Regional Place Networks & Advocates Programme

PAS are really pleased to be working with Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) to support a programme of regional design & place networks across the nine English regions.

Nine regional networks for local authorities that focus on place and design have been set up and there is an active programme in each region of learning and sharing advice and good practice. Sign up to be part of your region's network.

Regional Place Networks - call for interest from local authorities!

PAS are working with MHCLG to support a programme of Regional Design and Place-shaping Networks across each of the nine English regions. As part of this programme we are supporting a regional “Place Advocate” in each of the nine regions to help steer their respective regional network. 

The aim of the networks are to engage with local planning authorities across the country, to raise awareness and support the implementing of best design practice, offering peer-to-peer learning, sharing evidence and insights into what communities like and value, and recognise how MHCLG and PAS can best support local authorities.

Each of the nine regions of England have a local authority Place Network which has been set up and a regional Place Advocate to work with each network to help steer the formation and delivery of the network. The Advocates are urban designers and planners, with an active interest in design and place-shaping, and a desire to learn and share experiences between authorities in each region. 

East Midlands

East of England

  • Chris King, Design and Specialist Services Manager, East Suffolk Council

London

  • China Chapman,  Architect - Design Officer, BeFirst, London Borough of Barking & Dagenham

North East

North West

  • Hannah Mitchell, Senior Planning Policy Officer, Infrastructure and Design Lead, Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council     

South East

  • Rebecca Lamb, Design and Conservation Manager, Sevenoaks District Council 

South West

  • Stephen Kirby, Principal Development Officer, Development Management, Cornwall Council

West Midlands

  • Kate Harris, Planning Officer/Urban Designer, Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council

Yorkshire & Humber

  • Helen Forman, Urban Design Lead, West Yorkshire Combined Authority 

The regional advocates will be working with PAS and MHCLG to help local authorities to engage in the network and and delivered regular networking meeting. 

Local authorities can register their interest in being part of their regional network via a short survey and getting in touch with the Place Advocate for their region.  Completing the survey also gives LPAs the opportunity to share information on the design work being undertaken in their authority and skills they have available.  

The networks will be free to attend and open to all all local and combined authorities in each region.

A link to survey can be found below.

https://forms.office.com/e/TF79nLcHsu

To be sure to receive an invitation to the network and the next meeting, please complete the survey noted above. Every local planning authority is welcome to send a representative. You do not need to be a design officer to attend, networking meetings are open to all officers involved in creating new places.

How will my data be used?

By providing your details on the survey, your personal details (name, email, organisation, and role) will only be shared with the Place Advocates, relevant policy colleagues working in the Design & Placemaking team at MHCLG and those working on design related matters in PAS.  The data you provide will be stored securely and only used by the PAS and the Design & Placemaking team to contact you about this Programme and/or relevant future opportunities if you indicate this in the survey. Your personal data will be held until the end of 2026 or until you request that we delete it. To request deletion, please contact  [email protected]

If you have any other questions, please do not hesitate to get in touch at  [email protected]