Babergh members demand more say in planning policy

More say about these?

Planning is probably the most important single function that a District Council undertakes.  It is quite a responsibility to shape the built environment, not just for now, but for future generations.

However, it is sometimes difficult for a District Councillor to feel that he or she is fully engaged in the process of developing the Council’s planning policy.  There is a sense that  council officers would much prefer to tackle the issues, which are often difficult and complex, without interference from ‘time wasting’ representatives of the people.

At the very local level the situation has much improved in recent years.  Frank Lawrenson and I, as the two Waldingfield members, have for some time now been working with other local councillors and a succession of developers and council officers, on the Chilton Woods Development.   

Additionally there is now the scope for Parishes to develop Neighbourhood Plans, a process that is currently underway in Lavenham.

However, when it comes to making a real contribution to District wide policy creation, such as the recently developed Core Strategy,   Babergh members have for some time felt that their opinions have carried less weight than that of almost every other consultee.  Recently, frustration at lack of influence and involvement has been exacerbated by the very rapidly changing national planning environment and the new challenge of accommodating renewable energy projects such as wind turbines and solar plants.

Just before Christmas the issue of member involvement in planning policy appeared on the agenda for the Joint Babergh and Mid Suffolk Scrutiny Committee.

The meeting, which it was my turn to chair, was rather stormy; a relatively unusual occurrence for what is normally a rather staid affair.  This, I think was a measure of the strength of feeling among members from both councils on this topic.  The outcome of the discussion was a recommendation to the Strategy Committee that a panel of members be set up formally to work with officers on issues of planning policy in future.

I am pleased to say that at the Babergh Strategy Committee yesterday this idea was agreed in principal. Further work will now be done to see how the members' aspirations can become a reality.