Easy-Council ‘no frills’ Planning Privatisation report exposed

The London Borough of Barnet Council commissioned Impower/Agilysis to deliver an options appraisal for the future provision of Planning, Building Control, Environmental Health, Trading Standards and other Regulatory Services. They recommended “The market option most likely to deliver the improvement and price changes needed is a strategic partnership with the private sector.” They also recommended expanding the Development and Public Health Services Project to include Regeneration, Highways and Transport Planning. Barnet UNISON commissioned this detailed critique of the consultants report which concluded that the options appraisal contained many sweeping assumptions, lacked empirical evidence and market analysis and failed to meet even the basic scope and quality standards expected of an appraisal.