Protecting the qualities of your local area
By Griselda Mussett
The planning process is often difficult to understand, and decision-making hidden and remote. This is not helped by changes in procedure and the creation of new, distant
regional planning offices which remove power from local communities.
All too often, fine old buildings are torn down when they could be renovated. Local community memories count for nothing and faceless modern schemes put in place. Everything depends on cars for transport - for shopping, access to doctors' surgeries or hospitals, or even to get out of the huge sprawling housing estates.
Individual voices are lost. Older people in the community - who often remember how things worked well in the old days - are discouraged from voicing their protest. Young people, struggling to earn enough to pay the rent or mortgage, and to raise their families, feel overwhelmed by the processes of change. The young, condemned as 'hoodies' or vandals, feel no-one has any interest in them at all, while they themselves feel exposed, vulnerable, and without any voice. They certainly have no votes and despite a critical press, few have any spending power.
But, it is amazing what a community can do.
However, if even a small group gather together to protest against stupid or destructive proposals, it can be very easy to make the collective voice heard.
In fact, one single person such as YOU could make a huge difference to the way your community develops.
For instance, if you know and believe that a new planning proposal is going to damage to your community, you can gather support for your protest by putting some simple, photocopied posters up, to advertise a public meeting to discuss your ideas. You should always include some contact information on any posters.
Put your posters into shop windows, onto trees, in your own front window, at the library, in your car, etc.
Ask someone from the local planning department to come along to explain what is happening, and to hear the strength of protest. (You might want to leave this idea for later, for when you KNOW you have a lot of support).
Ask your friends, family and neighbours to support your meeting. Your objective at this stage is to gather support and find out what the local opinions really are: so have someone there to take notes. Tell the local paper about your meeting. You should also gather people's contact information (phone, email, etc), and maybe pass a pot around to gather some simple funds.
You are free to elect a working party, and it's a good idea to fix a date in the future when you will ask for proper votes to give your committee a mandate.
The Civic Trust (http://www.civictrust.org.uk) can give you advice about how to draw up a constitution etc. All this will add power to your group when you make representations to your council or other bodies.
Surprisingly, it does not take much money to create an effective and powerful organisation to speak for the wishes of the community. People will volunteer their special skills and knowhow. As long as what you do is above board and transparent, you will find support. If YOU care about something, you can be sure there are others out there who agree with you.
Your task is to be democratic and to voice the protests and needs of your community or group.
It may be that you have to go to council meetings, Planning Inquiries and other debating areas, and have your arguments all lined up ready. But in the end, the decision-makers have to listen to you.
It has been my own experience that if just one person protests, others will come and stand alongside. You can be up against hugely rich companies and corporations, who employ top barristers and planning experts, or you can be up against corrupt and stupid planning departments or executives, and you can still win.
Some do's and don'ts:
Do set up a proper accountable organisation with an AGM and the chance for members to say what they want.
Do have a proper membership database which is purely kept for the campaign.
Don't be tempted to sell the data to any commercial organisation.
Do have the courage of your convictions.
Don't get involved in slagging off the personalities of your opponents.
Do involve young people, schools, local groups.
Tell the press and other local media about your campaigns...give them lots of warning of any events, and make sure they can contact people in your group who are willing to talk on the record.
Do keep an archive of all your research, committee minutes, newspaper articles, and other relevant paperwork.
Use viral marketing to spread the word...ask friends to pass your messages on and get more support.
If you have a local history society, or WI group, or footpath group, or any other society who are active in using and understanding your local area, invite them to join your campaign, or at the very least, send a representative to your committee meetings.
When you communicate with your planning authority or MP, tell them how many members you have and what other groups you are affiliated with...most elected representatives are sensitive or nervous about their mandate... It could be that your group quickly musters more support than other traditional or established parties and so you represent more 'power' than they do.
Good luck in your campaign. It is always worth fighting for historic pathways, old buildings with genuine community heritage value, landscape, wildlife, open spaces, trees, views, peace and quiet, small-economy traditions and practices, old crafts or knowledge, children's rights, family needs, humour, quirkiness, fresh water, the sense of distance, very small things, art and light.
Griselda Mussett, Founder and Chairman of the Friends of Faversham Creek (1987) and Founder of Friends of Brockwell Park (1983). Author, Ghost Hunter, Historian, and Smallbiz Networker.
This article was posted by Griselda Mussett
