Council officers have been accused of an “attack on local democracy”, after releasing a consultation document which critics say will reduce residents’ input into the planning process.
Lambeth Council is proposing to restrict total resident input into planning meetings to two residents speaking for just three minutes each.
Current regulations do not restrict how many residents can speak on controversial planning issues that are decided at committee.
A council spokesman said it was to stop repetition of opinions - and speed up meetings by having written representations considered prior to meetings.
But Conservative councillor Andrew Gibson, who is a substitute on two planning committees, said the move was in reaction to a number of volatile committee meetings where the quality of officers'
work was questioned by “outraged residents”.
He said: “Senior officers are trying to stop the public having their say.
"I have said before that if Lambeth officers do not like democratic oversight they should leave and join a private practice.”
A Lambeth Council spokesperson said written representation was a better way of communicating residents’ and councillors’ concerns and the purpose of the review was to improve local democracy and transparency.
He added: “A common complaint made by residents and councillors is that planning meetings are repetitive and can sometimes go on until the early hours of the morning.”
He said the consultation was based on a survey on the practices of other local authorities.
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