Testy exchanges over council's 'planning review' status

Testy exchanges took place at Council’s Governance and Strategic Planning committee as it considered whether to discuss a report in confidential or open business.

Initially the ‘Independent Planning Review of Derry City and Strabane District Council’s Planning Service’ was designated ‘confidential business’

However this was challenged by Independent councillor, Cllr Gary Donnelly.

Speaking at Tuesday afternoon’s meeting, Cllr Donnelly said the first thing which struck him about the review was the “emphasis it put on transparency and the need to reclaim public trust”.

He added: “We are proposing to discuss it in ‘confidential’. I don’t think that sends out the proper message. I think there is nothing in this report that can’t be aired in public. The public should be given the opportunity to provide input into the findings before the report is finalised. I would like to propose under ‘chairperson’s business’ this item is brought into ‘open business.’”

The proposal was seconded by Cllr Shaun Harkin (People Before Profit), who said he saw no good reason for the review to be in ‘confidential business’.

Speaking on behalf of Sinn Féin, Cllr Christopher Jackson said the review had originally been proposed by his party.

He said: “We took part in a considerable number of workshops with the authors of the report, as did many stakeholders. Planning agents, environmentalists and lobby groups all took part in the consultation.

“The proposer and the seconder of this motion did not attend one of them, to my knowledge and they are calling for transparency around the report. I think we have to have an element of courtesy to the other people who took part in the process and to inform them we are bringing [the review] into the public domain because once it is agreed by council and all of the partners, it will be in the public domain.

“There are absolutely no transparency issues whatsoever. It is just common courtesy when working with others to give them notice we are uploading this document or part of it, rather than it being bounced from a proposal from two people who didn’t take part in the process at all, to my knowledge.”

Cllr Jackson said he found the accusation there was something not transparent in the process “strange”.

Cllr Brian Tierney said historically there had been valid reasons for the review.

He said: “Listening to Cllr Jackson’s point about the transparency issues, I can understand and sympathise with it, but that would only be valid if the stakeholders were going to be furnished with the report in advance of full Council.

“However, I don’t see how that point stands because it will become a public document once it is ratified by the full Council.”

Cllr Donnelly then said he did not attend “these types of exercises” as he did not “have any confidence in them”.

He said: “Cllr Jackson talks about accusations and courtesy to use ‘confidential business’ to proclaim a witch hunt against planners.  If they really believe that, at least have the courage to say it in public, the way that those raising planning concerns are prepared to do.

“There should be no skulking behind ‘confidential business’ and I didn’t hear a reason from the top table why it shouldn’t be brought out of ‘confidential’ but if it isn’t brought out, i do have another proposal that will liaise more closely with some of the groups who contributed to it," said Cllr 

Asked by Cllr Tierney to outline where he saw the process as outlined by officers as not transparent, Cllr Donnelly said: “On pages 1 and 2 of the report, it says the emphasis is on transparency.

“The discussion in ‘confidential’ is not transparent. Have a conversation in the open. Let’s have it. You can’t get any more transparent than that. There is no reason to vote against this being brought into ‘public business.’”

Cllr Harkin said people were “frustrated with the planning process”.

He added: “They are frustrated with the lack of transparency at times. I have been contacted by people who know this is on the agenda today and they are asking me, ‘Why is it in ‘confidential’?’ I don’t have a good reason for it being in ‘confidential’.

“I have been able to tell people at other times why a particular discussion, be it about jobs at the council, would not be publicly discussed but I do know people who contributed a lot to this discussion and they have asked, ‘Why is it in ‘confidential’ today? Why is it not in public so we can actually see what is being discussed and have an opinion on it?’”

Following long discussion, Cllr Donnelly’s proposal was passed unanimously and the ‘Independent Planning Review of Derry City and Strabane District Council’s Planning Service’ was brought out of ‘confidential business’.