Where would I be without the BBC...?

...Well, without BBC radio 4 at least.


There seems to be a lot of thought provoking stuff in the R 4 schedules this month.  Here are a few things that have 'caught my ear':

'Capital Justice'

Helena Kennedy QC presents a series uncovering the relationship between the UK's financial and legal systems, between capitalism and the law and between freedom and justice

PROGRAMMES:

on BBC iPlayer (1)

coming up (1)

PREVIOUS PROGRAMMES:

by year (4)

'Stephanomics'

Stephanie Flanders presents a series on the economics of our times

PROGRAMMES:

on BBC iPlayer (5)

coming up (3)

PREVIOUS PROGRAMMES:

by series (2)

by year (6)

'More or less'

Tim Harford explains - and sometimes debunks - the numbers and statistics used in political debate, the news and everyday life

PROGRAMMES:

on BBC iPlayer (69)

coming up (2)

PREVIOUS PROGRAMMES:

by year (99)

'Unbuilt Britain'

Architectural writer and historian Jonathan Glancey looks at the great building projects of Britain that never made it off the drawing board

PROGRAMMES:

on BBC iPlayer (1)

coming up (3)

PREVIOUS PROGRAMMES:

by year (5)

(On every day this week)

'Does Science need the People'

Who should decide on whether funding for things like GM, nanotechnology, embryonic stem cell research or particle physics goes ahead? At the moment most of the money for science lies with the research councils, to whom scientists go cap in hand year after year. That's around 3 billion pounds of public money. So should the public have more of a say?

And here are a few things that I just missed out on

'All in the Mind'

Programme exploring the limits and potential of the human mind

PROGRAMMES:

on BBC iPlayer (96)

PREVIOUS PROGRAMMES:

by year (97)

26/06/2012

MORE:

programme information

related links

chapters

(28 minutes)

Available since Tue, 26 Jun 2012.

Richard Mabey on depressive illness, ecotherapy, and the evidence for 'green therapy'.

'Law in Action'

Long-running legal magazine programme, featuring reports and discussion on matters relating to law

And a couple of  things I'll go back and listen to:

'The Search for Growth'

Stephanie Flanders sets out on the search for growth in Britain's economy

PROGRAMMES:

on BBC iPlayer (2)

PREVIOUS PROGRAMMES:

by year (2)

'The Story of Economics'

Michael Blastland lays out the history of economic ideas to understand why economics goes wrong and whether it can ever go entirely right

PROGRAMMES:

on BBC iPlayer (3)

PREVIOUS PROGRAMMES:

by year (3)

Census - Figures for England and Wales

2011 Census - Population and Household Estimates for England and Wales, March 2011

Contents

• Key Figures
• Summary
• Introduction
• The population of England and Wales and how it has grown
• How the census estimates compare to the 2010 mid-year population estimates
• How the population of England and Wales has changed over the last 100 years
• The populations of the regions and where these have changed the most
• How the age structure of the population varies across England and Wales
• How densely England and Wales were populated
• How many households there were in 2011
• Background notes
• Statistical contacts

Fascinating stuff -  for example, figures show how household sizes are have declined; how almost all the growth in young people under 14 is experienced in London and the South East and East (where indeed most of the growth has occurred) and that there has been quite a decline in populationthe North East.

Complainants ."..had failed to make the case..." re West Link Option 6

West Link Road - Latest News Release  from THC - More here:

Extracts:

An investigation into complaints about the way The Highland Council chose the preferred line for the Inverness West Link has found that the Council  followed the proper process in compliance with national guidance.


Depute Chief Executive Steve Barron was asked by Council Leader Drew Hendry to review issues raised by five members of the public, who complained about the process and decision of the Council in relation to the West Link Options.  Mr Barron’s investigation included meetings with the complainants, a review of previous correspondence provided and additional information submitted by the complainants.  He found the complainants had failed to make the case that the process was flawed or needed to be revisited in any way.


