Petition: Powys people, environmental organisations and other governmental and non-governmental bodies deserve a fair, transparent planning system. Please put public comments made on Planning Applications back on your website. Thank you.

In December 2018, Powys County Council stopped publishing comments from “third parties” on their planning website, with a review due in December 2019.

“Third parties” are local people and other Powys residents and environmental or other stakeholder organisations. They often have important evidence for or against planning applications which should be taken into account. Third party comments show us the extent and reasons for public concern.

They should be available on the internet for EVERYONE, including Planning Committee Members, to see.

The poor alternatives of viewing files in Llandrindod Wells or asking for public comments by email penalise the public and are simply not working.

Powys County Council is worried about breaking data-protection laws. Instead of improving staff training to redact any sensitive information, Powys County Council decided it is better to conceal all public comments from other members of the public. They don’t even let national organisations request to have their comments published.

There was no public consultation about this.

Monmouthshire, Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Gwynedd, Denbighshire, Shropshire and Herefordshire all publish public comments with names and addresses. They all manage the administration and data protection laws.

Why can’t Powys County Council?

You can see a one-page summary or a full history of this Powys decision, complete with the Powys response to a public question and Freedom Of Information request.

Petition: Powys people, environmental organisations and other governmental and non-governmental bodies deserve a fair, transparent planning system. Please put public comments made on Planning Applications back on your website. Thank you.

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