Forum Topic

V.interesting front page article in Telegraph re councillors & planning

Front page story in today's Telegraph.. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/9921344/Councillors-for-hire-who-give-firms-planning-advice.html

Rod de St Croix ● 4799d10 Comments

Is this not what we know already about one or two local councillors?As for the Torygraph? It was the paper that revealed the extent of expense abuse amongst our elected darlings. And despite all manner of legal objections and denials, turned out to be 100% true.And it was all parties so hardly biased.This is why we do really need a free press and access for journalists to investigate, because no=one else will and reveal the truth or the systemic failings of civic and commercial processes

Michael Brandt ● 4798d

So the nation gorged itself on salt when the Telegraph exposed the MP expenses abuse scandal? It is up to the Telegraph though to defend its reputation and that of its journalists, do write a letter to their editor. That said, I do agree with the comment "You cannot and must not use your election to public office as a route to making money" I would add that greater scrutiny of local decisions is needed before and not after any alleged abuses have been exposed.

Rod de St Croix ● 4798d

Just as an update, the Devon Councillor who featured in the article has been suspended by his party today.  Unusually he actually has his own planning consultancy (an interest he'd declared) despite not actually being a chartered town planner (apparently he employs someone who is).  For obvious reasons does not sit on the Council's planning committee.Basically his mouth has run away with him in a silly bid to 'impress' potential clients, I mean I know lots of Council Officers, Councillors, residents groups and developers, but I'm not going to make daft and completely false claims about being able to influence anyone in any way, because (1) to do so would be incorrect, and (2) I'm a chartered town planner and thus required to abide by the RTPI's code of conduct.

Adam Beamish ● 4798d

I tend to agree with Adam, but I would always take anything in the Torygraph with an exceptionally large dose of salt. If anything of this sort were going one then I believe that the councillor involved should not be allowed within a mile of their local planning committee. Using a public elected office to make money is just so out of order and does nothing to enhance the already very tatty reputation of politicians and politics locally and nationally. Personally I think if anyone is found out they should be subject to disciplinary procedures both by the local authority they are in and their political party organisation. I personally always found it was far better to err on the side of caution and declare an interest and leave the meeting if you thought you might have any involvement no matter how small. You cannot and must not use your election to public office as a route to making money on the side it is a betrayal of the people you wanted to represent.

Vanessa Smith ● 4798d

Understand the sentiment, but let's open our eyes to the simple fact that most/many Councillors have 'proper' jobs, and inevitably some elements of the jobs they do may be perceived to be in conflict with their role as a Councillor.As a hypothetical example, a Councillor sitting on Hounslow's planning committee might work in the sales team of a major developer based in Kent.  Obviously if that developer submits an application to Hounslow which ends up at Committee that Councillor is going to declare an interest and not take part in the consideration of the application, but otherwise there's no reason why they can't act as a Councillor as long as they make decision based upon proper planning considerations.  As a real example, one of my clients is a developer who progresses schemes within the capital yet is also a Councillor for a rural authority.    As for the article, my reading of it is that they've managed  to catch out a couple of dumb fools whose are lost in their own inflated perception of self-importance.

Adam Beamish ● 4799d

The ability to influence/change local opinion on controversial planning applications, by lobbying Councillors, local media or on community forums such as this, is clearly of little commercial value. I am sure developers on Clifden & Hamilton  would agree . I am sure larger developers do not waste their shareholders' money on pointless 'dark arts', which offer little prospect of significant financial gain. Hounslow residents can decide whether it is right that officials representing them, should hold professional lobbying posts while in public office. I for one praise the Telegraph's writers for bringing more national scrutiny to bear on important & sensitive local issues such as planning.

Rod de St Croix ● 4799d

Perhaps 'laughable' isn't the best word I could have used, 'sensationalist' is more apt.There's no denying that major developers sometimes employ PR firms as a small part of their Team on major development projects, in the same way that local residents often form pressure groups etc. and seek to get their message across in the most visible manner possible through use of local media and such like.However, those PR firms are a small part of a much bigger process, and the development team will include a host of technical experts such as planning consultants, highway consultants, flood risk experts and so on, so when the developer needs expertise on planning they don't run off to a local Councillor or such like to try to help, they pick up the phone or write an email to their planning consultant.Reminds me of the time we were acting on behalf of one of the big housebuilders and they had a PR team on board, and on the day of the committee the PR guy was running around like a headless chicken and just before committee he told the client that he was certain our scheme had the support of one political party.  We walked into committee to see the Chair, who happened to be a member of this particular party, having a very cosy chat with the main objector, and we knew straight away this PR guy had been spun a yarn.

Adam Beamish ● 4799d

It is not a laughing matter. I suggest you check out the interests of your local councillors on Hounslow.gov.uk

Rod de St Croix ● 4799d

A laughable article bearing in mind that virtually all Councillors (I guess somewhere in the UK there must be a couple that are) are not qualified planners and received limited training on the subject.  I mean, if you were a developer are you going to spend £20k getting planning 'advice' from some bloke who has no actual planning qualifications and sits on a planning committee which isn't the one your application will go to, or are you going to spend it on employing a professional planning consultant who has spent years obtaining a planning degree, is a member of the Royal Town Planning Institute, has worked in both the public and private sectors for years ?.

Adam Beamish ● 4799d

I must admit that it prompted me to see what the local councillors had registered as their interests.It was news to me that Theo had skills in persuading residents to change their refuse collection habits - could be useful as the wheelie bin trial in Syon rolls out......

Tim Henderson ● 4799d