Can we build culture into regeneration plans? Yes we can!

Sir Peter Hall to kick off national discussion between planners and culture leaders as they come together for the first time to help shape stronger communities

Starting in London on October 1st, Living Places, the coalition of five leading national culture and sports agencies, is bringing together planners and policy makers responsible for sport and culture for the first time at a series of seminars in every region in England.

The seminars are designed to help them make the best use of the Culture and Sport Planning Toolkit, an essential piece of support which has been developed by Living Places to help ensure consistency and best practice in planning across the country.
 

Roy Clare, Chair of Living Places and Chief Executive of Museums, Libraries and Archives Council, said:
“These seminars are a great opportunity for planners and culture and sports policy makers to think and act in a joined up way and develop a shared vision for how we build new communities.

“There’s determination amongst Living Places partners to ensure that when we plan the roads and houses that make communities, we need to make culture and sports provision an essential ingredient too. The events offer us the chance to create a shared strategic sense of what can be achieved.”

The Culture and Sport Planning Toolkit events have been designed to help officers with lead responsibility for planning and policy development in culture, sport and regeneration:

• Play an increasingly important role in inputting culture and sports provision into local and regional strategic plans
• Make consistent approaches across regions to implementing new developments such as standard charging for museums, libraries and the arts
• Improve their capacity to map and prioritise culture and sports provision so it best meets the needs of local people

The events are being supported by the Town and Country Planning Association (TCPA) and will provide planners and policy makers with a mix of expert analysis, detailed case studies of effective culture and sports planning, and in some regions visits to see effective place shaping in action. Planners will also get CPD credits for attending the events.

Sir Peter Hall, President of TCPA, who will be opening the first seminar in London on 1st October, said:
“Planning is essential to the development of healthy, happy and strong communities, and planners have been instrumental in helping Living Places develop the toolkit and shape these seminars. Stronger collaboration between planners and culture and sports leads is essential if we are going to plan strong communities for the future, and these events mark an important step in bringing people together.”

While the toolkit is primarily aimed at planning and regeneration officers, cultural, leisure, sports, education and health professionals will also find it useful and are welcome to attend the seminars.

Following the first event in London, the other events will take place across the 9 English Regions during October and November.
To find out about how to book for one of the events please visit http://www.living-places.org.uk/