Lib Dems stand up for local residents' rights

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Tue 19th May 2009

Liberal Democrat councillors have stopped Greenwich Council's plans to restrict local residents' rights to object to planning applications.

At present when council officers decide to approve planning applications, if two residents object the matter is referred to the planning committee for councillors to give the final verdict. Greenwich Council's Labour leadership wanted to increase this to 10 residents, making it much more difficult for local residents to have their say.

However Liberal Democrat councillors and those from other parties rejected these proposals.

Councillor Paul Webbewood commented:

"The Council leadership showed poor judgement in allowing these proposals to come forward, especially without any public consultation. They claimed that the change was justified because of the increased number of planning applications in recent years. It appears that Labour in Greenwich consider that democracy and public consultation are optional extras which can be dropped if they are too busy. Liberal Democrats believe that the people of Greenwich deserve better."