John Pugh calls for longer consultation on Town Hall Gardens plans

A call has been made for the Council to extend the consultation on the new plans for the Town Hall Gardens or at least allow late submissions. The consultation period is a mere two weeks and finishes today. Liberal Democrat , John Pugh, believes it is not sufficient for such a significant development.

 “We can’t treat is as just another planning application’, he says. “The Council have quite correctly embraced the principle of co -design with the community, but without a local newspaper these days it can take a few weeks before people realise what is happening. "

The Council’s display in the Atkinson is excellent but not everybody goes there or looks at the Council’s website.

There is clear evidence that consultation helps the Council. Consultation on the first design, though it drew a very limited response, showed that the issue of most concern to the public was the loss of the fountain. That has been corrected in the new designs which seem largely to have received a favourable reaction and are seen as imaginative. 

However, there are big choices being made on the removal of buildings and balustrades that follow from the desire for a more open space and people pro and con who may wish to comment may easily miss the tight deadline set.

It is always the case though that users of public spaces and buildings may spot issues that elude even the most attentive of architects.

At the end of the day individual judgement comes into this and you can’t cater for every angle, but people want to put their view and are entitled to do so. Consultation must always be real - not a tick box exercise- which is why I believe lengthening this important consultation would be a welcome and good thing to do.”