Today's entry reports on yesterday's preliminary meeting
for the Thames Tideway Tunnel - and another preliminary meeting the
previous day.
The preliminary meeting is the first meeting to which all
interested parties on an application under the Planning Act 2008
are invited and starts the six-month examination period.
I have attended two in the last two days: that for the North
Killingholme Power Station at my old stamping-ground of the Humber
Royal Hotel, Grimsby, and then that for the Thames Tideway Tunnel
(TTT) in the no less prestigious venue of the Barbican Hall.
I must first say that I think everyone present would agree that
the leads of the three-member panel (Kelvin MacDonald) and
five-member panel (Jan Bessell) respectively both conducted their
meetings to the highest standard. This was despite them having
fairly different approaches, which shows that there is a range of
ways to conduct such meetings, and in the latter case at least,
fairly difficult jobs
