Lib Dems accuse Conservatives of dodging scrutiny over planning comments
Buckinghamshire Liberal Democrats have accused the Conservative administration of avoiding scrutiny over the Council's decision to stop publishing public comments on planning applications.
Liberal Democrat Cllr Jonathan Waters proposed a motion at the council meeting on Wednesday 15th July calling for a report to be examined by the Growth, Infrastructure and Housing Select Committee setting out why the change was made, what alternatives were considered, how other councils continue to publish comments and what progress has been made towards restoring transparency.
Instead, Conservative councillors voted through an amendment that stripped out the key elements of the motion, replacing proper scrutiny with a vague promise of a future update. They then used their majority to push through the amended motion.
This issue has become increasingly controversial, with residents, parish councils and campaign groups questioning why Buckinghamshire stopped publishing comments when more than 300 other planning authorities continue to do so. A public petition calling for the decision to be reversed attracted more than 2,300 signatures.
Cllr Jonathan Waters told council that the change had affected public confidence in the planning process and hindered the participation of town and parish councils and community groups.
Commenting on the meeting, he said:
"This was a straightforward and reasonable motion. It did not prejudge the outcome. It simply asked for the facts to be examined properly and for the Select Committee to do its job.
Residents, parish councils and councillors have been asking perfectly reasonable questions about this decision for more than a year.
The Conservatives had a choice. They could allow scrutiny or they could avoid it. They chose to avoid it.
If they are confident they made the right decision, they should have nothing to fear from scrutiny."
Cllr Mark Roberts, who seconded the motion, added:
"This is becoming a pattern, Residents ask questions, councillors ask questions, and the administration responds with warm reassuring words instead of evidence and explanations.
During the debate the Conservatives repeatedly referred to legal advice, data protection concerns, discussions with the Information Commissioner's Office and the exploration of alternative solutions, while opposing scrutiny of those very issues.
Buckinghamshire Council should not be run on a ‘trust us, we know best’ basis. Decisions should be shared transparently, explained, tested and scrutinised."
A Buckinghamshire Liberal Democrat spokesperson said "We will continue to press for answers. But the real question is no longer why planning comments were hidden. The real question now is why the Conservative administration is so determined to avoid scrutiny of the decision.