Planning Democracy
Yesterday evening a training session for members of the Development Control Committee took place at the council’s offices in Chinley, and whilst I wasn’t there myself, the other Councillor Mckeown was and the handout’s from the training session reveal a number of proposed changes the some would say indicate the direction that the alliance is going in.
I say direction because whilst the changes may appear minor, so far to date there has been no consultation with the member of the committee concerned or with the exception possible of the executive no consultation with any other members of the council regarding the changes.
The changes include switching the development committee from meeting on a Monday to meeting on a Thursday, from meeting every three weeks to every four, reductions in the length of time available for ward members to speak on an application before the committee, no questions from members of the committee to speakers on any applications, and by the look of it further complications to the process in Councillors been able to ‘call in’ applications to appear before the development control committee and be decided by elected members rather than officials.
Now on paper some of the changes are not that much of a big issue, and all are been done in the name of efficiency the lack of consultation on some measures including those that have already recently been rejected by members following early changes to the development control process show what I hope has been an error on the part of those concerned with full consultation taking place shortly or if not is this a sign of how things will be following the recently completed management review.