TCP8001 : Planning Frameworks
- Offered for Year: 2025/26
- Module Leader(s): Professor Simin Davoudi
- Lecturer: Dr Alexander Wilson, Dr Neil Adrian Powe, Mr Andrew Wood
- Owning School: Architecture, Planning & Landscape
- Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus
Semesters
Your programme is made up of credits, the total differs on programme to programme.
| Semester 1 Credit Value: | 10 |
| ECTS Credits: | 5.0 |
| European Credit Transfer System | |
Aims
This module aims to provide the students with an introduction to the UK planning system and a number of key themes that are critical to planning policies and regulations. It examines the evolution of the planning system and its changing social, political and institutional contexts. It focuses on both development plans and development management. Focusing on England, it offers a critical, historical understanding of how the statutory planning system works and the role of institutional and regulatory environments in which it operates. The module also provides a broad framework on which detailed knowledge can be built in semester 2.
Outline Of Syllabus
The syllabus covers the following themes. The order may change according to staff availability.
Introduction to the module and the assessment.
Origin of planning in the UK
Main reforms of the planning system
Overview of how the current English planning system works at different scales
Local Plan making in practice
Neighbourhood planning
Public participation and digital planning
Introduction to development management
The discretionary process of planning decisions
Workshop on making a planning decision
Teaching Methods
Teaching Activities
| Category | Activity | Number | Length | Student Hours | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Lecture | 9 | 2:00 | 18:00 | Lectures and workshops backed up with podcasts and Power Points on Canvas |
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 34 | 1:00 | 34:00 | Writing up of the assignment |
| Structured Guided Learning | Lecture materials | 10 | 1:00 | 10:00 | Selected reading and other materials relevant to content covered in the module |
| Guided Independent Study | Directed research and reading | 34 | 1:00 | 34:00 | Reading and research to support learning and preparatory work for the writing of the assignment |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Workshops | 1 | 2:00 | 2:00 | Workshop on development management. |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Drop-in/surgery | 2 | 1:00 | 2:00 | Tutorial support towards learning and assessment and opportunity for asking questions |
| Total | 100:00 |
Teaching Rationale And Relationship
The module uses blended teaching and learning.
Lectures are intended to provide overviews of different aspects of the statutory planning system. They include planning history (in terms of the major planning reforms) as well as the current operation of both local plan and development management.
Workshops are intended to give the students the opportunity to apply the knowledge they gain from the lecture and other resources to a planning case and make a decision on a planning application.
Suggested readings and a diverse range other resources are provided for more in-depth engagement.
Drop in Q&A session is intended to provide further guidance about the assignment and gain feedbacks from the
students.
Assessment Methods
The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners
Other Assessment
| Description | Semester | When Set | Percentage | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essay | 1 | M | 100 | An individual essay, 2000 words (exc. refs) on a critical review of a local plan from the perspective of an interest group. |
Assessment Rationale And Relationship
Local plans constitute the forward looking and strategic dimension of the planning systems in the UK. A sound understanding of how Local Plans are produced and the role of stakeholders in plan-making process is central to planners’ professional knowledge and skills.
The assessment meets three key objectives:
1. To prepare students to become aware of the contested nature of local plan preparation
2. To alert students to multiple views of stakeholders on the strengths and weaknesses of local plans
3. To encourage students to develop critical thinking and professional planning skills
To complete the assessments, students will need to familiarize themselves with the specified local plan’s policies and proposals. They need to know the main interests and priorities of various specified groups who are engaged in the local plan’s consultation process. They also need to deploy their own critical thinking and argumentation skills to provide a robust and compelling assessment of the plan.
Reading Lists
Timetable
- Timetable Website: www.ncl.ac.uk/timetable/
- TCP8001's Timetable