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This paper provides an empirical review of a widely used tool in the English planning system - pre-application discussions (‘pre-apps’) and a theoretical exposition of governmental ‘logics’ that underpin neoliberal-informed planning reforms. We present five logic frames of growth,\ud efficiency, commercialisation, participation and quality, and apply these to pre-application negotiation practice, to highlight how Local Planning Authorities (LPAs) and public sector planners are faced with the challenge of reconciling a complex of multiple and often competing aims that appear irreconcilable in practice. We highlight that whilst ‘ordinary’ planning tools such as pre-apps may appear mundane, they can provide valuable instantiations where all the logics collide. The example of pre-application negotiations highlight how neoliberal logics of growth, efficiency and commercialisation often work to overshadow a range of more traditional planning concerns (including public participation and quality of development). Such framings also assist in evaluating why ongoing planning reforms create frustration when local outcomes do not line up with attempts to align planning to ideologically inspired logics set out nationally. We contend that such reform attempts, when based on ideological parameters alone, ignore\ud the trade-offs that LPAs and planners have to make regarding such different (competing) goals, audiences and interests that operate within the planning system. Until governments\ud accept the trade-offs that their political rationalities and reforms impose on planning systems, and the subsequent deficiencies of the specific policy tools that follow from them, these logics will continue to collide in practice; with the strongest for growth dominating others and local\ud governments and public planners unable to resolve the tensions. This theory and practice framing highlights how neoliberal thought pervades the planning system and tools in England; and further research could examine and reflect on how these logics are operationalised and sustained across different policy contexts and planning spaces in order to deepen knowledge on how neoliberal planning agendas are shaped and promoted or challenged internationally.

Neighbourhood planning was the first volunteer-led statutory planning tool to be created in the UK. Whilst it has provoked debate and critique covering numerous practical and theoretical aspects (Wargent and Parker, 2018), little attention has been paid to the actual experience and motives of the volunteers who spend their leisure time by volunteering to prepare a plan. Given the range of leisure activities that have been shaped in the context of a neo-liberalised policy environment we add to longstanding debates concerning the political nature of leisure and how neo-liberal policies require, and exploit, volunteer time and input while claiming to offer forms of empowerment. Qualitative data derived from neighbourhood plan volunteers is presented here to highlight the political work of neighbourhood planning, thus responding to calls to extend the analysis of the political in and through leisure (Rose et al, 2018). It is argued that neighbourhood planning pushes the boundaries of what can be legitimately asked of volunteers and expected in terms of delivering policy outcomes.

The Spanish Toothcarp (Apricaphanius iberus) is a small fish species endemic to the eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula. Its area of distribution includes a variety of salt and freshwater habitats that experience large fluctuations in temperature and salinity throughout the year. The Spanish Toothcarp belongs to the Cyprinodontiformes order and to the family Aphaniidae. It is currently considered “Endangered” (category IUCN: EN), i.e., facing a very high risk of extinction in the wild. The genetics of A. iberus are not well known since most studies have only evaluated the genetic structure of the species under a conservation framework in order to identify its potential conservation units. In this study, the whole mitochondrial genome of A. iberus was obtained for the first time in the context of an A. iberus genome reference sequencing. The mitogenome was reconstructed and aligned against 83 other cyprinodontiformes and two outgroup taxa. From this, a phylogenetic reconstruction was created using PartitionFinder to test the best evolutionary model for both the 13 protein coding genes and two non-coding ribosomal genes. Following this, a phylogenetics analysis was conducted using two methods: Maximum-Likelihood approximation (IQTree) including bootstrap branching support and Bayesian inference (MrBayes) applying the partitions models obtained. By doing so, it was possible to find the molecular position of A. iberus within the Cyprinodontiformes order. The results showed A. iberus grouped together with Orestias ascotanensis and both species formed a sister group with North American and Caribbean cyprinodontiformes. These new data will be valuable for a better understanding of the evolution of A. iberus and will be highly useful for future genetic studies.

