From: St Philip and St James Area Residents’ Association (SPJARA), Cheltenham
To: Planning for the Future Consultation
Department of Housing, Communities and Local Government
2 Marsham Street
London SW1P 4DF
11 September 2020
Dear Sir,
We are a residents’ association in South Cheltenham which engages actively in the planning process - see www.spjara.org.uk . We offer these comments based on our experience over the past 12 or so years. We have not found the 26 questions in the White Paper a convenient way to organize our thoughts but trust that you can use our views below nonetheless.
We think that the current system of town and country planning works well in allowing us to express local people’s views about planning applications, although we have sometimes had to struggle to get a hearing. It also ensures a reasonable degree of accountability through our local councillors.
We note the radical changes in planning arrangements now proposed in the White Paper. While some of the criticisms of the system are well founded, we fear that many of these changes will lead to a diminution of local control over the local environment, affecting large parts of the country, including much of Cheltenham.
However, the White Paper says that the current arrangements are unlikely to change much within our own area as it is all within the Central Cheltenham Conservation Area. As far as it goes, that is reassuring but given the prevailing message of less regulation, for example through recent and proposed changes to the General Development Order and Use Classes Order, we fear that there will be continued pressure to reduce the voice of local people and the role of local government in determining what happens to our local environment.
In short, while relieved that the drastic proposals to reduce local engagement in the development control process will not apparently apply in our area, we are concerned nonetheless that the White Paper as a whole will markedly reduce the vital role of planning in shaping the local environment of our town. We support the many efforts now underway to seek amendments to the proposals s to make sure that local people are given a greater say in the shaping of their communities, not a diminished one.
Yours sincerely
Clair Chilvers
Chair of SPJARA
on behalf of the elected members of the SPJARA Committee.
Copy to Alex Chalk MP
To: Planning for the Future Consultation
Department of Housing, Communities and Local Government
2 Marsham Street
London SW1P 4DF
11 September 2020
Dear Sir,
We are a residents’ association in South Cheltenham which engages actively in the planning process - see www.spjara.org.uk . We offer these comments based on our experience over the past 12 or so years. We have not found the 26 questions in the White Paper a convenient way to organize our thoughts but trust that you can use our views below nonetheless.
We think that the current system of town and country planning works well in allowing us to express local people’s views about planning applications, although we have sometimes had to struggle to get a hearing. It also ensures a reasonable degree of accountability through our local councillors.
We note the radical changes in planning arrangements now proposed in the White Paper. While some of the criticisms of the system are well founded, we fear that many of these changes will lead to a diminution of local control over the local environment, affecting large parts of the country, including much of Cheltenham.
However, the White Paper says that the current arrangements are unlikely to change much within our own area as it is all within the Central Cheltenham Conservation Area. As far as it goes, that is reassuring but given the prevailing message of less regulation, for example through recent and proposed changes to the General Development Order and Use Classes Order, we fear that there will be continued pressure to reduce the voice of local people and the role of local government in determining what happens to our local environment.
In short, while relieved that the drastic proposals to reduce local engagement in the development control process will not apparently apply in our area, we are concerned nonetheless that the White Paper as a whole will markedly reduce the vital role of planning in shaping the local environment of our town. We support the many efforts now underway to seek amendments to the proposals s to make sure that local people are given a greater say in the shaping of their communities, not a diminished one.
Yours sincerely
Clair Chilvers
Chair of SPJARA
on behalf of the elected members of the SPJARA Committee.
Copy to Alex Chalk MP
