Annabel Le Lohé MRTPI, Brookbanks’ Development and Planning Manager, chaired the Young Planners Conference for the Royal Town Planning Institute! The event was attended by many young planners up and down the country to share in their knowledge and passions for the industry.
Annabel reflects on the RTPI Young Planners’ Conference: “It was a pleasure to Chair the Conference last week, connecting with so many enthusiastic minds in the profession and considering the theme of Utopia or Dystopia. This is incredibly relevant working for a master developer, as when supporting clients in delivering new communities, we must be mindful of the way our profession shapes the world and making a genuinely positive impact.”
Explore nutrient neutrality, EDPs, the Planning & Infrastructure Bill, legal timelines, mitigation challenges and how we help unlock housing delivery across England and Wales.
At Brookbanks, we understand that large‑scale new settlements only succeed when commercial thinking, engineering insight and planning strategy are fully aligned from the outset. On sites such as Bourn Airfield, the scale with challenging ground conditions, major infrastructure requirements, extensive SuDS networks and long‑term planning pathways, every technical decision has a financial, phasing and delivery implication. This article explores how our one integrated Brookbanks team managed those interdependencies across this large multi‑phase development, and how our cost & commercial specialists in particular helped maintain certainty on such a complex project.
At Brookbanks, we’ve seen how education projects move more smoothly when constraints are treated as an interconnected system rather than a list of separate technical tasks. Early integrated due diligence, honest planning strategies, realistic phasing and programmes shaped around the school calendar all help reduce surprises and strengthen confidence. This article explores the recurring pinch points we see and the practical steps that lead to consents, programmes and budgets that genuinely withstand the demands on this sectors projects.