Another Barker report
After Kate Barker's hard-hitting report last year for Gordon Brown on the housing market, he's commissioned her to do another one on the planning system. Bad news for Prescott, of course, seeing as the ODPM has just completed what was meant to be the major overhaul of the planning system - and, as the Estates Gazette says in its comment on the subject, Barker isn't known for recommending only minor changes.
But do we really need more changes? All the planners I meet on a daily basis are struggling to come to terms with the last round of changes, let alone the new planning gain supplement proposals and all the rest. I might say that we need a bit of stability in terms of the system, and a major increase in spending on more planning officers and massively better training for those that are currently in post, to increase their capacity to respond sensibly and imaginatively.
But do we really need more changes? All the planners I meet on a daily basis are struggling to come to terms with the last round of changes, let alone the new planning gain supplement proposals and all the rest. I might say that we need a bit of stability in terms of the system, and a major increase in spending on more planning officers and massively better training for those that are currently in post, to increase their capacity to respond sensibly and imaginatively.
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