One-sided decisions
I have been asked by some local residents about the following planning permission. This is likely to be the second largest housing development in Hinstock since 1087 yet unless local people had made known their views there would not even have been a site visit.
The front page of the Star, North edition on August 30 stated "New village homes plan likely to get green light".
How could this statement have been made before either the site visit by North Shropshire District Council planning committee in the morning or the meeting at Wem that afternoon? Why was it "likely" before either the planners or objectors had presented their cases?
Residents can only assume that on occasions a democratic process is a waste of time. They have been given to understand that copies of their letters of concern were not forwarded to members of the planning committee or their local district councillors.
How can other conclusions have been reached when those making the decisions were kept in the dark and only given one side of the story?
NSDC may wish to explain why members of the planning committee do not receive all correspondence regarding planning applications. If they do not then how on earth can they be expected to make a balanced judgement? My plea is for a more open society.
Eric H Balchin, Market Drayton
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