My husband works in planning. I can honestly say he doesn't think twice about who in the public he deals with. They are all 'applicants' to him. It's unlikely she deals with the same person every time.
That’s exactly what I was thinking. I’m no expert (although I do work in the very fields that R ‘works’ in) and each day she demonstrates that she has no real understanding of the working practices around DA or autism etc. I have seen how the real experts operate and I am in awe of them, their quiet humility and sensitive approach to gifting or seeking donations among many other things. That aside….
She needs to familiarise herself with what a ‘troll’ is. If, as she has suggested, they contact SS (which isn’t even what they call themselves these days) or Planning over concerns for the safety of a wood burner, then that’s not trolling - they have genuine concerns for safeguarding (which any professional would appreciate comes before anything else). Having said that, R’s approach to safeguarding her children both emotionally and physically is questionable. Same with the Women’s Centre.
Secondly - a troll is not someone who challenges or questions, though it’s an easy get out of jail card for most ‘influencers’ these days. As a supposed DA advocate she would understand that we all have the right to do so if something doesn’t feel or appear ‘right’. The JTF programme, that she purports to deliver, teaches that too.
Lastly - (though I could keep going). It’s not the 80s. Anyone who calls a council or agency department does not just get a direct hotline to ‘Mr Smith’. So the idea that she and the planner are on speed dial to discuss and dismiss the trolls is utterly ridiculous. Infact, the more issues or concerns raised, the more they HAVE to be escalated or referred to a more impartial party. I’m sure those very people would also prefer to work in the old school model of less paperwork/more customer interaction, but equally it’s the way it needs to be and helps negate risk. That’s how the baddies don’t circumvent or avoid scrutiny.