Given the fact that from time to time I find myself unable to keep cool when provoked I think that it is probably a good thing that at the time of the notorious site visit by members of the Development Committee to the Piggeries in Great Waldingfield I was several thousand miles away.
Being a beginner at Babergh I would have been completely ignorant of the nature of these visits, and would not have had a clue with regard to who was allowed to say what to whom. This may well have resulted in trouble.
It seems a pity firstly that Babergh doesn’t make sure that new members know the ropes in this regard so that they don’t inadvertently raise expectations, and secondly that the Council does not automatically send the protocol relating to site visits to all interested parties ahead of the event. This seems to be the practice of the County Council, who probably, in this way, manage to pre-empt a certain amount of misunderstanding.
However, I don’t think that the amount of distress caused to people in Great Waldingfield can entirely be written off as a misunderstanding, and this should be faced squarely by all concerned.
Despite the fact that Colin was present, I was the Ward Member who asked for the site visit, citing traffic concerns and the proximity of the school as the ‘planning reasons’ necessary for so doing. I therefore do not find it totally surprising that the Development Committee members did not choose to actually set foot on the development site although taking a few minutes to have a look around might have been useful given the development’s size and importance. The impression was given, whether rightly or wrongly, that other matters did not receive much close attention either. This is one thing that upset people, and would, had I been there, have upset me too. Unlike much that the Council does, Planning is a quasi-judicial activity, and in my view it is important that ‘justice is not only done, but that it is seen to be done’.
Then there is the issue of good manners. Speaking generally, we Councillors only hold our positions because of the votes cast by the general public. We serve the public, not the other way round. The public deserve to be treated with respect at all times. Sometimes events conspire to make this difficult, but we should not be surprised if people are upset if there are failures in this regard.
At the time of writing the best guess as to when a decision will be made by the Development Committee on the Piggeries site is Wednesday 28th November.
