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RTPI NORTH EAST – REGIONAL MANAGEMENT BOARD
AGENDA – MEETING AT 6.00 PM ON MONDAY 21 OCTOBER 2013
GVA Level 4 Central Square Forth Street Newcastle NE1 3PJhttp://www.gva.co.uk/newcastle/#2
__________________________________________________________________________________
1. Welcome by Chair David Cullingford and apologies for absence
2. Minutes of the Regional Management Board meeting 1st July 2013Circulated for approval with this agenda. (attached)
3. Declarations of Interest
Latest RTPI Policy September 2013 attached for consideration
4. Matters arising from the Minutes not otherwise covered on this agenda
5. Report from the General Assembly Meeting 16 Oct 2013
6. Report from Regions and Nations Panel (attached)Meeting 19 Sept 2013 (Teleconference: Agenda. Action points and most papers attached by way of embedded shortcuts)
7. Review of Regional Operations Manual 2012 (attached)Planning Aid section needs rewrite
8. Centenary Year 2014 ProgressFunding arrangements
9. AGM 2 December 2013 preparationsReview of external appointments (attached)Preparations for Annual Report: Timescale and suggested Authors to be agreed (2012 Annual Report attached separately as a Word document)Review of committee memberships as of 16 Oct 2013 in preparation for AGM (attached)
10. Agenda and Items for RAPC 25 November 2013Dr Lee Pugalis invitation
11. Topical IssuesWorld Town Planning Day 6 – 7 November 2013 Free places take upRegional awards- policy on written documentsNew Towns Come of Age: Washington 50th anniversary 2014
12. Any Other Business
Andy EdwardsHon Secretary0784 024 7233 (m)01642 317344 (h)
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Remaining Meeting dates 2013:
Regional Activities & Policy Committee: at GVA Level 4 Central Square Forth Street Newcastle NE1 3PJ25 November 2013
AGM at Eversheds2 December 2013
RTPI NORTH EAST – REGIONAL MANAGEMENT BOARD
MINUTES OF MEETING HELD ON 1 JULY 2013
At GVA Central Square Newcastle NE1 3PJ
Present David Cullingford (Region Chair), Stephen Litherland (Senior Vice Chair), Richard Newsome (Junior Vice Chair), Joe Ridgeon (Immediate Past Chair), Graham Garnham (Hon Treasurer), Jan Bessell (General Assembly rep) and Andy Edwards (Hon Secretary)
In attendance Richard Arkell (Chair, Regional Policy Group), Chris Clarke (Chair, Member and Public Relations Committee), Steve France (Chair, CPD Group) and Kay Lough (Regional Co-ordinator)
Apologies Elaine Langman (Chair, Planning Aid Sub Group),
13.34 Welcome by Chair David Cullingford
David Cullingford welcomed members to the meeting and thanked GVA for hosting this and future meetings.
13.35 Minutes of the Regional Management Board meeting held on 15 April 2013
The minutes that had been circulated prior to the meeting were agreed as a true record subject to the following alteration:
13.32 Read Thomas Sharp lecture for Charles Sheridan lecture!
13.36 Interim Policy on Declarations of Interest (report circulated)
The Hon Sec had prepared a suggested approach to dealing with potential conflicts of interest pending the RTPI centrally clarifying the proposal made in April 2013 on potential conflicts of interest. Queries over these had been raised at both RMB and RAPC meetings. The interim policy would only be applied to committee meetings
A conflict of interest was defined as:
“a situation in which a committee member’s personal interests, or interests that they owe
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to their involvement elsewhere, may (or could be perceived to ) influence or affect their decision making at the committee. These interests could be either pecuniary or non-pecuniary.”
IT WAS AGREED that the policy is to be adopted for all RAPC and RMB meetings pending the clarification and revision of the April 2013 Conflicts of Interest policy by the RTPI centrally
13.37 Matters arising from the minutes of the meeting held on the 15 th April 2013 not covered elsewhere on the agenda
Minute 13.32 Thomas Sharp lecture: sponsor needed
IT WAS AGREED that the Chair would decide what would be appropriate with the University as part of the Centenary Planning for 2014
13.38 Report back from the General Assembly 19 June 2013 (reports circulated)
Attended by Jan Bessell
Roberta Blackman–Woods (MP for Durham and Shadow Minister for Communities and Local Government) was an invitee to the General Assembly which will help the North East’s profile.
National Planning Policy Framework and role of LEPS (Local Economic Partnerships) in implementing planning policies discussed.
The recently established English Policy panel will feed in comments on behalf of RTPI.
RTPI will be contacting all major political parties before their manifestos are produced to try and have an input into their policies at an early stage.
Centenary themes now on RTPI website
Two of the centenary projects were in the North East region and it was agreed to invite Dr Lee Pugalis of Northumbria University to the next RAPC on the 16 th Sept 2013 to discuss his project.
13.39 Hon Treasurer’s report on North East Region Business Plan and Budget 2014 (report circulated)
Following the meeting of the Regions and Nations Panel in May 2013 it appears that 2014 budgets will follow on from 2013 experience and there would be no detailed review of Region’s finances i.e. the same formula regional grants would apply (although there was nothing specific in the Regions and Nations minutes to that effect.)
