Invitation to Tender:

Transcription

1 Invitation to Tender: Overcoming barriers to integrated infrastructure planning in city-regions and counties Guidance for Applicants September 2018

2 1. Introduction 1.1. About the Royal Town Planning Institute The Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) is the UK's leading planning body for spatial, sustainable and inclusive planning. It is the largest planning institute in Europe with over 25,000 members in the UK and internationally. The RTPI is: A membership organisation and a Chartered Institute responsible for maintaining professional standards and accrediting world class planning courses nationally and internationally. A charity whose charitable purpose is to advance the science and art of planning (including town and country and spatial planning) for the benefit of the public. A learned society. We also run Planning Aid England and have a trading company, RTPI Services Limited. Our campaigning activity covers a wide range of issues, helping to raise the profile of the profession and generate awareness of the invaluable contribution planners make to building sustainable communities and helping to drive economic wealth. We work in partnership with employers to promote the professional development of planning professionals About the County Councils Network This project is part funded by the County Councils Network (CCN), a cross-party special interest group of the Local Government Association which represents 36 county council and county unitary authorities. CCN develops policy, commissions research, and presents evidence-based solutions on behalf of the largest grouping of local authorities in England Project background The RTPI s project on Smart City-Regions seeks to demonstrate how joined-up, strategic planning across geographical and sectoral boundaries can help to achieve the economic, social and environmental objectives of sustainable development. It forms part of the Institute s Better Planning work programme, which provides practical advice and intelligence to RTPI members and others, in ways which demonstrate how planning is part of the solution to major social, economic and environmental challenges. Infrastructure in the local planning system Infrastructure provides the services and facilities which underpin sustainable development. This includes physical assets such as roads, rail, power lines, water and sewage pipes and broadband cables; social assets like schools, community halls, GP surgeries and hospitals; and environmental assets like parks. Planners play a central role in coordinating the delivery of infrastructure to serve new development and make existing built environment more sustainable. In England, paragraph

3 20 of the revised NPPF states that development plans must include strategic policies which make sufficient provision for: housing (including affordable housing), employment, retail, leisure and other commercial development infrastructure for transport, telecommunications, security, waste management, water supply, wastewater, flood risk and coastal change management, and the provision of minerals and energy (including heat) community facilities (such as health, education and cultural infrastructure) conservation and enhancement of the natural, built and historic environment, including landscapes and green infrastructure, and planning measures to address climate change mitigation and adaptation 1 The NPPF and associated planning guidance sets out how strategic policy-making authorities should work with stakeholders to develop and implement these policies, and describes how local planning authorities (LPAs) can set non-strategic policies for infrastructure provision for specific areas, neighbourhoods or types of development. Under current arrangements, English LPAs develop Infrastructure Delivery Plans (IDPs) as part of the evidence base for the Local Plan, Core Strategy and Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) Charging Schedule. These documents establish a common understanding on infrastructure between the LPA and multiple infrastructure delivery agencies, developers and local communities, and forms part of the evidence used by LPAs to demonstrate the deliverability of their five year land supply for new housing development. In Scotland, Planning Policy and the National Planning Framework state that policies and decisions should be guided by a number of principles, which includes supporting the delivery of infrastructure. The Town and Country Planning (Scotland) 1997 Act requires the production of Action Programmes are intended to actively drive the delivery of planned developments by aligning stakeholders, phasing, financing and infrastructure investment over the long term. This includes setting out a list of actions required to deliver each of the plan's policies and proposals, and a named person and timescale for carrying out each action. In preparing Action Programmes, authorities are to consult and consider the views of key agencies and Scottish Ministers, among others. Action Programmes are published and submitted to Scottish Ministers alongside proposed plans, then are adopted and published within three months of the plans to which they relate being approved and adopted. Problems with current approaches in England and Scotland The planning, financing and delivery of infrastructure is split across a wide range of government departments, regulatory bodies and delivery agencies. Each sector tends to operate as a vertical silo with its performance and investment criteria, planning and investment cycles and geographical remit. These are often different from the timeframes and geographical boundaries of local and strategic plans, which generates complexity when trying to coordinate infrastructure with growth. 1 NPPF, 2018.

