Braintree Council’s reasons for refusing to hold the meeting to decide Bellway Homes planning application in Witham do not stand up to examination.

In days gone by all such decisions were devolved to a Witham Area Planning Committee, made up of Witham area district councillors, sitting in Witham.

This allowed for healthy, and sometimes very lively, public participation in a process that was transparently democratic.

Unfortunately Braintree Council has since moved from a decentralised model of government to one that is highly centralised around a leader and his politburo, and the town of Braintree. Residents of other towns and villages in the district are thus disadvantaged, their ability actively to participate being lessened by comparison.

Being more flexible about the venues of important planning meetings would go a little way to addressing the considerable democratic deficit that arises from the current, supposedly more efficient, system.

Tom Hewitt

Maltings Lane, Witham