Introducing ATLAS
ATLAS, the Advisory Team for Large Applications, was set up in 2004 as a pilot scheme to provide independent advice to Local Authorities in London and the South East experiencing pressures of increased development activity flowing from the Sustainable Communities Plan. Following initial success CLG asked English Partnerships to expand the team, which currently stands at an establishment of 14.
ATLAS is funded by CLG, is formally part of the Planning Advisory Service and is hosted by English Partnerships. ATLAS is part of English Partnerships' National Consultancy Unit. Consisting of some 20 development professionals, the NCU’s primary role is to provide advice to the EP regions. Whilst the 'customer' is therefore different, there are strong synergies between the work of the NCU and ATLAS. The two teams learn from each others work and on occasions provide input into each others projects, where a particular specialism is required.
ATLAS provides an independent advisory service to Local Planning Authorities that are experiencing the pressures of increased development activity. It currently operates across the South East, South West, East of England and Greater London Government Office regions.
Members of the ATLAS team are based in offices in Milton Keynes, Ashford and Bristol. In addition to experienced town planners the team includes specialists in transport & engineering, social infrastructure planning & delivery, Environmental Impact Assessment, S106 negotiations, urban design and masterplanning, who have been advising and assisting Local Planning Authorities across a wide variety of projects, all of which contain a significant number of residential units. The team has rapidly expanded in 2006 to offer guidance and assistance across a wide range of planning and technical development issues.
"As the Head of ATLAS, it's been my key responsibility to establish a team that can make a real difference to Local Authorities, developers and other stakeholders to deliver high quality sustainable development. As a result of its continuing success ATLAS is in the process of further expansion."
Simon Leask - Head of ATLAS
ATLAS Objectives
The core objectives of ATLAS are to:
- improve the quality of process and outcome in bringing forward major planning & regeneration projects across all sectors of the planning /development community;
- act as a partner to Local Authorities and an independent reviewer of major applications and related issues;
- increase the knowledge and expertise within Local Authorities to handle large applications and to deliver high quality;
- help local planning authorities to develop better and more consistent interaction with the development industry and key stakeholders;
- ensure the lessons learnt from ATLAS's work contribute to general guidance to be disseminated more widely to local planning authorities and the wider development community; and
- contribute to the establishment of a collaborative planning system based on the principles of holistic sustainable development, spatial planning and development management
The ATLAS Offer
Projects
ATLAS is currently engaged in 30 projects across its area of operation with the potential to unlock 60,000 dwellings. All types of contexts are covered including; urban brownfield, greenfield extensions, estate renewal and new settlements. The one thing that they have in common is that they are all in excess of 500 dwellings.
ATLAS only engages where requested by the local authority on a case by case basis, at any stage of the development process. Generally the team becomes involved in large residential development projects containing at least 500 housing units which have some form of emerging or established planning status. Given the importance and extent of work required pre-application, the team is often involved well in advance of any formal planning application.
The advice we provide is based upon our background knowledge, experience from project work and other good practice together with the specific circumstances of each individual case. Whilst the team work primarily on behalf of the Local Planning Authority, our advice reflects what the team feel is reasonable and good practice, and as such may be supportive of the position of any stakeholder involved in the process. It is important to stress that ATLAS provides independent (and, where necessary, confidential) advice.
It can offer direct advice and guidance across a broad range of issues including:
- Development planning and the implications of current government policy
- Brokerage, coordination and negotiation of major development proposals
- Project management
- Planning frameworks and masterplans
- Urban design and density issues
- Modern methods of construction and innovation
- Building design and sustainable standards of design
- Affordable housing negotiations and design
- Flooding (including sustainable urban drainage), waste and energy
- Transportation and access
- Environmental Impact Assessment
With deep engagement in a wide variety and number of projects, ATLAS often works with all parties engaged in the development process. The team is subject to regular independent evaluation and local authorities, government offices, developers and a range of agencies report that ATLAS is adding significant value to both the process and the quality of outcomes.
"My role within ATLAS is to apply technical skills and knowledge to identify and broker solutions to problems that hinder the progress of large development proposals. I work collaboratively with a range of stakeholders and design disciplines so that major projects can achieve high levels of design quality and environmental sustainability."
Karl FitzGerald, ATLAS Engineering Consultant
Research and Dissemination
ATLAS has an increasingly important role in disseminating the lessons that it is learning and inputting ideas into Government for the development of the planning system. At the start of 2006 ATLAS produced a report for government on the potential use of Planning Delivery Agreements (now renamed by CLG as Planning Performance Agreements) for the delivery of large complex development proposals. PPA's are essentially a collaborative project management process focused on clear development objectives and vision. The ideas contained in the report were subsequently piloted by the Planning Advisory Service and ATLAS. This has led to government’s proposal to formally introduce PPA’s into the planning system.
The expanded team has been working hard over the last 9 months on a comprehensive guide to large scale development. A web based product has been designed and tested and released as a stage one product at www.atlasplanning.com. The guide is very much work in progress and will continue to develop prior to an official launch in the autumn.
To coincide with the guide and PPA’s, ATLAS is also increasing direct dissemination. A series of regional workshops is currently planned in the autumn and the expectation is that such activity will grow.
PPA Facilitation
Much of the methodology and thinking behind PPA’s has been developed by ATLAS. As a consequence Government has asked ATLAS to play a key role in their roll out. ATLAS has produced initial guidance on implementing PPA’s and as set out will be disseminating the concept.
A key element of the PPA methodology is undertaking a clear inception process. Government proposes that an independently facilitated inception day should be part of the formal process and has asked ATLAS to extend its offer to provide a national facilitation service for large complex proposals. It is the intention that all members of ATLAS will be trained to provide this service.
ATLAS expansion- A growing success story
The original small team has put ATLAS on the map, resulting in significant recognition and expansion. The expansion of the team and the inclusion of a range of development disciplines has resulted not only in an increased ability to make a real difference but also a very united team of committed and enthusiastic people.
With increased success and influence has come continued recognition resulting in the recommendation in the recent planning white paper that ATLAS should in due course go national.
This is an ideal time to join the ATLAS team as our influence continues to grow and our ability to share knowledge and experience increases. In addition to being at the forefront of planning and development innovation, influencing government policy and helping deliver well-designed, vibrant and sustainable communities, we can offer an excellent salary and benefits package as well as the opportunity to develop your career in an environment that thrives on excellence.
It's an exciting time to join... and a real chance to shape the future.
For a more detailed outline of ATLAS and access to reports, go to www.englishpartnerships.co.uk/atlas
To download the ATLAS business Plan click here
“Over the last eight years I've had a broad range of experience in planning, development and property consultancy. As a Senior Planning Manager in the ATLAS team all that experience is being channelled into a wide range of new challenges - helping to solve complex planning problems and build capacity in the planning sector.” Rob Smith - Senior Planning Manager, ATLAS