7. Gather a Petition

All - Inform Others - Organise - Contact Councillors - Contact MP - Inform Groups
Write Letter - Gather Petition - Organise Protest - Contact Media - Present Case

Your local authority will tell you that it cannot be swayed by public opinion, that the planning committee is a quasi-judicial body, and that it is required simply to apply planning law. However, that does not take into account the fear factor, which works both ways, in favour of the developer, but also for local people.

A developer - or anyone making a planning application - can make a legal appeal against what-ever the planning committee decides [i.e. usually if they reject a proposal]. So the local authority is afraid that it may be taken to court - at a cost of tens of thousands of pounds of rate-payer's money - if they make a decision which cannot be strictly justified under local and national planning law. Probably the third most iniquitous and unbalanced aspect of the planning system is that local people cannot appeal against a planning decision, so the developer's opinion of the planning law - argued by a clever barrister in court - is likely to prevail over what local people, or indeed the local authority, believes is a fair interpretation of the law.

That's why it is bunkum for the local authority to claim refuge behind the rules, because they're only as good as the argument put up on their behalf, and only the developer has the where-with-all to make a good stab at that! However, luckily Councillors make the final decision in committees, and they're also subject to the fear factor. If they believe they're going to risk serious electoral unpopularity, lose their seat [and their privileges], face unfriendly stares on the high street, they may be persuaded to risk rate-payer's money at an appeal, rather than their own well-being.

Once again it's about proving that more than one person holds your opinion, and one way is through a petition. Ask a simple question, and get as many people as possible to sign up. They might claim they can't take it into account ... but Councillors ignore public opinion at their own peril!

© 2006 / The Planning Resource Founding Trust