Reconsult on the Cardiff LDP Alternative Sites Consultation

Cardiff County Council has failed to inform its citizens about the "Local Development Plan Alternative Sites Consultation" in a manner consistent with the Cardiff LDP Delivery Agreement.

Section 2.16 of the Cardiff LDP Delivery Agreement clearly states that:

"The Council will use a variety of methods to raise awareness and publicise progress of the LDP including press releases and web site information. This will include features in the Council News paper the Capital Times and Notices in the South Wales Echo."

We are confused as to why, at this stage when residents get a chance to comment on proposed sites that would directly affect them has advertising consisted of only: A legal notice in the classified section of the Western Mail on July 17 2009 (of which the average Cardiff readership for that week was 18,135), and notification e-mailed to the 442 people on the LDP database.

Together these methods would reach only 7.9% of the Cardiff adult population.

We want the council to reconsider its claims that it has satisfied its legal requirements, extend the consultation period and re-advertise this consultation in a manner designed to reach 100% of Cardiff’s population, rather than the 7.9% illustrated above.

We also believe with the amount of confusion not just from the public, but from councillors, such as Neil McEvoy (the deputy head of the council) who had to correct his original statement about the consultation in the Echo AFTER the consultation period deadline, justifies the need for a clearer reconsultation.