Higher Education Planning Guidelines: Engaging with Policy Makers

1. Introduction • AIMS to revise and update earlier 1998 Planning Guidelines for focusing in the most common planning issues faced by institutions • To provide an opportunity for the HE sector to examine different ways of engaging with and influencing key planning policy makers • To provide an insight into the HE sector for those concerned with the formulation and administration of planning policies • Appointed in January 2006 • Funded by HEFCE/UUK • Input from around 80 institutions

2. Planning Guidelines Summary • Chapter One – The Higher Education Sector • Chapter Two – Planning and the Higher Education Sector • Chapter Three – Regional Planning and Major He Change • Chapter Four – The New Local Planning System • Chapter Five – Sustainability and Green Travel Planning • Chapter Six – Urban Regeneration • Chapter Seven – Universities and Green Belts • Chapter Eight – Student housing • Chapter Nine – Design and Quality • Chapter Ten – Heritage and conservation

3. Planning Guidelines Summary Professor Colin Fudge,Uni of West of England Justin Carr, Planning Officers’ Society, GLA David Crook, Planning Inspectorate Lee Scott, CABE Susan Adams, University of Greenwich Graham Rhodes, Birmingham City University Ian Caldwell, Kings College, London Pat Thomas, OBE Professor Malcolm Grant, UCL Derek Stroud, UUK Richard Goodwin, Department of Community and Local Government John Stambollouian, DGLG Professor Peter Roberts, ASC

4. Local Planning In England, the old system of county structure plans and district wide local plans or unitary plans has been replaced by a new ‘portfolio’ approach involving a number of local development and supplementary planning documents Higher education institutions should engage with local plan-making processes at an early stage and, where appropriate, seek the inclusion of their own estates proposals as a formal part of local plan documents.

6. Sustainability and Green Travel An emphasis on sustainable development now permeates the planning system and most local authorities are actively promoting sustainability policies. Many higher education institutions have well-articulated environmental policies and are in the vanguard in promoting ‘green travel’ (for example by providing dedicated bus services). Sustainability and green travel considerations are best dealt by higher education institutions at a corporate or site-wide level.

7. Urban Regeneration It is now well recognised that the higher education sector can have a significant role to play in urban regeneration; several examples of universities engaging successfully with regeneration initiatives are given in the new guidance. Institutions should seek to influence regional economic strategies Suffolk, Sheffield Hallam

8. Green Belts An ever-increasing emphasis on urban regeneration tends to make further development on out-of-centre sites problematic. Institutions in these locations should be vigilant in ensuring that their needs are kept in mind as regional and local planning policies are updated. Warwick

9. Planning Obligations Recent government guidance has helped to clarify the limits of appropriate practice, but there is a great variation in the requirements imposed on the higher education sector. Higher education institutions should develop informed negotiation strategies in response to these changes, as they are sometimes wrongly perceived by local authorities as private developers. Ring fencing

10. Student Housing • In common with a general lack of references to Universities throughout the planning system • Lack of charity in national, regional and most local planning guidance as to how student housing should be treated • Most local authorities produce housing strategies, very few strategies specifically consider student housing needs or demands • To some extent understandable as student housing is not always clearly distinct

11. Student Housing • An assumption that student housing can be considered separately ‘on its merits’ is common. However, has interactive consequences elsewhere within the local housing markets • With the rapid expansion of the HE sector, concentrations of student accommodation in particular, localities are sometimes seen as a problem by local communities and in turn by planning and / or housing authorities

12. Student Housing • A lack of clarity about student housing extends to the Use Classes Order • Two categories that may be regarded as applicable to student housing • C2 Residential Institutions • C3 Dwelling House • The main residential use class C3, use as allowing for up to six unrelated residents living as a ‘single household’ law has supported arguments that a ‘single household’ can include student groups

13. Student Housing • A balanced view needs to be taken. Investment in student housing accommodation, both in communal and new build schemes and as part of the wider private housing market, is significant in economic terms and can have a positive role in regeneration • Students are part of the wider community. Successful integration is evident in many towns and cities

