Personally I think the simple fact is that Chiswick's geographical location is what makes it different to the rest of the Borough - after all its closer to central London and it has to deal with the North and South Circular Road running along its western boundary, the end of the M4, the merging of the A316 and the A4 and so forth. And also its demographic is very different, and that is equally reflected in very different attitudes (not just in terms of political colour) of Councillors from the Chiswick wards compared (in the main) to those representing other wards within the Borough. Back in the days of the Area Committees, as an Officer it used to greatly amuse me how one evening I'd be being interrogated by a Councillor from the west of the Borough about why couldn't Mr. X retain his 8 metre deep unauthorised extension on his terraced house, and then the next I'd be interrogated by a Councillor at Chiswick Area Committee about why we felt an orange-tinted brick on an extension was acceptable instead of insisting upon a red one.As for 'democracy', of course I understand the points made by Vanessa and others, but too often I think the public think that the results of a consultation exercise should be the be all and end all in the decision making process, after all if that was the case then that would be democratic.But when you're dealing with regulations and legislation it simply doesn't and cannot work like that - if it did then you'd never have any gypsy or traveller sites anywhere because the vast majority of people would say "I don't want that near my house", the same with my planning applications when over 700 people object despite the proposals being entirely complaint with local, regional and national planning policy and so on.So, although perhaps abit blunt, the Officer is entirely correct when they say it isn't a democracy.
Adam Beamish ● 1874d