28th November 2008, 05:53 PM
Quote:quote:Originally posted by Windbag
I'm interested by curator kid's comment about increasing the number of planning conditions during a recession- I assumed there would be pressure to do the opposite. Given the fall in the number of planning applications submitted, will curators' and planning officers' jobs also be under threat, or does it not work that way in local govt?
Hi Windbag,
I'm not sure how it will work in a recession. The National and Local planning policies will still be in place, and advisors and monitors will still be required to support them. Applications will continue to be made. However, none of this has stopped some local authorities downgrading or getting rid of heritage advice services in the last few years of good times, so perhaps this will continue. ALGAO apparently think it's an process that will be continuing although seem to be declining to take a lead in addressing it.
I don't think increasing planning conditions is a viable solution to look at, and that's not what any of my previous posts meant. Curatorial comments are based on policy and archaeological grounds in relation to the development proposals, considerations which will be staying the same for the moment at least, recession or not. If the archaeologically sensitive or large-scale planning applications start drying up, I don't have a quota of conditions to meet which means I am able to apply them to lesser developments. I'll just have to watch the work tail off like the rest of us. At the moment, it seems to be holding up fairly well - but my County has always been subject to rather intense development pressures, so I presume there are differences elsewhere. You should also bear in mind that our comments are just advice to the LPA's - they don't have to take it, so monitoring to ensure recommended conditions are actually applied during this period will be important to keep up.
However - I am looking at a downturn in day-to-day work as an opportunity to finally perhaps get some quality time with the strategies and policies we work with. We're usually too busy for this and they've stagnated badly, so a slack period will offer the chance to maybe get some new and more rigourous County standards in place, or the designated archaeological priority areas revised and updated. This kind of work will stand the County in good stead out the other side of all this. Assuming we haven't got laid off in the meatime and are still here to put it all into practice that is... B)