| Topic: | Abolition of Chiswick Area Planning Committee is bad news for Chiswick | |
| Posted by: | David Giles | |
| Date/Time: | 06/06/11 18:26:00 |
| because decisions will no longer be made by our local ward councillors, who are elected by Chiswick residents, but by a committee composed of councillors from all parts of the borough. Councillors from other parts of the borough may be very wise and very fair but if they make a decision that is contrary to the interests of Chiswick or Chiswick residents, we will not be able to vote them out at the next election. All nine members of the Chiswick Area Planning Committee are elected by Chiswick residents. They are all Chiswick residents themselves and are familar with the area, its character and the views of their fellow Chiswick residents. For example, the Chiswick Area Planning Committee recently refused to consent to proposals by officers to introduce CPZ's into Grove Park and Strand on the Green areas. I am pretty sure they did so because as local residents they understood the issues very well, knew the areas concerned very well and were well aware how unpopular the officers' proposals were. Had this decision been left to a committee composed of councillors from all over the borough, with perhaps only 2 or 3 Chiswick councillors to represent us, I am pretty sure the CPZ's would have been introduced. Planning decisions should be made at a local level by local people. The abolition of the Area Planning Committees is undemocratic and contrary to the Government's very sensible commitment to devolve power away from the centre towards local communities. |