Enquiry by Design, EBD

The Sunday Times reported yesterday:

"Prince of Wales turns to Joe Public, the architect"

Amongst the quotes were:

"The Prince of Wales has called for more democratic planning laws to allow the public to shape the design of new building developments.

His advocacy of “people’s planning” has already been adopted by the Scottish government after a meeting between the prince and Alex Salmond, the first minister. Now his advisers want the same approach to be formally recognised across the rest of the UK.

Charles believes that residents — instead of architects and planners — should have the biggest say in the development of new communities.

“People feel very disenfranchised by the planning system,” said Hank Dittmar, chief executive of the Prince’s Foundation. “There’s been this notion that planning and architecture belongs to experts. If you’re not an expert, your view doesn’t count. We want to change that."

In Scotland, his foundation is designing six developments — at Cumnock, Ellon, Ballater, Cove, Banchory and Nairn. Last year the prince discussed rolling out EBD across the country with Salmond and Jim Mackinnon, Scotland’s chief planner, during a conference in Edinburgh jointly organised by the foundation and the Scottish government."

http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/visual_arts/architecture_and_design/article6806481.ece

Members of APT attended the EBD meetings in Nairn at the end of last year and APTSec found them most unsatisfactory. APTSec left with the view that this was yet another group of landowner/developer/meeting sponsors wishing to seek public support for plans to develop their land, and to seek to use the public support to lobby the local authority.

The public's ideas can only be taken on board if the 'bottom line' supports them. Meetings such as these also afford developers an opportunity to test run ideas to see what kind of opposition they will face or to identify groups which will be supportive. Then of course, pre-application consultation is part of our new planning act anyway.

The land; the countryside, the sea, the river walks and the views this area affords are all valuable and profitable assets. The support that we are asked to give to plans by our participation in the process is an asset too.