Ask about planning transparency and the GLA Planning Code of Conduct, in view of this alarming comment from Ken Livingstone:
"I consider the scope of the code to be beyond the statutory remit. I consider that it fetters my discretion: I would be happy to take advantage of the expertise of local Assembly Members, but I am not obliged to do so. I consider the code to be impractical, because delays could be caused by attempts to co-ordinate the Mayor's busy diary with those of local Assembly Members. At pre-application stage, applicants would expect discussions to be confidential, and I could not guarantee that under the proposed GLA code. Therefore, I do not intend to invite Assembly Members to be present when I meet developers."
The issue here is clearly the potential for corruption. Before the GLA elections Livingstone warned that the Mayoral system put too much power in the hands of one individual. Did anybody listen?
For more information study e.g. this document:
http://www.london.gov.uk/assembly/stndsmtgs/2001/stdsep06/papers/stdsep06item5.pdf
Good luck,
Ron Harvey
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