7th October 2011
This is my fourth letter to you about your statement that “people must not have any scheme thrust upon them from above”. Like many others, I am still waiting for this to become law.
Your government has said that there will be no restrictions on building houses in the countryside. The argument given is there is a shortage of affordable houses. When I was at a local meeting I asked what is affordable housing but nobody could give me a definite answer. Unfortunately, if the building programmes materialises this will allow the builders and land owners, to disregard the views of local people who will be “rough shod” over by these people. It is pointless saying that Local Government will control the situation. From the experience of the people in my village, Local Government is more interested in legal costs if a plan is rejected and the applicants appeal.
If you had instigated your suggested policy you would have been top of the Popularity Poll. You would have enabled local people to become involved in all planning in their locality; a true democratic procedure. A scheme could be devised whereby a committee would be formed incorporating those who will be affected by the outcome. From our experience, those who apply and those who decide are unaffected by the outcome whereas those living locally have to live with it.
Please will you establish what you said?
Yours sincerely,
F.J.Turton