...Council Leader Drew Hendry said: “I would like to thank Mr Barron for his thorough review of the issues raised by the five members of the public, who complained about the process followed in this important matter.    I appreciate that the complainants do not agree with the Council’s preference for option 6 but I am satisfied with the conclusions of Mr Barron’s review and am ready for the Council to proceed with this important project as quickly as possible.”




Quite frankly this news release makes no sense to me.  


The release  appears to state  a conclusion that the process was sound based solely on the investigation of matters raised in one  particular set of complaints.   One set of complainants failing to make a case with their points does not mean that a case could not be brought indicating there were flaws, surely?



I am particularly bemused by point 2 and 3 of Mr Barron's below:

Mr Barron concluded: “Having considered all of the material, I have reached the conclusion that the Council has followed proper process in compliance with national guidance and it reached a unanimous conclusion on the basis of good advice, clearly presented.”
He added:

1. I do not believe that there are any valid issues to be addressed arising from the complaints;
2. It is my view that the number and range of options presented to the Working Group and the Council were appropriate.]
3. I consider the process to be compliant with relevant guidance. With the innovations included, it may be considered to be exemplary.

And I am also bemused by Councillor Hendry's statement - in the context of Mr Barron's - given that I received the following email on 27 Feb 2012 from the 'Oppostion group' - just before the Councillors considered the options:

Dear 

Thank you for your email and in depth attachment, you have obviously given this issue some serious consideration.

As an Opposition Group we currently do not set policy in the Highland Council, but more so hold the ruling Coalition – the Lib Dems/Labour/Independent Councillors to account and ask pertinent questions, arguing the case for you and others like you.

Firstly, can I say we agree that this consultation was far from complete and lacking several other potential options.  When we attempted to have other options included we were told by the Administration Coalition, that they would not consider other options.

We will fully debate our point of view on Thursday in Full Council, which you may watch on webcast or in the Chamber.

Can I add finally though, that this is Highland Council’s remit and has nothing at all to do with the Scottish Government.  This is a Highland Council road and NOT a trunk road, which will be reflected by the change of name.  On this road improvement, all matters are referred to Highland Council only and it is up to the ruling Coalition, as to what is actually done here.

It is such a pity that they did not extend the consultation and take more considered views from the public, to which end we have criticised them considerably, as the whole process was indeed flawed.

Kind regards,

Councillor Maxine Smith

Transport Spokesperson for the SNP Group

In Highland Council

(Opposition)

'Urban Realm' - lots of thought provoking items in e newsletter

Quite a few interesting items on 160712 'Urban Realm' e news:

• 'Miller Construction has won student housing contracts in York and Birmingham to meet continued demand in the fast growing sector.'  More here

Does anyone know what is happening about student accommodation on the UHI Beechwood Campus site?  It is not clear from this page on the web site as to whether or not there will be on site student accommodation?  

• Snoozebox, the portable hotel group, have announced that Edinburgh is be the latest destination for their unique brand of low cost accommodation after they were commissioned by property developer Artizan...Comprising a range of stackable containers units the hotel can be configured for the demands of individual sites and can be ready to accept guests within 72 hours of being unloaded from the back of a lorry...Company spokesperson, Susan Moorhouse, said: “Snoozebox provides high-quality, safe and affordable accommodation for visitors who want to be at the very heart of the Festival activity. Snoozebox have enjoyed tremendous success at other high profile events this year and we are confident our first venture in Scotland, located in such a unique environment, will be a sell-out.”  More of the 'snoozebox' item here

• A precipitous decline in UK construction, down 7.4% compared to last year, has been reported by the Office for National Statistics.  More here

• Edinburgh University have commenced construction on their Flowave Test Tank, a £2.6m facility for simulating wave conditions.  More here

The stand-out item for me was:

• American underclass documented in ‘Days of Destruction, Days of Revolt’... Days of Destruction, Days of Revolt, (here) a graphic account of America’s underclass produced by Pullitzer Prize-winning journalist Chris Hedges and cartoonist Joe Sacco has caused a stir with its controversial call for rebellion peppered with striking imagery... Striking a pessimistic tone both Hedges and Sacco warn of a ‘bleak’ near future with cities and states falling into bankruptcy, neo-feudalism and the ‘decimation’ of both working and middle classes unless urgent action is taken.  Item here

2011 Census - latest info

The release of a Highland Council Briefing Note 52 -  Population Projections to 2035 - recently with the attendant press publicity made me wonder how the data processing for last years census was progressing.


