Tim Turner on 02 June 2005 at 15:06 said:-
> 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.
Not everything on the WWW has to be available to everybody though, many web
pages have restrictive access of one sort or another. Although those issues
are often disregarded in the initial over hype to make information more
widely available on the WWW.
Consideration of principle 7 issues does also cover availability to a target
audience as well as denial of access to others. If such access is
manipulated to achieve particular ends that should not automatically mean
wider access is necessary, if it did then absolutely everybody should have
full access to all parts of all communications systems as a means of
stopping any abuse there; Accepting that such logical access levels are
fraught with some dangers created by some motivations that should not deny
their value.
Unless all planning data (From a grade 1 listed building which generates
international interest, to a property of no interest beyond the immediate
neighbours.) is considered FOI to any person (From any terrorist member to
members of international bodies interested in historical structures).
Ian W
> -----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: 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
> > the need for proper legal advice and/or representation. It is
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> > points raised please contact Keep I.T. Legal Ltd at the
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> >
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