My first Planning Committee meeting

Tuesday - my first planning committee meeting (Development Control or DC in Council jargon) - I have to say that the prospect truly depressed me. Ten trees worth of agenda arrived last week. I was not looking forward to it.

But actually, once the initial shock of being at the centre of a public decisionmaking forum was over, I really enjoyed it. I want to see much more emphasis on the environment in planning - more renewable energy, more energy efficiency, more re-use of rainwater etc etc. We have to do more, much more, if we're going to pass on to our children a planet worth living on. The previous Labour administration simply weren't interested in the environment. Thankfully they've been voted out. Now we can get on with saving the planet.

Apparently the Council officers hadn't expected such a "difficult" bunch on the new Planning Committee. Some of them looked shocked by our determination to ask questions or push for more renewable energy. Three and a half hours later we hadn't got through half the agenda but I think we changed the approach of the Planning Committee. We intend to be far more proactive. And that can only be good for Camden. As the soon-to-depart Council architect said to me in the corridor: "If I'd known you were going to make things this interesting I'd have stayed!"