Planning chiefs have questioned Eric Pickles’ proposal this week to allow planning appeals to be filmed.
Pickles said he wanted planning appeals to be opened up to filming by journalists and members of the public. He said: “Without the sunlight of transparency, the flowering of localism will wither.”
Savills head of planning Roger Hepher said: “I have ?big reservations about this as ?it is likely to inhibit freedom ?of expression at planning inquiries.
“It could particularly affect those who are a bit less confident and in effect be detrimental to the very people Eric thinks he is helping.”
SJ Berwin partner Simon Ricketts added: “This is likely to make controversial inquiries more, rather than less, adversarial. I can predict how groups campaigning for and against schemes would be tempted to circulate filmed extracts to seek to influence public opinion or ridicule the views expressed.”
But Andrew Burgess, planning director of Churchill Retirement Living, said: “Wider scrutiny of planning decisions can only make the system more democratic. The more involved local people are in the planning process, the higher the standard of decision-making will be.”
The Planning Inspectorate determines 20,000 appeals a year, of which roughly 2,000 are via public inquiries.
nick.whitten@estatesgazette.com
