Trains Can't Stop Us.

Pictured here alongside me are John Scott from the Peak Park Planning Authority and Steve Pointer from Notts CC in a day trip to Peak Park. Of which more later. Our experience getting there from Market Harborough is another aspect where we need to improve our rail services and incidentally also why the environment for closing ticket offices is far too premature. I had never taken my bike on a train. Nervous that I might be able to get a cycle reservation on line, I went in a week early to the station at Market Harborough to book my tickets to Matlock. It took three very friendly members of staff (probably 10 minutes) working together to get me a reservation for my bike on Midland Mainline to Beeston (as reservations are required and only 2 places per train are anyway possible). I was told no reservations are possible on the East Midlands train to Matlock from Beeston but ‘you should be fine.’ On the day the train arrives in Market Harborough on time, like on all of our four journeys that day. That is a good news story. Or so I thought. Of course, when our connection arrived in Beeston the guard would not let us on the train, as there were already two bikes on the train. Next train was an hour later. What do we do if the same story endures in an hour’s time? The intervening period was spent planning something around Nottingham. Anyway, the next train did not have any bikes on board, so the pair of us scrambled aboard. What was there though were two persons in wheelchairs. Occupying the space where the bikes are meant to go. Only one of us could put a bike out of the way of the corridor. So, my bike was left blocking the corridor. Did not worry me and no one minded as the train was not busy. But how all this works in busy times goodness only knows. In conclusion there are two problems here. One: no joined up thinking in terms of different operators having different policies re cycles and insufficient space provided in any event on many modern trains. After we were refused access at Beeston another customer approached us to ask why, as he was thinking of travelling to Glasgow and taking his bike. He said there and then he would drive now. Secondly, if I struggle to buy a cycle ticket and so does the ticket office the whole process needs to be radically simplified if more ticket offices are to be closed. Sustainable it certainly isn’t. And the trip to the Peak District? The rest of the day went brilliant, and coming back late meant that there was plenty of room on the trains and there were no issues. We cycled the High Peak and Monsal trails and bits in between. We had a wonderful reunion with plenty of healthy exercise and I would do it again. Among other matters we reminisced about our nearly 90 years’ service collectively on the various management structures of the East Midlands RTPI ! Getting like Last of the summer wine if we are not careful!

Lessons in Delivering Development

Nearly 80 professionals joined us in the Parcel Yard pub, Leicester to consider this topic. The speakers (Richard Julian, Chris Leeson, Mike Denby and myself) could aggregate over 120 years experience between us. Hopefully we had learnt something in that time; especially as the audience were also prepared to throw in their ideas.

What was immediately obvious is that the development process is an extremely extensive continuum from conceiving an idea to disposing of the asset created; requiring a vast range of professional skills. And that no one can have a detailed handle on more than 2/3 skills. So the speakers were deliberately chosen from different parts of that continuum.

The link between Richard’s and Chris’ talks was certainly the financial aspect, with the necessity of having a clear properly costed plan that is sufficiently robust to deal with all sorts of unexpected events and yet still deliver a profitable return. That might be particularly necessary for a long term continuing company, such as Taylor Wimpey, to secure enough return to acquire new sites and maintain the development cycle. This is as we look to create not only the number of homes desperately needed, but also reduce the building carbon footprint we currently have.

Richard Julian, Peter Wilkinson, Chris Leeson Mike Denby

 However, given that 20% profit is considered the minimum for any major company with shareholders to continue as a business, it does not resonate with the public. The general public in general is usually hostile to development probably because of a fear of change; poor development in the past; but also just not respecting that a profit is essential and certainly not at the usually required rate of return.

Profit has become a dirty word (like other words over time that were once respectable but with constant use become ‘blighted'). The example I used was after the first world war, with all the permanently injured soldiers, the term ‘cripples’ was a politically correct term. Now the very use would be considered appalling. "Risk return" instead of profit might sound better, but others may have better suggestions?

Aside from the hard issue of money most of the focus was on the softer interpersonal skills that are really applicable across all aspects of the development continuum. This ranged from effective leadership to great team work. 

But a particular theme related to "Trust.” And this comes in many guises: from within and between the development team and between them and the client and regulatory bodies. The number of construction companies that continue to fail is an ongoing problem in the industry and this has to be no good for anyone. Generating Trust depends on many things, but personal relationships are clearly one key. In an era of TEAMS calls Trust can be even harder to achieve, if one is not making regular personal connections, but the confrontational approach and lack off trust is a recipe for failure, when everybody or everything is so interdependent.

