Candidates views; George Macdonald, Scottish Anti-cuts Coalition - THC Ward 14

As the Scottish Anti Cuts coalition candidate for Inverness West, I am taking this opportunity to reply to your letter re public involvement in the planning  process. As a lifelong socialist it has always been my conviction that democracy is best served when as many members of the population are involved not just in the planning process, but in the entire decision making process at both local and national level.  I believe it is only through open and honest debate that a true democratic society can exist.  Unfortunately, in today's profit-obsessed society, the needs of the majority are often swept aside by the powers that be and as a result, planning applications are often agreed against the wishes of both the people and their elected representatives.   Take for example the scandal surrounding the building of a golf course by Donald Trump in Aberdeenshire against the wishes of the local council, but bulldozed through by a supine Scottish government.  Irony of ironies, now, is it not that Trump is now trying to prevent the development of an offshore wind farm?  Then again, we have the construction  of the Beauly to Denny pylon line, bulldozed through the planning process by the billionaire power companies who were not prepared to look at more environmentally friendly options (underground or submarine cables) but were only concerned with the quick buck mentality which seems to pervade so much of our society.

Of course, as a candidate for Inverness West, one of the main causes for concern currently is the proposed bridge across the River Ness and Caledonian Canal -  project which seems to have been accepted without question by the main political parties, but which is likely to cause major environmental and cultural damage at no discernible benefit to the community as a whole, nor it would seem, to the traffic problems which currently beset Inverness.

If your group exists to challenge the ever-growing influence of big business on the planning process, then I am happy to lend you my support.

yours sincerely

George Macdonald