Communities need ''consultation, not development''

Local communities are too often excluded from participating in the property development planning of their areas, according to one expert.

Andy Kliman from the Royal Town Planning Institute says that this lack of consultation with the community at the planning stage can often result in grievances and a poor perception of the finished product.

He said: "From the very start the community needs to be involved with the local authority and the developer and they need to talk about relevant issues before the plan is submitted."

Even if this sort of consultation results in a refusal at least it can be dealt with from the outset.

He added: "You can''t please all the people all the time, and eventually you have to make a decision based on the expertise of the local planning authorities."

Results from a survey by Saint Consulting show that 83 per cent of Brits are against further developments in their area with 58 per cent of respondents claiming their local council is "too close" to property developers.


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