A former senior policy adviser to the prime minister, Rohan Silva, has claimed that planning corruption is “endemic” in councils across Britain. His comments follow last week’s revelations in The Sunday Times that a businessman with close ties to Labour had been secretly taped demanding a £2m bribe from property developers allegedly on behalf of the party’s politicians. Writing in News Review this weekend, Silva argues that the planning authorities have been given too much power to make decisions that could dramatically affect the value of properties and developments. He writes: “Given that the value of a property can increase by tens — or even hundreds — of millions of pounds depending on what the planners decide, the incentive for corruption among low-paid officials
An inadequate system of property rights has led to " endemic " disputes over planning within UK councils , said Rohan Silva , a former senior policy adviser to David Cameron when he was prime minister . Silva said local councils had been given too much decision - making power , and with millions of pounds at stake , the " potential for corruption among low - level officials and councillors is overwhelming " . Silva also called for the UK to adopt a planning system akin to the US , where property owners have full building and development rights , within predetermined limits .