Snapdragon Update – We’re Growing and so is Localism…
Quote of the Day:
“Don’t be afraid to take a big step if one is indicated. You can’t cross a chasm in two small jumps.”
David Lloyd George
********************************************************************************************************
After just over a year of trading, Snapdragon decided that it was time to get more involved in the role of the small business sector saving the UK economy… So, we’re doing our bit; we have expanded, growing our staff numbers and increasing our wage bill. Please welcome Debbie Street, Fiona Brenner and Mark Yeadon.
In celebration of this, we also decided to move into permanent office premises at the lovely Kennington Park Business Centre, Oval – please note the new address and contact details below. We’re very excited by our new team and our new surroundings. So, here’s hoping that as and when Greece leave the Euro we don’t go into total financial meltdown (again) as it would really mess with our strategic business planning.
You can read about our new team here
In other news…
The Government continues to keep its cards relatively close to its chest on the NPPF – from what we hear, it will look very different from the original draft (in that it says most of the same things but in a different order). ‘Town Centre First’ will probably be reintroduced as will ‘brownfield first’ and some new definition of sustainable development. Allegedly there has been much to-ing and fro-ing on what defines ‘significant’ in the context of a ‘significant impact’. Quite how this is categorised I’m not certain – surely what is significant in one borough or local area may not be significant in another.
On ‘Town Centre first’ related issues, the Government are pushing on with the Portas Review and implementing various bits – including the majestic sum of £1m to be split 12 ways to revitalise High Streets and town centres… I suspect most of us could have written the Portas Review without doing the research, it was somewhat reminiscent of the scene from Fawlty Towers with Basil Fawlty suggesting Cybil go on Mastermind “specialist subject, the bleeding obvious”. However, perhaps it needed someone with celebrity status to state the obvious even if the horse did bolt from that particular stable some time ago.
Captain Pickles has once again sought to overrule the Courts – presumably now that the Government has decided it should maybe, just maybe, review its position with regard to the CALA judgment, Pickles has needed to find another issue to throw his weight around on. So, prayers in Council meetings it is! Following the High Court ruling that enforcing prayers was illegal, Pickles has invoked the General Power of Competence to overturn this. I have no idea whether he really can do this but it keeps the debate going and, given that he never seems happier than when he’s really winding someone up, it has probably made Pickles feel a lot better.
Much debate has also taken place over the abolition of the pre-determination rule and the implications of this. Perhaps I’m just cynical but I’m not sure it will really have such a noticeable impact – are those boroughs which currently have a culture of reigning in councillors so that they do not comment or step out of line going to change over night? Similarly, those boroughs which already take a pragmatic approach and have always allowed discussion on applications will continue to do so.
DCLG also published further guidance on Ministerial propriety in planning decisions – in summary, Planning Ministers are encouraged not to talk to anyone or be influenced by anyone, and if they do talk to anyone then they need to talk to everyone and tell everyone everything. But, more importantly, they’re not supposed to listen to their Special Advisers…
The Get Britain Building fund has been oversubscribed by a factor of three – a fact celebrated by the government. Given that the total fund was only £420m (almost enough to buy a flat in the Candy’s One Hyde Park) it isn’t really surprising. Yes, it would have been a sham if it wasn’t oversubscribed but it was never going to pull housebuilding out of recession other than as a quick headline opportunity.
Elsewhere…
The post-Huhne reshuffle was so unexciting it was barely worth commenting on, so I won’t…
The ongoing debate over NHS Reform is looking increasingly like an episode of The Thick of It, the depressing element being that it’s not being dramatised for TV. Betting was suspended on some exchanges on Andrew Lansley being the next Minister to leave the Government. Vince Cable, Cheryle Gillan and Ken Clarke coming up in 2nd, 3rd and 4th place…
Europe is as Europe does and Greece is now on the final bail-out – honestly Mother Merkel, we really won’t ask for anymore and we’ve definitely learnt our lesson on student budgeting now…
The Radio 4 Afternoon Play, ‘Number 10′ is reaching a critical point with the PMs civil partner having been diagnosed with a form of motor neuron disease and the PM battling with press barons, debates over assisted dying, public disorder on the streets and questions over oil deals. It’s just like switching on real time politics but with a much better cast and it only lasts 45 minutes…
The NPPF is due out in March, we will be back when it appears!
Rebekah