I came across this item:

Scotland’s Census 2011, Outputs Prospectus Scotland, 19 June 2012

Extract from the Prospectus note:

This prospectus is an active document and will be updated as more information becomes available and arrangements are confirmed. A summary of changes to previous versions will be provided with each new update. To register for email notifications of updates to the prospectus, or to discuss any aspect of our plans for release of Scotland’s 2011 Census results, contact us at census.consultation@gro-scotland.gsi.gov.uk.

The www.scotlandscensus.gov.uk website provides further background to Scotland’s census, including a wide range of frequently asked questions about the arrangements for taking the census, what questions households were asked and why. NRS will continue to use the Scotland’s Census website to promote and inform the public in the lead up to the release of 2011 Census outputs.

...The census has long been the benchmark for capturing a comprehensive, consolidated and accurate snapshot of the population. However, the traditional 10-yearly census cycle means that the accuracy of the data and information derived from the census baseline, such as annual population and housing estimates, can degrade over the intercensal period.

Overview

...Due to the breadth and depth of the 2011 Census results, the statistics on the main resident population base (usual residents) will be published in tabular format across four release phases.

First release: December 2012 – Population estimates by five year age bands and sex, and estimates of number of households for Scotland and council areas. (Scotland level population estimates by single year of age and sex will be issued as supplementary data after the first release.)

Second release: from early Spring 2013 – Key and Quick statistics; Census Profiles; Headcounts and Geography products.

Third release: from early Summer 2013 – Local Characteristics.

Fourth release: from early Autumn 2013 – Detailed Characteristics.

Aside


The Aforementioned 'Briefing Note 52' sets out that;

If the trends experienced during the period from 2005 to 2010 continue, the population of Highland is expected to grow by 15% to 255,835 in 2035.


The operative word there being 'If'.  Figure 2 (on page 3 of the Briefing note) shows historic (and projected) population change since 1951.   Given that the note accompanying the graph states that the rate of growth is expected to be similar to most of the post war period, then a very crude attempt at drawing a 'best straight line' through six decades worth of points gives a 2035 population of a little more than 240, 000.  Of course, if we continued the line on the graph representing the steepest rate of growth from '81 to '91 then we would see an increase in population in excess of 270,000.  It all depends on the economic conditions.  

Courier reports, 'Work to start at Ness Castle housing development'

The Courier article begins:

WORK will begin shortly on one of Inverness’s largest private housing developments after the Scottish Government gave it a £1.9 million "kick start".

The scheme to build nearly 1000 homes and a primary school within the former estate of Ness Castle, off Dores Road, stalled despite receiving planning consent in 2009 because banks were unwilling to back it.

But it has now become one of the first, and largest, beneficiaries of Holyrood’s new Housebuilding Infrastructure Loans Fund, receiving the money towards the £3.98 million cost of building a new access road and a roundabout...

Rest of article can be found here

In a related item here on the Scottish Government web site dated 11 07 2012 Housing Minister Keith Brown is quoted as saying:

“The current tough financial climate, exacerbated by Westminster's short-sighted and economically damaging capital spending cuts, has made it hard for companies to take forward major housing developments across Scotland.

"These first loans that I have announced today will help companies speed up their plans to build the roads or lay the pipes and cables that mean housing developments can proceed.

"We have revised the criteria for the next round of funding, untying the red tape so that more companies can come forward with their infrastructure proposals.”

