Inclusion and Transparency in Planning Decision-Making: Planning Officer Reports to the Planning Committee

Abstract

Language is central to effective communication and communication is the foundation of the current orthodoxy in planning theory. For communication to be effective in fostering the greater public engagement in planning demanded by communicative and collaborative planning theorists it must be inclusive and transparent. This article examines the language used in the reports produced by planning officers in UK development control decision-making. These reports to planning committees are the only documents available to the public that communicate the local planning authority's assessment of a planning application before a decision is made. They are, therefore, a crucial communication tool in planning and yet are rarely the subject of research. The results of the content analysis of these reports suggests that far from being in the mould of communicative and collaborative planning theory they remain exclusive and shrouded in the language of the rational professional expert.

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