Standing up for people is something that has always been important to Ms Gosal long before she became an MSP. As a long-time community activist, she took up the task of standing up for what would soon become her constituents as they voiced their concerns with East Dunbartonshire Council over the next iteration of their Local Development Plan.
Ms Gosal worked in tandem with community groups such as MERA (Mains Estate Resident Association) to ensure their concerns were voiced in a way fitting of a transparent consultation process. COVID has had serious implications on every factor of people’s lives and the ability for many to participate in the consultation was severely compromised. Through the work of Ms Gosal and MERA, an extension was secured to ensure a fair process was carried out.
After consulting with local community groups, Ms Gosal wrote to East Dunbartonshire Council to seek clarification on the Historical Environmental Designation Review and its timing relative to the second Local Development Plan. Outlining the overlapping timeframes, it was brought to the attention of the Chief Executive of East Dunbartonshire Council that the process had been counterintuitive and the persistent movement of goalposts had left the public with a sour taste in their mouths.
On May 27th the members of East Dunbartonshire’s Place Neighbourhood and Corporate Asset’s committee agreed to consider the Historic Environment Designations Review as part of the Local Development plan 3 process.
Pam Gosal, Scottish Conservative and Unionist MSP for West Scotland, commented:
“I am so pleased that the council has agreed to move this into the next Local Development Plan. This will ensure that the people of East Dunbartonshire will be given a fair chance to voice their concerns and ensure that their local areas are given the protection they deserve. Our greenbelt areas and historic areas are things to be proud of and utilised by the community. This has been vital during the COVID 19 pandemic for keeping spirits up along with improving mental and physical wellbeing”
“This shows that communities are powerful when they pull together and throw their weight behind what they truly believe in, and I am incredibly proud of people I not only now call my constituents, but my friends.”
“Whilst I welcome the decision to move the review to the next local development plan, I am incredibly concerned at the way this has been carried out. The hap handed approach and constant moving of the goalposts is worrying in terms of building good working relationships with the people of East Dunbartonshire. I will continue to work with both my constituents and the council to ensure that all views and concerns are taken into consideration and are treated with the respect they deserve. I will continue to champion localism and to have local decisions made as close to the local area as possible. To this end, I have submitted the following question to the Scottish Government”
“To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether planning regulations need reforming, and what its response is to reports of decisions made by East Dunbartonshire Council being overturned by Ministers, leading to pressure on local infrastructure and loss of greenbelt land.”