THE Government's proposals that 90 per cent of planning decisions be taken by planning officers and not by councillors, confirms the rumours that have been circulating for some time (BEN: February 13).
Yet another example of centralised government bureaucracy, demeaning and diminishing the democratic process.
As both councillors Walsh and Prentice Howarth agree, councillors are accountable to the public. Council officers are not! Let us hope that this signals a measure of cross party agreement that will unite opposition to the Government proposals.
Council officers should not be the single arbiters of what is or is not allowed to be built. They often have no experience of local traditions and history of this town and tend to stick rigidly to their interpretation of the planning laws, often to the detriment of the public they serve. This is where the planning councillors should use their influence to prevent any excesses occurring.
Conversely, the planning councillors may not have the technical expertise offered by the planning officers, which is why it is essential that both bodies should work as a team.
What of the Civic Trust? Would they become redundant also? They have done stalwart service to the planners in offering advice for years and while they may not get everything for which they ask (who does?), they, as representatives of the public, provide a watchdog service against the excesses of the planners. The planning councillors could, however, gain more public support for their cause by supporting the move to allow members of the public to speak at planning meetings, albeit in a limited, coherent and responsible manner. According to the senior vice president of the Royal Town Planning Institute, two thirds of the councils planning committees allow public speaking at their meetings, yet very recently Bolton planning councillors refused to allow this to happen. But give the planning officers free reign? Absolutely not! They are the servants of the ratepayers, not the other way round!
J R Walmsley
Regent Road
Lostock, Bolton
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