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Many years ago Building Design ran a headline “A junior planning officer told me that (a scheme) wouldn’t do. I asked what her training was. She said she was a geographer . . .“

Sadly our current crop of planning officers are inadequately trained in the design of buildings and should not be in positions where they can approve or refuse anything, not even on delegated powers – but their advice to councillors is obviously important. Elected councillors must take the decisions – even though they may well have no design or planning expertise either - but they are elected by local voters and can be thrown out by local voters.