Challenges and Opportunities Facing the UK Planning System

Simon Gilbert is the Head of Planning at Cardiff Council. Cardiff is the capital city of Wales, with a population of around 360,000, and the wider City Region has a population of around 1.5M, roughly half the people of Wales. Simon is driving forward ambitious plans for Cardiff by putting city development and placemaking at the forefront of Cardiff’s “Fairer, Stronger, Greener” agenda.

A No-Win Scenario

I have been a “Planner” for over 30 years, yet despite this, I still struggle to explain exactly what I do. This is probably why professional town and country planners often fail to gain the respect and recognition they deserve. My 9-year-old son, when asked what I do, says: “Daddy says yes to buildings.” I do quite like this, although there is a lot more to it than that! City Planning in the UK, like elsewhere, has its challenges. Many of us have declared Climate and Nature Emergencies and desperately need to deliver vital public services and provide good quality affordable homes, often for our most vulnerable citizens. All this within a period of economic and political uncertainty adds to the stark reality of inflationary and budgetary pressures, and we are probably facing the most prolonged period of public sector austerity in a generation.

It’s Not All Gloom and Doom

So, what can planning do to help? Quite a lot. I have rarely come across a professional body with more passion, commitment, and emotional intelligence to change peoples’ lives for the better. Good Planners deliver their functions and statutory duties within prescribed timescales. Outstanding planners do this whilst “adding value” along the way. The value of planning shouldn’t be quantified; many have tried, but it fails to appreciate the subtlety of the environment in which we operate and what we strive to deliver. My proudest professional achievements aren’t delivering billions of pounds of inward investment nor seeing the city skyline transform; most major cities can do that. What makes the difference is when we can innovate to deliver something better, be more inclusive along the way, and, for once, improve the well-being of future generations as well as those in the here and now. This needn’t cost anything but happens all too infrequently. 

"The more educated or qualified you are, the easier it is to be convinced you know best and to dismiss the views of others. Planners, with their university degrees, statutes, complex rules, and processes, are guilty of this more than most. I know I can and should, and will do more"

Recently, I was invited to meet at a local youth forum in one of Cardiff's most culturally diverse yet deprived areas to discuss the city's strategic vision. These highly intelligent, passionate young people were far from satisfied with how the city was developing. They had little confidence that what we were “planning” would improve their quality of life. Often, such groups are referred to as “hard to reach” when, in reality, it is the bureaucracy of our internal processes and the impenetrable language we so readily use that deny many people a voice or say in how their communities are managed. The more educated or qualified you are, the easier it is to be convinced you know best and to dismiss the views of others. Planners, with their university degrees, statutes, complex rules, and processes, are guilty of this more than most. I know I can and should, and will do more.

Time For a Change?

I am embarrassed and appalled to see so few women or people from minority ethnic communities working in the UK development industry, particularly at a senior level. 

How can we truly represent our communities if we exclude so many of our citizens from the opportunity to be part of the solution? Yes, local and national governments are under-resourced and often fail to be competitive with the private sector regarding career opportunities and development in most cases. However, funding is only half the story here, as we do far too little to promote our profession as a unique and worthwhile career for all. I started working for Cardiff as a 22-year-old graduate and am still here. Hopefully, others may be inspired to do the same by sharing a small part of my story and enthusiasm for my profession, seeking to amplify voices, and trying to do better.