14. Impact on Existing Housing Stock • In some towns and cities, a relatively rapid increase in student numbers and / or an increase in purpose built student accommodation are resulting in noticeable changes in local demography • An important point to keep in mind is that choice of accommodation for students is just as important as choice within the wider housing market

15. Affordable Housing • In recent years, Government has relied heavily on the planning system to provide significant amounts of “affordable housing”, funding this by planning obligations on private market housing development • The drivers for this combine planning aspirations to achieve social mix and ‘value capture’ • The effect is to require private developers to subsidise the construction of new dwellings for those in housing need off-setting costs of which might otherwise be funded by Government

16. Affordable Housing • One issue, about which some planning authorities have expressed concern, relates to sustainability • They argue that if student housing is so specifically designed, it may not be adaptable for other uses in the future • There seems no particular reason why this should be the case

17. Conservation and Heritage With more Victorian and twentieth century buildings being listed and more conservation areas being declared, more institutions now have to deal with the associated constraints, responsibilities and procedures of statutory protection. Institutions should understand which of their heritage assets are most important in heritage terms. Those institutions with several listed buildings having similar characteristics should consider seeking agreement to a heritage management plan.

18. Design The need to achieve high standards of design in new buildings with the aim of reflecting local identity and improving the environment is increasingly emphasised in planning policies. Institutions should be alert to the increased attention being given to design and be prepared to explain the design of any particular project in terms of a wider master or area development.

19. Awareness, Communication and Dialogue Where difficulties have arisen between institutions and planning authorities, there is often either a failure by the planning authority to appreciate or respond to their needs, or a lack of understanding by an institution of the need for a robust planning case, which reflects current planning policies. Sometimes, there is insufficient or uncoordinated engagement of a planning authority by an institution or vice versa.

20. Recommendations • Establishing a national sector planning group to pursue national policy agendas – possibly linking with health-based groups and private student accommodation providers. This could be progressed by Universities UK in consultation with the Association of University Directors of Estates (AUDE) and the higher education funding councils. • Establishing regional groups to coordinate the influence regional policy. These could be formed by the higher education regional associations with support from AUDE. • Establishing sub regional specialist representation at regional level which might, for example, seek to influence the development of growth zones or market renewal areas.

21. AUDE’s Future Role • Sponsorship of website and establishment of Central National Co-ordination Group? • Could meet quarterly and include Professor Malcolm Grant, Professor Peter Roberts, DCLG, Planning Inspectorate, UUK, HEFCE • Remit to research and coordinate National Planning Policy representation on matters such as viability of joint representation with NHS Estates, Student Housing/HMOs, staff housing/social housing, community engagement, travel and sustainability, overview of regional agendas (growth points, etc), government’s main point of contact in respect of HE sector planning issues. • Funding for development of regional agendas and subsequent representation. London Higher could assist. Direct input to RSS via close engagement with RDAs and ABECs • Development of training including planning awareness for directors and senior non-estates University staff and possibly governors. Other funding sources include LGM, possibly via a national bid, Academy of Sustainable Communities Funding

22. AUDE’s Future Role • Sponsorship of website and establishment of Central National Co-ordination Group? • Could meet quarterly and include Professor Malcolm Grant, Professor Peter Roberts, DCLG, Planning Inspectorate, UUK, HEFCE • Remit to research and coordinate National Planning Policy representation on matters such as viability of joint representation with NHS Estates, Student Housing/HMOs, staff housing/social housing, community engagement, travel and sustainability, overview of regional agendas (growth points, etc), government’s main point of contact in respect of HE sector planning issues. • Funding for development of regional agendas and subsequent representation. London Higher could assist. Direct input to RSS via close engagement with RDAs and ABECs • Development of training including planning awareness for directors and senior non-estates University staff and possibly governors. Other funding sources include LGM, possibly via a national bid, Academy of Sustainable Communities Funding