An afternoon at a public enquiry
Archive - Originally posted on "The Horse's Mouth" - 2007-06-27 09:03:30 - Graham Ellis[Part of my report into that strange day - 26th June 2007 - index]
Enquiry in Public into the Regional Spatial Strategy
You'll probably look at that title and say "Eh?" and "WHAT?". The Regional Spatial Strategy has been prepared by the South West Regional Authority as a plan for where the part of the country from Swidndon to Penzance, and all points between, should be going for the next 20 years. With a wide variety of opinions, the Enquiry in Public is being held in Exeter, with a panel of 4 examiners taking inputs from pre-signed-up interested parties, the SWRA representative having a chance to come back at the end of each sub-section to comment.
The RSS document itself is a hefty tome, and appears to be so generalised as to be incomprehensible at times. But in fact it's full of tightly worded paragraphs which I have no doubt may be quoted back and referred to as policy in the coming decades ... as in "we can't do that because it's not allowed by the regional policy" to some sensible ideas. So distant, general and obtuse but perhaps worth some effort.
But what an expense and effort is the "EIP"! Some 100 people were in that room in the Poshest Hotel in the centre of Exeter. Around 30 were seated at the square table - the examiners across one end, and other bodies down the sides and across the opposite end. And rows of seats behind allowed other briefers to observer and talk to their representatives during sessions.
I was there at the invitation of the a group who are opposed to current plans for a bypass to the east of Westbury (their informaion) to answer a single question, worded as follows: "Does the draft RSS give adequate weight to the contribution that the existing rail network might make to the reduction in car travel, particularly in the Bristol area".
There were 7 such questions scheduled for the afternoon, and this was the third one. And the afternoon already started 20 minutes late after a morning over-run. Two questions had been discussed and there was just a few minutes left until what I had been assured would be the finishing time, but the session chair carried on never the less, asking everyone to be brief, and postponing the remaining questions to the following day.
How did I do? Frankly, I don't know. It's one of those scenarios where everyone is looking to score points with the inspectors. I do know that nearly everyone one who spoke - every single person but with one exception - stated that the RS draft did NOT make such adequate weight. How could it possible do so when three of the regions's railways (including that from Swindon via Melksham to Westbury) had been left off the maps? When talk of investment in the plan was non-explicit in transport modes and talked about improvements as if they were to be road only? But the technical / transport stuff is a subject for elsewhere. (draft of my comments)
I was struck by the organisaion and cost of the enquiry. This was just one afternoon on 10 weeks of public hearings - 50 days. So that's 5000 man-days. About a half of those were civil servants / public sector employes of some sort, paid for out of my taxes and yours. Few of them (if any) will live very close to the hotel in Exeter, so many are commuting long distances or staying over. Let's say that a civil servant "place" costs 200 pounds a day for his / her salary, plus a further 150 a day for hotel and subsistance or travel. So that's the best part of a million pounds for the civil servant part of the audience.
But that's only a tiny part of the cost, isn't it? The civil servants are all prepared and briefed, aren't they? I would guess at one day in their office / preparing for each day at "the show". And I would estimate that there's a further team member back at base, putiing in the same time, for each one on the stand.
I wonder how much that room costs to hire? I know I paid 1.50 for a cup of instant coffee during the afternoon break so it was NOT all a freebie (but I have no doubt that those present at public expense will claim back!). And looking wider, the drawing up, printing of the RSS and all the other activities probably make this EIP pale in cost into insignificance. I really hope it's worth it; I utterly appreciate the need for a strategy going forward, but I really wonder at the methodology.
Partial list of organistions attending ...
Government Office South West
Regional Development Authority
Highways Agency (but no rail equivalent noted)
South West Regional assembly
South East Strategic Authorities
North East Strategic Authorities
West of England Strategic Authorities
Somerset and Devon Strategic Authorities
Pensinsula Stratrgic Authorities
Confedearion of British Industry
Pegasus Planning
Poole Harbour Commissioners
Bristol Ports Authority
Campaign for the Protection of Rural England
Transport 2000
Friends of Suburban Bristol Railways
Westbury Bypass Alliance
Bristol Civic Society
Friends of the Earth
Natural Enland
SW Chamber of Rural Transport
Campaign against South Bristol Ringroad