The British planning system has come under strain in recent years with the combination of large-scale urban restructuring and heightened environmental awareness. This article considers the underlying conflicts of social values and interests which are suppressed by planning and its `public interest' ideology. A study of public inquiries is presented, drawing on the recent inquiry into the Belfast Urban Area Plan, to illustrate how public inquiry discourse reflects a system of public administration which is strong in powers but weak in social policy. The implications of this for both the legitimacy and role of planning are discussed.
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