New Year Resolutions for Councillors on Planning
How are you all New Year resolutions holding out? Have you managed to keep to that diet? Has Veganuary been everything you hoped it might be so far?
We asked developers and other CCP clients, and our CCP politicians, for some new year resolutions for councillors on planning committees.
First of all, and a brilliant bit of advice from an experienced planning committee member of many years standing and former MP, is for councillors to resolve always to listen to their officers. After all, these people have qualifications, have worked more closely with the applications, and should understand the context of council policy better than the average council member.
The second resolution for all councillors wishing to serve on a planning committee is to take advantage of all the training available. Most councils will have a full programme of training but there is more available from organisations such as the Planning Advisory Service at the LGA, the Royal Town Planning Institute. In this time of change in planning policy, there is great value in training which is well thought through – and can be invaluable when chewing through a committee agenda.
Third, councillors might consider things from every perspective. Curiosity is not pre-determination. It is unlikely a councillor will turn down a request to talk, or fail to read an email, from a resident giving their view for or against a new development – particularly if they are from their own ward and might vote them out one May! Frequently though, councillors might feel squeamish about speaking with developers or agents, for fear of fettering their ability to make a judgement (or being seen to do so). The key here is to be transparent, and don’t make any promises or decisions before the meeting itself. If in doubt, ask an officer!
Finally, make sure you know your local plan backwards. And if you haven’t got an up-to-date local plan, or it is not providing the number of homes, places for businesses or the infrastructure your community needs, then bring it up with the leadership. Forcefully. Remember that plans are always going out of date, year by year and day by day, but the process of planning is continuous (and should be reflected in regular updates and discussion of the Local Plan – planning is a mindset not just a process.
As an occasionally wise former PM observed: “Plans are of little importance, but planning is essential” In our context this means that visionary guidance couched in policies and statements is all very well (Local Plan) but the act of planning goes beyond that snapshot. Yeah, it was Winston Churchill. And here’s another: “be a doer not a critic” – councillors should ask themselves what they can do to make their communities better, rather than just complain about aspects of applications they don’t like. Active engagement is more likely to lead to good developments. No, not Winston this time – that’s Tony Blair.
Just to be fair, we asked CCP politicians and clients for ideas for planners and developers that might help get councillors and planning committees on side. Keep an eye out for that coming soon!