2014 is Year 2 of three year strategy from 2013 to 2015. Although there are now 5 rather than 7 corporate objectives the Business plan has not altered materially as the previous objectives have been combined under new headings.
It was difficult to measure impact “on the ground” to members of the Regional operations
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with CPD the main interface. This was a key concern of the RTPI Trustees in judging Regional performance
It was decided to refer charging at CPD events in 2014 to the Planning Aid England sub group bearing in mind need to price sensibly to both members and non-members. A further survey eg Survey Monkey would be useful in gaining insights into customer attitudes.
One project requiring budgetary assistance will be the Centenary events in 2014. This would form a bid to the centre to use reserves based on a Business case.
The Centenary committee should also investigate if there was a Business case for the proposal of a timeline in relationship to the First World war.
Overall the 2014 Budget would follow closely the existing approved 2013 to 2015 Business Plan and budget.
It was expected that the Budget would need to be submitted in September 2013 before the next RMB meeting in October 2013.
IT WAS AGREED to delegate the submission of the 2014 Budget to the Hon Treasurer in consultation with the Chair of the Board following consultation with the Chairs of the sub groups.
13.40 Report of the Member and Public Relations Group (report circulated)
Improving communication with members was discussed by using the newsletter and the Regional web page.
The main way forward was through social media e.g. Twitter and Linked-in with emphasis on quality not quantity of content. Training would need to be provided to all contributors e.g. to make clear statements on Twitter are personal opinions on a professional basis.
Joe Ridgeon would now be leading on the group.
The role of RAPC members in supporting the work of the RTPI regionally was discussed.There was a need to ensure participation of all RAPC members in this work and this would to be explained to all members who joined the RAPC. It would also help members feel more engaged in the RTPI. The aim was to encourage all members to have a role.
IT WAS AGREED THAT the first RAPC meeting after the 2013 AGM would concentrate on member’s roles in the RTPI NE and encourage membership of sub committees and specific areas such as member communication.
13.41 AGM 2 December 2013
Eversheds are hosting and Ian Cansfield is the contact for Chris Brown at IGLOO who is the speaker.Topic to be agreed and notices of the AGM to be issued before next RAPC in September 2013
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13.42 Centenary Group meeting 8 July 2013
Rose Gilroy to be invited.
13.43 Agenda for next meeting 21 October 2013
Items identified so far are:
1)Hon Sec to report to meeting on North East Regional Operations Manual annual review and update
2)Report back from General Assembly 16 Oct 2013 Jan Bessell attending
3)Report back from Regions and Nations Panel 19 Sept 2013: attendance to be determined once the agenda is known early in September
13.45 Any Other Business
1) Role of the Young Planner group
Informality has been its key strength but the role of the group following the national reform in 2012 needs to be recognised in the overall regional structure i.e as sub group of RAPC.
Issues included finance and whether formal Chair or a rep is needed.
Formal role to be included in review of the Regional Operations Manual.
2) CPD 2014: Programme currently being put together with suggestions welcomed.
Andy Edwards
Hon Secretary01642 317344 (h)0784 024 7233 (m)
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ITEM 3 REVISED CONFLICT OF INTEREST POLICY BY RTPI CENTRAL
Conflict of interest policy
September 2013
This policy applies to Trustees, committee members and senior staff
Why we have a Policy
Trustees have a legal obligation to act in the best interests of The Royal Town Planning Institute, and in accordance with The Royal Town Planning Institute’s governing documents, and to avoid situations where there may be a potential conflict of interest. Staff and volunteers have similar obligations. The Institute’s bye laws contain the rules which govern conflicts of issue in particular paragraphs 74 to 77.
Conflicts of interests may arise where an individual’s business, personal or family interests and/or loyalties conflict with those of The Royal Town Planning Institute. Such conflicts may create problems; they can:
• inhibit free discussion;• result in decisions or actions that are not in the interests of The Royal Town
Planning Institute and;• risk giving the impression that The Royal Town Planning Institute has acted
improperly.
The aim of this policy is to protect both the Institute and the individuals involved from any appearance of impropriety. It derives not only from the Institute’s bye laws but also from the Charity Commission’s operational guidance A Guide to conflicts of interest for Charity Trusteeshttp://www.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity_requirements_guidance/charity_governance/good_governance/conflicts.aspx and the ICSA Best Practice guide on Managing Conflicts of interest in the not for profit sector.
The Declaration of Interests
Accordingly, we are asking Trustees, committee members, senior staff and those staff who are party to financial decisions to declare their interests, and any gifts or hospitality received in connection with their role or association in The Royal Town Planning Institute. The guidance on gifts and hospitality will apply to all staff. A declaration of interests form is provided for this purpose, listing the types of interest you should declare.
To be effective, the declaration of interests needs to be updated at least annually and also when any changes occur.
If you are not sure what to declare, or whether/when your declaration needs to be updated, please err on the side of caution. If you would like to discuss this issue, please contact the Chief Executive or Managing Director. In addition Trustees can consult the Honorary Solicitor and Honorary Secretary for confidential guidance.