This Government web site item also includes a link

Detailed guidance on how to apply to the second phase of the fund

Some insight into the issues faced by the development interest at Ness Castle can be found in the submission made on their behalf to the HwLDP Main Issues Report back in late 2009

....By way of background, the council resolved to grant planning permission in 'principle' for residential development on the Trustees landholding at Torbreck, Ness Castle earlier this year subject to the conclusion of a Section 75 Agreement in relation to inter alia developer contributions and agreement on the accompanying planning conditions (Reference 04/00585/OUTIN)

...this representation focuses on those issues still to be finalised with the council in relation to my client's land interests, namely affordable housing and developer contributions.

There then follows more detailed discussion of the Client's issues after which it is emphasised, in the section that covers developer contributions, that:

...developers cannot be expected to make good existing deficiencies within both the immediate and wider area or in relation to that which goes beyond their own specific proposals.

The full submission can be found at this link here

'Lack of Transparency' of Flood Site Allocations

I have only just noticed this on today's e planning:

A majority of councils are allocating land for development on floodplains without 'transparently assessing' the potential for accommodating growth in other areas, according to a study by the government's climate change adviser.
By Ben Cook Wednesday, 11 July 2012

The Report in the headline is 'Climate Change - Is the UK preparing for flooding and water scarcity?' and it is an 'Adaptation Sub-Committee Progress Report 2012'.

The report Executive Summary advises:

...The Adaptation Sub-Committee (ASC) has a statutory duty to report regularly to

Parliament on the UK Government’s progress in delivering its adaptation programme.

In our first two reports, we developed and piloted a toolkit to assess progress in preparing

for climate change, including use of adaptation indicators.

In this report we apply the toolkit at a national level to two of the largest risks to emerge

from the UK’s first Climate Change Risk Assessment (CCRA): flooding and water scarcity.1

Many of the effects of climate change in the UK will be felt through changes in the

water cycle. Climate change is likely to increase the frequency and severity of floods and

droughts. Without action to prepare, this could lead to increasing costs and unnecessary

damage and disruption.

But what about Scotland and the Scottish Government?  Well, there is a footnote on page 19 which states that:

2 UK National Adaptation Programme will cover England and reserved matters. The ASC also has a duty to report on progress in Wales, Scotland or Northern 

Ireland if requested to do so.

The report then provides a link to, 'How well is Scotland preparing for climate change?' by the ASC November 2011.

I have not had time to read the reports fully but I have noted the following paragraphs on Land use planning starting on page 27, extracts below;

5.1 Land use planning

5.1.1 Importance to adaptation

The land use planning system is a priority area for adaptation action, because it is

a primary mechanism for determining how vulnerability to climate change can be

managed, particularly in towns and cities. Land use planning decisions can directly

help to increase resilience to climate risks, but can also lock future generations into a

development pathway that increases vulnerability or one that will be very costly to

maintain or reverse.

The land use planning system is one of the most important adaptation functions

delivered by local government. Local authorities are responsible for preparing the

strategic policies in the ‘development plan’, on which decisions about individual planning

applications are based. Policies set out what is expected of development in order for

planning permission to be obtained. They identify specific locations or set criteria for types

of locations that are suitable for particular land uses, and also stipulate particulars of the

design of new development. Local authorities also make decisions on individual planning

applications considering national and local planning policies to determine if a development

proposal is acceptable.

Local authorities face difficult trade-offs when planning the future of their localities.

The costs to the local economy of constraining development in areas at risk from climate

impacts could be significant. The options that they have available will be determined in

part by the availability and suitability of alternative sites for development.

From our analysis (Figure 5.1 and Table 5.1), national planning policy and strategic

guidance look to be well developed on adaptation through the National Planning

Framework.46 Local decision-makers are being required by the policy framework to

explicitly consider and account for the implications of climate change and adaptation

responses when planning for their communities. The high uptake of sustainable drainage

systems in new development suggests that the policy framework is having some

success here.