Trabajo de Máster presentado en la Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas de la Universidad Complutense de Madrid, [EN] The fartet, Apricaphanius iberus (Valenciennes, 1846), is a small endangered fish species, native to the coastal waters, interior lakes and salt marshes of the Spanish Mediterranean Coast. Over the years, human activities such as urbanization and the overexploitation of resources for agricultural use have driven the fartet to the brink of extinction, removing viable habitat from its area of distribution and fragmentating its populations. In this study, we conducted a genetic analysis using single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of 101 individuals from 12 populations along the fartet’s range of distribution. We analyzed the phylogenetic relationships and genetic structure of the populations. Migration rates among populations were also calculated. Genetic diversity values of the fartet were relatively moderate and similar across populations, however, the population Aigüamolls (Girona) was the most genetically differentiated, yet the individuals belonging to this population presented the least amount of genetic differentiation amongst each other. Significant migration was not detected and FST values were relatively high between populations, indicating levels of differentiation and genetic isolation attributable to fragmentation. The northern population of Albuixech (Valencia), and the southernmost population, Adra (Almería), comprised a sister group, possibly indicating Adra’s factitious origin. Results from our study enabled us to define 8 Operational Conservation Units (OCUs) that should be implemented into current and future conservation programs aimed at keeping the fartet from disappearing completely in the wild., [ES] El fartet, Apricaphanius iberus (Valenciennes, 1846), es una pequeña especie de pez en peligro de extinción, endémico de las aguas costeras, lagunas y marismas del Levante Español. En los últimos años, las actividades humanas como la urbanización y la sobreexplotación agrícola han llevado al fartet al borde de la extinción, eliminando el hábitat viable de su área de distribución y fragmentando sus poblaciones. En este estudio, realizamos una evaluación genética utilizando polimorfismos de un solo nucleótido (SNPs) de 101 individuos de 12 poblaciones a lo largo de su rango de distribución. Analizamos las relaciones filogenéticas y la estructura genética de sus poblaciones y calculamos las tasas de migración entre poblaciones. Los valores de diversidad genética hallados fueron relativamente moderados y semejantes entre poblaciones, sin embargo, la población de Aigüamolls (Girona) fue la más diferenciada genéticamente, aunque los individuos que pertenecen a esta población tuvieron menos diferenciación genética entre sí. Por otro lado, no detectamos migración histórica significativa y los valores de FST fueron relativamente altos entre poblaciones, lo que indica altos niveles de diferenciación y aislamiento genético atribuibles a la fragmentación. La población septentrional de Albuixech (Valencia) y la más meridional, Adra (Almería), constituyeron un grupo hermano, cuestionando posiblemente el origen natural de Adra. Los resultados de nuestro estudio nos permitieron definir 8 Unidades Operativas de Conservación (OCUs) que deberían ser implementadas en los programas de conservación actuales y futuros para evitar que el fartet desaparezca completamente de la naturaleza

Neighbourhood planning was formally enabled as a statutory part of the English planning system under the Localism Act 2011. This element of formal planning has generated significant interest as it actively requires local communities to lead on producing a Neighbourhood Development Plan (NDP) and is widely recognised as formalising co-produced planning. The paper reflects on research undertaken with a sample of neighbourhoods active in producing a neighbourhood plan, and develops a critical discussion about the experience of those participants. The findings highlight that existing power relations, national priorities, the framing of neighbourhood planning regulations, local political tensions and local resource constraints affect the emerging practices of neighbourhood planners in England. Many groups have adopted conservative positions or are finding their NDPs are being limited by consultants, local authorities or examiners, often concerned with how the NDPs will fare in the contested environment of planning and development in neo-liberal times. While some have contended that neighbourhood planning can form part of a progressive localism and there is some hope for such participatory spaces, our view is that innovation is being constrained if not entirely suppressed. We conclude that reform to neighbourhood planning is needed if it is to realise the ambitions of inclusive, empowered and responsible planning at the very local scale.

Efforts to engage with communities in spatial planning have been criticised as being tokenistic, vehicles for co-option or designed to promote neo-liberal agendas. The introduction of neighbourhood planning (NP) in England under the Localism Act (2011) is claimed by proponents to be a step change in the way that local communities are involved in planning their own areas. However, little empirical evidence has yet emerged to substantiate such claims, or provide details about the practices and experiences of NP. The paper highlights that there are numerous parties involved in the co-production of Neighbourhood Development Plans and there are numerous instances where ideas, policies and priorities that emerge from within neighbourhoods are being ‘rescripted’ to ensure conformity to a bounded form of collaboration.

This thesis examines the possible association between various socioeconomic factors and an individual woman´s knowledge about HIV/AIDS in 21 African countries. OLS models are constructed using data taken from the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) to estimate the effects of both individual and average community-level measures of education and wealth for HIV knowledge. Additional models are also estimated to compare whether the impacts observed for HIV knowledge may differ across individuals with different levels of previous education and for individuals who live in countries with different country-specific HIV prevalence levels.