I happened to read the notes of the 21st November Planning Committee meeting and came across the following:
The Chairman [Councillor Nee] reminded Members that they were here to make decisions for the betterment of the district and not on the basis of parochial bias or preferences.
The Principal Planning Solicitor stressed that, whilst councillors were there to represent the electorate and had a responsibility to listen to residents' views, they were also required to make decisions based on the evidence before them as that is what they would be judged on at appeal. In other words they should detach themselves from the emotion surrounding the proposals and focus on the evidence.
I can understand the Solicitor's point (though it tends to get somewhat worse thereafter in my opinion), but I'm more dubious about the Chairman's. I think one could say that it is not cricket.
The link below will download the document:
https://moderngov.dover.gov.uk/documents/b16178/Supplementary%20Paper%20-%20Minutes%2021st-Nov-2024%2018.00%20Planning%20Committee.pdf?T=9