That is the risk of just further discussion, just more circular arguments, just more vacillation and no action.

Digitising planning is an emerging technology and way of working, and it’s hoped that learnings will be shared as things develop in different areas of the world.While we’ll never get rid of the subjective element of planning, and certainly not the need for people, digitising planning could help reduce administrative burden, freeing up time for planners to do the more valuable, judgement based planning work and enabling us to make better, and more holistic, sets of decisions.. Another benefit it’s hoped will arise from digitising the planning system is to make planning more accessible to members of the public.

Being able to engage with and interpret a 3D model is much more helpful to people than being presented with unrealistic CGI imagery depicting permanent sunshine and few cars.Currently, trust in the planning system is at a low.If we can help people feel more in control of what they’re being consulted on, and give them a better sense of what a development will really look like, it should help to alleviate a lot of concern.. At present, ten Pathfinder projects are being undertaken by various local authorities.

All of them are looking at how to digitise planning policy, and make it more machine readable.Local plans take years for councils to produce, and are based on evidence which is out of date almost as soon as it’s put into use, and definitely by the time the plan is published years later.

Digitising the planning system will help us to start producing policies based on real time evidence.

Policies could change over a very short time.We need to be investing in colleges and universities, educating our young people and making sure they get the right training from the outset.

We must have an industry-wide effort, focused on sustainability in design, one where we can all contribute, rather than having a few people in senior positions trying to force the issue.. We need to do more with passive design, whether it be a fully certified, Passivhaus approach, or simply using sustainable design features more generally from the start through to completion: early design stages, technical design, procurement and construction.Nothing lost along the way.

We need to involve contractors and manufacturers, with contractors pushing their supply chains to make sustainability-led improvements in their products and materials..Yes, there are challenges, but if this industry (not famed for collaboration) would commit to working together, they are surmountable.