Reflections from both sides of the table
Six months on from my move from Salford City Council, I’m reflecting on how life in the private sector differs from my 14 years in local government.
My career as a local authority case officer was hugely rewarding. Getting to see a project through from start to finish and, even better, see it get built, was a great feeling and I had a sense of ownership about every scheme I’d worked on, for example, at Trafford Waters (Peel’s regeneration site on the banks of the Ship Canal) and Renaker’s Colliers Yard towers in Greengate.
But I took the leap to the private sector to experience and influence placemaking beyond the border of a local authority boundary, and also get back to “the coalface” of planning negotiations, rather than the managerial role I’d worked my way into.
Working opposite Euan and the team over the years, I’d always admired the way they respected my view as a case officer. They appreciated my time and approached officers like we were part of the same team. This collaborative approach really stood out for me and I could tell that a move to Euan Kellie would be a good fit.
SO HOW HAS IT BEEN?
Here are three things that have struck me, now that I’ve sat on both sides of the table…
Getting Involved Earlier in the Development Cycle
As a consultant, we receive the initial key information at the start of a project and work to fill in the missing pieces and build a narrative to justify the development proposition. We build the case to get it to a place where you can present to the local authority planners. We work proactively to give our client as much help and advice as we can from the outset, even if the full picture isn’t yet established.
The role of the case officer is to weigh up a case and offer feedback and guidance to move the project forward, to which consultants then react and respond. It’s an iterative process and planners sat on both sides of the table need each other for the process to work well.
A good case officer will identify gaps that need plugging to get it to a place where it can be determined. And a good consultant will know what information is needed to smooth the process. Both are, in essence, excellent project managers, but the planning consultant gets involved in the wider lifecycle of a development project and has an appreciation of the amount of work that goes into bringing a site forward.
More Headroom for Creative Thinking
Under-resourcing in local authorities is well documented, and while many local planning authorities have adapted well to become more commercial (through charging for pre-app advice, for example), it’s still a major issue that inevitably adds pressure and impacts on officers’ working environment.
In my new role, I have more headroom to think creatively about a project, formulate the right planning strategy and be on the front foot.
With so many hard working, brilliant planners in the public sector, and particularly with the scale of challenges facing the sector, it’s absolutely crucial that central government gives it the focus and funding it needs.
We’re Not That Different!
Perhaps most importantly, though, now I’ve witnessed the planning process from both sides of the same table, I can say that we’re really not that different.
Each sector has far too many preconceptions about the other but having had a foot firmly in both camps I can confirm that there is a lot more that we share than would set us apart.
Planners on both sides of the table value quality placemaking, work hard and want to get the best result for a place. We must put our focus into fostering positive relationships and working collaboratively to achieve the right outcomes for a place.
WHAT’S NEXT FOR EUAN KELLIE?
Looking ahead to the next six months, we have a lot of interesting schemes in the pipeline, particularly in Salford and Manchester, that I am confident will create fantastic places for people to live, work and play. Urban renewal is something we are passionate about, and we’ll be submitting an application shortly on behalf of Zephyr X that will help to grow the emerging community in Manchester’s Great Ducie Street Framework Area.
Whether you work in the public or private sector, a career in planning always throws up new challenges, and dealing with them is demanding and exciting in equal measure.
I feel really lucky to live and work in Manchester – a city which is changing and growing fast.
And I’m glad I’ve made the move.
