Property Focus: The Interview – Richard Baxter

Richard Baxter has been a director at independent planning and urban design consultancy Turley Associates since 1999.

Mr Baxter, based in Leeds, has wide experience in local and regional government, especially in major developments and regeneration.

His consultancy work has involved major developments for both the public and private sectors, involving urban and city centre mixed-use schemes.

He leads the company’s work nationally on health development projects.

Formed in 1983, the Turley Associates provides a range of key services, including research, masterplanning and project co-ordination. It has nine offices and 220 members of staff.

1. What are your views of the current state of the commercial property and property development markets?

“All the negative things have already been said and the prophets of doom still hold the floor.

“Life is challenging compared with 12 months ago, and will be for another year, but from the planning profession’s point of view it’s a good time to draw breath and think strategically and creatively about land and property assets.

“The new LDFs are all being prepared and they will guide development for the next 15 years, so it’s an opportunity not to be missed, despite the economy.

“It’s already too late to plan for recession, we need to start thinking about the turn-around and how we can all position ourselves to benefit.”

2. What key challenges and pieces of legislation do you think will most affect your sector over the coming months?

“The planning system continues to be an imperfect tool for delivering quality development and long term strategy.

“The recent Killian-Pretty review of the operation of the system is important but government needs to avoid further tinkering and really get to the heart of how we can deliver. 

“Perhaps they should start listening more to the professionals who have to make the system work. When the up-turn comes the market,

especially in housing, is not going to be able to respond quickly to the demand which are going to be placed upon it. We need to think now about future delivery.”

3. Why do you think Yorkshire is a good place to do business?

“There is a strong entrepreneurial culture in the county inherited from the industrial past, a willingness to take things on and a confidence in the of the region’s positive identity. The diversity of the regional market is also a great strength.”

4. What is your favourite building / development in Yorkshire and why?

“I really struggled with this one, so much to choose from!  I’ll go for Saltaire as it says something about the soul of Yorkshire, stands within the mainstream of its social history and is a great piece of town planning.”

5. If you could improve anything in the region, what would it be?

“The quality of new building design. Yorkshire hasn’t achieved the level of architectural quality in major new buildings which you see in Manchester, for example.”

6. What barriers have you had to overcome during your career and how have you overcome them?

“Planning suffers from a perennially negative image in the popular mind and overcoming that barrier is a constant issue.

“People still seem genuinely surprised that positive engagement can bring about the right results and that planning is not a tool for stopping people from doing what they want in a petty bureaucratic way. We should be prouder of our achievements.”

7. What was your first job and how did you enter your current line of work?

“As a planning assistant with Cardiff City Council. Working in local government in a city undergoing massive change was a great opportunity for learning how planning really worked and to develop my professional skills. 

I couldn’t work in consultancy without this excellent grounding. I came into consultancy after having employed a lot of consultants and thinking that I could do that!”

8. What do you most enjoy about your job?

“The variety, the intellectual challenge and the opportunity to make a real difference to our towns and cities.”

9. What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

“Never take anything at face value, there’s always a different way of looking at things.”

10. And the worst?

“You don’t want to go into planning; it’s boring!”