I’ll blog later about the story behind the Nottingham Commercial Office Market Report, but what caught my ear at the launch this morning was yet more muttering about Nottingham City Council’s decision to bring in charges for planning advice.
As I blogged the other day, this has provoked strong reaction in the property community, and the sentiment this morning was, if anything, even more negative. It cropped up in conversation with five separate people, all of whom were dismissive about the service they have received until now and united in their belief that the only way the charges will stick is if they are accompanied by a step-change in the quality of the advice.
One told me: “I’ve had a development client who has just given up and walked away from the city because of this.”
As before, these conversations took place only on condition of anonymity, but it can’t be too long before someone says something publicly about the issue.
The City Council’s leadership has an awful lot to occupy its minds at the moment, notably the May elections and the budget cuts.
It doesn’t just need high quality people in its planning department to hit the commercial standard the fees suggest it now offers. It also needs them to help deliver the political agenda for residential and commercial regeneration in the city’s disadvantaged areas. That is a huge challenge.
I understand there’ll be an ad in the professional trade press shortly for a new director of planning. It will be a big appointment.
Richard, I think my overriding concern here is that in the current economic climate we need to encourage investment in our City. We need not to have any barriers.
ReplyDeleteOur Planners have a pretty poor reputation whenever you speak to people outside of Nottingham. Some of this may be unfair and outdated (I think Jennifer Dearing is doing an excellent job actually) but it is the perception nonetheless.
We should be paying developers to come here - and by that I mean entertain them, schmooze them, cuddle up to them and make them feel loved. Not send them a bill the minute they walk in the Council House!
Making sure we've got top quality planning and economic development people is the big issue, isn't it? Like I say, I think the new corporate director of development (due to be appointed by March) will be taking on a very big job, and it's important he/she knocks on the property industry's door soon after they arrive. There's some suggestion city may be flexible on the application of these fees, but we'll see.
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