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This register of interests shall also be used to record all gifts of a value over £25 received by the Trustees, committee member and any member of staff. Interests and gifts will be recorded on the charity’s register of interests, which will be maintained by the Governance officer. The register will be accessible by Trustees and senior staff. Data Protection
The information provided will be processed in accordance with data protection principles as set out in the Data Protection Act 1998. Data will be processed only to ensure that Trustees, committee members and senior staff act in the best interests of The Royal Town Planning Institute. The information will not be used for any other purposes.
What to do if you face a Conflict of Interest
If you are a user of The Royal Town Planning Institute’s services, or the carer of someone who uses the Institute’s services, you should not be involved in decisions that directly affect the service that you, or the person you care for, receive(s). You should declare your interest at the earliest opportunity and withdraw from any subsequent discussion. The same applies if you face a conflict for any other reason.
You may, however, participate in discussions from which you may indirectly benefit, for example where the benefits are universal to all users or where your benefit is minimal.
If you fail to declare an interest that is known to the Chief Executive and/or the Chair of the Board of Trustees, the Chief Executive or Chair will declare that interest on your behalf.
Decisions taken where a Trustee or Member of Staff has an Interest
In the event of the Board or committee having to decide upon a question in which a Trustee, committee member or member of staff has an interest, all decisions will be made by vote, with a simple majority required. A quorum must be present for the discussion and decision; interested parties will not be counted when deciding whether the meeting is quorate.
Interested Board (or committee) members may not vote on matters affecting their own interests.
All decisions under a conflict of interest recorded by the minute taker and reported in the minutes of the meetings.
The report will record:
• the nature and extent of the conflict;• an outline of the discussion;• the actions taken to manage the conflict.
Where a trustee benefits from the decision, this will be reported in the annual report and accounts in accordance with the current Charities SORP.
All payments or benefits in kind to Trustees will be reported in the accounts and annual report, with amounts for each Trustee listed for the year in question.
Where a member of The Royal Town Planning Institute staff is connected to a party involved in the supply of a service or product to the charity, this information will also be fully disclosed in the annual report and accounts.
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Independent external moderation will be used where conflicts cannot be resolved through the usual procedures.Managing Contracts
If you have a conflict of interest, you must not be involved in managing or monitoring a contract in which you have an interest. Monitoring arrangements for such contracts will include provisions for an independent challenge of bills and invoices, and termination of the contract if the relationship is deemed unsatisfactory.
MRTPI Chartered Members
The responsibilities in the policy are in addition to those contained within the Code of Professional Conduct for Chartered Town Planners which applies to Trustees, committee members and staff who are members of The Royal Town Planning Institute.
Appendix B
ROYAL TOWN PLANNING INSTITUTERegister of Member’s Interests
In all cases please give details of the interest and whether it applies to yourself or, where appropriate, a member of your immediate family, connected persons or some other close personal connection.
I ……………………………….. as a Trustee/Member of the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) have set out below my interests in accordance with the organisation’s conflicts of interest policy.
Nature of Interest
1. Current employment and any previous employment in which you continue to have a financial interest.
2. Remunerated and unremunerated appointments e.g. trusteeships, directorships, local authority membership, tribunals or committee membership, paid or unpaid, held in other organisations, charities or voluntary bodies over the last five years.
3. Memberships of Professional bodies, special interest groups, mutual support organisations, trade unions, or other organisations.
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4. Companies or other bodies where business could be affected by the work of the RTPI, in which you, or a member of your close family have shareholdings with a nominal value greater than £25,000 or in which you hold more than 1% of the total shares. Also any land or property of substantial value, or from which income is derived. You need not declare your home unless an income is derived from it.
5. Gifts or hospitality offered to you by external bodies to RTPI and its branches and whether this was declined or accepted in the last twelve months.
6. Any connection or contractual relationship with RTPI or RTPI services or with existing contracts for the supply of goods or services to RTPI or RTPI Services.
7. Any other conflicts not covered by the above
To the best of my knowledge, the above information is complete and correct. I undertake to update as necessary the information provided, and to review the accuracy of the information on an annual basis. I give my consent for it to be used for the purposes described in the conflicts of interest policy and for no other purpose.
Signed: …………………………………………………..
Position: …………………………………………………
Date: ……………………………………………………..
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ITEM 6 REGIONS AND NATIONS PANEL SEPTEMBER 2013
Regions and Nations Panel17 September 2013
London, Botolph Lane
12-3 pm NB Any problems opening Word shortcuts please contact A Edwards
Agenda
1. Welcome and introductions
2. Apologies
3. Minutes
4. Matters ArisingFor Discussion
5. Awards
6. Tools for the job
7. RTPI News
8. Housing Research
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9. RTPI Events and Professional Competency
Updates
10. Centenary update
11. Chief Executive Report
Action Points arising Regions and Nations Panel September 2013
Topic Action Date Due
Responsible
Finance Sub Group
CV to prepare paper update paper on finance considering options for generating income.
ASAP CV
Conflict of Interest
CV to circulate the guide for conflicts of interest form and Colin Bendall’s email address
ASAP CV
Conflict of Interest
Regions and Nations to direct concerns about the conflicts of interest to Colin Bendall.
ASAP Regions and Nations
Awards CV to get clarification from Tino as to the rules regarding Award entries at a regional level
ASAP CV
System Guides
CV to look at updating guides to systems used and clarify what is expected of the different roles of the Region.
