Last night I held a CPF meeting (Conservative Policy Forum); this is where party members and the public come together to discuss policy ideas and views (Warts and all), which are then sent off to the relevant government minister of state, who will respond within 8 weeks with a formal report. However, it is important to note, these meetings are a forum for people in the community to have their views heard and as a way in which to influence future policy changes. When I was a Councillor I used to hold these sessions in my ward and residents would tell me how they enjoyed having the chance to air their thoughts on major political topics.
There were fifteen residents who attended last night from all over the constituency, We had 90 minutes of lively debate and an exchange of ideas including how we can have sustainable development whilst also being mindful of our green spaces, whilst considering the aging population and need for accommodation to address these challenges.
There was a lot of passion in the meeting, which demonstrated that planning issues are a subject that is very emotive and people really care about. Many residents told me last night how disappointed they are in some of their local councillors (under both the Leeds City and Wakefield Metropolitan Councils areas) and how they have not responded to correspondence regarding their concerns about the Local Development Framework.
It is clear that these issues are not going to go away, so I do hope that all elected representative take note and really start listening. Although I always believe that actions speak louder than words.