Development is necessary and important to us all. We cannot stand in the way of progress. However it is important that development is sustainable and that the public as well as developers have an equal opportunity to provide material information to the debate and the decisions made on their behalf in relation to the location and nature of new developments.
Unfortunately the system is hugely weighted in favour of the interests of the promoters of development rather than the interests of the public.
East Renfrewshire Council no longer permits representations and expert reports commissioned by the public to be made available for viewing on their website. They have also determined that the public are not permitted to address the Planning Committee, except for ‘major’ applications and then for only a few minutes. In my opinion this reduces transparency and the reliability of the decision making process.
Members of the public do not have the same right of appeal as developers on planning decisions. Their only recourse is expensive court action, whereas developers can appeal to the Scottish Government.
Against this backdrop the Council’s recent decision to start broadcasting meetings on the web is welcomed. It is very unfortunate this has not been rolled out to Planning Applications Committee meetings to allow more residents, whose lives could be severely affected by development, to gauge the accuracy and level of debate for themselves, particularly as the Minutes produced are sadly lacking in detail.
Community engagement is such an important part of the planning process, it has been included as one of the six themes to be addressed in the current Scottish Government Review of Planning. The proliferation of wind turbines, the construction of dormitory towns and the erosion of green belt land are among the other issues raised, all of which may be of interest to residents of East Renfrewshire.
Aileen Jackson
Knockglass
Uplawmoor
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