Thanks Hogmeister,
Any of the documents that cover what you mention above can be requested for review under the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act these days. One of my challenges back to the Council and Developers has been whether they are in fact being held to account over what little criteria they are actually setting (although this is typically nowhere near enough anyway). Whilst the documents and policies set out requirements and ‘nice to have’, usually around things they have to, such as, protected species and no more – the application is somewhat lacking and provision of evidence they actually do any monitoring or follow up, is avoided. One wonders who is pulling the wool of who’s eyes exactly on all of this. For the council and developers it all just comes down to money – and if they aren’t robustly and consistently challenged, they are just getting away with it!
