Ian Cully - RTPI CPD

1. Neighbourhood
Planning and the
Historic
Environment
A
Wolverhampton
Perspective

2. The Presentation
• The Wolverhampton
context, and the story so
far
• The Neighbourhood Plans
• Emerging Issues
• Principles and Approach
• Case Study: Heathfield
Park
• Lessons
• Next steps
• Questions

3. Part 1 – The Wolverhampton
Context

4. Strategic Planning Context
– Black Country Core Strategy adopted February 2011 based on
reversing population decline, supporting economic growth and
environmental enhancement.
– Target of 14,000 new homes, improved employment areas and
vibrant City Centre by 2026 for Wolverhampton.
– Core Strategy identifies a Growth Network of the City Centre and
Regeneration Corridors where new development will be
focussed.
• Area Action Plans being prepared to promote development in the
Growth Network.
– Neighbourhood Plans will also support the Core Strategy by
providing a detailed planning framework for some areas outside
the Growth Network.

5. Neighbourhood Planning –
the story so far
• Bid for Frontrunner status in March
2011 for three Plans.
• DCLG award of £20,000 to
progress each plan
• Cabinet approval to progress the
Heathfield Park and Tettenhall
Plans secured in June, and Bilston
in September 2011.
• Plans largely based on Local
Neighbourhood Partnership areas
and Neighbourhood Forums
established December 2012
• Draft Plans produced April 2013

6. Tettenhall Neighbourhood Plan
• Attractive western suburban
fringe location with areas of
Green Belt, outside the Growth
Network
• Population of 22,000 and high
proportion of professional
households
• Strong community interest in
planning with existing LNP
Planning and Conservation
Group
• Area sought after by property
developers to build high quality
homes
• Pressure on back-land
development out of character
with the area

7. Heathfield Park Plan
• Small and densely populated
area on the edge of the City
Centre.
• Population of 7,320 with high
levels of deprivation, dominated
by Heath Town Estate and New
Cross Hospital.
• Focus for housing renewal
activity, improve image and
access to open spaces and
community facilities.

8. Emerging Issues….
• Very different areas with variable detail in Strategic
Planning context
• But strong commonality on the issues for the Plans to
address:
– Traffic and congestion
– Providing a better choice and mix of housing, but with limited
opportunities for new development
– Protecting environmental assets, local character and
distinctiveness
– Better access to employment opportunities
– Protection of community facilities and better local services
– Reconciling competing priorities

9. Governance arrangements and the role
of the Council
• Governance arrangements and WCC support
– Community directly supported by Local Neighbourhood Partnership Officers
on a day to day basis as well as regular liaison with Planning Officer
– Sign off of work by the Local Neighbourhood Partnership Board
– Approvals currently required from WCC Cabinet at key stages
– WCC Financial support for evidence, consultation and Examination /
referendum £50-70K per plan in addition to CLG grant.
– WCC Professional support of 2.5 FTE between Planning and LNP Service
for the three Plans
• Community Resource
– People committed to the Plan, some with Planning skills others dedicating
time
– Monthly Steering Group meetings to progress Plans, with additional
meetings during busy periods
– Steering Group essential, with sub-groups where/when needed

10. Part 2 –The Historic
Environment – Principles and
Approach

11. Getting Started • Prince’s
Foundation
Workshops
• Presentations
• Break out
discussions
• Summary
report

12. Extract from Prince’s Foundation report:

13. HLC
Data was alreadyData was already
available.available.
Black CountryBlack Country
Historic landscapeHistoric landscape
Characterisation.Characterisation.
BUT – no valueBUT – no value
judgements …judgements …

14. Whetting the community appetite!
• Historical
development
• Current knowledge
– LBs, Cas, Local
List, HER etc
• Concepts of
character and local
distinctiveness

15. Community
Characterisation
• AAPs –
characterisation
‘Top down’
• NPs – ‘Bottom up’
• http://www.placecheck.info/

18. Community Characterisation –
the challenge
• Tettenhall &
Heathfield Park
• Different areas
• Different
communities &
capabilities
• Different agendas
and concerns
• Value their heritage
• Care about the
places they live in
• Need help and
guidance to do their
own
characterisation.

19. Tettenhall
• Attractive, leafy suburbs,
• Relatively affluent
residents,
• Recognised heritage – 6
CAs, 94 LBs etc.

20. Heathfield
Park
Reputation & image
closely associated with
a large complex of
1960s flats
Photo:MatthewWhitehouse
Need for regeneration:
could this be based on
‘hidden’ heritage?

21. – Recruit volunteers
– Training : archives
– Training : fieldwork
(Oxford Toolkit)
– Research /
fieldwork
– Report
Approach
MembersofHeathTownTenants’andResidents’Assn.(WolverhamptonHomes)

22. Issues
– Not enough
volunteers
– Volunteers already
overworked
– How to score
positive & negative
character?
– Process took much
longer than
anticipated
(July to June)
StationFieldsNatureReserve,siteofWolverhampton’sfirststationin1837

23. Key
views
50% increase
in heritage
assets
Products
Character
Zone
profiles

25. Part 3 – Next steps and lessons
learned

26. Next steps
• Policy development Jan-May 2013 – turning the
evidence into Policy
• Finalisation of draft plans for consultation May-
June 2013
• Neighbourhood Forum approval Summer 2013
• Consultation on Draft Plans Autumn 2013
• Examination early 2014
• Referendum Summer 2014

27. • Historic characterisation needs to start early in
the Neighbourhood Planning process, and put a
lot of effort in early to make sure project
management arrangements are fit for purpose.
• It’s part of getting to know the area: Local people
think they know their area but even long-
standing residents found things they didn’t know.
• Volunteer involvement is not necessarily a
cheap way forward – it’s rather a way of
engaging communities
Lessons 1

28. Lessons 2
• Understand how the evidence will be used to
inform the Plan, not to reinforce existing pre-
conceptions.
• It’s been a positive experience for all parties.
• Buy-in at all levels and across all organisations
is critical.
• Celebrate short-term wins to make it real.
• Success should be measured in a number of
ways – appreciate the ‘soft’ wins and not just the
end product.

29. Questions
• Contact details:
ian.culley@wolverhampton.gov.uk
sue.whitehouse@wolverhampton.gov.uk
• Website links:
Wolverhampton LDF www.wolverhampton.gov.uk/ldf
Tettenhall Neighbourhood Plan
www.ourplaceourplan.org.uk
Heathfield Park Neighbourhood Plan - www.wton-
partnership.org.uk/heathfield-park