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More power to the petitioners
• WE have all seen how Camden Council seems to be ignoring recent petitions and continues to approve unpopular proposals, sometimes even standing accused of not consulting local people properly.
In a press release of July 9, the Department for Communities and Local Government has announced a government white paper titled Communities in control: real people, real power, which sets out how the government plans to give local citizens and communities more rights and more power.
An extract from the press release says: “Councils will be subject to a new duty to respond to petitions.
“Petitions will enable local people to force an issue onto a council’s agenda.
“With enough signatures that issue would need to be discussed by the full council committee and could be subject to a vote”.
Under these circumstances, I do wonder how many back-bench councillors (of whichever political colour) would vote with their consciences, or would they yield to the sound of a cracking whip behind them?
MERIC APAK
Vice-Chair
Caversham Neighbourhood Partnership, NW1
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