Localism - PIPA discussion

Discussion Comments from Cllr Roger Gambba-Jones:

I am totally committed to seeking to involve the community when it comes to development in our villages. However, translating commitment in to genuine community involvement is a major challenge and requires a lot more than just holding the odd public meeting where people have a chance to shout at you.

My experience to date is, that the most vocal are likely to be those who do not wish to see further development and often for very good and very local reasons. Often the first issue raised is the increase in traffic movements and the probability that the new houses will add further to the speeding that most rural community suffers. This is quickly followed by concerns about the already over subscribed school, the problems of finding and then getting an appointment with a doctor, or dentist. Following up the rear, but never far behind, are the twin issues of flooding and the sewage system.

Looking at my list, you will quickly see that, apart from flooding, practically everything else is controlled by other than local government, especially where it is a two tier authority.

Dont get me wrong, Im not saying we should not be seeking to make this idea work. However, what I am saying is, if this is to be a success, the old ways wont work.

The most successful community engagement exercises are those that start early and happen often. Success should not just be measured by whether you pleased all of the people all of time, or even most of the people some of the time. It will be about whether the ordinary folk of the community had a chance to make their opinions known, got answers that actually made sense to them - even if they didnt like those answers - and had some influence, however minor, over what eventually came to pass.

My fear, is that because of ever reducing resources, we will end up with a very shallow form of localism. On one side there will be those that own land, promoting development under the guise of helping to keep our village alive. On the opposite side will be those who want everything to stay exactly as it was when they bought their little piece of England (often called incomers). Meanwhile, trapped in the middle, along with the council, will be the silent majority, who would like to see their offspring continue to live in their community, but know that they havent got a hope in Hades of affording any of the open market housing that is being so actively promoted by others.

This is a great opportunity for elected members to show real leadership, especially those of us who claim to have an interest in and some understanding of the planning system. However, it is not without its risks for those of us who rely on the support of the silent majority come election time.

PIPA members can contribute to the discussion by emailing pipa@rtpi.org.uk