To the House of Commons for a speaking engagement.

Monday, 1 March, was quite a day. It began with a tour around the New Palace of Westminster. Did you know that Charles Dickens was once a reporter for the equivalent of Hansard? And next time I’m worried about a deadline, I’ll remember that Hansard has to be published by 7am the next day.

I had been invited to the Room@RTPI London Region’s annual event at the House of Lords by the Chair John Harvey who up until recently was a trustee of the RTPI. John had asked me to be one of two guest speakers; the other was Richard Blakeway, the Mayor of London’s special adviser on housing. What interesting companions for lunch, Lord Graham of Edmonton on my left and Richard on my right. Originally from Tyneside, Lord Graham started his political career as a councillor. He is particularly interested in housing, cooperatives and community land trusts and is also involved with the British Humanist Association. We had a lively and wide ranging discussion and after lunch it was time for the speeches. After an excellent introduction from John Harvey, Lord Graham stole the show with some well loved jokes and promotion of his autobiography. Now well into his eighties Lord Graham was thrilled to sell lots of copies and took orders for more.

The housing sector is hugely important for us and I wanted to emphasise just how crucial it is for planners to work with housing professionals. This fits in very well with the big push on inter professional working. We already have some good links with the Chartered Institute of Housing, but closer inter institute working has got to be a good thing for us all. After the lunch I walked beside the River Thames and went on the London Eye, a spur of the moment whim that I didn’t regret. A wonderfully warm and sunny spring day, I looked over to the iconic Houses of Parliament. What an honour to have the opportunity to speak there; a timely reminder about the impact politics has on us all as if we needed one with word out on the streets that the election will be announced after the budget and set for May 6.

Belfast Bound

This time last week I was just arriving in Belfast. My first time in this city. From the moment I saw that Belfast nestles alongside the great River Lagan in the foothills of the rolling hills which encircle the city, Belfast and its people had welcomed me. In a new and unfamiliar city, it’s that first morning you spend watching the city waking up with its unfamiliar sights and sounds that is unique.

As I went out to get breakfast, I wanted to give something back and an old lady sitting in the wet, homeless and begging, her stillness contrasting with the hustle and bustle around her gave me an opportunity as I gave her my cup of tea. People smile, people are friendly, but they need our support. Planning has a big role to play here with regeneration schemes like Victoria Square, winner of the RTPI’s Silver Jubilee Cup at the recent national planning awards. It is clear that the planners here feel isolated. They are facing tough times as there has been much publicity about planning in the local press. Morale is low although a close knit planning community that bridges the gap between private, public and community sectors shows that planning can be all the richer for this cross sectoral cooperation and professional support. At the Branch’s Dinner in the splendid Great Hall at Queen’s University, the Minster confirmed that planning reform would go ahead. Yet he hesitated to give his support to the professionals. And yet here the planners are setting an example to us all. I can’t wait to return.