Hundreds support campaign to reverse controversial Bucks Council planning policy
Residents have been urged to continue to sign a petition demanding Bucks Council restore public viewing of planning comments after the authority removed them from public view.
The petition started by Nick King, said the original decision was made without prior consultation with residents, local councillors or parish councils, and has so far amassed over 1,500 signatures.
“Recent press comments say Buckinghamshire Council’s reasons to stop public comments were made in order to comply with data protection law,” the petition stated.
“If this is the case, there are many other councils who are continuing to publish public comments, which indicates there is no statutory prohibition on publication.”
The ePetition, which runs until June 23, with residents being urged to continue signing the document. It came after MPs and councillors urged Buckinghamshire Council to revisit its controversial decision.
The council made the decision in March, last year, following a data breach, meaning that residents’ opinions on everything from loft conversions to large housing developments are no longer publicly visible on its planning portal.
People can still have their say on planning applications, but their views are not uploaded to the portal where they can be viewed by others. Buckinghamshire Council is one of only a few authorities to restrict access in this way, with many neighbouring councils such as South Oxfordshire and Slough continuing to publish planning comments.
Conservative MP for Mid-Buckinghamshire, Greg Smith, called the move “extraordinarily infuriating”. Aylesbury’s MP, Laura Kyrke-Smith also criticised the policy
To sign the petition visit: https://tinyurl.com/bucksplanningcomments