Planning shake-up labelled Stalinist
New Labour regime attacked for ‘lack of local democracy’ as area committees are scrapped
Published: 28 May 2010
by RÓISÍN GADELRAB
THE controversial scrapping of area planning committees reveals “shades of Stalin” at the Town Hall, objectors have protested.
After only two weeks in control, the new Labour administration has been accused of dumping green issues, subverting democracy and avoiding accountability by centralising planning decisions.
At the first meeting of the new council on Tuesday, Labour voted to set up one planning committee for major projects and two others for all minor applications regardless of location, to scrap the sustainability review committee, which scrutinised the council’s green record, and to give £3,000 allowances to all planning and licensing chairmen.
The changes means the north, south, east and west area planning committees will be dissolved. The new committees will meet about every three weeks.
Labour’s planning chief Councillor Paul Convery defended the new set-up, saying that sometimes local councillors can be “a bit too close” to stay objective. He said: “We’re trying to get the balance between local knowledge and speciality – groups of councillors who can specialise in being good at planning decisions.
“One of the advantages of being more borough-wide is to have a bit more anonymity so councillors are not so close to objectors.”
He rejected claims that the changes were undemocratic. “Islington’s only six square miles,” he said. “We’re all local councillors. We understand each other’s localities.”
But Green Party spokeswoman Emma Dixon said the move was just an excuse to let ward councillors off the hook. She said: “People are already saying this is shades of Stalin – a complete lack of local democracy. Labour are going to be able to push through unpopular planning decisions and local councillors can then say: ‘Don’t blame us. We were against it’.”
Former Lib Dem environment chief Councillor Greg Foxsmith warned: “There’s a key local accountability issue to having committees composed of people who intuitively know the area.”
Ms Dixon accused the council of “dumping green issues”, saying Labour had made no mention of the environment at its first council meeting. But Labour councillor Phil Kelly said green issues would be discussed at all four overview committees.