VICTORY: Our First Win in Forcing Council to Give You Back Your Rights

The Coronavirus National Emergency

During the course of the Coronavirus National Emergency, we have challenged Somerset councils who decided that during the Covid-19 crisis that you should not be able to:

•     see the decisions they are making behind closed doors
•     stop them from making the wrong decisions
•     stop spending your taxes on the wrong things
•     have your right or your say taken away
  

We found out what they were doing. They did not like it. Not one bit.


And some of your elected councillors and council officers really did not like it either. Not one bit.


They tried to stop us. They tried to ignore us. 

But they couldn't stop us. And they can't ignore us.

Because we were formed to protect Somerset residents.

Mendip District Council

For example, Mendip District Council decided during the National Emergency that they would remove the public's rights to have their say in the planning process.


Yes, that's right. The planning process that the public already have little faith in, and for which the common view is that planning applications are frequently riddled with corruption and dominated by "little brown envelopes". Many members of the public hold this view, rightly or wrongly.

The public is suspicious. And they are suspicious because it has happened - fortunately not often. The evidence at various councils in England should be enough to convince anyone that it can happen, despite however rare it might seem.

If firm action is not taken, corruption can take hold in councils.

That is not to say that there is evidence of corruption in the planning process in any of the councils in Somerset.


But steps need to be taken to make it harder for corruption to occur, and to counter the commonly-held public perceptions of planning.


Those steps must include increasing the openness and transparency of Council planning processes.


And involving the public more.


Mendip District Council and the Government decided that you should have even fewer rights than you had already. And they used the National Emergency as an excuse to remove your rights.


Mendip District Council decided to stop letting people know that planning applications had been submitted by ceasing the erection of "poster" notices on the sites. They stated this on their website.


Mendip District Council decided to stop visiting sites to assess planning applications, but still continued to progress development applications. They stated this on their website.


Mendip District Council decided to stop people being able to write in by letter to comment on planning applications. They refused to accept "hard copy" representations. Yes, they even stated this on their website.


And Mendip District Council decided to stop the public from speaking during planning meetings.


Throughout the crisis, Somerset Independents has challenged them repeatedly on all of these things.


And now Mendip District Council has been forced to u-turn.


They were forced by members of Somerset Independents to give you back your rights to speak at the "virtual" Planning Board - to speak up for yourself and your area.


On 27th May 2020, Somerset Independents members spoke at the "virtual" Planning Board, to confirm winning back the public's rights that we fought for (despite the Council's belated claims of "democracy" here - notice how they don't mention public speaking!) - and which Mendip District Council removed without consulting.


And we asked Mendip District Council to go further to promote more public involvement in local democracy.


At the previous Planning Board meeting on 22nd April 2020, we asked to speak to raise all of the above issues about the public's rights being taken away. But we were refused. Instead, we had to provide written statements.


Those statements have been successful. Our campaigning has been successful.


So we used our right to speak at the May meeting to ask for MORE rights for the public to participate in the planning process.


Why did we do this?


Because Somerset Independents was formed by Somerset residents, to protect Somerset residents.


Tell us why you think it is important that the public can get involved in their local council.


Tell us what else is important to you by emailing us at somerinds[at]gmail.com