Eric Pickles Opaque Transparency

Local Government Lawyer analyses Eric Pickles latest pseudo-diktat.  Since the purpose of the pronouncement is supposedly to encourage transparency, it has naturally been concocted in secret without consultation.  This contributes to its poor quality.  Taken literally, it appears extremely burdensome to implement, and the legal underpinning seems shaky.  Eric Pickles sets an extraordinary example of executive incompetence to government both centrally and locally.