There is a revolution underway in how town and country (or spatial) planning is carried out in England - and planning reform is in the air in Wales too!

Through the Localism Act, a new National Planning Policy Framework and other policy innovations the government is moving away from a 'top-down', target-driven approach to one that puts more control in the hands of local people. At the same time it is prioritising growth through a presumption in favour of sustainable development. 

The Welsh Assembly government is currently bringing forward a White Paper, expected in December 2012, followed by a Planning Bill for Wales and whilst the majority of the Localism Bill provisions apply only to England, some will apply in Wales. 

The workshops will explore what Localism means for architects:

• Context: The Big Society, localism and place-making

• Overview: the new planning systems and how they will work

• Neighbourhood planning: what it is and how to do it

• Engaging communities: in development proposals and neighbourhood planning

• Infrastructure: the new rules for determining proposals

• Getting involved: the skills, partnerships and governance the new approaches require.