Tonight the River CC discussed the aftermath of the South Nairn planning decision. Also present was Michael Green who said to the Chair:
“There actually has to be a better way of
working Tommy otherwise we’re just going to face more of this, we’re going to
win some, we’re going to lose some. We sat here six months ago. Malcolm MacLeod
and Brian and they listened to what the community said and I thought gee whiz, I’m
relatively new at this hopefully they will take on board what was said. And it
wasn't reflected at all, at all.”
And referring to a meeting the Community
Councils are trying to get with Highland Council high heid yins he said:
“I think you have to use your meeting with
them just to get that point across, to try and get a better mechanism – how we
work this or else it’s going to be years of this. It takes so much energy and
effort to get all that through into lobbying, to speak to folk to get it all
done. We’re going to lose some and we’ll be down, we’re going to win some and
we’re going to be up. Nobody is going to be happy. You lose confidence in the
whole process and we really have to get a better way.”
2 comments:
"...and I thought gee whiz, I’m relatively new at this hopefully they will take on board what was said. And it wasn't reflected at all, at all.”
I have been really tested by planning issues now since 2005 - with the emergence of the proposals for the A96 Corridor. It is now coming to the close of 2013 and over the years I have been more down (most-times wearily so) than up. You wouldn't think that wanting to be involved and have a better understanding of how and why decisions were / are taken would be such a difficult thing to achieve, would you?
I don't think it is wrong to want an open and clear process; to want everyone to feel that they have an real opportunity to shape the way their area develops. Education, healthcare provision, housing, transport issues - all these things are important - especially to those that do not have proper access to things.
I have sat in more than one meeting with officers and councillors and things have still not become 'better'.
Why care?
Because to my mind promises were made and broken and confidence and trust was lost and to me that is not a good thing to happen. The Council appears not to be able to grasp the seriousness of this.
You have to ask the question as to who are councils are working for? It certainly doesn't seem to be the people who pay their council taxes or vote in elections, mind you this or something similar could be said of the current Westminster government
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