which way for Dover District
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After much work the Local development framework goes out for local consultation this week.
This is seen as a pivotal moment for the district as whether the council should embrace further regeneration or go back to the culture of decline that is proposed by some activists. The changes that are transforming our society seem to be disregarded by these activists such as smaller family units as well as the way people want to stay in their houses for longer. To ignore these changing demographic trends would lead to a falling population in the district and further loss of services as evidenced by the loss of post offices. Perhaps these activists want this future for the district.
Anyway the residents have their chance to put their views and I hope many residents take advantage of this consultation to find out for themselves the issues and put their views to the council.
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I hope your hopes for meaningful feedback and genuine involvement from your communities comes to pass. Unfortunately, my experience of trying to 'engage' with the ordinary folk on such issues is that most are put off simply by the language, let alone the complexity of the issues. the officers do their best, but they are limted by their professional caution and their need to avoid opinion. My hope is that when we reach the next stage of our LDF process we will be able to find some way making the presentations much more meaningful and straightforward so that people can actually get soething out of it and feel that they have actually been involved in shaping where they live. Good luck.
Roger Gambba-Jones
on 24 March 2008 at 17:57
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Roger Gambba-Jones
on 24 March 2008 at 17:59
I hope your hopes for meaningful feedback and genuine involvement from your communities comes to pass. Unfortunately, my experience of trying to 'engage' with the ordinary folk on such issues is that most are put off simply by the language, let alone the complexity of the issues. The officers do their best, but they are limted by their professional caution and their need to avoid opinion. My hope is that when we reach the next stage of our LDF process we will be able to find some way making the presentations much more meaningful and straightforward so that people can actually get soething out of it and feel that they have actually been involved in shaping where they live. Dare I suggest that this is a job for the politicians who tend not to be fettered by sticking to existing policy statements. Good luck. 0 Star(s) awarded
Stephen
on 24 March 2008 at 18:37
I take your point as there is the suspicion by some that the consulatation is a token gesture and that the decisions have already been made and that no amount of opposition will have any affect.An alternative view is that if there if significant opposition then the council has wasted significant public funds developing a proposal that is opposed by a vocal minority and /or the local press.The concept of a democratice mandate seems to have no place in such a worldview.
i don't have a solution to this dilemma.
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Roger Gambba-Jones
on 25 March 2008 at 11:53
I think the point I'm trying to make is, that the politicians should be trying to help the public gain a better understadning of the boundaries that exist and that the LDF is produced within. Too often we hear members of the public complaining about allowing more houses without enough doctors, dentists, etc and that 'it shouldn't be allowed'. Unfortunately, if you leave it to the planning officers to deal with such comments they will either quote the current Local Plan as already supporting new development without putting into context or quote government guidence as a reason for having to do it. The politicians have a duty to step up to the plate and give the political view as to why development is being encouraged or otherwise and also giving robust responses that go beyone what the officers are willing or indeed permitted to say. It's always dangerous allowing politicans to speak at officially organised presentations (I scared my own planning officers at a recent Developer's Forum by suggesting some flexibility was needed when looking at S106 payments!), but at the end of the day we were elected to both represent and act on behalf of the people and in my view that also extends to helping them to understand all the government (planning) speak we deal with and throw at them on a daily basis. Having attended a coupe of our own LDF presentations and heard the bewilderment of some and anger of others, I'm and now going to discuss with our own Strategic Planning team on how a political input might be included in the next round of presentations to communities. I wonder if you might be able to encourage your own portfolio holder to get more involved? 0 Star(s) awarded
Stephen
on 25 March 2008 at 13:14
The Portfolio holder concerned is my ward colleague Cllr Nick Kenton and he has also chaired the LDF steering group and he also likes to brief the parishes in our ward on the progress or lack thereof in this process.I believe that the neighbourhood forums will be holding special events across the district to try to encourage residents to listen to the issues and put their views to representatives at all 3 layers of local government.
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