Day: August 7, 2020

How to Qualify as a Government Planning ‘Expert’

/ andrew lainton / 1 Comment

MCHLG

Membership of the Planning Taskforce

Details of the taskforce of experts who have offered their time and expert advice as we have developed our proposals for reform.Published 6 August 2020 From:Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government

Planning For The Future, published today, sets out how we will reform the planning system to realise that vision and make it more efficient, effective and equitable.

Our approach has been informed by discussions with the planning and development sectors, and by research and reports published by leading commentators – including, most recently, reports from the Royal Town Planning Institute, Centre for Cities and Policy Exchange.

As part of this work, we are also extremely grateful to the taskforce of experts who have generously offered their time and expert advice as we have developed our proposals for reform.

The task force is chaired by the Minister of State for Housing, the Rt Hon Chris Pincher and members consist of industry leaders, acting in a personal capacity, and include:

  • Christopher Katkowski QC
  • Sir Stuart Lipton
  • Miles Gibson MCD
  • Bridget Rosewell
  • Nicholas Boys Smith
  • Dr Tim Leunig

In order to qualify four minimum requirements are necessary:

  1. Having no planning qualifications [correction Mils Gibson has a Masters of Civic Design from Liverpool – though has never practiced at the coalface)
  2. Never having practiced as a town planner
  3. Having no experience or expertise in planning in a zoning and subdivision system
  4. Never having designed a masterplan or a large scale planning project

The only requirement seems to be an ability to moan about the current planmning system, expertese in other planning systems not required.

Imagine if this were a COVID-19 expert panel

Where the minimum requirements were

  1. Not being a scientist
  2. Never practiced medicine
  3. Never works in infectious disease control
  4. Never having made any medical advances

There would be an outcry. As there should be . This is a redefinition of the term ‘expert’ expert in what?