ASAP CV
Template email Signatures
CV to provide a template for RTPI email signatures
ASAP CV
Email Accounts
CV to look into Regional Honorary Secretaries having an RTPI email account
ASAP CV
Email Requests
CV to ensure that RTPI Staff are clear what action they want when making email requests to the Regions and Nations.
ASAP CV
Centenary Regions and Nations to keep CV updated regarding their Centenary plans
Ongoing Regions and Nations
Chief Executive Report
CV to ask Colin Bendall to circulate deadlines for submissions for the Chief Executive Report
ASAP CV
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Alex McKenzie September 2013
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ITEM 7 ANNUAL REVIEW OF OPERATIONS MANUAL
2013 review RMB Oct 2013
North East Regional Operations Manual
Revised June 2012
Based on an original produced by Ben Johnson, Jamie Simpson and Mark Stewart for RTPI North East in
January 2011
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Contents
Page No
Abbreviations List 1
Glossary 1
Introduction 2
Purpose 2
Scope 2
Context 2
RTPI North East 3
RTPI Central & North East Structure 4
Executive Board 5
General Assembly 5
Regions and Nations Panel 5
Regional Management Board 6
Regional Activities and Policy Committee 7
Planning Aid North Steering Group 8
Regional Policy Sub-committee 9
CPD Group 10
Member and Public Relations Sub-committee 11
Young Planners Steering Group 12
Next Steps 13
Getting Involved 14
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RMB 21 October 2013
Abbreviations list
Abbreviation Stands for...CPD Continuing Professional Development
M & PR Member & Public RelationsPAE Planning Aid England
RAPC Regional Activities and Policy CommitteeRIBA Royal Institute of British ArchitectsRICS Royal Institute of Chartered SurveyorsRMB Regional Management BoardRNP Regions and Nations PanelROM Regional Operations ManualRP Regional Policy
RTPI Royal Town Planning InstituteYPSG Young Planners Steering Group
Glossary
Term DefinitionThe Institute The RTPI as a whole, i.e. RTPI Central
and the 13 Regions and NationsLocal Government Re-organisation Unification of district councils in Durham
and Northumberland into single unitary authorities, which occurred on 1 April
2009Planning Aid An organisation which provides free,
independent and professional planning advice to communities and individuals who cannot afford to pay professional
feesRTPI Central The central administrative body of the
RTPI, based in Botolph Lane, London, which provides secretariat to the General
Assembly and Executive BoardRTPI North East One of the 13 RTPI Regions and
Nations, covering North East England
_________________________________________________________________________________
Registered Office: The Royal Town Planning Institute, 41 Botolph Lane, London EC3R 8DLA charity registered in England 262865 and Scotland SC 037841
RMB 21 Oct 2013
Introduction
The Regional Operations Manual (ROM) outlines the operating structures currently in place for the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) North East. The ROM is intended to enable RTPI members of all levels, and those with an interest in RTPI North East, to quickly and fully understand the roles and remits of the various committees and sub-committees, detailing how these groups operate within the RTPI North East structure and how they link with RTPI Central. The document will be updated on a regular basis to reflect changes in the North East Region and nationally.
Purpose
The RTPI is dependent on volunteers to achieve its goals and objectives. Something that was evident from research conducted for the ROM is that there can be confusion about the roles and remits of the various committees and sub-committees and how members can get involved. This confusion may serve to dissuade people from volunteering. This is something which the ROM aims to tackle; by presenting information in a clear and coherent manner, it opens up opportunities for members to get involved without the hassle of navigating endless documents to gain an understanding of what RTPI North East does.
Scope
The ROM is intended to provide clarity about RTPI North East structures in a concise and understandable document. The development of the ROM was in part influenced by the findings of the RTPI North East Outreach Project which was completed in July 2009. The Outreach Project involved questionnaires and a series of workshops which aimed to investigate in-depth the interests, attitudes and priorities of professional or student planners in the North East region, regarding the services provided by the RTPI both regionally and nationally. In addition, the project intended to canvass those who are not Institute members, and/or do not participate in Institute activities on a regular basis. The intention was to involve not only those who were members of the RTPI, but also associated practitioners, such as technicians, enforcement officers, and those whose qualifications do not entitle them to RTPI membership. The ROM will play an important role in refreshing and focusing the project’s findings and give them fresh impetus moving forward by complimenting the work of the Outreach Project and tackling a number of issues raised by respondents of the project.
Context
Due to the current economic uncertainty in the UK, many RTPI members will face, or indeed will have already experienced, cutbacks in workloads, salary cuts and even redundancy. Conversely, those who remain in employment (especially in the public sector) are actually likely to see drastically increased workloads, limited support and guidance and reduced rewards and opportunities to advance their career. In this case the RTPI offers members an opportunity to engage with a wide variety of planning related work and various topic networks which will not only keep them abreast of the latest developments in the planning sector, but will also provide networking opportunities and further key skills which will prove beneficial when looking for new employment or coping with increased pressure and workloads in their
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RMB 21 Oct 2013
current role. At the same time the RTPI benefits through the expertise and time of a variety of members with a wide range of specialism’s, which helps the Institute to achieve its overarching goals and objectives
RTPI North East
There are approximately 900??? RTPI members in the North East Region, of which around 600 are Chartered Members. Geographically, the region has a mixture of urban areas and remote rural communities spread across a large area. Within the Region, there are 12 local authorities, which can be roughly separated into 4 sub-regional areas: Durham; Northumberland; Tees Valley; and Tyne and Wear. In addition, there is a separate authorities responsible for planning within Northumberland National Park and North York Moors National Park. .
