Convenience notwithstanding, picture this:
You live next door to a rather unpleasant family of chavs. They have
decided to ask for planning consent for an ENORMOUS extension that overlooks
your property (among several other properties).
You have long been scared of your neighbours, the more so since they have
rowdy friends visit, and party until 2am. One of them has threatened your
10 year old daughter because she went into their front garden to get her
ball back.
You want to object to the application which you saw posted on your lamppost,
but you know your name will be given to the chavs next door. You fear
threats and other reprisals because of your quite reasonable objection.
You now have a major problem:
Do you object and risk having the bejasus beaten out of you, or do you hope
the planning officer will see sense without your objection?
How dies a scenario like this get solved by the local authority?
-----Original Message-----
From: This list is for those interested in Data Protection issues
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Tim Turner
Sent: 02 June 2005 15:06
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [data-protection] Opinions sought - Planning Applications
I live at the edge of Manchester City Council's area. Not putting planning
applications on the web at all means that if I want to look at a planning
application, I have to pay to travel into Manchester (and as I work in
Wigan, I'll need to take time off work to do this) and go to the planning
department in normal working hours. Alternatively, I could look on a website
at home when I have the time to think about it. Which approach allows me, a
Manchester Council Taxpayer, greater access? I think putting planning
applications on the web increases the possibility of participation. I think
the risks are small, and the benefits could be large. I carry no torch for
eGoverment or targets, but I do think that local government processes can be
opaque, and any effort to widen access to them is a good thing. What we do
in local government shouldn't be accessible only to specialists.
> ----------
> From: Antoinette Carter[SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
> Reply To: [log in to unmask]
> Sent: 02 June 2005 14:38
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: [data-protection] Opinions sought - Planning
> Applications
>
> I have a lot of sympathy with this view. The main objective of a
> transparent planning process is to allow those people affected, ie.
> the people actually living there, to have a say in proceedings. By
> that definition, all those concerned must be geographically close to
> the Town Hall for their borough. The argument that making access
> available worldwide via the Web adds any value for the borough's
> residents is weak at best, and is probably negated altogether when you
> take into account the loss of privacy, and the possible threat to
> individuals' personal safety.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: This list is for those interested in Data Protection issues
> [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of [log in to unmask]
> Sent: 02 June 2005 14:19
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: [data-protection] Opinions sought - Planning Applications
>
> In a message dated 02/06/05 12:10:06 GMT Daylight Time,
> [log in to unmask] writes (snip):
>
> > . I would like to ask another question: what is the effect of
> > maintaining a system where access to the planning process is limited
> > to people who go to the Town Hall?
>
> -------
> Did it not work well for a number of years before the Internet? Did
> it not actually work better than it does now? Was there not a more
> consistent approach to building? Were not the buildings themselves
> more aesthetically pleasing?
> Have councils seen an increase in applications or objections since
> planning went on-line? If not, what is the objective?
>
> It cannot achieve total popular coverage so why is it done? To
> achieve targets. Targets that were set by government in an arbitrary
fashion.
> People do not want e-government, government does. The government has
> recently issued directives to councils to force the public to use
> electronic payments, electronic applications and e-systems in general,
> by stoppping the manual (personal
> contact) alternative where possible.
>
> I have never suggested the system is closed down, nor that it does not
> present an opportunity for those with no domestic problems. What I
> object to is that councils are now being told to put the details on
> the web regardless of the wishes of the individual. This is wrong. I
> hope councils ignore the advice and actually ask people whether they
> object, then respect those wishes.
>
> Ian B
>
> Ian Buckland
> Managing Director
> Keep IT Legal Ltd
>
> Please Note: The information given above does not replace or negate
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