Jan Bessell FRTPI is RTPI President 2026
The RTPI's member representation and debating forum is the General Assembly. As RTPI President, I co-create the agenda and lead each of the four Assembly meetings each year.
This month’s assembly was hosted by Pinsent Masons in Leeds, which provided an opportunity to get out and about with a walking tour focussed on South Bank Leeds.
Full of energy and energised conversation from the walking tour, the meeting was joined by two excellent speakers who demonstrate in practice the value of planning in achieving and unlocking economic, health, cultural and sustainable outcomes and collaborative working. Planning as a strategic enabler.
Leeds City Council’s Martin Elliot, newly appointed Chief Planning Officer, highlighted how planning, in Leeds, isn’t just about control and process but about shaping economic advantage, environment, community and outcomes. This creates sustained growth and long-term opportunity and resilience in the city.
As part of West Yorkshire Combined Authority, the local growth plan has been translated into four city ambitions;
- health and wellbeing
- strong communities
- sustainable cities and
- inclusive growth.
The Leeds ten-year plan is about accelerating growth but also embedding change, sustainability and shaping place. Building on the £6bn of development delivered across the city in the past 15 years, including Leeds Trinity, the Northern Square Mile and Innovation Arc.
The work being delivered in Leeds and what is planned for the future, including a children’s hospital is a great example of my presidential theme of Planning with Purpose and a way of illustrating and thinking about outcomes rather than outputs.
What’s more, they are cleverly using their emerging local plan to bring this all together and inform strategic planning in the wider West Yorkshire Combined Authority area.
Bradford City Council (2025 City of Culture), was passionately represented by Dr Saira Ali and supported in panel Q&A by Chris Eaton, Head of Service Planning Development. As the team leader for landscape design, and conservation, Saira explained and illustrated the massive transformation that Bradford has been through in recent years, culminating in the year of culture.
With one of the youngest populations in the UK and 25% under 15, there is a youthful enthusiasm that is being harnessed. Sadly, the city centre found itself in decline following the familiar stories of online retail and car dependency.
However, her team were able to develop a strategic vision drawing on the existing historic heart and attracting people back into the city. It is truly collaborative planning as transformation; creating the conditions for re-imagination and redevelopment to deliver a vibrant, sustainable place.
Highways have been stripped out in favour of walkable places, greenways and cycleways providing liveable spaces for communities to enjoy.
This is more than just improving the appearance of a city. It is planning delivering pride of place and much more. It meant during the City of Culture they could use the wonderful built environment as a stage and showcase for all the richness that Bradford and West Yorkshire have to offer.
Collaborative positive planning unlocked this change. Some of you may remember that I spotlighted Bradford as one of my examples during my presidential inauguration. I hope now you can understand why?
The General Assembly then had a rich and full debate about how the Purpose of Planning helps to shape these outcomes and can deliver sustainable benefits for all.
But there is always more to the Assembly than hearing and sharing the best practice of our fellow professionals. There is also the important internal changes at the Institute and policy environment changes taking places throughout the UK.
Our new Chief Executive Rachel Fisher took the opportunity to introduce herself to the General Assembly and set out a taste of her vision for the future of the Institute. I can highly commend her recent appearance on the Planner Pod for those of you who weren’t able to attend the meeting. She is truly enthusiastic about unlocking the visionary art of planning exemplified by those planning in Leeds and Bradford.
Robbie Calvert, Head of policy and public affairs for RTPI and Andrew Taylor, the chair of the England Policy Committee gave an important update from all of the nations.
Another great honour of being the Institute’s President is the opportunity to recognise the most outstanding planners. It was a real privilege to present the Gold Medal Award to Cecilia Wong. She exemplifies the very best of us and the profession!