RTPI North East produces a Business Plan covering three-year periods. This plan identifies the aims, objectives and priorities of the RTPI Region over this period, along with budget estimates. The current Business Plan covers the period 2012-2014 and can be accessed here1.
RTPI North East receives income from four sources: a yearly Region and Nations grant direct from RTPI Central, consisting of a flat
fee plus extra money per member in the Region; income from CPD events organised by the Region; funding from RTPI Central for the North East Regional Co-ordinator position;
and other external support and sponsorship
The North East’s CPD income has historically been very healthy due to the excellent organisation and feedback process implemented by the North East Regional Co-ordinator. However, the economic downturn and local government re-organisation in Northumberland and County Durham could potentially affect this income. With regard to this, the current Business Plan projected two different scenarios which could be adopted, which were debated by the Regional Management Board.
The RTPI North East structure is made up of a number of committees and sub-committees. The following pages show this structure and give a profile of each committee and sub-committee. For an in-depth explanation of the rules and regulations of RTPI North East, click here.
RTPI Structure 1 Click here to register for the RTPI website. Once registered, you can apply for access to the RTPI North East members area, which will enable you to access the various hyperlinks throughout this document.
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RTPI CENTRAL
↓
↓
RTPI NORTH EAST ↓
↓
↓
↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ →
Executive Board
Regions & Nations Panel
(RNP)
General Assembly
Regional Management Board
(RMB)
Regional Activities and Policy
Committee (RAPC)
Planning
Aid Group
Regional
Policy
Regional
CPD Group
Member & Public
Relations Group
Young
Planners Group
RMB 21 Oct 2013
RTPI Central
Executive Board
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RMB 21 Oct 2013
The RTPI is managed by a Board of Trustees known as the Executive Board. The Executive Board has 15 trustees who have ultimate responsibility for the affairs of the Institute. The Board is comprised of the Honorary Officers of the Institute, eight members elected by the General Assembly and one member elected from the region representatives on the General Assembly. The RTPI Chief Executive also sits on the Board but is not a trustee. For more information on the Executive Board, click here.
General Assembly
Below the Executive Board sits the General Assembly, which consists of 62 members and includes representatives from each of the RTPI Regions and Nations. This debating body of the RTPI covers development of planning policy and practice, and corporate policy issues. The General Assembly now meets three times a year and is also responsible for electing the executive board. As this forum covers more broad and strategic issues than the RNP, we felt that it was not relevant to include a specific section on the General Assembly in relation to its interaction with individual RTPI Regions and Nations.
Region and Nations Panel
The Regions and Nations Panel (RNP) co-ordinates the activities of the 13 RTPI Regions and Nations. The RNP meets quarterly and discusses more operational issues associated with the day to day running of RTPI regional activity, for example newsletters, websites and financial issues. The RNP is a forum which allows issues at a regional level to be discussed in a national context and also allows for the national level to relate issues back to the regional level.
The RNP is chaired by the senior or junior vice president of the RTPI. The chair is an elected position decided by the membership, while the vice chair is the RTPI Executive Board member who holds the Regions and Nations Representative position. There are 15 members of the RNP in total, one from each of the 13 Regions and Nations as well as the chair and vice chair.
RTPI North East is formally represented on the RNP by the Honorary Secretary. However, different RTPI North East members can represent the region at RNP for particular specialist topics such as finance. Communication of day to day issues between national and regional levels is usually channelled through the Member Services Manager for RTPI Central and the North East Regional Co-ordinator.
Regional Management Board (RMB)
The Regional Management Board (RMB) is responsible for maintaining the strategic direction of RTPI North East, making decisions on budgets and business planning, giving emphasis to the CPD programme and providing a formal link to RTPI Central via the Regions and Nations Panel. The RMB primarily has an administration and
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RMB 21 Oct 2013
housekeeping role, leaving much of the day to day running of the region to the Regional Activities and Policy Committee. The RMB is made up of seven Principal Officers:
the RTPI North East Chair the Senior Vice Chair the Junior Vice Chair the Honorary Secretary the Honorary Treasurer the Immediate Past Chair; and the Regional Representative on the General Assembly
In addition, the chairs of the various sub-committees attend RMB to keep the Principal Officers updated on their work. RMB meets four times per year and works to a formal agenda set by the Honorary Secretary, in conjunction with the Region Chair, which usually includes discussion of budget issues and feedback from RTPI Central.
The RMB is the only RTPI North East committee which you cannot attend without invitation. However, while opportunities to get involved in RMB are limited, there are other committees and sub-committees which members of all classes can get involved with. To find out more about these opportunities, please e-mail [email protected] or visit the RTPI North East website.
