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Planning Advisory Service (PAS)
Open group | Started - July 2012 | Last activity - Yesterday

Re: Planning Policy and Housing Strategy - Integrated Working

Former Member, modified 15 Years ago.

Planning Policy and Housing Strategy - Integrated Working

I am currently Head of Planning Policy and Urban Design at Wolverhampton City Council. The Council is embarking upon a major re-structuring programme and one of the proposals is to integrate the housing strategy and planning policy teams. The two teams are currently within the same service cluster ( Regeneration and Environment) although in different divisions( Housing Strategy in the Neighbourhood Renewal Division and Planning Policy in the Planning and Transportation Division) . The 2 teams are already undertaking joint working on policy development (e.g. affordable housing), joint commissioning on e.g. housing needs assessment, joint monitoring, and other matters. Joint working also exists at sub-regional and HMA level. There is however, a clear acknowledgement across all Council functions that there needs to be closer integation and coordination of strategy and policy. One area we are proposing is to secure full integration of housing strategy, planning policy, sustainability, along with closer coordination with the Sustainable Community Strategy, transport policy, environment, economic and skills strategy,etc. I am interested to find out if there are cases where local councils had achieved working integation of housing strategy and planning policy teams as one unit, or are considering such a development, and if so, how the unit is structured and relates to other policy areas . Thanks Richard Wassell Head of Planning Policy and Urban Design Regeneration and Environment Wolverhampton City Council tel : 01902 554007 fax : 01902 555637 email : richard.wassell@wolverhampton.gov.uk
Former Member, modified 15 Years ago.

Re: Planning Policy and Housing Strategy - Integrated Working

At stroud we have had the affordable housing manager report directly to the Planning Policy Manager. We still have a housing stock, so strategic issues over planned maintenance stayed on that side. Affordable housing here also covers gypsies travellers and showmen, together with working with RSLs and the Housing Corp (old name). It works well and allows for more rapid development of policy. Catylist was possible large scale transfer of homes to an RSL and the separation of the policy function from the Housing Revenue Account.
Former Member, modified 15 Years ago.

Re: Planning Policy and Housing Strategy - Integrated Working

I too have headed up a joint plannign policy and housing strategy unit. It was created in 2000 following LSVT. The housing department decided, for the purposes of TUPE, that none of its staff spent more that 50% of their time on strategy (which was interesting!) and thus took all the staff. So we had to staff it up from scratch. We did this at the same time that we were preparing our last Local Plan (which was adopted in 2003). Both parts of the team have grown, from the original 3 for housing and 2 for planning. Maximum it got to was 14 including myself, (this included development monitoring, homelessness prevention adn a temporary person assisting with move towards Choice Based Lettings.) I think the synergies have been very positive, particularly on issues such as Housing Market Assessment, Gysies and Travellers and an SPD on affordable housing. But perhaps at the ends of the spectrum (say, Domestic Violence sanctury scheme and Retail capacity studies for an LDF, there is only a shared dissineterest. Having really enjoyed seeing the multi disciplinary team working so well, I now see it split up again. Reorganisaiton has put me incharge of DC as well, with three separate business units of: DC, Planning Policy; Housing Strategy, each with its own manager. So they are still together in one service, but slightly less firmly connected. And of course with the credit crunch followed by the normal knee jerk reaction of a virtual moratorium on replacing staff, I see it all shrinking back again! Let me know if you want information on any detailed issues TC