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Parish Councils (Planning)

I echo my hon. Friend’s tribute to the work of the parish councillors. I am concerned, however, at the extent to which we do not always see full slates of candidates when parish council elections are called. It is sometimes difficult even to convene a parish council because of the shortage of candidates. People often complain that they are not listened to, and so wonder what is the point. Planning is a particular case in point. The parish councillors of Barton Turf in my constituency have expressed their concern that they feel that they are not listened to in the planning process. Will my hon. Friend be seeking to find answers to such problems in this debate?