A bloggee who is an attentive listener has asked about the fate of Farmer C’s application to build 4 houses (effectively 6 as the two he has planning permission for are yet to be constructed) The trouble about a community council in an isolated thinly populated area is that there is always the possibility of it being exposed to something approaching mob rule when discussing issues considered important by a local personality. Farmer C, twice rebuffed by the planners, is determined to get his way this time. He is popular locally, and in general people will tend to support development projects if they are pushed hard enough, are genuinely local but not actually next door. Farmer C can tend to be a trifle OTT with his assiduous lobbying and careful bombardment of his targets (in this case members of the CC) wit loads of dramatically and vividly written propaganda which would not disgrace the most colourful of estate agents.
At the meeting itself he had his claque of supporters including a couple of tenants and with most members of the public (20 plus-our community council regularily gets the biggest ‘audiences’ in Berwickshire) in voluble support of his scheme it would have been very difficult for any member of the council to oppose the idea in such a public forum. It was partly self inflicted intimidation as the chairman’s allowed the applicant to take part in such a meeting by responding to questions from the Councillors (not allowed at most other councils) and it might also have been more proper to ask Farmer C to have withdrawn during the discussion so as to avoid te possible embarrassment of a council member having to make critical comments to his face. Anyhow genuine support was expressed by the Council and it will now be up to the planners to have another look at the proposal and advice the Berwickshire Area