The final aspect of the discussion, not raised in the talks per se, focussed on the essential nature of securing and maintaining sufficient expertise in the industry. Here it is clear that overall we are seeing it reducing not increasing. Making the Industry more attractive, especially to new entrants and then having the companies prepared to offer and support apprenticeships has to be critical. Good examples were discussed, but the current volume is just inadequate.

Overall another good and convivial session with an hour’s CPD and a decent drink in the bar afterwards.

Well done to public sector planners

 Well done to public sector planners

 

It may just be me, but I always feel a little underwhelmed reading posts on how wonderful the postee or their company has been. This planning consent has been won or that award secured. It comes over a bit like a zero sum game, rather than striving to secure the best outcome for any particular circumstance. I try and avoid, even if subconsciously, falling into that trap. Sure I could post some successes and I could also mention some failures, but to find them out you will have to take me for a coffee! (And to be honest you can learn more from your failures than successes in many cases anyway). However, we don’t want to write about those failures for understandable reasons.

 

I find it much more interesting if posts try and advance our knowledge or express an opinion on an issue of the day. Hearing both sides or indeed all sides of an argument has to be beneficial; in my case for advancing the art and science of town planning, but really knowledge in general.

 

All that said I want to now praise three public sector planners with whom I have been involved in long running planning issues; two of which were enforcement related and all have been finally resolved in the last month. Due to the very nature of their work such planners are generally not high profile and indeed not expected or encouraged to be. So, they don’t get the praise generally and on Linkedin in particular.

So with a little bit of trepidation, I would like to praise and thank, in alphabetical order, James Croucher of Peterborough City; Ian Davies of Blaby District; and, Mark Patterson of Harborough District for providing good old professional service and going more than that extra mile to achieve an outcome as beneficial as possible to all parties. There was no personal benefit to them of devoting extra commitment and not a little skill to these issues; other than the satisfaction of a job well done.

 

 But it meant for me when picking up the phone or receiving an e mail from them it was very likely a positive experience towards resolving a problem. And it was more likely to be a solution rather than another problem.  It was one where one could look forward to receiving a message rather than dread. 

 

So thank you so much guys.

Major Landmark Sponsorship of Tennis

This year Landmark Planning are sponsoring the Carisbrooke Tennis Club of Leicester team in the National Club League.

 

This is the premier team event for tennis clubs in the U.K. where the best compete in 6 regions, before a grand final weekend 8th to 10th September, this year in Bournemouth. It is the top 8 teams in the country that then reach the national finals. Carisbrooke have made the national finals in three of the last five years, finishing between 4th and 6th each time. With Landmark’s sponsorship the team will be hoping to go even further; recognising that securing a top two slot will be difficult, as the London teams attract top 100 in the world players in the singles and top 10 in doubles.

 

Leicester’s region encompasses the whole Midlands from Lincoln, as far as Cardiff (who have a very strong team).

 

In the meantime, the first home match is Sunday 2nd April at 1pm against Warwick, who are no muppets. The team will need a good performance for victory. The high quality of the tennis matches the standard of the outside courts at Wimbledon, but can be watched for free, at Carisbrooke Tennis Club on Carisbrooke Road, Leicester (access from Kenwood Road). Food and entertainment will be laid on. This is a wonderful opportunity to watch professional tennis close up at no cost.

 

 

 

 

This is our coach, Jack Simpson ‘modelling’ the club’s new kit. 

As Jack says: ‘we are going to give this national championship a real good go this year and try and achieve our best ever performance against all the best clubs in the country.’

 

 

Jack is wearing a very good quality ‘Yonex’ shirt with the club’s logo front and back.

 

Team shirts are available for £15 until June 30th. After then the price will be at cost: £20. This will also be the price if you want a second one. They are available in three sizes: medium, large and extra large, order via Landmark Planning (0116 2856110) or email Sam: sc@landmarkplanning.co.uk.

 

Watch this space for updates on how the team progresses.

Tribute to Dr Adrian Weston MBE (Friend of New Walk) 1935–2022

This is what should be a beautiful sweet gum (Liquidambar Styraciflua) planted by Friends of New Walk at the entrance of the Oval public space to celebrate the life of one of our most distinguished Trustees, Dr Adrian Weston MBE (20. 2022). The tree has a lovely shape and a wonderful show of colour in its leaves in autumn. And thank you to Leicester City Council’s Dave Jones Trees & Woodlands Manager for making it possible so quickly and efficiently.

People will probably most remember Adrian as senior partner of the Harvey Ingram LLP (15 years ago the largest law firm in the Leicester, now part of Shakespeares) and a member of the Leicester University Council for 10 years. He was also, however, an all round good egg.

