Letter: Too Often ‘Consultation’ Is Just A Box-ticking Exercise

Published on: 23 Aug, 2018
Updated on: 23 Aug, 2018

From Wayne Smith

In response to: GBC Announcement on Town Centre Planning Welcomed and Criticised

For all the talk of “consultation opportunities”, I don’t think Guildford Vision Group nor anybody else should get too excited at the moment.

It’s time for Cllr Spooner to demonstrate real leadership by working with the people of Guildford to deliver the much-needed improvements that are so long overdue.

Whether those people are from GVG, Lib Dems, Labour or, Independent councillors (heavens above!) or even pesky members of the public, their input needs to be solicited at the start of the process, not at the end.

So often, consultation of public views is little more than a box-ticking exercise and is used as an endorsement of an already chosen idea.