The planning system: The UK’s greatest adaptation opportunity?

Our vision

To co-create the outputs needed to put climate adaptation at the heart of local planning policies and developments.

Event summary and objectives

This event will bring together national and local policy experts to provide insight on how we can begin to achieve the vision outlined above.

1. Consider the opportunities and barriers that national planning policy gives us towards the integration and acceleration of transformational adaptation within local planning policy, and how limitations with that policy can be overcome.
2. Discuss how local planning and government reform may provide an opportunity for a stronger emphasis on adaptation within the planning system.
3. Clarify the role and expectations of local councils in terms of embedding adaptation into Local Plans and standards for new developments based on the new NPPF, what support exists to enable this, and how we can go further to meet the reality of climate change.
4. Showcase local, innovative practice on embedding adaptation into new developments, demonstrating what can be done within the existing policy landscape and resourcing constraints.
5. Gain your feedback to identify what outputs we can create within the MACC programme that can have result in accelerating transformational change.

Background

The Maximising UK Adaptation to Climate Change (MACC) Hub is dedicated to fostering climate resilience across the UK by uniting diverse expertise, promoting inclusive knowledge exchange, and supporting the development of adaptive solutions. SWM is co-leading knowledge exchange within the MACC Hub for England, working with our colleagues at London Climate Ready Partnership.

One of our priorities is to engage with national planning policy setters and local planning policy officers, as evidence suggests that better integration of adaptation principles at both levels could deliver transformational adaptation on the ground, leading to new developments that are fit for a future climate. This led us to prioritise this when we developed our MACC Hub stakeholder engagement plan for England, as well deriving the vision set out above.

In order for us to understand what is most needed to achieve this vision, we are convening this online conference to better scrutinise the barriers, challenges, opportunities and good practice that can help us to craft outputs that will help us turn the vision into a reality.

Agenda and speakers

A full agenda will follow in due course. Confirmed speakers to date include:

• Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG)
• Town and Country Planning Association (TCPA)

Audience

Our primary audience is local planning officers from local authorities, those who support the local planning process and national government departments and arm’s length bodies who influence local planning decisions. Others outside of this audience will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Logistics

Please register using the link above. Within a few days of registering, you will receive an Outlook calendar invitation which will confirm your place. Please accept this invite to confirm you can attend.