Let’s get things working properly

As talk starts to intensify about the forthcoming general election, whenever it happens, it’s time for our members to think carefully about the things they’d like to see delivered by what will be three local MPs in the aftermath of boundary changes.

One recent meeting raised the regular topics of planning reform, housing supply, improved public transport links and the provision of necessary skills. But then one member came up with a concept that was so simple and blindingly obvious that I wondered why we’d never talked about it before. “I wish we could just get things working properly,” they said.

There are so many things in general life that we seem to have come to accept don’t work properly. Automatic machines out of order in shops and post offices, too few human beings behind the counters in banks, not enough GPs and Dentists – the list could go on and on.

Some businesses have long been critical of the planning system and have called for root and branch reform, but another of our members took a different view. They argued that whilst the existing system is not without weaknesses, it would be better to work out a way to make it work properly, by providing sufficient resources, rather than spending years working out how to create a new model. In other words, do not let the perfect be the enemy of the good.

This was a great example of the “let’s get things working properly” concept. If Government provided local authorities with sufficient resources they could employ enough good people to make the existing planning system largely work. It would mean more time for effective conversations to work through difficulties and would crucially give developers the certainty of getting decisions within agreed timeframes and so remove some of the obstacles which currently get in the way of much needed developments.

Improvements don’t always need to be overly complicated. Another member recalled an exercise in manufacturing where an existing process was carefully analysed. They then looked at what could be done to make some improvements quickly and cheaply, adopting a realistic and effective approach, rather than how it could be made perfect, which would be time consuming and expensive.

Sometimes the best ideas are the simplest. We’ll be asking Parliamentary candidates to do their bit to get things working properly and wouldn’t that be a benefit to the whole community ?

If you’d like to find out more about the Bath Chamber of Commerce or the Initiative in B&NES please contact us on 01225 460 655 or info@bathchamber.co.uk.