A Leicestershire native, educated at schools in Thringstone and Ratcliffe on the Wreake, he spent two years in the Royal Air Force as a Pilot Officer in Fighter Control, mostly in Germany, where the RAF played a central role in the Cold War. Deciding that his future career lay in law, he took a Masters in Jurisprudence at Queens College, Oxford where his lifelong enthusiasm for sport developed into a passion for hockey.

In 1958 he became an articled clerk with a Leicester firm of solicitors, Harvey Clarke & Adams, where he stayed for 41 years, eventually retiring as Senior Partner at what had by then become Harvey Ingram LLP.

He served as non-executive director of Atkinson Design Associates Ltd, Pensions Bank Ltd, Everards Brewery Ltd and Primalux Ltd and was a member of the RAF Club. He was a Governor of Leicester High School for Girls and Ratcliffe College, serving for seven years as Chairman of Governors at the latter.

A keen sportsman, he was a member of the Leicestershire Golf Club and Vice-President of the Leicestershire County Cricket Club. But his passion was always for hockey. He served as Captain and Secretary of the Leicestershire County Hockey Association in the 1960s and then as Vice-President for 34 years. He was also Vice-President of the Midland Counties Hockey Association and Executive Chairman of the English Hockey Association. In addition to all this, he served sequentially as Chairman of first Leicester Sports and Recreation Advisory Council and then Leicestershire Sports and Recreation Advisory Council.

In 2017 he generously commissioned and donated to the University the stainless steel sculpture ‘Adagio’ which stands in Centenary Square. The sculpture by John Sydney Carter, based around elements of brass musical instruments, was commissioned in memory of Adrian's wife Bridget, who passed away in 2014 and who had been a keen supporter of Sir Bob Burgess’ work to add sculptures to campus.

Adrian served as a Trustee of the Friends of New Walk for over 20 years. One of his main foci was the provision of works of art on the Walk. He was the driving force behind the Clicker, the Clothier and the Writers Pavement, securing both the sponsorship and the design. His last project was ‘the Nib’ to celebrate Leicester’s authors with a vertical feature in New Walk’s latest public space in front of Mattioli Woods offices. As Trustees we are currently working hard to deliver his final project.

Apprenticeships

The age demographic problem in the construction industry has accelerated.

For anyone prepared to listen I have been banging on for years of the greater value of apprentices and apprentice training.

 

For thirty years or more both the major political parties have seen it as a top priority to show how they are educating our young people and giving opportunities to particularly students from poorer backgrounds. Their objective has been to get as many children as possible on full time education university courses. The target, I believe, was usually c. 50%.

 

As a consequence, the university sector expanded massively. It has become an over large industry, with many of the bad sides of an overgrown industry emerging. Quality goes down and the outputs are much more geared to what the industry wants rather than the end user. So in the case of universities, it is far more profitable to have a 100 students in a lecture hall with one lecturer talking about American studies, compared with say 1 staff for 10 students in subjects, which are technical such as architecture or biochemistry that may be much more of a benefit to our society and economy in the future. But require greater staff input.

 

This subject is so pertinent to many others as well. As David Smith (who has spoken in Leicester a few times) put it so succinctly in his Sunday Times Business Section column last week: We need to raise our game. Our real weakness in real wages is driven by no improvements in productivity in the last 15 years. Hardly earth shattering, but he identifies three main reasons of which the first is lack of skills in our work force. Secondly, investment in business is down and well below pre-pandemic levels, which were low anyway. The final area he identifies is a proper infrastructure strategy and investment in it.

I was recently sent an article on a Construction Economic Overview (thanks Chris Leeson) by Professor Noble Francis. Like elsewhere, Francis particularly points to the industry’s skills shortage and highlights the loss of nearly 250,000 workers in the industry in the last three years, with the largest losses in the age range 45 to 59. He suggests that the age demographic problem has accelerated in that time period. Because younger EC workers can no longer gain so easy access to the UK, the long-term structural problem in the UK construction industry is coming much earlier and indeed is upon us now.

 

We therefore have a perfect storm. We are still not encouraging anything like enough of our youngsters into industries we need. Construction is just one of many. And it is going to get worse, not better. Three years ago, when I was looking for an apprenticeship for my son,  I was meeting the comment we don’t do training, we prefer to take people fully trained. Mercifully not every company is like that and he secured a place with a great firm. Most are not so lucky.

 

As a society we have got to do better. I implore those in a position of employing people to do more. My experience and I know of others, such as Corporate Architecture, is that they get better workers who know what is required to be effective in the work place if their tertiary education has run in parallel with solid employment. That is an apprenticeship. There may be some short-term pain, but in the long run it has to be better for your company and UK PLC.