Vicki Shiel,
Planning,
11 January 2008
Local member review bodies proposed in the Planning Reform Bill would remove the right to appeal to an independent body, the RTPI argued this week.
Under the revised procedures, minor applications would be decided by planning officers but their decisions could then be reviewed by a panel made up of councillors from the same local planning authority. There would be no right of appeal to an inspector.
Speaking at a public bill committee session, RTPI secretary-general Robert Upton said this has attracted the most hostility of all proposals in the bill and there is no evidence to show why the system should change. "The public wants decisions to be made by competent and independent professionals," he maintained.
But the Local Government Association insisted that councillors are more than capable of the task. Chairman Simon Milton said: "It is ridiculous to think that councillors who make decisions on complex matters cannot decide on minor matters." He added that they would bring more legitimacy to the process than an inspector who does not know the area.
RTPI planning policy officer Phil Grant urged clarity on what constitutes a minor proposal. "It may even cover a Tesco store," he said.
The review bodies could cut a quarter of the Planning Inspectorate's workload, it emerged. But the inspectorate said this, plus the passing of major decisions to an infrastructure planning commission, would not have a significant impact on it.
