OK, but...councillors are human. Those of us who were articulate and knowledgeable enough had found some really planning objections, and put them in our letters. So they had those...but had to decide, one way or the other. Don't you think maybe the sheer number of letters they received might have helped them make up their minds? Doesn't it seem possible?
Of course a well-argued case is better than..."I live locally and I don't like it". But I still think that every little helps...maybe.