Residents' Voices Silenced in Planning Changes

"OUR residents have lost their voice".

Wokingham Borough Council has approved changes to its planning system that hand more decisions to officers and stop ward councillors calling applications in for the Planning Committee.

The proposals passed 28 votes to 19, with one abstention after a heated debate in which Conservatives warned the move would weaken local democracy and accused the Liberal Democrat administration of not fighting the changes hard enough.

The changes, which come into force on October 31, mean some planning applications - including householder applications and certain smaller residential schemes - will be decided by planning officers rather than the Planning Committee.

Conservative Cllr Rebecca Margetts (Finchampstead) said: "Since being elected in Finchampstead, planning had become one of the biggest issues with our green fields being eroded bit by bit. Now we have to look our residents in the eye and say there is nothing we can do."

She added: "By agreeing to these changes to our constitution, we will not be able to reprseent our residents in the way we were elected to do so."

Councillor Peter Harper (Conservative, Finchampstead) warned the changes would put planning "in the power of just two people - the officer and the chair of the planning committee" and said: "We can and must reject these changes."

And Cllr Charles Margetts (Conservative, Finchampstead) said: "We can see most Liberal Democrat councillors are not enthusiastic about this and know it is bad news," adding: "I know my residents would hope to see much stronger push back and leadership about this."

Liberal Democrat councillors said they had little choice, arguing the Government has forced the changes.

Councillor Prue Bray (Liberal Democrat, Winnersh) said: "The proposed changes put a system in place that will implement what the government is directing us to do," and warned: "Voting this down to stop that would be irresponsible to the extreme as it is essentially an invitation for the government to strip us of our remaining planning powers." "With gritted teeth and as grown-ups, we have to approve them."

Council leader Councillor Stephen Conway (Liberal Democrat, Twyford, Ruscombe & Hurst) defended the move: "I always thought the Conservative Party was the party of law and order and obeyed the law," he said. "This is now a legal requirement. If we do not apply it, planning decisions will be open to judicial review."

The constitutional changes were approved after the recorded vote, with the new arrangements taking effect from October 31.

Katie French, Local Democracy Reporter