# / . 4 % 8 4 . / 6 % - " % 2 2ESPONSE TO THE %GAN REVIEW 3KILLS FOR DELIVERING SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES 4HE )("# WELCOMES THE %GAN REVIEW SEE "RIEFING P )T CONCURS WITH THE LIST OF ATTRIBUTES AND QUALITIES OF SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES TO BE CONSIDERED AND THE NEED TO DEVELOP AND DISSEMINATE GOOD PRACTICE AND SKILLS AMONG DEVELOPERS PROFESSIONALS AND PLANNING AUTHORITIES (OWEVER THE INSTITUTE IS VERY CONCERNED THAT THE APPARENT LIMITATION OF THE REVIEW TO NEW OR REGENERATED COMMUNITIES OVERLOOKS THE OPPORTUNITY IT OFFERS TO DEVELOP THE SKILLS BASE FOR A HOLISTIC SUSTAINABLE APPROACH ACROSS THE WHOLE BUILT ENVIRONMENT 4HE ATTRIBUTES QUALITIES ISSUES AND SKILLS NEEDS TO BE STUDIED ARE ALL RELEVANT TO A HOLISTIC APPROACH AND THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY WHICH SHOULD NOT BE MISSED $ELIVERY OF SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES DEPENDS ON AVAILABILITY OF SKILLS IN THREE INTERLINKED ACTIVITIES .EW CONSTRUCTION 2EGENERATION 3USTAINABLE MANAGEMENT OF CHANGE IN TERMS OF BOTH THE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT AND IMPROVED COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT 4HE REVIEW NEEDS TO BE CROSS REFERENCED NOT ONLY TO CURRENT GOVERNMENT SKILLS INITIATIVES IN RELATION TO DESIGN URBAN DESIGN AND REGENERATION NOTABLY 4HE ,EARNING #URVE BUT ALSO TO THE WIDER CONTEXT OF SKILLS NEEDED FOR INITIATING AND MANAGING CHANGE AND INVOLVING COMMUNITIES )N THIS CONTEXT THE )("# IS VERY CONCERNED AT THE LACK OF RECOGNITION MOST RECENTLY IN THE NEW /$0- REPORT 3EARCHING FOR 3OLID &OUNDATIONS COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT AND URBAN POLICY OF THE ROLE OF CONSERVATION PARTICULARLY CONSERVATION AREA APPRAISALS ENHANCEMENT WORK AND CONSERVATION LED REGENERATION IN DELIVERING COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT IN THE SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT OF CHANGE )("# MEMBERS OFTEN PLAY KEY ROLES IN CATALYSING INITIATIVES WHICH MAY BE DELIVERED ON A MULTI AGENCY BASIS 4HE ,OCAL !UTHORITY #ONSERVATION 0ROVISION 3URVEY HIGHLIGHTED THE NEED FOR INCREASED STATUS FOR CONSERVATION OFFICERS TO HELP ENABLE THEM TO PROMOTE CROSS CUTTING INITIATIVES 0ERHAPS MOST RELEVANT TO THIS REVIEW IS THE NEED NOT ONLY FOR TECHNICAL SKILLS BUT ALSO FOR THE PERSONAL AND MOTIVATIONAL SKILLS AND QUALITIES REQUIRED TO BUILD EFFECTIVE TEAMWORK AND FOR INVOLVING GROUPS OF PROFESSIONALS COMMUNITIES AND INDIVIDUALS 4HE 3KILLS 2EVIEW AND THE DELIVERY OF THE IMPROVEMENTS WHICH IT SEEKS WILL HAVE TO WORK WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF THE GOVERNMENT S 3ECTOR 3KILLS #OUNCIL &RAMEWORK FOR 4RAINING 7ITHIN 3ECTOR 3KILLS #OUNCILS EMPLOYER SUPPORT INDIVIDUALLY AND COLLECTIVELY WILL BE CRITICAL TO ACHIEVING IMPROVEMENTS %MPLOYER COMMITMENT IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR WILL DEPEND ON THE TARGETS THE GOVERNMENT SETS )N THIS CONTEXT 7HAT IS NEEDED IS NOT A SINGLE BUILT ENVIRONMENT PROFESSION BUT DEVELOPING LINKS AND SHARED UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN THE PROFESSIONS INVOLVED 0OTENTIAL MODELS ARE PROVIDED BY THE CURRENT COMING TOGETHER OF THE %DINBURGH 'ROUP OF PROFESSIONS TO DEVELOP A COMMON ACCREDITATION FRAMEWORK FOR PROFESSIONALS INVOLVED IN BUILDING CONSERVATION AND THE GROUPING OF THE @PORTABLE