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Kowtowing policy by councillors must end The unnamed Brent Council spokesperson quoted in your front page article (War declared over threat to oasis, Observer, 22 July) betrays a culture of contempt towards local democracy. Firstly,
he cites the fact that out of 70 people 'told about the planning
application only four of them opposed it'. Does that mean that the
other 66 nonrespondents were in favour of it? I don't think so. Then
why doesn't the Council concede that out of all the correspondence
received not a single resident was in favour? Because that would upset
the Council's master plan of course, to seduce developers at all
costs. Second,
anybody who has attended a planning meeting, will find it disingenuous
of the spokesperson to pretend that had only the objectors showed up
at their meeting the Council would have given way. Your
paper, too, has reported many a case of councillors running roughshod
over residents' concerns even when the latter have been able to
mobilise themselves en masse to attend crucial meetings. If
residents experience being ignored time and again, they will soon give
up the process. However that may be, the Council is now faced with a
petition and had its planning officers an ounce of good faith they
could reverse this decision, with the will. I'm
convinced that of all the Council's responsibilities their planning
decisions are the most ruinous to residents' daily lives. There's no
Wembley arch without light pollution either. And our elected councillors seem impotent to do anything about it, or determined rarely to intervene or challenge. This culture must change. Dr
Shahrar Ali |
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Letter published in the Willesden, Wembley and Harrow Observers 29 July 2004. |