4 A 2016 report from the Housing Finance Institute stated that: In industry discussions it is water, electricity, gas, broadband and roads which are the areas most often cited as holding back accelerated housebuilding and which create practical barriers to speedy housing growth. Each of these is subject to separate companies, regulators, public authorities, price negotiations and its own industry rules and procedures. There is mounting evidence that the performance of some utilities provision is adversely impacting on housebuilding. 2 In its 2017 consultation on the first National Infrastructure Assessment, the National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) stated that infrastructure can make a contribution to accelerating house building if the right frameworks are put in place, but warns that the mutual benefits of infrastructure and housing have been frustrated by systemic limitations, in particular: poor coordination between how new infrastructure is planned, invested in and delivered in relation to housing supply [and] a lack of responsiveness within some infrastructure frameworks to market signals, leaving infrastructure development out of kilter with local growth. 3 The strategic coordination of growth and infrastructure in England has been complicated by the progressive fragmentation of infrastructure provision and a reduction in the role of local authorities in the direct provision of education, transport and health (despite retaining their planning responsibilities). The replacement of Regional Spatial Strategies by the duty to cooperate in the Localism Act 2011 has been criticised as leading to a lack of cohesion between spatial and infrastructure planning in parts of the country. 4 In Scotland, not all of the country is covered by Strategic Development Plan Authorities (SPDAs), which are the current arrangement for planning in city-regions. The Independent Review of the Planning System concluded that this system is not delivering. Meanwhile, a recent Scottish Parliament Local Government and Communities Committee report into the functioning of the Scottish City Region deals was critical of their opacity, unclear governance arrangements and the degree to which they are joined up with other strategies, including the National Planning Framework (NPF). Work will begin shortly in developing the 4th NPF and it is likely that this will move from a 5-year to a 10-year document, that it will be part of local development plans, that it will need to be co-produced with local and regional organisations, and that it will be combined with the Scottish Planning Policy document. In England and Scotland, changes to the planning system have also areas more vulnerable to speculative, small-scale development in peripheral locations. The nature of this development, coupled with the complexities of infrastructure planning and delivery, can result in new development which lacks the necessary services and facilities and places strain on existing infrastructure. This can in turn make local communities more resistant to new development. 5 2 HFI, How to Build More Homes, Faster 3 National Infrastructure Commission, Congestion, Capacity, Carbon priorities for national infrastructure 4 Catriona Riddell Associates & CCN County Councils & Strategic Planning: A review of current & emerging practice 5 RTPI, Delivering Large-Scale Housing

5 2. Tender information 2.1. Budget This project will be funded up to a maximum and fixed sum of 18,000 (to include all disbursements but excluding VAT). The intention will be to pay this in three instalments: 6,000 upon commencement of the project, 6,000 upon delivery of the interim report, and 6,000 upon the delivery of the final draft to an acceptable quality standard Eligibility Tenders are invited from planning, development and research consultancies, RTPI accredited planning schools, other university-based teams/departments, and other appropriate organisations. Collaborations between organisations are encouraged The purpose of this research There is a critical need to understand whether existing approaches to infrastructure planning, funding and delivery can be improved to better support the wider economic, social and environmental objectives of the planning system. This research will explore this issue by investigating approaches to integrated infrastructure planning in areas with different governance arrangements. In England, the devolution agenda has led to the creation of mayoral combined authorities with additional mechanisms for coordinating infrastructure with growth at the city-region scale. There is consideration of whether county councils could similarly benefit from greater powers to coordinate and fund infrastructure. 6 Other groups of local authorities are also forming new non-statutory partnerships and frameworks to address strategic infrastructure. In Scotland, City Region deals are in place or being developed for Aberdeen/Aberdeenshire, the City of Edinburgh region, Greater Glasgow, Tayside, Inverness and the Highlands and Stirling. Agreements are also being developed for Borderlands and Ayrshire. These will pool funding from local authorities, the Scottish Government and the UK government, and would be central to the Regional Partnership approach that is expected to replace Strategic Development Plans, subject to the outcome of the criticism from the Scottish Parliament Local Government and Communities Committee. The devolution of powers and budgets to city-regions, and emergence of other cross-border partnerships, creates an opportunity to improve the way that infrastructure is planned and delivered at a strategic scale. However, more research is needed to understand the challenges that stakeholders experience, available options to address them, and the potential impact on the delivery of wider planning objectives Methodology This is an indicative methodology and will be developed in partnership with the client and supplier(s). The steps below set out potential points of research, but we would welcome suggestions for refining this approach. 6 TCPA & CCN, Building for the Future: The Role of County Councils in Meeting Housing Need

