Middle class idiots?

[Sith]

I don't know if anyone has been following this in the papers over the last few days but I would be interested in your thoughts. Is this what we can expect once the 'big society' approach to planning is enabled through the localism bill?

[Steven]

I don't know if anyone has been following this in the papers over the last few days but I would be interested in your thoughts. Is this what we can expect once the 'big society' approach to planning is enabled through the localism bill?

Hi
I think it will be "planning a' la Lynda Snell" :0

[troll]

Oh dear Mister Clarke, engaging mouth before brain again. May I remind him that one of his own middle class idiots (Birmingham City Councillor Gareth Compton) recently publicly announced his desire to have a journalist stoned to death. Another staggeringly bright move was that of "Business Transformation Director" for Birmingham Council Glyn Evans who flew 12,000 miles to a luxury resort in New Zealand to give a 35 minute speech. Mister Clarke, you appear to be surrounded by them and the malaise is clearly infectious.
(The Rotten Borough Awards 2010, Private Eye, 20 Jan, 2011).

[kevin wooldridge]

I've never really understood why 'planning' should be a political brief. I mean we acknowledge the expertise of doctors, the police, the judiciary, postmen, soldiers sailors and airmen, teachers (and their female equivalents) to be above the swill-stirring grasp of politicians, so why are planners not regarded the samel?

After all it seems to me (despite various editorials by the Daily Mail to the contrary) that most examples of bad urban planning are where politicians are involved and having had our collective fingers so badly burnt in the past 70 years shouldn't we be saying 'enough is enough' and taking such decisions out of the remit of the 'moat cleaners' and 'multiple mortgage claimants'.....

[deadlylampshade]

Has echoes of the "Solihull Project" from Yes Minister!!:0

[Winders]

Having worked as a town planner, a building conservation officer and as an archaeologist I can honestly say the job I was most wary of telling people about was that of a planner- you get pretty much blamed for everything by everybody.

Of course, if that Councillor made those comments about the scheme before it is formally heard by the planning committee, then there goes his chance of voting on the decision

[Steven]

I've never really understood why 'planning' should be a political brief. I mean we acknowledge the expertise of doctors, the police, the judiciary, postmen, soldiers sailors and airmen, teachers (and their female equivalents) to be above the swill-stirring grasp of politicians, so why are planners not regarded the samel?

After all it seems to me (despite various editorials by the Daily Mail to the contrary) that most examples of bad urban planning are where politicians are involved and having had our collective fingers so badly burnt in the past 70 years shouldn't we be saying 'enough is enough' and taking such decisions out of the remit of the 'moat cleaners' and 'multiple mortgage claimants'.....

Hi
Planning is political because in determining the merits of a development there is often a conflict between benefits for one factor (or persons) and negative impacts on other factors (or people). This is the same with the police in that those factors are weighed up by politicians when they are passing legislation whilst the police enforce the legislation and so don't have to determine "balance". Doctors decisions normally impact on an individual not a community and so don't generally have to balance the benefits and negative impacts on different factors (or people). The armed forces again carry out policy through enforcement and don't decide on that policy, only on strategy to achieve the policy (like planners do when using delegated powers). Same with teachers.

Planning needs political input so that elected members of a community make decisions on behalf of that community as their representatives. They can then also delegate decisions when they only have minor impacts on factors, or people.

[Windbag]

Good reply Steven.
I don't consider myself an autocrat, but I have to say that I like towns and cities with a strong archtitectural style dominating a wide area. I'm oversimplifying, but I really prefer Paris to London, Edinburgh's New Town to the bits and pieces development of Glasgow, or Saltaire to Bradford. London and Glasgow have interesting individual buildings and districts, but the overall effect of a planned settlement is something I find more appealing. The difficulty for me lies in the implications for how town planning is undertaken - at the moment, it's a balancing act that doesn't really satisfy anybody, whereas in the past their were individuals (aristocrats, landowners etc) who had the political leverage to force their vision on an entire city or town, regardless of public opinion or interest groups at the time.

[vulpes]

I know, democracy sucks sometimes don't it :face-stir:

[Odinn]

I know, democracy sucks sometimes don't it

The problem with democracy is that nearly half of all those with a vote are of below-average intelligence.