Employment Land Review and New Planning Bill Policy Panels

Earlier this week Stroud District councillors were treated to a Policy Panel - this is where we can learn more and also sometimes influence policy developments. This Panel covered two issues Employment Land Review and New Planning Bill....

Photo: Crown pub Monday night - I keep forgetting Vine Tree is closed then - and Carpenters - it was the third time I've gone up there for a drink recently only to find it closed on a Monday


Employment Land Review

As part of the Council’s review of the Local Plan and Local Development Framework, the Council commissioned GVA Grimley to undertake an Employment Land Review. This looks at the provision of employment sites and an assessment of future employment demand within the District - plus give advice on providing a quantitative and qualitative assessment of the scale, location, accessibility, marketability and competitiveness of sites in Stroud District. More here.

8000 or 9000 travel out of the District everyday!

I raised several concerns at the meeting - which refreshingly had a third of councillors attending - often I've been to Panels with only a handful of other councillors out of the 51. My concerns included the possible lack of flexibility in the plans which are based on current economic growth forecasts - I personally don't believe those - we cannot go on growing - oil prices are set to rise etc etc - anyhow there needs to be flexibility in the event of a recession. One of their estimates of increases in at least 6600 to 6800 jobs to 2026.

I also questioned the Councils role in putting money into promoting tourism when the survey revealed that we should be promoting higher quality jobs in the area - surely that money should be spent on the jobs we need rather than on jobs we can't fill? Clearly there are lots of complex issues here - I have addressed some previously on this blog and will perhaps look at this in more detail in a future one.


Planning Bill

The Planning Bill arguably represents the greatest change to Development Control in nearly two decades - see previous blog entry on this on 22nd January 2008. In short it means:

- A new Infrastructure Planning Commission, who will be determine planning applications for very large projects such a nuclear power stations,

- Changes to the appeals procedure, including the setting up of a "local" appeals procedure,

- Changes to off-site planning obligations (section 106).

The Planning Bill follows a consultation white paper of last year (I don't reckon they listened!) and is intended to respond to the Eddington and Barker reports on transport and land use respectively. I could go on loads but again made several points at the meeting - I fail to see how decision making by remote so-called independent planning commissioners can achieve greater public accountability?

Public acceptability of the planning system depends on transparency, public accessibility and democratic accountability - take these away and we undermine key elements of representative democracy. It seems consultation now is often about a process that attempts to re-educate the public....

Anyhow one of the Officers suggested that it might not be good to have a big application say for a new Airport locally. I disagreed - Uttlesford Council has achieved public trust with a major airport planning application - 16 public meetings, no one excluded plus 5 half day sessions for individuals/opponents, webcasts etc etc - people could see their views were being taken account of - involved and heard....it is possible and I have no doubts that Stroud would be up for the challenge - although clearly I do not want any local airport planning applications!