Everyone involved in planning has seen this movie before. On the one hand, a motivated minority of local residents who perceive that they stand to lose from the proposed development. On the other, councillors who want to be responsive to their electorate but never hear from the majority of it.

Engaging on the ground with local communities will always be essential. What our data does is provide a reliable guide to representative opinion in a local area, so that the process is not (as it very often is currently) captured by a vocal minority with the time, inclination and (sometimes) resources to engage in the planning process.