Communities need independent voice in planning debate

I APPLAUD the Yorkshire Post in undertaking several important articles over the last 18 months concerning the changes to the planning system and the consequences for out communities.

The latest was “Developers under fire for housing green-field land grab” (Yorkshire Post, January 21) by Jonathan Reed. I have to say from the start that a significant point with these pertinent articles was that a balanced view was achieved in the transcripts and where equal prominence was given to an “independent” professional community group that spans the whole of Kirklees, the Kirklees Community Action Network (KCAN).

This group, to a certain extent, appears to be unique in the region, as it draws together 16 groups under one umbrella and where it is growing constantly in group numbers.

They are not Nimbys either but a highly professional group that includes chartered engineers, architects, surveyors, planners, barristers, corporate managers and advisers, business people, academics, community group leaders and most importantly the wider community and their views.

It is also non-political and where its modus operandi is driven by the great need for an informed and educated balancing of the facts (what is factual and what is fiction).

This is a necessity for all good decision-making processes and especially in the political arena where a balanced view is required for the public to fully understand the rights and wrongs of such highly contentious issues as the building on “green” land.

These highly significant political decisions will literally change the lives of the people and land allocations for building land, and green belt, like no other for many decades to come. Indeed, the new planning Act(s) and the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) that is passing through Parliament at the moment has considerable ramifications for our environment.

Overall, it has to be said that communities need more regional pro-active community groups such as KCAN to emerge in order that communities can, when necesary, technically challenge the excesses of Government and local authority decision-making. For that is what greater democracy is all about, or it should be.

From: Martin Fletcher, Savile Close, Emley.

SO, even in your paper, Tesco rears its ugly head (Yorkshire Post, January 28). I would say up front, I am biased against Tesco and have not used them for nearly five years.

My reasons are that everywhere they wish to take over entire small towns and stifle all competition and if they do not get planning permission, they hang on the land anyway to stop other companies.

Tesco do not do competition, however, and will do their best to put the local shops out of business.

The Tesco in Mirfield does not have cheaper prices. It competes with the Co-op and local stores at the same convenience store prices.

So it did not bring more competition. Just another convenience store but one that can afford a few losses to get the others closed down. There is also a Lidl in Mirfield. So before all the locals around Holmfirth talk about more competition they should take a look at the prices in the small Tesco shops.

I buy from Asda, Lidl and Aldi plus Home Bargains and Morrisons. I do not need Tesco near me and neither does anyone else.