In 2022, PMAT surveyed 398 of the 505 Local Government candidates. Of the 398 candidates, 169 completed our survey.

Our survey asked one critical question: ‘If elected will you support retaining Councils as a Planning Authority?’ That is, if elected would you want to retain the power to vote on the developments that have the greatest impact on your local community? Would you want to give up this right to represent your local community?

The overwhelming majority of local council candidates, who took part in our survey (99.4%), believe councils should retain their role as a Planning Authority. That is Councils should retain the power to vote on the developments that have the greatest impact on their local community. They do not want to give up this right to represent their local communities.