Important new petition to the Scottish Parliament

BSCG  has backed an important new petition to the Scottish Parliament on the issue of limited third Party Right of Appeal (TPRA). This has already well over 600 signatures . BSCG convener Gus Jones said "I urge everyone who wants to see the planning system in Scotland improved and made fairer to sign this petition immediately."

 

Sir, - I refer to your leader article (August 3) regarding the rights of appeal against planning decisions.The present situation is heavily biased in the favour of developers who, if they fail to obtain the go-ahead regarding their proposed development, have the right of appeal. Local residents who have objected to the same development do not have the same right.Is it democracy, where developers who, in the majority of cases, have little or no interest in local communities, other than to milk them for profit, can ride roughshod of the wishes of local communities and their democraticallyelected representatives?In one particular recent case an almost universally locally-opposed housing development was, quite rightly, rejected by the same democratically-elected councillors you take pains to mention. Only for the developer, with considerably more financial clout than the local residents opposing the development, to appeal against the council's decision. A decision which was subsequently reversed by the Executive's Reporter whose knowledge of the local community can hardly be considered to be as extensive as our local councillors.Your article fails completely to understand the feelings of what I believe would be a huge number of your readers.Giving the right of appeal to objectors would not wreck the planning process but would simply place the developers and objectors, who in most cases are not nongovernmental organisations but local residents, on a more level playing field.Local communities do indeed place their trust in our democratically-elected representatives, and in most cases, whether we like their decision or not, we see them give fair and honest consideration to the developer's proposals and to any objections. If we do not like what the elected representatives do we can always vote against them at the next election. The same cannot be said for the Executive's Reporter.

If the planning process is to be improved then either the right of local communities to appeal must be established or the right of appeal of the developer must be removed. - Yours etc, BILL LOBBAN Pawprints, Dalfaber, Aviemore, PH22 1QD.