Planning authority "special measures" -- this has probably passed many people's radars

[Paul Mobbs]

This has probably passed under most people's radars because it's a bit
legal-technical anorakish type stuff...

Today's announcement by the Department for Communities and Local
Government (DCLG) that certain planning authorities are to be put into
"special measures" marks a major departure from the idea that locally
elected officials should be accountable for decisions on planning
applications. What "special measures" means is that developers can have
the option of bypassing local planners/councillors and go directly to
the Planning Inspectorate to get a decision on their application.

Thing is, a few of these planning authorities are in areas where
fracking/UCG is on the cards -- thus enabling developers to bypass local
government. Even where the authority isn't the minerals authority,
giving permission for drilling, it's likely they'll be involved in other
applications as developers go for full gas production (e.g., vehicle
compounds, storage depots).

Even without the extreme energy issue, authorities like my own --
Cherwell -- have been besieged recently with applications for thousands
of homes, out of town business parks/shop because we're at a motorway
junction, and we have a 1-hour train service to London. Potentially we
could see a whole load of damaging development being permitted without
the involvement of elected representatives -- the decisions being made
instead by appointed technocrats... well, if it's good enough for Italy
and Greece, why not here? ;-)

And of course it's reinforcing the issue that private rights should
usurp public interest, because taking applications out of local
decision-making is automatically advantageous to the developer.

The most serious problem are the counties/unitary authorities, because
they have minerals planning responsibilities -- see list included below.
Having the planning inspectorate decide applications doesn't shut out
the public, but it makes it far harder to access information and to
lobby those making the decisions. And of course, it defeats the point of
electing local councillors if the decisions are to be made by distant
technocrats.

For details see full list in Excel file below (those with under 30%
achievement are for the chop), and I've listed links to a few articles.

P.




https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/225780/Table1_Interim.xls
Table 1: interim planning performance speed of decisions, July 2011 to
March 2013

Counties/UA's with extreme energy interest:
Bath and North East Somerset
Cheshire East
East Riding of Yorkshire
Hartlepool
Wigan

Districts with extreme energy interest:
Cherwell
North East Derbyshire





http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/general/news/stories/2013/june13/060613/06062013_2

Government plans to designate first 'special measures' authorities by
end of October

The first planning authorities subject to the Government’s "special
measures" regime for under-performing authorities will be designated by
the end of October 2013, the Department for Communities and Local
Government (DCLG) has proposed.

Designations will be reviewed annually.

<snip>



http://www.out-law.com/en/articles/2012/october/boles-details-special-measures-to-allow-developer-appeals-to-pins/

Boles details 'special measures' to allow developer appeals to PINS

Planning Minister Nick Boles has announced details of plans to allow
developers bypass local planning authorities in some cases.

The Government proposals will allow developers to direct planning
applications to the Planning Inspectorate (PINS) where the local
planning authority has a consistent track record of poor performance in
determining planning applications.

'Special measures' will be imposed on local planning authorities whose
decisions on planning applications consistently take too long or are
overturned on appeal, Boles told delegates at the annual Conservative
Party conference.

<snip>



http://www.planningresource.co.uk/news/1193373/dclg-names-councils-line-special-measures/

DCLG names councils in line for special measures

Planning Resource, 30/07/2013

The Department for Communities and Local Government has revealed the
identities of more than a dozen district councils which face being
placed in 'special measures' for taking too long to determine major
applications. An exclusive anaylsis of official data published earlier
this month by Planning had suggested that Horsham, Daventry, Fylde,
Cherwell, Barnet and Enfield were in line to be placed in special
measures. 

<snip>


http://www.planningresource.co.uk/news/1186058/

Seven councils facing 'special measures'

Planning Resource – Friday 14th June, 2013

Seven local planning authorities are currently in line to be placed in
'special measures' allowing developers to bypass their planning
departments, according to an investigation by Planning. An analysis of
official quarterly planning application statistics by Planning reveals
that seven local authorities – Horsham, Daventry, Halton, Hounslow,
Fylde, Cherwell and Enfield – determined fewer than 30 per cent of their
major applications over the first 18 months of the two-year period

<snip>


-- 

"We are not for names, nor men, nor titles of Government,
nor are we for this party nor against the other but we are
for justice and mercy and truth and peace and true freedom,
that these may be exalted in our nation, and that goodness,
righteousness, meekness, temperance, peace and unity with
God, and with one another, that these things may abound."
(Edward Burrough, 1659 - from 'Quaker Faith and Practice')

Paul Mobbs, Mobbs' Environmental Investigations
3 Grosvenor Road, Banbury OX16 5HN, England
tel./fax (+44/0)1295 261864
email - mobbsey at gn.apc.org
website - http://www.fraw.org.uk/mei/index.shtml
public key - http://www.fraw.org.uk/mei/mobbsey_public_key-2013.asc

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