Held 9th December 2019

Hosted by

Government policies seek to secure a significant increase in residential property and commercial growth.

Whilst the building blocks remain Local Plans and planning applications, increasingly larger sub-regional and regional units are being used to help shape this growth, such as the Northern Powerhouse, the Midlands Engine, the Oxford to Cambridge Arc and emerging groupings in areas such as West London.

UKBCSD is concerned to explore how best this growth might best combine an emphasis on the pace of delivery with development that is sustainable.

By exploring Sustainable Growth, we are looking to define the benefits to developers that will help drive more sustainable modes of delivery, more sustainable outcomes and to define the support we believe is needed from government.

This workshop explored:

•  How high growth locations should be underpinned by sustainable development.
•  The role of the private sector.
•  The opportunity to secure an enhanced benefit to the development sector who deliver sustainably (for example fast track planning, reduced fees or timelines [like LDOs but for process/policy] role).
•  The role that national funding streams might provide to secure more sustainable delivery (such as through a revamped NNDR/New Homes Bonus mechanism and tariff pilots to drive reinvestment commitments).
•  Meeting the expectations of new demographics, responding to Generations X and Z, planning for Generation A.
•  Exploring the PACE of delivery (Planning - Action - Construction - Enabling).

Outcomes

It was agreed that participants would send through any further thoughts on the three questions that were posed:

1. The barriers that need to be addressed
2. The challenges faced and solutions that are available
3. Outcomes and any next steps you would particularly like to see, from UKBCSD and/or the Government.

We are grateful for the contributions of those attending the workshop and to  CBRE for hosting this event:

Jonathan Priestley Director CBRE (HOSTS)
Claire Weir Director CBRE

Jason Longhurst - Chairman UKBCSD
Phil Grant Director – Director, Axis Land Partnerships
Adrian Colwell - Strategic Planning Adviser to UKBCSD
Helen Drury - Sustainability Lead, Tritax Management
Stephen Mooring - Head of Place Delivery, Central Bedfordshire Council
Robert Purton - Partner, David Lock Associates
Chris Langdon - Development and Investment Director,  Engie UK
Szymon Nogalski - Principal Consultant, LDA-Design