6 Step 1: Select at least three case study areas, including one English county council, one English combined authority and one Scottish city-region. Staffordshire has agreed to act as the County Council case study. Applicants are free to select the other case study areas based on a willingness to participate. The West Midlands combined authority and Sheffield cityregion combined authority have indicated an interest in this research, as have Clydeplan (which covers West Central Scotland). Case study areas can be chosen which already represent good practice, or which aspire to do things differently. Step 2: Use visual tools such as diagrams, flowcharts and maps to demonstrate the governance arrangements for infrastructure sectors in each case study area, such as: Transport (road, rail, metro, cycle) Energy (gas, electricity, district heat) Water and sewage Digital Education Healthcare Green and blue infrastructure For each sector, this should show the responsible government department and regulatory body, relevant delivery agencies and their geographical remit, funding sources and investment cycles. This should enable comparison between the geographies, timescales and objectives of infrastructure planning and planning for housing and employment. Step 3: Use interviews and desk-based research to understand any practical barriers to the coordination of infrastructure and growth in each case study area, and proposed/enacted solutions for addressing them. This could include: Infrastructure Delivery Plans Local Plan infrastructure standards Digital integrated infrastructure maps Stakeholder meetings Data-sharing agreements Scenario modelling This step should highlight the role of individuals and informal partnerships in driving integrated infrastructure planning in the case study areas, and the resilience of these arrangements. Desk-based research should reference approaches from other combined authorities and councils where relevant, such as the Kent and Medway Growth and Infrastructure Framework, or the Irish National Planning Framework and National Development Plan, in order to provide a wider range of views and geographical spread. Step 4: Evaluate, as far as possible, the impact of measures being considered to improve coordination, for example in terms of: Speedier and more sustainable housing delivery Reduced risk and uncertainty for developers Community attitudes to development Changing land values Additional work for local authorities and delivery agencies

7 Wider social and environmental impacts It is important that this step considers any disadvantages that may result from measures to improve coordination between infrastructure and planning. This could include delays to the delivery of infrastructure which might result from greater coordination during the planning stage, or the opportunity cost of regulatory change. Step 5: Identify recommendations for integrated infrastructure planning which can be replicated in other local and strategic authorities, and recommendations for addressing any structural barriers to the coordination of infrastructure and growth at the regional and national scale Project timescales We anticipate that the project will last for no longer than six months, starting late October 2018 and being delivered by April Suggested dates for each stage are as follows: Project inception meeting: Week commencing 12 November 2018 Defining the project scope: 2 to 3 weeks Research: December to March 2019 Interim report: March 2019 Commentary and revision: April 2019 Delivery of final report: May Governance The commissioning client is the RTPI, and the RTPI will appoint a Steering Group for this project which will include RTPI Scotland and the County Councils Network. The supplier will be expected to attend regular meetings with the Steering Group and provide updates by telephone/ Outputs The key outputs from this work will be determined through a dialogue between the supplier and the RTPI, but is expected to comprise: Visualisations (e.g. maps, diagrams, Gantt charts) which clearly demonstrate the processes and stakeholders involved in the planning and delivery of different infrastructure sectors within each case study An interim report for comment A clearly written final report commenting on the findings of the analysis and providing recommendations Headline statements setting out key messages for the media 2.8. Geographical scope The scope of this study is England and Scotland, but suppliers are asked to be mindful of how any recommendations might be applied in Wales, Northern Ireland and Ireland.

8 2.9. Application process Organisations/project teams should submit a tender document that includes: Proposed methodology, including named case study areas Proposed outputs Project team and general experience Statement of experience relevant to the project, and selected projects that demonstrate relevant experience Total cost of the project A budget breakdown between the stages, daily rates and personnel inputs Evaluation criteria Applications will be evaluated against the following criteria: Quality, rigour and depth of the proposed methodology and analysis Experience/track record/knowledge of research relevant to the project Experience of effective and impactful partnership working Experience of managing potentially politically-sensitive projects The ability to communicate complex subjects to a range of stakeholders such as government, professionals and the public using written and visual materials Value for money Successful applicants should be able to demonstrate a commitment from the relevant stakeholders in each case study area to engage with the project, for example through letters of support. The RTPI can provide contacts details at Staffordshire County Council if required Assessment panel The assessment panel will comprise officers from the RTPI Policy, Practice and Research team and RTPI Scotland and the County Councils Network. They will report to the RTPI Policy, Practice and Research Committee Timescales for application Applications should be submitted by 5pm on Friday 26 October Applications should be submitted electronically in PDF format to: research@rtpi.org.uk We anticipate being able to inform applicants of whether their proposals have been selected for interview by 2 November 2018, with the interviews held on the week commencing 5 November 2018 (subject to the availability of interviewees). We anticipate being able to confirm the successful tender by 12 November Intellectual property The RTPI will retain ownership of the work, but will grant the researchers the right to publish and re-use the material submitted to RTPI, and will be fully credited for their work. Researchers and institutions should not apply if they will not be able to agree to this provision. The

9 researchers should acknowledge the support from the RTPI in any subsequent publications and activity based on the supported projects. 3. Further information and enquiries We welcome enquiries about this project. Responses will be issued as anonymised Q&A s on our website, and sent to those who have notified us of their intention to bid. Please contact: James Harris, Policy and Network Manager, RTPI Tel: james.harris@rtpi.org.uk