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The Planning Officers Society was formed in April 1997 by the amalgamation of the former County Planning Officers Society, District Planning Officers Society and the Metropolitan Planning Officers Society. With the formation of a single Local Government Association it was decided by the constituent societies that a single voice for local authority planning practitioners would be the most effective way of pursuing good and effective planning practice within local government.
POS Ten Years On
The catalyst for the creation of POS was the merger of the three local authority associations into the new LGA. So, the three planning officer societies took the decision to mirror the change, to reflect the seamless nature of planning across authorities and ensure that planning can speak with one voice. From the outset a key requirement was to support the new LGA with professional and technical advice, to assist in policy formulation and to offer draft recommendations in response to consultations from Whitehall . The welter of guidance, regulation and legislation that has emerged from Eland House has made this a very busy decade for Society. Part of the POS response has been to form POS Enterprises which now provides much of this service and more, very effectively on a consultancy basis. However, I believe it is vital to retain and if possible step up the involvement of more chief planners and their middle managers in the work of Society in advising the LGA. Not only does this give POS greater strength in depth but exposure to the national ‘scene’ is a first class training ground for the next generation of chief planners.
And it is countering the pressures of the day job where POS continues to achieve another role, for it is a society, not a professional institute or a single issue pressure group. POS is about the people who operate planning in local government as much as it is about the duties they perform. Being a chief planner can sometimes be a lonely job. Pressures can be increased when re-structuring takes that job down the tiers where colleagues may have all the responsibility of delivery without the clout. This is where Society continues to play a unique and vital role offering comradeship and support. Solutions to problems are often common across the country and a problem shared is a problem halved. Planning is the beating heart of council activity, articulating the community strategy and helping turn vision and aspirations of local people into reality. All the more important then that we work towards a stronger Society, leading and supporting colleagues in this vital work.
Graeme Bell , President in 1997/98
POS Ten Years On and On
In many respects the Society has never been stronger. It is active in many areas of policy formation with the government departments and with the LGA and it has forged strong and significant ties with partner organisations such as the RTPI and PAS (IDeA). But it is not only in the field of strategic thinking that POS is hitting the mark; in its approach to delivery we are demonstrating that planners CAN do it, and do it well and in this the POS plays a key role in disseminating good practice and raising the bar above excellence.
And this is where the Society must continue to build its influence. As a Society all of us are trying to deliver services and outcomes in an increasingly complex planning system which sees it (quite rightly in my opinion) more and more closely integrated with a broader vision of economic and social wellbeing. We need to support the work of the Society’s committees and Cabinet to ensure that the central role planning has in the corporate role of Councils is not only recognised, but suitably resourced. We will continue to press for the role of Chief Officer to be formally recognised as a position within Council’s management teams, as the Council’s role as community leader and place shaper becomes more established.
To really make a difference members need to recognise that as a Society we can only help each other by taking individual responsibility to support the work of the Society and it is for this reason that I see the growth and stability of a regional network to support the Society throughout the country as an objective for the next five years. All organisations are only as strong as their individual membership and it is important that we bring new people and renewed enthusiasm into the running of the Society. To be a leader, whatever your profession, you need to inspire and I know that from the senior planning officers who are involved in the Society there is tremendous confidence that as strong as we feel we have become, we can be stronger, we can be more influential and we can make a difference. This is because planning matters, and unlike Bob the Builder, who fixes things when they are broken, our task is to build sustainable communities; and we can deliver.
Steve Quartermain, Senior Vice-President 2006/07.
The Past Presidents of the Society are:-
 1997/1998 Graeme Bell, Lancashire County Council
 1998/1999 James Caird, South Shropshire District Council
 1999/2000 Keith Hamilton, Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council
 2000/2001 John Kilford, West Sussex County Council
 2001/2002 James Russell, Coventry City Council
 2002/2003 John Silvester, Surrey Heath Borough Council
 2003/2004 Gill Gowing, Chiltern District Council
 2004/2005 Paul Watson, Solihull MBC
 2005/2006 Graham Jones, Harrow LBC
 2006/07 Hilary Herbert, Surrey CC
The Planning Officers Society accepts members from all local authorities in England and Wales and eligibility for membership is based on being Chief Officer or Head of Planning Services within an authority, designated deputies and Heads of Strategic Planning Units, Regional Planning Bodies, National Parks, or other appropriate organisations dealing with planning in local government.
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POS Info