Listen to Locals was launched in February this year as a response to what was happening in Mortlake at the Stag Brewery , and the realisation  that we were not alone in the struggle to challenge arcane planning rules and the exclusion of knowledgeable community groups from the planning process.

 

As our planning application had moved from local planning authority to City Hall, we wanted and needed a stronger and more unified voice to challenge the Mayor on its outcome.

 

 

The mayoral and GLA elections gave us an opportunity to build links with other community groups across London, and hold hustings with both mayoral and GLA candidates on local planning issues.

 

These generated powerful and compelling stories from local communities across London, and a broad consensus amongst candidates on the importance of involving community groups  at the early stages and throughout the planning process.

 

Within days of the local elections, the government announced significant changes to national planning regulations, which will present new challenges to community groups in local planning decisions.

 

Our focus now is twofold:

    

 

• • To create channels for City Hall and LPAs to recognise community groups and integrate them into the planning process

 

 

• • To build a buddy system for community groups to support each other on planning applications  and planning challenges 

 

We continue to build our links with community groups – read some of their stories on our blog

 

Join us!!!