Councillor planning committee exams?
I am not going to mince my words on this one… Councillors need accredited training to serve on a planning committee and they need to pass an exam to earn the right to sit on the planning committee.
This training and exam should obviously be based in planning law, but it needs to go much further. It also needs to be based on an understanding of the real world. Planning is not just understanding the wording of the policies; it is understanding the spirit of the planning policies. And that spirit is to stimulate growth, inward investment and a robust future strategy to meet the needs for housing, employment, energy and wider infrastructure.
Topics I think that should be included are as follows:
Read your paperwork and make sure you understand it:
It may sound obvious, but you will be surprised how many councillors don’t. They show up on the night, try and absorb the technical information presented by the case officer, then listen to some very short speeches by public representatives and then make a decision. Sorry, you can’t possibly make decisions like this. You need to weigh up the arguments and understand the policy points. The committee is there to fill in gaps, not provide you with all the information.
Understanding expert reports:
We have all been here… you spend vast amounts of money on reports that prove that the highways are fine, parking is fine, drainage is fine etc. and then a committee member pops up with alternative views that are NOT based on facts but on hear-say from local NIMBYs. NO councillor, the experts have done their job, it’s been checked. You are NOT an expert, you have to rely on expert advice.
Consequences of bad decisions:
Bad decisions cost money… lots of it. And it is not just the appeal costs. You are also preventing homes for future generations, infrastructure, improvement, investment and sustainability. You don’t like the solar farm? Well, I guess you can live without electricity. Don’t want the houses? Well, I guess your children will live with you forever. Don’t want the employment site? Well, I guess you want more people unemployed and on the dole. You are also saying no to the benefits that come with development. No money for schools, GPs, roads, public transport… That needs to come from somewhere, and if it is not funded by development, you are going to have to put your council tax up.
Duty to future generations:
Life is transient. Of course, we have to preserve our heritage and green spaces for future generations, but you can’t shy away from making those visionary decisions even if they are difficult. You need to change your way of thinking, leave a legacy. At the end of your life, can you say: “I have left a positive legacy for the next generations” or are you going to say: “I landed the next generation in the doo-daa with no homes, jobs and sitting in the dark with no clean electricity”
What else do you think we should teach? Comments below please!
Henry