Regional Activities and Policy Committee (RAPC)
The Regional Activities and Policy Committee (RAPC) is the fulcrum of the RTPI North East structure. The RAPC is responsible for co-ordinating the various sub-committees which are responsible for service delivery. This is achieved by the active participation of all committee members in one or more service delivery sub committee. The RAPC operates under delegated responsibility from the RMB, although decisions are usually reported back to the RMB for feedback. RMB
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RMB 21 Oct 2013
provides the broad strategic direction which RAPC follows in order to successfully deliver the aims and objectives of RTPI North East.
RAPC currently meets four times per year, chaired by the Senior Vice-Chair of RTPI North East. Its membership consists of 30 members, including the seven Principal Officers who make up the RMB membership (plus the Deputy Representative on the General Assembly) and the following members:
16 Corporate Members, standing for a two year term (half of these members to be elected every year);
2 Student or Licentiate Members in Employment, standing for a two year term (one member to be elected each year);
2 Student or Licentiate members in Full-Time Planning Education, standing for a one year term (both elected each academic year starting from September); and
2 Non-Corporate members, who may be Technical Members or Associate Members, standing for a two year term (one member to be elected each year).
The RAPC includes non-principal officers - the Chairs of the 4 Sub-Committees (CPD Group, Member & PR Group, Planning Aid Group and Regional Policy Group) and (if appointed) the Assistant Honorary Secretary (who provides a secretariat function for the RAPC). The role of these non-principal officers is to provide two way links between the RAPC and the sub-committees, ensuring that information and decisions are fed back to both parties. For a full list of the current RAPC membership, click here.
There are numerous opportunities for members of all classes to get involved in the RAPC. To find out more about these opportunities, please e-mail [email protected] or visit the RTPI North East website.
Planning Aid England Group Section needs update
The Planning Aid service in the North East has been in a state of transition since the end of the original DCLG funding of Planning Aid England in March 2011. Reduced DCLG funding provided a less comprehensive service during 2011-2012, but once again there is great uncertainty about whether that regime will be continued. Against this background, RTPI North East has confirmed its commitment to supporting the continuation of an effective Planning aid service in the Region.
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RMB 21 Oct 2013
Prior to March 2011, Planning Aid North (PAN) provided free planning advice to people across the North East and Cumbria, and worked with community groups to develop their understanding of the planning system so that they can communicate their views more effectively. PAN succeeded in gaining support and funding from across the Region and beyond. For example, during 2008/09, PAN outreached to over 15,000 members of the community through their core services (Case Work and Community Planning) and funded projects, and reached up to 9,000 people through various promotional campaigns. In 2008/09, PAN also organised 160 individual events benefiting an estimated 4,000 members of the community.
The formal Planning Aid Steering Group in the Region – part of the national Planning Aid arrangements – ceased to exist with the demise of PAN in 2011. However, because of the Regional Management Board’s commitment to the continuation of the service, it immediately replaced the Steering Group with a Planning Aid Group (as a sub-committee of RAPC), with the immediate role of attempting to keep “on board” the network of planning aid volunteers in the Region, and supporting the remaining outreach worker in the Region..
Getting involved in Planning Aid provides benefits to both the individual who volunteers, through development of skills and experience, and to people and communities at large, who benefit from the advice and support that Planning Aid provides. Not all of the volunteer activities require you to be a full member of the RTPI. Anyone who has an interest in planning, who enjoys working with people and communities or is from a planning or planning-related profession or academic background is encouraged to register their interest with Planning Aid and may be able to get involved in their programme of community planning. If you are a student member of the RTPI or a student and not a member and looking for an opportunity to gain some planning experience, it is possible to get involved with non-advisory volunteering opportunities and assisting at community planning events.
The Planning Aid Group currently meets as required in the present times of uncertainty for the future of the service. For full details of the current PAN Steering Group membership, click here.
To register with Planning Aid click here or e-mail [email protected] for more information.
Regional Policy Group
The Regional Policy Group (formerly the Regional Policy Sub-Committee) was created in 2009 to provide a North East-centric response to policy consultations released by RTPI Central and the Government. The sub-committee focuses on documents featured in a monthly schedule distributed by RTPI Central’s Policy team. In addition, the Group champions the work already undertaken by RTPI North East and its regional members.
The Group does not meet on a regular basis, opting instead to meet on a ‘virtual’ basis through e-mail and other means. However, its importance to RTPI North East is great, given that it provides responses to policy proposals which have the potential to
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impact on the Region. The Group acts as the Region’s unified voice, committed to ensuring the Region’s concerns and opinions are heard and taken on board fairly, while also acting as a ‘critical friend’ in terms of ensuring that policy documents are generally fit for purpose. Given the massive structural changes to the planning system already implemented or currently proposed by the Coalition Government, the expertise provided by the Group is invaluable in maintaining a regional perspective.
To find out more about getting involved in the RP sub-committee, please e-mail [email protected] or visit the RTPI North East website.
Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Group
Formerly known as the Education and Research Sub-Committee, the CPD Group is responsible for developing an annual programme of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) events to help meet the requirement for RTPI members in the Region to keep up to date with a variety of key issues and skills in planning and related activity. The Group meets monthly under the chairmanship of Steve France, and consists of eight members.
