I am delighted that the Development Management Committee emphatically turned down this planning application at our meeting on Monday night 18 June. It was clearly judged by our Planners and Councillors to be an unsuitable site for a mobile phone mast. I know many folk in Forthill will be relieved that the immediate prospect of a telecoms mast on their doorstep and street corner has receded.
Prior to the meeting I had been contacted by a significant number of constituents who objected to this proposed planning application for a mobile phone mast near their homes. A petition also indicated widespread concern about the proposal. Under the Councillor's Code of Conduct, we are not allowed to publicly comment on the merits of an application for planning permission in advance of the Planning Committee; in short we must be seen to make up our mind on the night when all the evidence is before us. If Councillors go public on their concerns prior to a planning committee, this would disqualify them taking part in the vote at the Planning Committee. I hope my constituents appreciate that a non committal response before a meeting does not necessarily indicate I am indifferent to their concerns.
