Does Campaigning Work?

[Gardner 10]

I've noticed a number of campaigns on this site, on local village notice boards and in various newspapers recently. Here are some that I can think of off the top of my head: 

 

Trying to stop new houses being built around the base of the Old Oswestry Hillfort

Trying to stop council houses being run by private businesses

Getting a 20 mph speed limit imposed in the centre of Oswestry Town

Getting a new path built to link Gobowen to Oswestry

Getting a new Zebra Crossing built on St. Martins Road in Gobowen

Trying to stop the out of town shopping centre in Oswestry

 

I know many of the people behind these campaigns are well-meaning and spend a lot of time and effort on their individual causes. I also know that at some point all of these campaigns go before Shropshire Council, but what happens after that?

 

Does the council respond? Does all your campaigning make any difference at all?

[Maggie 65]

Well the beauty (?) of all this Localism is that informed opinions are not as important as they once were, and the opinions of 'the community' count much more highly than before.  The process must have frequent consultation and the numbers game has greater than ever value as a means of demonstrating a majority opinion.  Hence so very many petitions around just now, and all those people who just seem to sign anything that is put under their noses.  Legally, under these new English Bills, the Council MUST be seen to pay attention to all of this.  Whether going through the process and actually responding to consultations are the same thing is something else.