Esther Whitehead’s Post

A partnership of organisations working in the Yorkshire Dales National Park has published its annual progress report: 1️⃣ More than half of the plan’s 49 objectives, set in 2019, have been achieved or are on course to be achieved. 2️⃣ 15 objectives where progress has been slower than originally hoped, but there are promising signs for the future. However, the annual report, which will be debated at tomorrow’s National Park Authority annual meeting, also says there has been little or no progress on five nature recovery and natural environment objectives. 🗨️ "More action – and the necessary resources – will be needed to make them a reality.” Read more here 👇 https://lnkd.in/eHBMH-n9

Greg Walcher articulates a perspective I've been contemplating for some time. His insights into the complexities of the Dolores National Monument proposal resonate with my own thoughts, especially considering the recent resolution passed by the City of Grand Junction Council in support of the monument. I’ve been hesitant to voice my concerns, but this article has encouraged me to share my reflections on the potential impacts. More to come—stay tuned! #PublicLands #ConservationDebate #DoloresCanyons #EnvironmentalPolicy #WesternSlope

Utter rubbish being spouted here. You can trust the Guardian to give someone a contrary platform. Oh its all about benefiting the construction lobby. This statement belongs on Tiktok sandwiched between the "flat earthers who think we didn't go to the moon" and the "Trump set up his own botched assination." Housing is just consumption???? What! No!!! investing in housing of course acts like other cash investment into the economy. This from someone who read Economics 🙈. Its an investment in our future also. We have a housing crisis if not a housing emergency. Private for sale housing to get planning consent HAS to deliver a proportion of affordable housing (contracted under the s106 as a form of land value capture) timed to be built to coincide (it cannot be left to last) whether that housing is subsidised rent or shared ownership. It also provides financial resources via CIL and other S106 benefits for the community. Then you have the societal benefits of a decent home and its impact on well being and the NHS bill. Embodied carbon? - honestly the next NIMBY exploitation after the Great Crested Newt Look at the G15 research on the cost benefits of affordable housing. https://lnkd.in/eDDYABih Having checked what else Simon Jenkins has pontificated on I shouldn't be surprised I guess.

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“Activists are hell to live with but they make great ancestors” – Robert Liberty 51 years ago, Oregon defined itself as a visionary pioneer for sound land use planning. In reaction to the unbridled growth and urban sprawl across farmland and forests of the 1960s and 1970s, Oregonians advocated for a solution to the rapid loss of natural resources and shared values. On May 29, 1973, Senate Bill 100 was signed into law. This landmark system it created was based on this simple concept: urban uses and development belong inside cities and towns while rural lands should be preserved for farms, forests, and open space. Since then, the legacy of SB 100 has shaped our remarkable quality of life and allows us to continue defending and planning for Central Oregon’s livable future. Learn more about the land use system that makes Oregon different: https://lnkd.in/gJ--dv8q

Bold and innovative urban planning with the public in mind will bring us back from the precipice of collapse and breathe new life into our city and nurture ideas we've yet to imagine Urbanizing For The Public will bookend the series: As it prescribes a better pill to swallow, a humane path to follow —For The Greater Good https://lnkd.in/e2Hb9TgW

This morning I was reflecting on the strengths and challenges of the better planning approval program that the Victorian State Government ran until 2023. The program was effective, delivering tangible improvements. Hypereal supported two Councils to streamline processes, digitise services and tackle some real pain points for staff and customers. As a program it would have been a stretch to address headline-grabbing issues like housing shortages, but let's be honest - the issue there isn't with Council approval processes. But it did bring some consistency to the way the planning scheme is delivered, without removing the agency of individual Councils to customise their service to the local context. While it's a shame the program isn't ongoing, their legacy is a library of tried and tested tools that Councils can adapt to improve their operations. If Councils in Vic (or beyond) are looking to implement these resources and need some guidance, reach out for a chat. #LocalGovernment #Planning #ContinuousImprovement #CustomerExperience #DigitalTransformation #PlanningReform

In local government, preserving meeting minute-books stands as a testament to the dedication of councils to safeguarding their past. Handwritten relics of decisions made and paths chosen, these minute books are invaluable windows into our communal heritage. However, as time marches on, so do the challenges in maintaining these historical treasures. Take the example of a local Queensland council, which faced the daunting task of preserving its extensive collection of minute books spanning decades. Through triumphs and trials, they embarked on a journey toward digitisation, guided by a steadfast commitment to ensuring that the community's history endures. We recently wrote a case study on the council's journey digitising their minute books. It's a testament to the importance of preserving history and a reminder of the challenges that come with it. #history #preservation #digitisation #localgovernment #Queensland

A draft passage from my new book on modern urban conflict - Globally, urban conflict is becoming more prevalent, more complex and more destructive. There is often a sense of inevitable decay and collapse involved in these assessments, debates and strategizing around urban conflicts. An increasingly desperate and urgent search for the right conflict strategies, for the Tolkienesque One Ring To Bind Them All strategy can be found in many modern approaches. This book will show that there is no such single, over-arching conflict strategy available to us, that this understandable but futile search is doing more harm than good in its implementation, that urban conflict is one of the best examples of a complex conflict, and that in fact, we should not wish to lose the creative spark of urban conflict, but that we should learn to wisely and efficiently shape and guide these energies in the best interests of our communities.

There is a public consultation to build ‘Europes largest battery farm’ - not chickens but energy storage batteries On a greenfield site just outside Thirsk, North Yorkshire. Project Bellmoor is proposed to be 1GW of energy storage. Natpower UK have put a case together trying to convince us that they will plant trees around it to keep the wildlife happy and that the land isn’t suitable for grade a farming. They chose the site because it’s near the pylons and not near many houses. Thirsk is well known for the James Herriot museum (All Creatures Great and Small) the White Horse at Kilburn and the Racecourse as well as being set in outstanding natural countryside. After a quick search I found this https://lnkd.in/eRJQR38D A brownfield site, which is one of many on the former chemical/steelworks/industrial sites of Teesside. Next to the power grid and not near anyone or any form of wildlife. I might be missing something but surely it makes more sense to reuse these old sites for modern uses and keep farm land for crops and conservation. For clarity I grew up in and around Thirsk so do have a marginally biased opinion. I think Ben Houchen would welcome the proposed £1 million uplift to the local economy . https://lnkd.in/e3a-Tnxs #keepbritainfarming #joinedupthinking #commonsense