In the council e-newsletter this week, the council mentions that they are repeating their “satisfaction survey” by asking 3,000 residents, randomly chosen, what they think.

They the mention last year’s survey and what they are doing about improving things.

Here is the extracy on planning.

Planning – residents said

49% of residents said the council doesn’t act on what residents say, mainly due to planning and development (stet – this doesn’t make any sense!)

16% said they were dissatisfied with planning services – the most common reason given was that the council doesn’t listen to what people say.

How the council has responded

They have:

Published an article in the summer edition of East Devon Connect setting out the planning process and use other communication channels to make residents aware

We are in the process of changing the letters sent out during the planning application process to help make them better understood and provide a better explanation why decisions are made
We have increased our communications about regeneration projects and developments particularly in Exmouth and Seaton.

So, there you are: EDDC is improving by: writing an article, simplifying paperwork for planning applications and, er, more press releases.

Anyone see the flaws in this? Do any if these things show that the council LISTENS?

NEW TRANSPARENCY CODE FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT JUST PUBLISHED

The link to the document is here

Click to access Local_Government_Transparency_Code_2014_Final.pdf

Local authorities must publish all information they hold unless there is a compelling reason not to, the Government has suggested.

That principle has been laid down by the Department for Communities and Local Government in its new Local Government Transparency Code, which said local authorities should see data as a valuable resource not only to themselves, but also their partners and local people.

“In principle all data held and managed by local authorities should be made available to local people unless there are specific sensitivities (eg. protecting vulnerable people or commercial and operational considerations) to doing so,” the code says.

The DCLG said three principles had guided the development of the code (which applies in England only):

Demand led: “there are growing expectations that new technologies and publication of data should support transparency and accountability. It is vital that public bodies recognise the value to the public of the data they hold, understand what they hold, what their communities want and then release it in a way that allows the public, developers and the media to use it”;

Open: “provision of public data should become integral to local authority engagement with local people so that it drives accountability to them. Its availability should be promoted and publicised so that residents know how to access it and how it can be used. Presentation should be helpful and accessible to local people and other interested persons”; and

Timely: “the timeliness of making public data available is often of vital importance. It should be made published as soon as possible following production even if it is not accompanied with detailed analysis.”

Part 2 of the code sets out information which must be published (and is “recommended practice for parish councils whose gross annual income or expenditure – whichever is the higher – does not exceed £6.5m”).

Quarterly publication is required for expenditure exceeding £500, for Government Procurement Card transactions and details of every invitation to tender for contracts to provide goods and/or services with a value that exceeds £5,000, together with any contract, commissioned activity, purchase order, framework agreement and any other legally enforceable agreement, also with a value that exceeds £5,000.

Annual publication is required for certain information in nine data sets, including local authority land, grants to voluntary bodies and senior salaries.

Part 3 of the code meanwhile sets out areas where the DCLG suggests local authorities should go beyond the minimum compulsory requirements set out and are recommended to make information public.

These cover data in relation to: expenditure, procurement, land, parking, grants, fraud and organisation chart.

The code includes an annex summarising, in a table, all information to be published.

http://www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=18380:dclg-publishes-new-local-government-transparency-code&catid=59&Itemid=27

On. planning lawyer’s blog there is a rant about how difficult local authorities make it to have planning applications validated – with rigid checklists that do not always suit the type of application being made.

Be that as it may, one of the comments says it all for us poor proles trying to ensure that dodgy developers don’t shirk their responsibilities:

Dr Anton Lang MRTPI said…
Hear, hear. As the someone who actually stood up to this nonsense and ended up at a judicial review leading to the revised Guidance on Validation having to be issued, I applaud you for keeping this matter alive. The guidance has not gone far enough and local authorities still ask for a gamut of unnecessary supporting information they do not really need, nor understand. Roll back the actual legislation and make everything simpler and at the applicant’s discretion. The tail has been wagging the dog for too long. The lpas [local planning authorities] are there to serve the applicants and NOT the other way round.

So now we know!

https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=8170718846507476773&postID=7411782539593349100&isPopup=true

And some pertinent comments that might also apply to local government:

http://www.westernmorningnews.co.uk/Police-commissioners-probation-Commons-committee/story-21055389-detail/story.html