Where is the loosest planning policy?

[blueg33]

Riley Blue said:

Equus said:

Riley Blue said:

Have it your own way but I know what I've observed with my own eyes and heard with my own ears.

Then I assume that being an honest and upstanding public servant, you reported said corruption to the Police and you'll be able to provide details of the ensuing court case?

Or did you serve on this Committee and tacitly condone your Chairman's action?

Custard test, old boy.

You don't have to look hard for what you consider 'ste and nonsense', here's one high profile case:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1387454/Cou...

Here's a 72 page report about 'ste and nonsense', it contains examples :

http://sro.sussex.ac.uk/52109/1/Corruption_in_UK_L...

You'll be aware that only since 2010 have councillors been publically accountable, prior to the the Standards

That case gets trottec out every time this is discussed. This fact alone demonstrates that its a rarity, try finding another from the last 20 years.

Ironically, police corruption seems to be much more prevalent.

Actually, councillors have been perdonslly liable gor corrupt or totally erroneous decisions for the whole time i have been doing planning. In my very first job, my boss had a decision changed at a subsequent committee because our planning lawyer pointed out to councillors that they could be liable for flying in the face of their own policies.

[Equus]

Riley Blue said:

Here's a 72 page report about 'ste and nonsense'

Of which two pages deal with the potential for corruption in the Planning system, and cite a single example where Councillors were enticed into suggesting that they might be willing to influence Planning decisions in return for cash. This from an organisation whose whole raison d'etre is to expose corruption. If corruption were really rife in the Planning system, don't you think they'd have found something more to talk about than potential weaknesses?

I've discussed previously why it's actually very difficult to turn such willingness into something that would genuinely make a difference to the outcome of a Planning application, so I don't intend to repeat myself here, or every time some tinfoil-hat crackpot trots out such nonsense on this forum. The reality, as BlueG33 has said, is that such cases are so vanishingly rare that they might as well not exist.

[Escort3500]

Equus said:

Riley Blue said:

Have it your own way but I know what I've observed with my own eyes and heard with my own ears.

Then I assume that being an honest and upstanding public servant, you reported said corruption to the Police and you'll be able to provide details of the ensuing court case?

Or did you serve on this Committee and tacitly condone your Chairman's action?

Custard test, old boy.

So are you going to answer this RB, having made such a serious allegation?

Or are you going to keep on spouting utter rubbish and rely on a 15 year old newspaper article to try and prove your point?

[Riley Blue]

I was a councillor 20 years ago; it was seven years ago, 2010, when moves were introduced to ensure corrupt councillors were dealt with by the courts and the secretive Standards Boards axed - not before time:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/corrupt-council...

These measures were introduced last year:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fightin...

I could mention other suspect acts by councillors but there's no need, examples can be found on-line.

Custard test? Really...

[Equus]

Riley Blue said:

I could mention other suspect acts by councillors but there's no need...

Custard test? Really...

No need to mention other suspect acts... just the one that you allege took place on your watch. As Escort 3500 says, you're making a very serious allegation of an illegal act that is extremely rare. As an upstanding citizen, I'm sure you reported it at the time, and even 20 years later the press reports will be easy to find if there was any substance to your accusations.

Proof, or it didn't happen.

[Riley Blue]

Equus said:

Proof, or it didn't happen.

I won't be browbeaten by a complete stranger on an internet forum. I am satisfied it happened.

[blueg33]

Riley Blue said:

I won't be browbeaten by a complete stranger on an internet forum. I am satisfied it happened.

I am satisfied that little green men live on mars.

I find it appalling that you took no action to prevent corruption you say you witnessed. I am glad that other councillors are more honest and trustworthy than you.

[Escort3500]

Riley Blue said:

Equus said:

Proof, or it didn't happen.

I won't be browbeaten by a complete stranger on an internet forum. I am satisfied it happened.

And you appear to have done absolutely nothing about it. Why?

[iphonedyou]

The old 'brown envelope' bks again.

Tiresome.

[blueg33]

iphonedyou said:

The old 'brown envelope' bks again.

Tiresome.

Indeed

I find it really annoying as it implies that those of us who have taken the time to learn and understand a complex and ever changing set of policies, and then design to accommodate them are only successful becsuse we bribe people.

Likewise it puts down officers who have trained in planning and councillors who are doing s public service.

On top of all that its just bks

[Equus]

blueg33 said:

iphonedyou said:

The old 'brown envelope' bks again.

Tiresome.

Indeed

I find it really annoying as it implies that those of us who have taken the time to learn and understand a complex and ever changing set of policies, and then design to accommodate them are only successful because we bribe people.

Likewise it puts down officers who have trained in planning and Councillors who are doing a public service.

On top of all that its just bks

This completely.

I was investigated by the Police Serious Fraud Office, once (Custard Test: Google 'Councillor Connors, Tewkesbury Borough Council'... unlike Riley Blue, I'm happy to substantiate my assertions). Mud was slung in the direction of a number of large developers, as a result of an internecine party-political spat between the Tories and Labour on the local council. We got the full works: early morning raids on our homes, police interrogations, seizing of all our files and well over a year of them going through the seized paperwork. They found nothing - nada, zip, because there was nothing to find.

I'm sure that whoever made the allegations was just as certain as Blue Riley that corruption was taking place, in their fevered little conspiracy fantasies.

The vendetta at least had its amusing side: it ended up in a very undignified slanging match on the floor of the Council chamber between Councillor Connors and one of his enemies, which was then quoted verbatim in a disciplinary report that ended up all over the internet. They eventually managed to get him for an inappropriate expenses claim, I believe, but whatever else he was guilty of, I can say with certainty that he hadn't corruptly influenced any of my Planning applications.

[Rangeroverover]

My problem is not with planning officers they are all hard working people who may not agree with everything we try and get through the process and are 100% honest in my experience.

My problem is the committee members, usually a bunch of retired greengrocers with little or no knowledge of planning law who are completely unpredictable and bow to the slightest political pressure as they all want a go at playing mayor in the future

[Andehh]

Rangeroverover said:

My problem is not with planning officers they are all hard working people who may not agree with everything we try and get through the process and are 100% honest in my experience.

My problem is the committee members, usually a bunch of retired greengrocers with little or no knowledge of planning law who are completely unpredictable and bow to the slightest political pressure as they all want a go at playing mayor in the future

I think this is far more likely then corruption. General public sector bureaucracy and muddling along, combined with some people with too much free time on their hands and ideas of grandeur at ''getting involved'' in their local area.

Just imagine the media being able to 'spill the beans' on Corruption in the Planning department. Especially with so many disgruntled people still seething over their neighbours extension, new shopping centre, new build estate, new road expansion (etc etc) on their door step. The country would grind to a halt in excitement at finally being able to blame the 'corrupt' system for blocking their extension/conservatory/garage/new build.

You can guarantee one thing, the likes of the Daily Mail/Express/News of the world will have already tried!!

[Toltec]

It does seem to depend on the taste of the planning officer you get; we wanted to build something modern, but not out there and got blocked, yet a few other mock georgian/arts&crafts/tudor pastiche, footballer's wives monstrosities, have been allowed. We are in a conservation area, however the rules do allow for modern buildings, the officer just choses to interpret the guidlines differently.