Planning Visits

Now there's an ambiguous title!

I am in fact referring to visits to sites of planning applications, of which I have been to two today.

The first was a formal Members' Site Visit by the planning committee, which is known as the Development Control Committee. This had been requested by its members when the application went before that committee, and was very useful in showing what was planned at one residence and how it would affect the amenities (as they are called) of the neighbours. Ten of the sixteen committee members turned up -- which is a good turnout -- plus myself as the ward member, as I am not on the committee myself (though I frequently get called on to substitute for an absent member).

Questions were asked and answered, points were made, suggestions offered, and overall everyone was very well behaved, which isn't always so at these events! In my ward this is not generally an issue; and indeed the most senior Planning Officer has previously commended our residents here for being so thoughtful, professional and well-behaved -- and that's not something that he does very often!

Today's event was indeed just a fact-finding visit, and a decision will be taken on this application at the next formal committee meeting, which as I write will be this coming Wednesday.

The second visit was to a group of residents who wanted to show us what the consequences of another planning application would be on their properties, in advance of the application going to committee for the first time, again this Wednesday evening. On this occasion, all three of us Ward Councillors were there, and it was again a very worthwhile and informative event, in both directions.

In between these two meetings, I was rung by one of my colleagues on the committee to say he would be unable to attend, as something had come up, so could I substitute? I agreed, but this left a small problem: if I am on the committee on this occasion, I shall need to declare an interest. As I didn't express any opinion on the application (apart from acknowledging an obvious error in the report going to committee), I believe I shall be able to make it a so-called "personal" interest rather than "prejudicial". This would mean that I shall still be able to speak and vote on the application. I shall check with the Legal Officer before the meeting starts...

Separately, one or other of my two ward colleagues -- both of whom will be attending this meeting as ward members -- will speak to this application in that capacity.

Overall, as Arkwright (Ronnie Barker)was apt to say at the end of some episodes of "Open All Hours": it's been an interesting kind of day...


UPDATE: Both planning applications were approved by the Development Control Committee, which I have to be frank and admit didn't entirely surprise me. The changes in planning legislation, and in particular the extra impositions for south-east England (especially in terms of "pack 'em in" densities) have made it very difficult to refuse most applications these days. We do still refuse some, and our decisions are largely upheld if they go to appeal (which is conducted from Bristol), but by no means always. Although this has been disappointing, and we did work really hard to defend neighbours' amenities in both cases, there is nothing more that can be done. Only the applicant is able to appeal against a planning decision, as the law stands, so that's it on these two.