HERITAGE CONSERVATION PROFESSIONS INTO THE .ATIONAL #OUNCIL FOR #ONSERVATION 2ESTORATION 4HESE DEVELOPMENTS HAVE TAKEN PLACE WITHOUT THE GOVERNMENT COMMITMENT AND RESOURCES WHICH HAVE BEEN DIRECTED INTO THE 5RBAN $ESIGN 3KILLS7ORKING 'ROUP AND RELATED INITIATIVES 4HE CURRENT REVIEW OFFERS A POTENTIAL OPPORTUNITY TO BUILD LINKS AND SYNERGIES BETWEEN THE PROFESSIONAL GROUPS AND FOR INFLUENCING GOVERNMENT TO TAKE A MORE HOLISTIC APPROACH LINKING URBAN DESIGN MORE CLOSELY WITH THE OTHER PROFESSIONS INVOLVED n AND TO PROVIDE A MORE COHERENT APPROACH TO DEVELOPING AND RESOURCING THE SKILLS REQUIRED 4HERE IS CONSIDERABLE VARIATION IN THE SKILLS WITHIN LOCAL PLANNING AUTHORITIES )N PARTICULAR THERE ARE VAST DIFFERENCES IN UNDERSTANDING OF THE ROLE OF DESIGN LED AND HERITAGE BASED REGENERATION IN DELIVERING URBAN OR RURAL RENAISSANCE 3OME LOCAL AUTHORITIES LACK PROPER ADVISERS AND SPECIALISTS IN URBAN DESIGN AND CONSERVATION 7HERE SUCH SKILLS ARE ABSENT THE QUALITY ASSURANCE FUNCTION OF THE PLANNING SYSTEM IS REDUCED )N EXTREME INSTANCES THE PLANNING SYSTEM CAN NOT ONLY INTRODUCE DELAY BUT CAN ACTUALLY SUPPRESS INNOVATIVE DESIGN AND THE CREATIVE ADAPTATION OF HISTORIC BUILDINGS AND AREAS $ESIGN AND CONSERVATION SKILLS ARE ALSO EXTREMELY VARIABLE WITHIN THE ARCHITECTURAL PROFESSION 2ESOURCES FOR 0LANNING PRODUCED BY !RUP IN &EBRUARY HIGHLIGHTED THE GENERAL SHORTAGE OF PROFESSIONAL STAFF IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR PLANNING FUNCTION 4HIS LED THE 4REASURY TO DELIVER a M TO SUPPORT THIS SECTOR 4HE ,OCAL !UTHORITY #ONSERVATION 0ROVISION 3URVEY HIGHLIGHTED THE HIGH LEVEL OF SKILLS HELD BY MEMBERS OF THE CONSERVATION PROFESSION (OWEVER IT ALSO IDENTIFIED THAT STAFFING LEVELS WERE HOPELESSLY INADEQUATE IN MANY LOCAL AUTHORITIES 4HIS NOT ONLY HARMS THE QUALITY AND SPEED OF PLANNING DECISIONS BUT ALSO CURTAILS PROACTIVE HERITAGE REGENERATION ACTIVITIES SUCH AS BIDDING AND ESTABLISHING GRANT SCHEMES THE FUNDAMENTAL REQUIREMENT IS FOR COMPREHENSIVE PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT AND OTHER PERFORMANCE MEASURES TO RECOGNISE AND SUPPORT THE CROSS CUTTING INITIATIVES NEEDED TO DELIVER SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES "UILT ENVIRONMENT SKILLS 4HERE HAS BEEN SOME DISCUSSION OF MOVING TOWARDS A SINGLE BUILT ENVIRONMENT PROFESSION 4HIS PROPOSAL POSES A SERIOUS THREAT TO THE DELIVERY OF SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES )T WOULD EFFECTIVELY IMPEDE THE MODERNISATION OF PLANNING AND REGENERATION FUNCTIONS AND LEAD TO MORE MEDIOCRE DEVELOPMENT -EMBERS OF A SINGLE PROFESSION COULD HAVE A WIDER BREADTH OF EXPERTISE BUT BY DEFINITION LITTLE DEPTH IN MOST INSTANCES 3PECIALISATION PROVIDES DEPTH OF EXPERTISE 2EGENERATION IN INNER CITY AREAS RURAL COMMUNITIES VILLAGES INDUSTRIAL CORES AND OTHER TYPES OF AREA REQUIRE SPECIALISED SKILLS WHICH CAN BE PROVIDED BY PUTTING TOGETHER PROFESSIONALS WITH CONSIDERABLE DEPTH OF EXPERIENCE 4HE ACT OF COMPILING THE TEAM PROVIDES THE BREADTH 4EAMS OF GENERAL URBAN PRACTITIONERS WOULD FAIL TO PROVIDE ANY DEPTH OF SPECIALISATION AND WOULD TEND TO DUPLICATE SKILLS -ANY OF THE COMPLEX SCHEMES DELIVERED IN THE PAST DECADE WOULD HAVE BEEN FAR LESS SUCCESSFUL IF LESS SPECIALISED STAFF HAD BEEN INVOLVED 4HERE HAS BEEN TALK OF MOVING TOWARDS A SINGLE BUILT ENVIRONMENT PROFESSION
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