However, we were not able to find much evidence on the effectiveness of national

planning policy on influencing decisions on the location of new development. There

is a lack of data on recent trends on the amount of development in areas of flood risk or

behind eroding coastlines, which may be affecting the vulnerability of communities to

climate risks. We could also not find data on changes to the area of hard surfacing and

the amount of greenspace in urban areas.

The recently published Scotland Greenspace Map47 will provide a baseline against

which future changes in the amount and type of greenspace can be tracked (Box 5.1).

Urban greenspace provides a number of important adaptation services, including reducing

surface water run-off rates and the intensity of the urban heat island effect.48 Monitoring

changes to the extent and type of urban greenspace is therefore an important indicator of

preparedness for climate change.

The analysis and summary of findings wrt to planning continue for several pages and as always it is certainly worth dipping into the report to gain insight.  

It seems to me that record keeping is not a strong point when it comes to potentially contentious issues such as the use of prime agricultural land or building in areas of flood risk.

What do you think?

Why we should put forward views; National Planning Framework - Scotland

This is how a  Scottish Government web page describes the National Planning Framework;

The National Planning Framework (NPF) is a strategy for the long-term development of Scotland's towns, cities and countryside. The NPF is about shaping Scotland's future and is concerned with how Scotland develops over the next 20 years and how to make that possible. The NPF identifies key strategic infrastructure needs to ensure that each part of the country can develop to its full potential.

A copy of the Second National Planning Framework, NPF2, can be found here




As a newly formed group, APT made one of its first major tasks to raise awareness of the consultation on NPF2 - very few people locally had been aware of the  consultation on the first NPF - by sending an 'APT Alert', an 'Urgent Action Bulletin', to every Community Council across the Highland Council area.  


Here are snippets of what was included in the APT 'Urgent Action Bulletin' in 2008 (A copy of the 'NPF2 Discussion Draft' can be found here):

...The proposals included for the Highlands and Islands in the draft NPF2 will have significant implications with regard to the Local Planning Process.

The National Planning Framework will provide a strong context for development plans and planning decisions.

The second NPF sets out the Scottish Government’s strategic development priorities.  There will be close links to the Government’s Infrastructure Investment Plan and the investment programmes of public agencies and infrastructure providers.  It is a key element in modernising the planning system.

The Planning etc (Scotland)Act 2006 places the second National Planning Framework (NPF2) on a statutory footing.  There is a commitment to review the document every 4 years.

The publication of the discussion draft is part of the process of engagement and debate on Scotland’s long-term ‘Spatial Development’ to 2030.  It sets a national context for development plans.

APT also indicated in the bulletin that concerns re 'awareness of' and 'consultation on' the NPF2 had arisen locally:

There is concern about:

·         The level of community awareness in some areas regarding the existence of the National Planning Framework;

·         The level of community awareness about the significance of the draft NPF2 with regard to the local planning process.

·         The potential lack of widespread public awareness that the Local Authority are seeking to influence the draft NPF2.

·         The level of community consultation locally on the NPF proposals to date.

Well, I still have concerns, as you will find from the content of future blog posts on the subject of NPF3.

Scottish Government - proposed planning reforms assessed

Oh dear, I seem to have missed this rather interesting piece which appeared in early June 2012:

...In an attempt to boost economic growth, the Scottish government has recently published a series of proposed planning reforms for consultation. Colin Marrs assesses them.  Here

'Housing & an Ageing Population'

Interesting item on page 04 of Feb 2012 issue of Scottish Planner

It ends:

...local planning authorities are going to have to pay greater heed to the needs of this element of the population than they appear to have done certainly in policy terms in the past.

NPF3 to decide where windfarms to go? Update 1

According to an item in 'Planning; Energy and Environment Weekly - Monday 09 July 2012':

'Planners can help the Scottish government meet its renewable energy targets if they get the right support, according to a report published by the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) Scotland.'  The report can be found here.

The Item continues:

'The Scottish government aims to generate 30 per cent of all the country’s energy needs from renewable sources by 2020, as well as reduce energy consumption by 12 per cent.

