COUNCIL planning meetings may not be everyone’s cup of tea but in many ways they are a vital insight into the past present and future development of an area.

Is it did seem strange to us that Harlow Council cancel so many of their meetings.

Over the last year they have cancelled the following meetings.

October 5th 2016
Jan 18th, 2017
March 22nd 2017
June 7th 2017
August 2nd 2017
November 8th 2017

It seems strange to us as we keep an eye on and/or attend planning meetings in Thurrock, Essex, Basildon, Brentwood and Epping.

They all have very bush agendas. Basildon, like Harlow is a district council but has two meetings a month.
Thurrock a unitary borough, has now given its meetings an extra hour (starting at 6pm and finishing often close to 10pm).

We spoke to the chair of the council planning committee, cllr Phil Waite who told us “It is simply because there are many applications that do not need to come in front of the committee and are dealt with officers.”

It may be a separate matter but we have spoken to major property developers as well as an individual resident who have expressed frustrations with council officers with their applications.

Both felt there was a lack of urgency and a sense that matters were done “at their pace”.