In Whose Interest is the Public Interest?

The current government has implemented changes to the planning system in ‘the public interest’ and planners more generally aim to make decisions in ‘the public interest’. Yet, this concept is hard to define, and it has been much reflected on since the adoption of land use planning in 1947. For Friedrich Hayek, planning meant an attack on property rights. Indeed, the creation of winners and losers makes it challenging to reach a deliberative consensus on where the public interest lies. Nonetheless, processes of local consultation and decision making are invaluable in securing good quality and sustainable housing, and should not be dispensed with in pursuit of crude numerical housebuilding goals set by central government.