COUNCILS, builders and architects have joined forces in the past 40 years to redevelop towns and cities so they can cope with increasing traffic.

Many of the results have been truly awful.

Instead of cleverly restoring and preserving wonderful old homes and offices (something successfully done even in comparatively poverty stricken states like communist –ruled Poland) we’ve bulldozed the beautiful.

In its place too often went ugly, cheap monstrosities which after 20 or 30 years were falling to pieces.

Outside London (where there’s a lot more money) only a few places produced exciting new developments which weren’t out of place.

Newcastle and Gateshead’s riverside areas show how good totally new creations can look and the smart arcades in the centre of Leeds are examples of stylish preservation.

Most of East Lancashire is a mess.

Few things illustrate just how bad the area is at planning than the ridiculous saga of the missing link in Blackburn’s ring road.

The bridge that is so convenient for anyone going from the fire station to B&Q looks fine and is ideal for events like the recent Jane Tomlinson 10k run but otherwise useless.

Very little traffic uses four lanes because of the tortuous snarl-up faced by any motorist trying to get from the bridge to Barbara Castle Way.

The reason of course is the rotting, derelict former police house facing the bottom of Montague Street which is also a grade two listed building.

English Heritage’s objections to its demolition and a good deal of council incompetence have delayed completion of the orbital route for several years.

But there’s a third factor too.

That’s the absurdly slow and bureaucratic system we have for resolving situations like this.

I’m not suggesting we should follow the example of a certain Far Eastern state.

On a number of occasions over the years the government’s plans there to ‘redevelop’ an area have been opposed by people who want to preserve examples of the old ways.

Then there have been ‘mystery’ fires which do away with the need for lengthy public inquiries.

No, the council shouldn’t have to hire arsonists but we should have a planning system with build-in deadlines.

Objectors should be able to show a viable way to rehabilitate a building within a specific time frame.

If they can’t and the need for the redevelopment (in this case the orbital route) has been proved then it should automatically go ahead.

What we don’t need is stagnation, dereliction and a small fortune wasted on a project which doesn’t work because it isn’t complete.

Do you agree with Nick? Leave your comments below.