They say a week’s a long time in politics but it’s a very short time indeed for the Lib Dems’ Planning and Transport supremo, Jon Rogers, to make a complete nob of himself and demonstrate he’s a disempowered old fool running a shambles of a department on hot air alone.
Can it be just last week that the mad doctor was frothing, fulminating, pompously pontificating and madly CAPITALISING on this very blog?
Planning is INDEPENDENT of the executive
He thundered at us. Ooh er, missus!
the Bristol Blogger has, once again, served up an unnecessary, unpleasant and inaccurate slur.
He boldly asserted.
One part of my portfolio is to review how the planning officers tackle applications. They do seem to me to be scrupulously open and transparent.
Really Jon? So what’s this we’ve been reading on Tony D’s blog? Broadmead German Market: Planning Department turning blind eye to Council’s rule breaking?
How can this be? The city’s ‘scrupulously open and transparent’ council officers not bothering with planning permission for themselves? Shurely shome misshtake?
Jon’s shambolic planning regime took a further hit today when Bristol 24-7 caught Jon’s boss, Barbara Janke, politically interfering in the planning process for a proposed biofuel plant in Avonmouth.
Dearie me, what is going on in Jon’s department? First he cheaply gives up the city’s greenbelt he was elected to protect and now we find his officers and his boss openly abusing the planning system he runs.
Meanwhile, Jon, an avid Twitterer and internet PR buff, seems to have temporarily dropped from view. Where could he be? Is he alright? Or is it time he got on that bike for good?
Sorry BB
Didn’t mean to deprive you of my company. Slowed up a little by a broken collar bone, but on the mend and back on my bike.
A few points if I may…
(1) Planning remains independent of the executive.
(2) Fair play. This posting does seem less unpleasant than your usual “unnecessary, unpleasant and inaccurate slur”. As for “necessary” and “accurate” I will leave others to judge.
(3) Planning staff do still “seem to be scrupulously open and transparent”. It is certainly not a “shambolic planning regime” however much you might wish to throw mud.
(4) Cllr Janke was “expressing a view on a planning application”, as councillors are entitled to do. That is different to “making a decision on a planning application” which is the responsibility of the Development Control committees, or planning officers under delegated powers.
I regret that I know nothing about the Broadmead German Market. I will ask.
Jon
Best BB blog pic ever. I’m gonna make that into Jon’s Christmas card.
Nice version of what we call ‘The McNamara Defence’ there.
Do you really mean “nob” or, rather, “knob”? Big difference.
Thanks BB
An A4 copy of your “Council officers will make Jon look a stupid boy” picture has suddenly appeared on my office wall as a constant reminder of my many vulnerabilities.
I have put a detailed officer response about the German Market onto Tony Dyers web site. As I have said there, “Happy to make further enquiries, but I would say this is, as usual, open, transparent and entirely appropriate.
Jon
Jon
You should remember to shut your office door properly :-p