It is extremely encouraging to see the huge turnout last week at a public meeting to discuss the development replacing the Aylesham Shopping Centre in Peckham.
The work by campaigners Peckham Citizens has been tremendous, as all too often we at the News are having to report on planning issues with just a handful of residents claiming to represent hundreds more. When it comes to influencing planning decisions and making developers listen to the needs of existing local community there is power in numbers.
Planning law dictates that local people have to be consulted and their objections taken into account. By understanding what they want and galvanising support for their objectives, Peckham Citizens’ will become a powerful voice in Peckham and a blueprint for concerned communities across the borough.