The key role of the Group is to draw up a programme of day or half-day events, centred on current and topical planning issues, including the identification of suitable speakers, with the events themselves being facilitated by Kay Lough, the Regional Co-ordinator. The events are generally well attended and focus on standard planning update seminars (such as Planning Law and Sustainable Development) as well as on more
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specialist topics or recent policy documents and announcements. There are usually 10 – 11 Regional CPD events per year, held in a range of locations across the North East. To view upcoming CPD events to be held in the Region, click here.
The programme is signed off annually by the Regional Management Board. Income from the events is vital to RTPI North East’s funding, and it remains to be seen what will be the long term effects of the recession and Local Government Re-organisation in County Durham and Northumberland, which has drastically reduced the number of client local authorities in the Region.
Delegate feedback from individual events is used by the CPD Group to help shape the following year’s programme. Once topics have been identified by the Group, individual members are nominated to act as the organiser for each event, working with the Region Co-ordinator to ensure that the organisation and execution of the events runs smoothly, and that issues arising from the event and feedback forms are communicated effectively.
There are numerous opportunities for members of all classes to get involved in the CPD Group. To find out more about these opportunities, please e-mail [email protected] or visit the RTPI North East website.
Member and Public Relations Group
The Member and Public Relations (M & PR) sub-committee has a wide ranging remit focused on maximising the services provided to members. Key facets of this remit include:
Production of a monthly e-Bulletin and a seasonal newsletter, updating RTPI North East members on the latest news in the Region.
Organisation of the Annual Awards Dinner, which honour outstanding examples of regeneration in the North East. Click here to view the recipients of the 2010 Awards.
Facilitation of an Annual Careers Fair, which brings employers in the planning sector together with planning students. The number of employers present at the 2010 Careers Fair was affected by the Recession, but the Fair was still attended by over 60 planning students.
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Providing links and sharing information with the regional groups of other professional bodies, such as the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA).
Organisation of social events, including the annual RTPI North East Football Tournament and walking tours around various points of interest in the region.
Supporting the Young Planners Group (discussed in next section).
The M & PR sub-committee is currently made up of 14 members. The group meets on a bi-monthly basis. For a full list of the current members, click here.
As the M & PR sub-committee’s main focus is providing support to RTPI North East members, it is important for it to react to issues arising due to the current economic climate. Currently, the sub-committee runs the aforementioned Annual Careers Fair aimed at planning students. However, they have also responded to the increasing lack of job opportunities in the planning profession by holding a free workshop in July 2010, which offered support to planners struggling to find employment. The workshop featured a mixture of presentations as well as discussion groups to talk about issues affecting individuals and provide support on available next steps.
To find out more about getting involved in the M & PR sub-committee, please e-mail [email protected] or visit the RTPI North East website.
Young Planners Steering Group Needs update
The Young Planners Steering Group (YP) is an important part of the RTPI North East structure, representing the future of RTPI North East and the planning profession as a whole. Young Planners are entitled to is not an official sub-committee, it is an important subset of the Member and Public Relations sub-committee, from whom they receive support and direction, including small amounts of funding where possible.
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What is a Young Planner?
The name ‘Young Planner’ is itself a misnomer; while it suggests young as in students or recent graduates, the definition in this sense means any planner up to the age of 35. This could lead to problems associated with the term ‘Young’, namely inexperience, and may put some people off getting involved with the group. This is a key issue for the YPSG to tackle, in order to ensure that members are getting involved with RTPI North East activities.
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The YPSG operate a rotating chair system, where the chair of the meeting has been chosen at the end of the previous meeting. However, this is currently being reconsidered. At present, the group consists of 10 members, made up of current planning students and recent graduates. The YPSG is responsible for the organisation of a number of events, including:
the Annual RTPI President’s Visit; various free evening seminars on a number of planning topics; and numerous social events, both one-off and regular, such as a Speed
Networking evening and an Annual Christmas Drinks reception.
The YP also maintains links with young professionals from other professional bodies such as MATRICS, the young Chartered Surveyor group. The group also fosters a close working relationship with Newcastle University’s Planning Society (Plan Soc). A recent key achievement of the YPSG was the successful bid to bring the National Young Planners Conference to Newcastle in 2009.
The YP offers an important gateway into RTPI North East for members of all classes, from student to full chartered. It also offers a support mechanism, helping put people in touch with potential employers and encouraging people to get involved with RTPI North East.
To get involved with the group, visit the Young Planners section of the RTPI North East website or e-mail [email protected]. You can also join the Young Planners Network, a virtual community of Young Planners, set up to act as a voice for all young planners within the RTPI.
Next Steps
This document looks at the role and remit of the various committees and sub-committees within the RTPI North East structure. This is discussed in depth, providing interactive links to help users of the ROM to understand the everyday operations of RTPI North East in a clear, user friendly manner. Volunteers are the lifeblood of the RTPI; therefore, to achieve its goals and objectives, the RTPI must be an open, inclusive and welcoming organisation. The ROM will go a long way to ensuring that the RTPI develops into such an organisation. It is a first-step to ensuring a long-term, healthy volunteer base from which it can draw expertise and skills, and give back experience and a sense of involvement in a key body of the planning world.
