounslow since 2014 following an election that took the borough from a marginal authority into solid Labour control, which it remains to this day. On cabinet he holds the roles of planning and regeneration, emphasising the priority he places on transforming the borough through good regeneration. Known for his straight talking approach, he took us through exactly what he expects from potential investors in his borough and how the private and public sector can work together to build Hounslow's future.

Whether you love them or hate them, Low Traffic Neighbourhoods are set to remain at the top of the agenda in England’s urban areas. Over 140 Low Traffic Neighbourhoods are already in place across the country, with a further 70 are planned in response to the Government’s £250m Emergency Active Travel Fund. But what have we learned from the areas that have implemented Low Traffic Neighbourhoods, and how can developers draw on this to create new communities with walking and cycling at their heart? Our expert panel discussed these issues before taking questions from the audience to discuss the key facts, evidence and learnings about Low Traffic Neighbourhoods. BECG was joined by: Mary Creagh, Chief Executive of Living Streets Councillor Claire Holland, Deputy Leader of Lambeth Council Councillor Clyde Loakes, Deputy Leader of Waltham Forest Council Dr Anthony Laverty, Lecturer at Imperial College London

The latest politician to appear in our series of London Leaders was Rokhsana Fiaz OBE – Mayor of Newham. In May 2018, Rokhsana Fiaz OBE was elected as Mayor of Newham, making her the first directly elected female mayor for any London borough. Prior to this, she became a councillor for Custom House Ward, and CEO of an international UNESCO supported charity promoting interfaith and global citizenship across the world. Whilst there, leading a project, in collaboration with the Commonwealth Secretariat, to support youth leadership globally. Mayor Fiaz has led large-scale projects for local authorities, the European Commission and the Council of Europe, then in 2009 was honoured with the Officer of the Order of the British Empire for services to Black and Minority Communities within the UK.

Philip became Mayor in May 2016 following Jules Pipe becoming Deputy London Mayor for Planning after 14 years in charge of the borough. Prior to this, Mayor Glanville had been a Hackney Councillor for ten years. In this podcast, he shares his vision for the borough and how developers can work with the council to achieve his objectives.

Social value is often misunderstood within the planning arena, and still hasn’t shaken off the perception that it is an inconvenience that prevents the delivery of new homes. Despite this, social value has the ability to offer something that the standard planning framework cannot – the opportunity to significantly increase the value of new development in non-commercial terms. For social value to be considered alongside viability and commercial returns, it needs to have a shared value for the private, public and voluntary sectors, ensuring that all stakeholders are benefitting from what should be the ‘golden thread’ of the planning process.

BECG was joined by Clive Betts MP, Housing, Communities & Local Government Select Committee Chair and journalist Andrew Hosken as we examined the ongoing reaction to the Government’s Planning White Paper and its potential direction.