Combination Projects

Involving research and practice and training - BDOR's real area of distinctiveness. This is what probably makes us unique!

One of BDOR's Countryside Commission projects was to tackle the vexed question of improving the quality of building design in rural areas. The work started as 'research' but soon moved into practice development through the production of national guidance. The resulting material on Design in the Countryside has without doubt transformed practice across the UK. In particular, Village Design Statements represent the first time ever that local communities have been able to draft, get agreed by planning committees and publish their own guidance on their own areas. Once guidance was in place, BDOR has continued to support this work through training (for professionals and communities) and practical support on specific Summaries and Statements. Jeff Bishop has also promoted this work in the USA, Slovenia and especially Italy, and is now working on the approach across Ireland.

Back in 1992 BDOR led a team researching community involvement in planning for the then Department of the Environment. As this topic moved up the political agenda we were able to draw on our practical experience of a range of planning projects and these informed the chapter in 'Making Plans' for the ODPM - the precursor to the changed planning system. Since the reforms, Jeff Bishop has led a national training programme for planners and others, written practical guidance for the South West RDA and worked with Planning Aid to create networks to fast-track good participation practice. BDOR has also continued to build up its portfolio of successful projects, innovative processes and exciting and engaging methods. This all links back to Jeff's work with InterAct Networks to build broader organisational capacity on engagement.

Another exciting project started with 'research' work for the Countryside Agency to test the feasibility of developing a programme of community-based renewable energy projects across England. The aim was to enable local communities to plan, develop, take shares in and draw energy from their own local renewable energy projects. Following the research a national developmental programme emerged with our support, also backed by the DTI, DEFRA and others - the Community Renewables Initiative (CRI). The themes of the CRI have been picked up in several practical projects and in training courses.