A Landscape-Led Approach is Essential for People, Place and Nature

The Landscape Institute’s National Housing and Regeneration Conference, in Birmingham, brought together landscape professionals, developers and policy makers to explore the benefits of obstacles to, and practical delivery of a landscape led approach to development in the context of the Government’s target of delivering 1.5 million new homes by the end of the parliament in 2029.

Carolin Göhler, President of the Landscape Institute, set the scene exploring how a #LandscapeLed approach to development needs to include:

🌳 Commitment to put Landscape first

🌳 Understanding and implementation of Landscape as a system

🌳 Engagement of landscape professionals throughout the process

🌳 Delivery Landscape Legacy for future generations

Richard Lawrence, Executive Director of Birmingham City Council, welcomed delgates to Birmingham and shared the story of how the regeneration of the UK’s second city has applied Landscape-led principles within their Future City Plan 2045.

Building on these foundations a panel discussion on planning policy in England, chaired by Dr Gemma Jerome FLI, Sintali, with panellists Jozef Hupian, MMcite, Kate Harris, Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council, Tom Barrett, MHCLG, and Dan Janota, Natural England, prompted Luke Fay to ask:

“Given that developers have a duty to return value to their shareholders and that this is dependent on minimising risk at each stage of the planning and construction process, the Planning and Infrastructure Bill as it is currently drafted, runs the risk of all resulting in protection of existing nature being delegated by paying into the Nature Recovery Fund.

As large trees provide exponentially more benefits than small trees and existing trees deliver these benefits from day 1, as opposed to in 30 years, what hat checks and balances are being considered as part of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill to ensure that there continues to be a requirement to retain and protect existing nature within new schemes?”

The answer from the panel was that there needs to be greater emphasis on the Mitigation Hierarchy.

The conference explored essential themes for successful delivery of landscape-led development, including:

🌳 The importance of planning decisions to maximise public health and

wellbeing outcomes, Chaired by Luke Engleback, with panellists James Scott, Urban&Civic plc, Jane Findlay PPLI FLI, Fira.

🌳 Challenges and opportunities in the housing sector to increase Biodiversity Net Gain. Chaired by Lucy Jenkins FLI, Tyler Grange with panellists Faye Durkin, Greengage Environmental Ltd, Helen Nyul, Barratt Redrow and Jason Reeves, CIEEM

🌳 Opportunities and challenges of better managing our surface water, with Chair Sue Illman PPLI FLI, Illman Young and panellists Bridget Woods Ballard, H.R Wallingford, Marketa Hermova, Vectorworks and Adrien Baudimont, CIRIA.

🌳 Transport and active travel in new housing developments – capitalising on economic and social opportunities while maintaining value. Chaired by Ruth Lin Wong Holmes FLI, Vice President of the Landscape Institute, with panellists Dan Crane, Active Travel England, Dr David Knight, Norman Rourke Pryme, Lauran Welsh, Tobermore and Stephen O’Malley FLI, Civic.

🌳 The challenges and opportunities of managing and maintaining landscapes in the housing sector, Chaired by Jane Findlay with panellists Lauren Gibbons, Land Trust and Robin Waddell CMLI, Greenbelt Group Ltd.

Wrapping up, James Scott encouraged landscape architects to have confidence in championing their essential role in making healthy liveable places and Helen Nyul reminded delegates of how important it is that the vision that is championed by the development team is delivered by the construction team.

Luke, reflected on the day: “It is right that carrying the vision for the landscape through the construction process to post-completion and aftercare is essential and, often Arboriculturists and Landscape Architects are the only people left from the original Design Team to carry this vision through. Delivering the original vision, only works in my experience when it has 100% commitment from the developer.

Today has been truly thought-provoking and inspiring. The targets for housebuilding and national infrastructure are immense and are needed, however for these to deliver inclusive, healthy places for people to live and work and sustained flourishing landscapes for people and nature, a landscape-led approach to design and delivery is important. Landscape-led design and development is not a blocker to good planning outcomes, it is an essential part of delivering good quality, sustainable development.”

The next conferences are in Edinburgh on 29^th January and then in Cardiff on 26 March.

Thank you to the Landscape Institute Team for delivering such a thought provoking and informative event, Ruhela Begum, Neelam Sheemar, Yvonne Mathews, Tom Jenks, Belinda Gordon, Ruth Lin Wong Holmes, Carolin Göhler FLI, Jane Findlay FLI PPLI, Dr Saira Ali FLI FRSA, Robert Hughes, Jonathan Emery, Lucy Jenkins (sorry if we have forgotten anyone).