Cratus Communities Networking – Thoughts from the Room

Somehow, we are already halfway through February, and 2025 is moving at an incredible pace. Last night, Cratus Group hosted a networking event night, which was my first since joining last year, so it was great to be in a room filled with such a diverse and engaged group of people.

Cratus Group sit at the heart of the built environment, development, planning, and local government, so naturally, the conversations were insightful and varied, and I wanted to share some of them.

One of the most engaging discussions I had was with a group of architects. Their expertise in creating built form, assessing the existing landscape and designing for end users is an invaluable part of the planning process, and an incredible amount of detail and production is involved in creating key documents, such as Design and Access statements, but do they really work in the planned role of making development accessible to the public?

These are critical documents for any development that comes forward, yet to truly engage communities, such plans and technical information needs to be distilled into focused, clear, and concise information.  A key role of our team is to help project teams simplify their comms, remove jargon, and to meet their audience and transform planning documentation into a vision which real communities can understand and feed into.

Another discussion revolved around the unique and often challenging structure of local authorities. Every council is unique in their makeup, existing to deliver high-quality public services and care, while simultaneously ensuring good value for money. For the average user, it is hard to navigate the different tiers of government, and for those involved with the planning and development process, the system is opaque (at best) and often highly politically sensitive.

The need for Corporate and Council Leadership to operate in alignment has never been greater to deliver on shared goals and aspirations. Yet this is becoming increasingly difficult given the current political climate, with reorganisation and devolution looming, but one where Cratus is experienced in bringing parties together and forging a collective path.

Also discussed was the real need to de-risk opportunities, amongst both developers and registered providers. The land agents we spoke to reported that site promoters are currently very active in the market, with land being snapped up quickly, a very promising sign for the year ahead and a key talking point of the evening.

To create the growth the country so desperately craves, ensuring that development can navigate the planning system has never been more important, to give certainty to developers and councils that they are able to reach the ambitious housing targets set by central government.

The importance of engagement also emerged as a central topic. Bringing a site forward requires proactive engagement with local leaders and communities. With planning reforms set to challenge local opposition, there is a real sense of inevitability around development in many communities, and it is more crucial than ever for developers and communities to engage meaningfully so that where development takes place, it is to the benefit of all.

Rather than focusing on resisting development, local communities should be prepared to sit down and have constructive conversations with developers about how developments should look, feel and integrate into their communities. And developers must match this commitment, to go out and listen, to meet communities face to face and to build and nurture these relationships.

Moving away from the adversarial process of objections, appeals, and legal battles towards a more collaborative approach can only lead to better shared outcomes. Understanding different perspectives, priorities, and personal approaches is vital for building trust and achieving consensus. This process can be daunting, and difficult to know where to start, but is the bread-and-butter work of our planning team.

A discussion covered transport needs in the updated NPPF’s vision-led approach. Instead of the old ‘predict and provide’ model, it focuses on setting goals for well-designed, sustainable places and then finding the right transport solutions. Early and thorough consultation ensures transport is fully integrated into planning and design.

By prioritising early and comprehensive consultation, the NPPF aims to ensure that transport strategies are seamlessly integrated into the overall planning and design of new developments, which should serve to benefit new and existing communities.

It’s not just the year that’s moving quickly – the development sector is roaring back to life, with ambitious targets for housing delivery. It’s an exciting time to be part of this dynamic industry, and I look forward to seeing how these conversations translate into action in the months ahead!