Mieka Smiles

Local Matters

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IF THERE'S one scurrilous claim that's thrown at me more often than anything else as a councillor, it's that we're all getting big brown envelopes stuffed with cash.

As much as I kind of wished this was true (albeit without the bribery bit) life as a local politician is rather less like a gangster film and more about getting massive potholes repaired.

That said, trust in local government is pretty low. And by far the biggest accusation of dodgy goings-on is in planning departments. People are convinced decisions on major developments are stitched up long before they ever reach the committee stage. Until recently, I would diligently assure residents this just wasn't true.

Then came a planning meeting just the other day that pierced my hopes of democracy in action. Developers had submitted a planning application to build more than 200 houses on green fields on the outskirts of Middlesbrough in the heart of the area I represent.

As is happening across the country, hundreds of new homes are being proposed with little clarity on how roads, schools and GP surgeries will cope. Not to mention the permanent loss of green space. Of course, I objected.

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