31/01/2023
I've been meaning to do this post for a while - but after hearing some negative comments recently about working with Councils, it feels like now is the right time.
Other people may have different opinions on this, so I am open to being bombarded with reasons why I am wrong about this view:
I do A LOT of work with local authorities. In fact, the consultancy side of my business is built around them. I'm currently delivering several public sector decarbonisation programmes but also lead the delivery of town centre masterplans; large funding bids; major planning applications; urban regeneration programmes etc.
However, the other part of my business is development, and I've been working in this area in one guise or another for over 25 years!! So I have been and remain on both sides of the fence (I'm not a planner, though - just to be clear ;D). This has led to a good understanding of LA officers' challenges and the policy, political, capacity and bureaucratic hurdles they must overcome for any decision.
Frustration - on the part of developers (us) - often comes from over-ambitious expectations, little attempt to engage with officers and a lack of understanding of policy, politics or process. For example, some local authorities are known to be slow to process planning applications - it's a developer's job to find that out by speaking to a planning consultant or looking at planning stats. So if you still choose to work in that borough - don't get frustrated when planning takes a long time!!
Like 90% of Local Authority employees I have worked with, most planners are great people who work hard doing a difficult job and must follow policy. Give them your time, provide them ALL the information they need, and make their lives easier, and things tend to go better.
Finally, there are many cases where you can do all of the above, but the result differs from what you want or takes way longer. In every "industry", there are nightmare stories. That's part of being a developer…suck it up!! :D
Can't wait to hear your views!!
