Barry Stamp Calls For Urgent Changes to Planning System

9.52.00pm GMT Wed 29th Nov 2006

Barry Stamp believes urgent changes must be made to allow objectors to be heard at Stafford Borough Council planning mettings.

Stafford Constituency's Parliamentary Spokesperson Barry Stamp is urging the Leader of Stafford Borough Council and her cabinet colleagues to make changes to the way residents who are objecting to a planning applicant can make their case heard.

Barry Stamp made the call following two recent cases were the views of local residents were not even put before the planning committee before a decision to allow to planning applications were made.

"The only way objectors or indeed people supporting an application can get their views heard by the planning committee is if the Councillors for their area agrees to represent them when the application is heard. Over the last month a major problem with this process has come to light when local Councillors failed to voice the concerns of residents on two controversial applications, which meant their views were completely overlooked! What is clear in both cases is how easily the views of local residents can be brushed aside and lost! I believe something must be done urgently in ensure this situation can never happen again. Over twelve months ago it was suggested the Council should allow both objectors and supporters of an application to speak at a planning meeting but to date nothing has come of this idea. It is important that local residents have confidence in the way Stafford Borough Council handles its planning applications, but this is certainly not the case for many people. It really is time that the Conservatives who run the Borough thought about how they can involve people more in the planning process and not just simply ignore what they have to say. I am currently building up a dossier of how Stafford residents are being treated by the Council's Planning system and will use that to press for changes. I would love to hear from anyone who thinks they have not been given a fair chance to make their views known," said Barry Stamp.