WITH three decisions made in the new open planning forum one thing is transparent: overrules on decisions made by the full-time planning officers will be as rare as hen’s teeth.

With La Coupee, Vazon Cafe and St Saviour’s Tavern all dealt with, the score is 3-0 to planners.

Which is to be expected. When the amateurs (the deputies) do have a point it tends to be ruthlessly put down by the professionals (the civil servants).

When one deputy questioned the loss of residents’ views at La Coupee Lane he was quickly reminded that the law made no allowance for private views, only public.

Another questioned the public loss of view up the hill but was told it was irrelevant, as plans for a bigger building had already been approved.

Debate over.

Indeed, the impression given in the open meetings – and when the Environment Department fields complaints about approvals for glass boxes or moving out businesses such as Griffins Grotto – is that the planning law is an unyielding master.

Planners make decisions only within that law and no amount of argument can move them.

Which begs the question: why are politicians involved in this process? As amateurs (particularly when they first join the department) deputies cannot hope to know as much as the officers.

Any flaws in the process or room for disagreement are going to be ones of subtle nuance, not major discrepancies. After several years with the department, politicians are likely to pick up some knowledge but it cannot replace a lifetime of study and day-to-day work.

If there has to be a higher planning level for crucial decisions it would be more fruitful for a panel of experts from the industry – architects, builders, surveyors, engineers, retired planners – to consider each case, not politicians.

At least that way it can be seen as a valid check and balance.

But if the island wants its politicians to have a genuine say on their behalf about whether, for example, private views should be protected then deputies must devise new planning laws that make them the masters.