Localism is dead

Readers of the Gazette will have seen continuing reports of local councils’ contradictory demands for housing in their areas.

The figures quoted are very confusing and almost meaningless. And yet, in their hundreds and thousands, they are taken quite seriously by each planning authority.

The so-called ‘housing demand’ seems to be ultimately determined by reference to government statements, but we are given no explanation as to the source of these mysterious numbers.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Parish and town councils may feel compelled to agree to demands by district councils (or to modify them only slightly). At the top of the hierarchy are the county councils with their own slightly different suggestions. We therefore have a chain of demands emanating from the three tiers of local authorities, all of which throw the responsibility on to government statistics, which may or may not be mere guesswork!

It is not so long ago that the much-vaunted principle of ‘localism’ was proposed as our salvation, promising that all would now be well because important planning decisions could be greatly influenced by ordinary residents with intimate knowledge of their locality.

Some of us pointed out at the time that localism was a snare and a delusion, because any grassroots decisions could (and possibly would) be completely overturned by a government-instructed inspector following an appeal hearing!

If a planning authority refuses an application to carry out a development, the would-be developer has the right of appeal against this decision. A government-appointed inspector then hears both sides of the argument and can then decide either in favour of the applicant, or he may confirm the council’s refusal or, perhaps, modify its terms.

Thus, localism is dead, right from the start!

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

A factor that may influence a council’s decision over a planning application is that an applicant’s subsequent appeal can be a very costly affair if the case is not upheld. This is sometimes used by planning officers as an argument, when a final decision reaches deadlock!

W F Daggett

Barn Close

Littlehampton