a District Councillor.

Just received a 2 hour briefing (over Zoom) on changes to the planning regime introduced to support businesses with us being in the Covid-19 pandemic. To see the history though, there are changes going on every now and again – what a lot of work for our professional planners at the District Council to keep up with.

For elected members, local Councillors representing a Ward (as we all do), or on the planning committee (termed, the Development Management Committee, DMC), we have the support of these planning professionals and a legal team to help us come to a decision. We can apply our local knowledge or just represent society by being part of our communities, but we cannot decide without advice, guidance and caution.

So the morning also included a little local party politics, and keeping up to date with the Police and Crime Commissioner campaigns. I hope to contact a management company for one of the new housing estates this afternoon, finalise my reading for tomorrow’s DMC meeting (with 3 principal applications), and commence writing my report for Ugborough Parish Council which takes place tomorrow night.