Anybody watch The Planners on BBC last night? Was quite interesting about a bunch of residents and who planning officers deal with the applications... Was topical for me as we've just had a major development approved nearby and it appears that the planners and councils up and down the land are a bunch of tossers which makes me feel slightly less hatred of my own local borough council lol
I stumbled across this programme half way through and thought the planning process is in need of review. Saying that, I don't know what the answer is... but wondered whether those making the decisions were regularly monitored / appraised to see if they remain suitable for the role. I would have been interested to hear the 'debate' prior to voting. Those poor people who had bought homes with a lovely view only to find that a huge housing estate was going to be plonked right in front of them.
Well to be fair, they probably knew it was coming for a number of years. The area near me was earmarked for development a while back so we all knew it was coming but the scale of the new estate is ridiculous for the infrastructure in place. That's my biggest issue - I know they have housing targets and although I don;t agree with them, I also accept they will be built. Fine. But why the hell can't they also make sure the roads can cope, there is sufficient medical cover and school places for the housing? No point in building them if people aren't adequately serviced! It's such a retarded way of thinking.
i thought it as well worth a watch, it confirmed to me ho some of them are completely horrid as well. that woman who applied for a dropped kurb, felt so sorry for her, as the only reason that councillor objected in the vote as becaue she didnt like her.
Yes, that looked like a case of hate on first sight! Ridiculous that the councillors "aren't allowed to engage in conversation with the applicant".
