Important consultations
Barnham, Eastergate and Westergate readers will wish to know that the deadline for public consultation on Arun District Council’s masterplan for the 4,000 home BEW development has been extended to November 25.
This consultation closed on October 9 and it’s thanks to a complaint from Aldingbourne Parish Council about lack of public notice that people can still respond.
In August, developers Lichfields sent postcards to all households advertising a short online consultation. Its web presentation explained Arun’s consultation on the whole masterplan would take place in autumn – and it was consulting on its portion of the development.
On September 1 Lichfields confirmed to Aldingbourne Parish Council’s meeting that Arun’s consultation would be held in autumn and councillors stressed it needed to be well publicised. At the October 6 parish meeting councillors were therefore shocked to discover Arun’s consultation had not only started on September 5 but was about to close.
Neither district councillor knew it was taking place. It transpired ‘consultation’ was an email to an old parish council address.
Nobody locally appears to know this consultation has taken place. There were no flyers, no notices, no press coverage, no parish magazine or Arun Times article, no emails to interested people, no local exhibition. Nothing.
Arun said it didn’t have to consult, so what was the point doing so without advertising it? This is not democracy.
An internet search throws up the Lichfield consultation, not Arun’s, which is at: https://www.arun.gov.uk/ bew-strategic-site.
The Government’s Planning White Paper promises better public engagement and digital involvement. If this is an example of digitising planning consultation then it’s clearly not going to facilitate public engagement.
In order to know there is something to respond to, people need information.
Consultation on the Aldingbourne Neighbourhood Plan Review closes on October 30, as advertised in local press and social media.
LOUISEBEATON Nyton Road, Aldingbourne