The revelation that an elected member of the planning committee has also encountered difficulties accessing information has not gone down well.

The revelation that an elected member of the planning committee has also encountered difficulties accessing information has not gone down well.

Uplawmoor resident Aileen Jackson, who has written to councillors detailing her own personal concerns about accessing planning documents, said: “Given my experience at the planning office and my concerns raised with councillors, the actions of Cllr Stewart Miller at Wednesday’s planning committee meeting are justified. If there was any doubt in his mind that he had not been supplied with all relevant documentation and representations then he was right to abstain.” The News previously documented Ms Jackson’s concerns which she says became more pronounced when she attempted to access papers at the planning office.

She explained: “I supplied the admin assistant with three reference numbers to applications which I wished to view. I was not asked if I wished to see them on a computer and was supplied with hard copies.

“The only representations contained in the first file were those from Neilston and Uplawmoor community councils and one other resident of Uplawmoor. My own was missing as well as others which I knew had been submitted by neighbours.

“When I queried the missing representations I was told I would have to make an appointment if I wished to view them. The entire visit took 90 minutes and involved a considerable amount of work for the admin assistant, which begs the obvious question about time saving. I certainly find this new policy, inconvenient, time consuming and costly and I believe it will hinder citizens becoming involved in the planning process which, as we all know, benefits from public engagement. Transparency is absolutely critical in all aspects of the planning process and I was dismayed by my discoveries.”