It happens already day in day out. You take your planning appeal to the regional authority under the charge of J Prescott and in over 80% of cases the local planning refusal is overturned.
The planning officers and local councillers have been spitting blood about it for the last two years. A Terminal 5 style £14m 9 yr long enquiry is now never to be repeated. The White Paper has been issued, in it Bristol will get its expansion, the current LOCAL planning "debate" will be overuled if the decision goes the wrong way and all this will happen within two years.
Local planning control on large public infrastructure projects is dead.
But they still allow 24 months of debate, a campaign group to be formed and local councillors to wring their hands about it all and appear concerned and important. Then the permission is agreed on appeal.
That is what happens now.
Cheers
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