What should property developers be focusing on during this challenging time?

The Coronavirus is undoubtedly presenting a significant challenge to the vast majority of the economy, including the planning sector.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, the team at Skyline Comms have been closely watching any developments, and offering advice to our clients as they navigate through these unprecedented times.

As we have advised our clients, this period of time should be used to boost the case for your development.

With physical face-to-face engagement being impossible during the present lockdown, we have identified three things that developers and planners should bear in mind in order to continue with effective engagement strategies during the coming weeks and months.

1. You can engage effectively without using an exhibition

Before looking at how to pivot your engagement over the coming weeks and months, it is important to understand that using an exhibition is not an essential part of community engagement.

The Statement of Community Involvement (SCI) only requires you to demonstrate that you have taken all reasonable measures to consult.

2. Understanding the state-of-play:

The industry, and the legal frameworks, have had to adapt swiftly over recent weeks.

Most authorities have adopted virtual committees already, some will not have a virtual planning committee until June and a small number have delegated responsibility to officers.

It is therefore important to understand the state-of-play within specific authorities, as it is likely that there will a number of different responses. We have also seen that some local authorities have been slower to implement new systems, so you need to know what stage your relevant authority is at.

As the lockdown continues, it is important to stay as up-to-date as possible with developments because there will undoubtedly be complications and further changes as local authorities react to them.

Our usual advice is for developers and planners to have a bespoke strategy for each local authority, and this period is no different.

3. How could you be engaging online?

As we highlighted earlier in the article, many of our clients have not found exhibitions to be cost-effective engagement strategies, and had been moving away from these even before this challenging time.

Online engagement strategies could include digital advertising, computer-generated imagery, digital PR and various forms of online marketing including email marketing.

From our experience, the earlier you look to engage these strategies, the more effective they will be.

It is also important to consider any engagement process as a data-driven exercise, and that one engagement strategy could be used to support more than one application.

Skyline Comms offers political insights at a local and national level, as well as political and community engagement to support applications through the planning process.

Our team are always up-to-speed with the latest digital strategies, and we have experience of bespoke engagement strategies and online PR campaigns.

To find out how we could support your political and community campaigns during this challenging time, please email our Managing Director James Hockney on j.hockney@skylinecomms.com or call 07958 389713.

Three things to know about our new Minister for Housing

Following February’s cabinet reshuffle, the main news centred around the shock resignation of Chancellor Sajid Javid and his replacement Rishi Sunak. There were lots of other changes though, including that of the Minister of State for Housing.

That change saw Christopher Pincher, the MP for Tamworth since 2010, replacing former cabinet minister and Conservative leadership contender Esther McVey.

There have been some brief profiles of the new minister, but at Skyline Comms we pride ourselves on providing an additional level of political insight.

With that in mind, in this article we are going to look at three things that those in the planning and property development industries should know about the new minister and how he might differ from his predecessor.

  1. His Previous Roles:

Inside Housing’s profile of Mr Pincher highlighted that he was previously a director of Staffordshire-based firm JT Leavesley.

A look at the company’s website shows that they have experience in the property sector, which tells us that the new minister may look more favourably upon the industry than previous ministers may have.

His link to a company in the sector will also probably mean that he is more sympathetic to the needs of the industry too.

2. His Previous Comments And Actions:

At this stage the knowledge of Mr Pincher’s previous roles provides some insight into how he will approach the housing brief, but it is his actions in office that will provide more of an understanding of his likely positions.

For example, one of the campaigns listed on his website looks at the ‘Right’ development . It references the importance he places on providing infrastructure alongside property development, and also highlights the importance of having clarity on how developer money is spent locally.

From this, we can understand that the new housing minister will be keen to see developments which place a huge emphasis on local infrastructure, and also which provide a great benefit to the local community.

Additionally, we can see from this constituency campaign and letter to the Chief Executive of Litchfield District Council , that while he supports the premise of providing good quality homes, it is important to him that the planned development also provides the “infrastructure and local safeguarding” from the outset. He also makes reference to developments without that being “unsustainable and inappropriate.”

3.       His position contrasts with Esther McVey’s

Taking our previous points into account, the appointment of Mr Pincher sends a further signal to the industry because of his apparent contrast with his predecessor Esther McVey.

Those in the industry may remember her first speech in the role, in which she said that when it comes to building on greenfield sites, “every blade of grass must be looked at before it is changed” .

While Mr Jenrick remained in post following the reshuffle, Ms McVey was replaced by Mr Pincher. Some may believe this shows that Mr Johnson and his government are intent on ensuring there is more action, especially with the housing brief.

Since 1997 the UK has seen 17 housing ministers come and go, with the current incumbent being the 18th to hold the role. Following Boris Johnson’s landslide victory in December, and the huge majority he has, the industry, and those that rely on the housing stock, watch in hope that Mr Pincher will be able to last longer than many of his predecessors.

Skyline Comms offers political insights at a local and national level, as well as political and community engagement to support applications through the planning process.

To find out how we could support your political and community campaigns, please email our Managing Director James Hockney on j.hockney@skylinecomms.com or call 07958 389713.