In its report, RTPI Scotland describes the targets as "challenging" but says the Scottish government should provide planning authorities with "guidance, training and resources to help them cope with the additional responsibilities and workload brought about by the targets".

The report also says that the planned National Planning Framework 3 (NPF3) provides an opportunity for the Scottish government to outline in spatial terms where the most suitable areas for land and marine renewable developments should be.

These locations should be, the report argues, "based on maximising generation whilst minimising impact", and integrated with plans for transport and distribution infrastructure.'

I have had a quick gander at the briefing report and here are a few extracts:

...This paper identifies the need for a clear, consolidated outline of Scotland’s

progress towards meeting the targets. It also puts the case that an opportunity

still exists in National Planning Framework 3 (NPF3) to support renewables

development by clearly articulating the areas best placed for them based on

maximising generation whilst minimising impact. The paper also outlines the

ongoing need to keep Planning Authorities up to date, given constantly

changing technologies and the requirement to promote a ‘diverse range’ of

them to help meet the targets.

...National Planning Framework 2 (NPF2) did not provide a broad spatial

scheme outlining renewable resources and desired developments across

Scotland. If it had, Planning Authorities would have had a national perspective

on their Authority’s role in meeting renewables targets, and could havetargeted their 

resources and designed their development management processes to support speedy 

processing of planning applications.

...Recommendation 1

Use NPF3 to provide national spatial guidance (land use and marine) on

the appropriate distribution and energy mix of renewable developments

across Scotland, publishing updates on progress made towards

meeting the targets and providing guidance on criteria for Local

Authorities and Key Agencies to use when responding to renewables

applications.

I recommend a read of the report, it is quite accessible and compared to many free from too much jargon.  

One thing that is not clear to me is whether or not a 'need for such developments' would be established through NPF3.

(I have just tried to contact Craig McLaren **(on list of speakers at the page reached by clicking on his name), National Director of RTPI Scotland, since, according to the briefing paper, he is the point of contact for further discussion.  I hope to be able to chat with him in the not too distant future and will update the post as soon as further info becomes available.)


** Podcast where Mr McLaren discusses a number of things including renewables, sustainable economic development, charrettes...

Stakes and Society

“The first person who, having enclosed a plot of land, took it into his head to say this is mine and found people simple enough to believe him was the true founder of civil society. What crimes, wars, murders, what miseries and horrors would the human race have been spared, had some one pulled up the stakes or filled in the ditch and cried out to his fellow men: "Do not listen to this imposter. You are lost if you forget that the fruits of the earth belong to all and the earth to no one!” 


— Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Discourse on Inequality**, 1754


**According to 'Wikipedia' Rousseau argues moral inequality is endemic to a civil society and relates to, and causes, differences in power and wealth. 


I am not exactly sure what is meant by the term 'Civil Society' and it seems that I am not alone - as is related in this item by 'Michael Edwards'


More Rousseau quotes here

1,000 people attend events across Inner Moray Firth

According to the latest post on the Planning Authority's Development Plan blog re the consultation on the Inner Moray Firth LDP Main Issues Report:


...35 events have been hosted by the Planning and Development Service over the past three months to ask people where they think their community should develop over the next 20 years.


More than 1,000 people have attended these events and given their views in person. 


Is that correct?  Did everyone get a chance to speak and therefore to have their views recorded?


And the population of the Inner Moray Firth?  Well in 2009 it was 144,375 so going by those 3 year old figures that means 0.7% of the population of the IMF attended the meetings.


How does this compare with consultations of old.  Well I read that the outgoing Inverness Local Plan drew 800 individual responses on 2000 issues.  I assume that this was 800 written and I do not have a figure for the numbers that attended the Inverness Local plan meetings in 2001.  (Elected Members were advised, during 3 meetings in April 2002, of these responses, with the ILP deposit draft with modifications being published in April 2003).


So how many will respond in writing by this Friday's (06 July 2012) deadline for written submissions?