Former chief planner pans white paper

Planning, 3 August 2007

Writing in Planning this week, former ODPM mandarin Mike Ash says the proposal for ministers to set underlying policy fails to go far enough to safeguard the principle that key decisions are made by or in the name of accountable politicians.

Ash, chief planner at the ODPM until last year, also complains that the evidence for the change is weak. He says the white paper "offers limited analysis" of reasons for past delays and ignores the lessons from schemes that were approved more quickly, such as the Channel Tunnel Rail Link.

Ash makes the case for high-powered task forces with specialist skills necessary to handle major projects. They would work with promoters, councils and the government to ensure proper policy consideration, community engagement and sustainable solutions.

"Prime minister Gordon Brown wants to build trust between electors and elected. Taking the elected out of decisions that affect the lives of large numbers of people is not how to do it," he insists.

See feature, page 19.