With this in mind, It is especially important for the RTPI to encourage recruitment of ‘new blood’ by working closely with education establishments, as the demographic structure of RTPI volunteers tends to be dominated by older members. Recent news coverage suggests that university planning courses have seen a fall in application numbers in the last academic year, due to the vocational nature of planning courses and the perceived impact of impending Government spending cuts on post-qualification planning jobs. This is a worrying trend which necessitates the need for
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the RTPI to promote the benefits of the planning profession to ensure sustainability in its membership.
In terms of encouraging volunteering and new membership, it is important that the findings of the RTPI North East Outreach Project are followed up. As mentioned previously, the project canvassed opinions of RTPI members (and some non-members) about how the RTPI operated. A further aim was to draw out and report back on any changes that would help to make the Institute’s services more relevant to the widest possible range of members, and would ultimately assist in recruitment to membership and greater volunteer involvement in RTPI activities.
The project came up with several key conclusions, mainly focused around a perceived lack of awareness about the RTPI’s role and confusion over what personal benefits membership of the RTPI would bring to individuals. There were also comments that the RTPI retains an image of being a “gentlemen’s club” and is seen as being dominated by consultants, an image which may prove to be a stumbling block when trying to attract new members. Also, relative to other professions, respondents to the Outreach Project tended to feel that the RTPI was not getting its message across, and while those ‘in the know’ may feel that the RTPI has changed and improved in recent years, little impression is being made amongst the wider membership.
Some progress has been made in addressing these issues, notably through the development of a new national RTPI marketing strategy, improved website content and improved contact with members, specifically through e-mail. Clearly this is a good initial response to the issues raised in the Outreach Project, but there is still a long way to go before the issues are fully resolved. This document, and future editions of the ROM, will play an important part in achieving the resolution of these issues.
Getting Involved
As mentioned throughout the document, getting involved with RTPI North East is straightforward. The North East region is always looking for enthusiastic people to join the committees and sub-committees, and welcome any member who would like to attend one of these events. To find out more about these opportunities, please e-mail [email protected] or visit the RTPI North East website.
For members with particular interests or specialism’s in specific planning topics, the RTPI Networks and Associations offer a chance to engage actively with the RTPI to develop good practice and share information. They also offer planners who find themselves out of work to keep up-to-date with the latest developments across the planning spectrum. To find out more about these Networks and Associations, click here.
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ITEM 9 EXTERNAL PANELS
Known representation on External panels to be reviewed at AGM 2013 via RAPC November 2013
RTPI NORTH EAST REPRESENTATION ON EXTERNAL BODIES IN THE REGIONConstructing Futures Chris ClarkeConstruction Industry Council North East (CICNE) Joe RidgeonLord Mayor of Newcastle Awards Scheme Geoff UnderwoodNewcastle Conservation Advisory Panel Geoff UnderwoodNewcastle Conservation Advisory Committee Geoff UnderwoodNewcastle Partnership Board Jan BessellRICS Renaissance Awards Judging Panel Colin Haylock
RTPI NORTH EAST REPRESENTATION ON NATIONAL INSTITUTE GROUPS
Vice-Chair of Planning Policy & Practice Committee and Member of the National Planning Forum Colin HaylockElected Members of General Assembly David Barraclough, David Marshall, Daniel MasseyRegion Representative on General Assembly Jan Bessell (Deputy: Dave Stovell)Elected Members of Audit Committee David MarshallPlanning Policy & Practice Committee Jan BessellRegions & Nations Panel RMB members attend as appropriate.
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COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP UPDATE AS OF 16 OCTOBER 2013 Responses in red to queries if members due to retire wish to continue after AGM 2013
RTPI NORTH EAST
MEMBERSHIP OF REGIONAL MANAGEMENT BOARD AND REGIONAL ACTIVITIES & POLICY COMMITTEE –
REGIONAL MANAGEMENT BOARDRegion Chair: David CullingfordSenior Vice-Chair: Stephen LitherlandJunior Vice-Chair: Richard NewsomeImmediate Past Chair: Joe RidgeonHon Secretary: Andy EdwardsHon Treasurer: Graham GarnhamRegion Representative on General Assembly: Jan Bessell
REGIONAL ACTIVITIES & POLICY COMMITTEECorporate Members serving until the end of 2013:Chris Clarke Not standing in 2014John DowsettSteve France Colin Haylock Standing againJonathan Nicholson Not standing in 2014Teresa StrachanMark BrookerGraeme Smith Corporate Members serving until the end of 2014:Richard ArkellIan CansfieldJenny LudmanMartin MarshMike MealingChristine PipeJamie ReedDavid Stovell Deputy Region Representative on General Assembly
Student / Licentiate in full-time employment serving until the end of 2013:Jenny Nye
Student / Licentiate in full-time employment serving until the end of 2014:Vacant
Students / Licentiates in full-time education serving for 2012-2013 academic year:
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Li LuoPhoebe Juggins Not standing: working in LondonRebecca TaylorNon-corporate Member serving until the end of 2013:Charlotte Colver Not standing in 2014Non-corporate Member serving until the end of 2014:Liz Donaldson Resigned Sept 2013
Andy EdwardsHon Secretary
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